Britpop Top 50 With Jo Whiley

Jo Whiley counts down the biggest-selling songs of Britpop in a special Top 50 chart compiled by the Official Charts Company.

Giants of the period such as Oasis, Blur, Manic Street Preachers and Pulp feature alongside the likes of Supergrass, Catatonia, The Verve and Stereophonics. Era-defining songs from groups including Dodgy, Cornershop and Ocean Colour Scene will be similarly dusted down.

Jo also hand-picks a personal selection of tracks, forgotten by many, that were key to the Britpop sound. We will also hear influential voices of the time reflecting on a period of great optimism and well-known fans will be choosing their favourite tunes.

Britpop was spawned in the mid-1990s as an antidote to the angst and introspection of US-forged grunge and the domination of DJ culture. This new home-grown music gripped the nation and had everyone singing along to smart, clever and succinct pop tunes. Bands and guitars were back! For the young it was an exciting time with a host of new groups happy to soundtrack their growing up years. And for the parents, these songs fizzed with the spirit of classic British pop such as The Beatles, The Kinks, T-Rex and David Bowie.

Jo presents three hours of top-notch Britpop and reflects on a time when films, fashion, football and art all flourished in the UK. Even politicians appeared cool and there was a palpable sense of hope and opportunity distilled into this swathe of classic pop songs.

Jo Whiley counts down the biggest-selling songs of Britpop in a special Top 50 chart.