How Damon Albarn predicted Blur’s third album would be such a success remains a mystery, much like the mystique behind the album’s writing. The story goes that Albarn went on a prolific writing streak after the band completed their second album, 1993’s Modern Life Is Rubbish. Outside of bassist Alex James, who wrote “Far Out,” Albarn handled the writing of this album. The composition of Parklife was more of a group effort, with guitarist Graham Coxon stretching the limits of his instrument and drummer Dave Rowntree knowing when to provide hypnotic percussion. An album that jumps around genres needs a strong backbone, and the band’s chemistry and trust allowed Parklife to become an all-encompassing sonic journey.
Calling the album an instant success is an understatement, especially considering the legacy it left behind. Parklife debuted at number one on the UK Album Charts and stayed there for 90 weeks. It is Blur’s best-selling album, with an estimated one million albums sold. The album was nominated for a Mercury Prize and won four Brit awards at the 1995 ceremony. The album was met with wide critical praise and has continued to be mentioned as one of the best British albums of the ’90s. With a colorful tracklist, Parklife is considered a landmark in Britpop and cited as one of the decade’s most impactful alternative rock albums. Rolling Stone positioned the album at 438 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time as recently as 2020.
The album’s longevity should come as no surprise. Thirty years later, these songs sound as refreshing as the first time you pressed play on “Girls and Boys.” The 16 songs featured on the album bounce from lush synth-drenched pop (“London Loves”) to psychedelic-tinged acoustics (“Far Out”). Parklife authentically captured the scenes of the UK by allowing its loftiest ideas to become reality. Blur fit their ambitions in the digestible structure of pop, introducing the world to a new side of Britpop without having to deploy any sort of shock factor or falling in line with the times.
Parklife represents more than a commercial and critical success for a band that more than deserved it. The album solidified that British pop culture was moving in a new direction, filled with mystifying ambition. Blur held nothing back on these songs. They nimbly navigate an expansive terrain filled with pop, funk, punk, and synths. This album captured a special moment for the band and Britpop and remains essential for newcomers to Britpop. More importantly, Parklife is a must-listen for anyone interested in hearing what history sounds like.
