Different Class is a cornerstone of 1990’s Britpop, synth-pop theatrics combined with razor-sharp lyricism that at one point put them in the same stratosphere as the legendary Oasis. Released in 1995, the album examined themes of sex and social class through a lens that was biting and witty in a way our friends across the pond are uniquely capable of. Lead singer Jarvis Cocker’s lyrics focused on wry observations and skewering societal norms, all the while reveling in the messy humanity of relationships and pairing that with Broadway-esque musical accompaniment.
But perhaps the best thing about this album (and a fact which makes it so quintessentially British) is how the album cover came together. Pulp’s band photographer Donald Milne was scheduled to be the wedding photographer for his university friend’s brother, and proposed an idea to the unaware couple– he was working on an anonymous art project and if he could shoot some shots for that project during the wedding he would be able to help the bride and groom for free. On the wedding day, he arrived with life-size cutouts of the band that joined the family photo. One of these became the now-iconic cover of Different Class, a fact that the couple and their family had no idea about until they saw an advertisement for the album in a record store nearly six months later.
Standout Songs: “Disco 2000”, “Common People”, “Something Changed”, “Mis-Shapes”
