Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1995.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

So, at the beginning of 1995, serial killer Fred West takes his own life in prison, French footballer Eric Cantona assaults a spectator when he is sent off whilst playing for Manchester United and he is banned from playing football for 8 months, the first female chief constable in the UK is appointed, Essex student Leah Betts, 18, dies after four days in a coma as a result of taking an ecstasy tablet, this sparks a media campaign against the drugs and its suppliers, Princes Diana gives a candid TV interview detailing her adultery, her depression, bulimia, the media and the future of the monarchy- it becomes the most watched current affairs programme on record, Rose West is found guilty of murdering 10 women and children including her 16-year-old daughter and her 10-year-old stepdaughter- she is sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that she is never released, head teacher Philip Lawrence is stabbed death outside his school whilst trying to protect a pupil who was being attacked by a gang, race riots break out in Brixton, 168 people are killed and 680 are injured during a domestic terrorist attack on a federal building in Oklahoma, an earthquake in Japan kills 6,433 people, broker Nick Leeson loses $1.4billion which results in the collapse of the UK’s oldest investment banking firm (the klutz), an earthquake in Russia kills 2000 people, an unprecedented heatwave in the US kills at least 830 people (the majority of which were in Chicago), Isreali Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin is assassinated and OJ Simpson is found innocent.

The films Toy Story, Braveheart, the Usual Suspects and Heat are released and yours truly turns 19 years old. Aren’t I growing up?

So, here we are in the deepest, darkest “Brit Pop” era. I was going to say that only one act isn’t British this week, but then I remembered that Bjork wasn’t British either. We did kind of adopt her though, but I don’t think the Icelandic would ever let us claim her as one of us. Quite rightly. 1995 saw me hop on a plane and travel around Australia all by myself because -well- I quite I fancied it. It was one of the best experiences of my life. My obsession with music and seeing bands live continued on, so much so that yet again, I really struggled trying to narrow this list down to just 10 songs. Here they are, nevertheless, in no particular order.

WARNING: the first bit of the first song is a bit sweary- just in case you’re listening to the playlist near young ears.

1. Reverend Black Grape by Black Grape

2. Yes by McAlmont and Butler

3. The Universal by Blur

4. Inbetweener by Sleeper

5. C’mon Billy by PJ Harvey

6. Common People by Pulp

7. Isobel by Bjork

8. Human Nature by Madonna

9. Missing by Everything but the Girl

10. Never Forget by Take That (no, you sat with your best mate watching Take That perform on Top of the Pops for the first time without Robbie and cried throughout. Shut up)

Black Grape is a very close second, but I have to go for Pulp as my favourite, for so many reasons. So, pray tell me, which one is your top choice?

See you next week for 1996!

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