Pulp Scores Their First No. 1 Album in 27 Years

Legendary Britpop outfit Pulp has officially scored their first No. 1 album in 27 years, following the release of More earlier this month. The Jarvis Cocker-fronted band released their newest album nearly 24 years after their 2001 record, We Love Life. 

Videos by American Songwriter

It’s bittersweet news, considering More is the band’s first without their famed bassist Steve Mackey, who passed away in 2023. Still, a piece of Mackey can be found on the album, as he is credited as a songwriter on two tracks.

Bittersweetness aside, this is quite an achievement for the art rock outfit. Their eighth studio record is their first album to top the charts since the release of This Is Hardcore in 1998. It’s their sixth album to hit the Top 40 in the UK, along with big hit records like His ‘N’ Hers from 1994 and Different Class from 1995, among others.

Pulp’s First No. 1 Hit Album in 27 Years Couldn’t Be “More” Well-Deserved

Pulp’s recent No. 1 album really is something to behold. Released on June 6 via Rough Trade Records, More has been a long time coming, and the wait was worth it. 

The core members of Pulp are all on board on this album, including Cocker, Candida Doyle, Mark Webber, and Nick Banks. But they didn’t take on the task of More alone. There’s an enormous list of contributing artists on this album, namely cellists, violinists, and choir singers. The addition of so many musicians was an apt decision, and the whole album has a well-rounded and full feel to it. Andrew McKinney, Emma Smith, and Adam Betts also contribute to the album.

The album’s lead single, “Spike Island”, was released back in April and was a fine prediction of what was to come. Naturally, the single hit No. 32 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart. That’s a pretty big deal, considering Pulp has never hit any radio airplay chart on this side of the pond.

Maura Johnston of Rolling Stone, like many critics, hailed More as one of the best comeback records of the year and a fine reflection on aging.

“For years, Pulp has realized the futility of trying to recapture youth probably better than most rock acts out there,” said Johnston. “[…] On ‘More’, though, [Pulp are] working out their own creative impulses while giving their generational cohort — and anyone who might follow it — a glimpse of how getting older can be a chance to grab brilliance once again.”

I’d have to agree with that.

Photo by John Gunion/Daily Record/Mirrorpix via Getty Images

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.