BBC Radio 2 reveals Wonderwall by Oasis is the UK’s official best-selling Britpop song

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BBC Radio 2

Oasis were crowned the Kings of Britpop on Bank Holiday Monday on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds as Britpop Top 50 with Jo Whiley counted down the UK’s 50 best-selling Britpop songs of the 90s.

Using exclusive data from Official Charts Company, Wonderwall by Oasis topped the chart at number one with sales of 1.4 million, followed by Don’t Look Back In Anger by Oasis in second place, with The Verve’s Bitter Sweet Symphony taking the bronze medal.

Jo Whiley says: “This chart has taken me back to the glory days of the Evening Session and a time when Britpop ruled the airwaves. It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years! Wonderwall has always been a special song to many people so I’m not surprised it’s at number one - it’s an enormous anthem. The whole chart has brought back so many memories of brilliant songs and bands from a very special time in British pop music.”

The top ten are:

  1. Wonderwall - Oasis (1995)
  2. Don’t Look Back In Anger - Oasis (1996)
  3. Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve (1997)
  4. D’You know What I Mean? - Oasis (1997)
  5. Brimful Of Asha– Cornershop (1998)
  6. The Drugs Don’t Work - The Verve (1997)
  7. Whatever - Oasis (1994)
  8. Country House - Blur (1995)
  9. Roll with It - Oasis (1995)
  10. Some Might Say - Oasis (1995)

The chart, compiled by UK chart guardians and data licensing organisation the Official Charts Company, features some of music's biggest stars including Pulp, Catatonia and Manic Street Preachers. Made by independent radio production company 7Digital, the programme is now available on BBC Sounds.

The chart is compiled from lifetime UK physical and digital sales of Britpop tracks released in the 1990s. The songs in the Top 50 between them account for 17 million sales to date.

Jeff Smith, Head of Music, Radio 2, says: “BBC Radio 2 plays the best of the best pop music, and our Britpop chart features universally loved, singalong pop hits that really do stand the test of time. So whether you bought Blur, Oasis or both, this is a few hours of music just for you.”

Martin Talbot, Official Charts Company chief executive says: “This specially-compiled Britpop countdown is the perfect way to spend August Bank Holiday - a step back in time to the Official Charts of the ‘90s and an iconic era for British pop music. With Wonderwall emerging victorious on this occasion, that surely makes it 1-1 now in the great Blur V Oasis chart battle… right?”

The Manchester band fronted by the Gallagher brothers dominates the list, making up one quarter of the entries in the Top 50. Oasis were not the only act to have more than one hit in the Top 50 however - Blur prove almost as prolific enjoying seven entries in the rundown, while The Verve, Manic Street Preachers, Pulp, Stereophonics and Kula Shaker tie with a hat-trick of appearances each.

The three hour special also featured popular tracks that didn’t make the chart, from acts including Echobelly, Elastica, McAlmont & Butler, Skunk Anansie and Sleeper.

The show featured interviews with Louise Wener (Sleeper), 6 Music presenter Stuart Maconie, Andy Ross (Food Records) and Alan McGee (Creation).

Artists including Lars Ulrich (Metallica), Emmy The Great, Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Johnny Marr and Carl Barat (Libertines) introduced their favourite Britpop tracks during the programme.

The programme was produced by 7Digital.

This chart follows Blur Vs Oasis, presented by Claudia Winkleman (9-10pm, Saturday 29 August) which is now available on BBC Sounds.

Looking back at the pinnacle point of Britpop, which took fan loyalty to a whole new level, the show featured new interviews from the record label teams - who were fighting their own battle behind the scenes - as well as archive from the time. Claudia looked at the build up to the battle and what it paved the way for. And of course, she played some of the best of Britpop, transporting listeners straight back to mid-90s. A Somethin’ Else production.

Radio 2 has delivered a summer of music with a new series from Bruce Springsteen, the Radio 2 Virtual Folk Festival featuring Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Suzanne Vega, Kate Rusby and more, the return of Keith Urban’s series, The Playlist with Levi Roots, My Life In A Mix Tape with Emilia Clarke - with Ant & Dec to follow in September. Plus, during lockdown, Radio 2 House Music has featured exclusive sets from Nell Bryden, Jason Mraz, Barry Manilow, Kelly Clarkson, Melanie C, Jack Savoretti, Ronan Keating and Aloe Blacc performing with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

BBC Radio 2 is the UK’s most listened-to radio station, with a weekly audience of 14.36 million (Rajar Q1, 2020), delivering the broadest range of music presented by some of the UK’s best loved entertainers. The network’s presenters include Zoe Ball, Michael Ball, Tony Blackburn, OJ Borg, Ken Bruce, Craig Charles, Rylan Clark-Neal, Fearne Cotton, Sara Cox, Jamie Cullum, Gary Davies, Vanessa Feltz, Paul Gambaccini, Bob Harris, Ana Matronic, Cerys Matthews, Huey Morgan, Trevor Nelson, Graham Norton, Paul O’Grady, Dermot O’Leary, Mark Radcliffe, Liza Tarbuck, Clare Teal, Jeremy Vine, Johnnie Walker, Jo Whiley, Claudia Winkleman and Steve Wright.

Source BBC Radio 2

September 2, 2020 5:09am ET by BBC Radio 2  

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