20. Ocean Colour Scene – The Day We Caught The Train

 

 

Release: 1996 Chart Peak: 4

 

The Day We Caught The Train was the third single from Moseley Shoals and by far the most successful peaking at 4 on the chart. Its a wonderful sunny tune and I think by far their best song and probably Ocean Colour Scenes most remembered.

 

I think this is quite a laddish Loaded generation tune and also big up Now 34 for including this in their Summer 1996 classic.

 

 

 

Definitely my favourite Ocean Colour Scene song!

I love a bit of OCS, they seem to get a lot of (unfair) ridicule. :(

 

I probably listen to 'Hundred Mile High City' more these days but this is an absolute classic.

I used to really like the final track on their Moseley Shoals album but …Train was definitely their best single

love that one from OCS, the whole Moseley shoals album is full of gems

and even great album tracks like Lining your Pockets or It's my Shadow

 

never understood the hate, maybe they were not Oasis, but were not 5th Britpop league either

 

funnily I used to have the album on CD but someone stole it from my car :o I should re-buy it someday maybe on vinyl if it's available

19. Dodgy - Good Enough

 

 

Release: 1996 Chart Peak: 4

 

Dodgy were formed in 1990 and were on their third album before they started to release hit singles in 1996. Good Enough was the third single from Free Peace Sweet and was their only top 10 hit (the lovely If You're Thinking Of Me peaked at 11 when re-released) and chimed with the chord of peak Britpop. Its a summery song, helped as it was released in July and still sounds epic today.

 

Two songs in a row on my countdown released in the summer of 1996 peaking at number 4 in the chart (and yet another classic on Now 34!).

 

Dodgy by name, but not Dodgy by nature!

 

 

 

3 mega classics there from 21-19!

Good Enough is great

And the follow up was equally great but quite different

Dodgy are one of the bands of that era whereby my knowledge is a bit shaky (or "dodgy"), but that is such an anthem!

18. Sleeper - Inbetweener

 

 

Release: 1995 Chart Peak: 16

 

The third single from Sleeper's debut album Smart, Inbetweener peaked at number 16 in January 1995 and it was the hit that brought them to the attention of the general public.

 

I am sure the hugely popular 00s TV show got inspiration from this hit :P

 

The video features the legend that Dale Winton!

 

 

Absolutely LOVE me some Inbetweener. Sleeper always nailed the lyrical side of Britpop for me

All four of the singles off Smart (five in you count Alice in Vain) are great but Delicious will always be my favourite. I have fond memories of standing on Sevenoaks station platform one night and hearing it for the first time on Mark & Lard. I was convinced it'd be the one to finally break them. I was out by nearly a year!

17. Mansun - Wide Open Space

 

 

Release: 1996 Chart Peak: 15

 

Wide Open Space was the lead single from the Four EP and is widely (and rightly) recognised as Mansun's best known song and was responsible for energising their career.

 

There are many different versions of the song, including a rather great dance mix by Perfecto. The video is a bit vampire-esque.

 

A truly great classic from the mid 90s.

 

 

Another great choice there, I recently discovered I bought the 7" single of it when I was clearing out records from my parents' loft. The Perfecto mix was indeed a huge influence in my love for it, I can recall hearing that in clubs along side all the trance classics of the era.

I really liked that one, actually the only Mansun song I like and kinda remember

I wouldn't place it so high but good song

Another great choice there, I recently discovered I bought the 7" single of it when I was clearing out records from my parents' loft. The Perfecto mix was indeed a huge influence in my love for it, I can recall hearing that in clubs along side all the trance classics of the era.

 

 

I used to hate when people would refer to Wide Open Space as "that Paul Oakenfold song". :(

I killed it off from overplaying in 1997. I was utterly obsessed. Mansun were exactly what I wanted after the disappointment of Suede's Coming Up.

 

In A Room was so much better than Good Enough, for me. So was If You're Thinking Of Me.

 

Inbetweener is amazing.

 

I really enjoyed The Day We Caught the Train until The Circle came out - which I prefer.

Edited February 12, 20223 yr by Colm

I could mostly take or leave Ocean Colour Scene during the 1996 era, though I liked the Craddock image throwback to Steve Ellis of Love Affair (on top of my charts right now), but they grew on me more with later stuff like Profit In Peace in 1999 and Magic carpet days in 2010, not to mention getting PP Arnold a credit in 1998 and the Liam collab.

 

Dodgy - still a total sunshine radio staple. Still sounding fresh. Inbetweener OK and Mansun always good.

 

 

'Wide Open Space' - amazing, in both its original and Perfecto remix forms. Also love 'She Makes My Nose Bleed'

16. Shed 7 - Chasing Rainbows

 

 

Release: 1996 Chart Peak: 17

 

Chasing Rainbows was the fist single from Shed 7's third album Let It Ride. It's quite a meloncholy beautiful song, inspired by the bands tour induced homesickness.

 

In my opinion, by far the best Shed 7 best song and a career highlight for them.

 

The video is set on a train, telling stories about the different people in the compartments. Clearly pre iPhone, you played Scrabble on the train!

 

 

 

yes that's a goodie!