FEATURE:
National Album Day 2023
From Stores to Radio…How to Get Involved in the '90s Action
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ON Saturday (14th October)…
IMAGE CREDIT: ekaterinaku via Freepik
it is National Album Day. A day that celebrates the importance of the album, there is a lot to look forward to. On BBC Sounds, you will be able to access the National Album Day-related episodes of Sounds of the 90s with Fearne Cotton. Even if you have never heard the show, you will get a great double-bill where Fearne Cotton and fellow broadcasters Vernon Kaye and Dermot O’Leary (who both present their own '90s shows on the BBC) will mark the special day. The theme of National Album Day this year is the 1990s. The iconic and diverse nature of the decade. I am going to repeat some things I put in a previous National Album Day feature recently. It is an important day. I will end with ways to get involved; why the album is booming, and the fact that the 1990s is very much in vogue at the moment. First, in terms of some great reissues and rarities, this article from the official website of the National Album Day discusses what you can get:
“National Album Day today announces the exclusive list of limited edition 90s albums that are being released for the annual event celebrating the art of the album on Saturday 14th October. The special titles will be available to purchase in retailers across the UK on NAD itself, and can also be pre-ordered from 9am on Wednesday 13th September.
Held on Saturday 14th October, National Album Day will celebrate the 90s and the milestone of 75 years of the album format. National Album Day is presented in association with official audio partner Bowers & Wilkins and official broadcast partner BBC Sounds. Last week, music icons Gabrielle, Declan McKenna, Tricky and Nuno Bettencourt were announced as this year’s NAD artist ambassadors.
Albums being reissued or released for National Album Day (See full list at end)
One of the UK’s most successful and beloved artists, National Album Day ambassador Gabrielle has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence in recent years. To mark the start of her huge ‘30 Years of Dreaming’ headline tour, Gabrielle’s No.1 third solo album Rise is being reissued on vinyl. A huge commercial success, the album spent three weeks at No.1 on the UK Albums Chart and achieved 4× Platinum status, with the iconic title track also topping the UK Singles Chart.
You've Come a Long Way, Baby proved to be Fatboy Slim’s global breakthrough album on its release in October 1998, peaking at No.1 on the UK Albums Chart and earning him a Brit Award. To mark its 25th anniversary, the album has been remastered at half speed in the best available audio quality possible for National Album Day.
It’s been 30 years since the release of blur’s second studio album Modern Life Is Rubbish, regarded as one of the defining releases of the era which saw the band continue to revolutionise the sound of English popular music. This National Album Day, fans can get their hands on a special limited edition of the record on 2LP transparent orange vinyl.
R.E.M.’s eighth studio album Automatic for the People received widespread critical acclaim upon release in 1992, when it reached No. 1 in the UK and went on to top the UK Albums Chart a further three times the following year. The record produced some of the band’s best-known songs including ‘Everybody Hurts,’ ‘Man on the Moon,’ and ‘Nightswimming’. A limited edition 180-gram yellow LP reissue of the album will be released exclusively on National Album Day
Originally released in 1997, Time Out of Mind is hailed as one of Bob Dylan's best albums, going on to win three Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year in 1998. The record will be re-released on limited edition 2LP clear gold vinyl.
Garbage’s second studio album Version 2.0 was heralded as a bold progression from their self-titled debut album upon its release in 1998, and went on to sell over four million copies worldwide, matching the success of its predecessor. This 2LP Gatefold Vinyl comes as an exclusive for National Album Day, and is the first time the record has been pressed on transparent blue coloured vinyl.
Dannii Minogue’s hit third studio album Girl, which featured the UK Dance Chart topping singles ‘All I Wanna Do’, ‘Everything I Wanted’ and ‘Disremembrance’, has been remastered and reissued for National Album Day, and will be available on 2LP and as an expanded CD box set, featuring a wealth of exclusive material.
Pop group S Club are releasing a picture disc edition of their platinum selling debut album ‘S Club’ on vinyl for the very first time, featuring the smash hit singles ‘Bring It All Back’, ‘S Club Party’ & ‘Two In A Million / You’re My Number One’.
Dinosaur Jr. celebrate the 30th anniversary of the indie rock classic Where You Been with an exclusive limited edition reissue on double splatter vinyl. It received widespread critical acclaim on release and was the band’s first UK Top 10 album.
Grace is the only studio album by American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley, originally released on August 23, 1994. Frequently cited by critics as one of the greatest albums of all time, it features Buckley’s definitive cover of Hallelujah. The album will be reissued on lilac wine coloured vinyl.
Legendary hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan released their iconic debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) on November 9, 1993. Its gritty, distinctive sound created a blueprint for hardcore hip-hop during the 1990s and is regarded as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. The record is being pressed on limited edition gold marbled vinyl for its 30th anniversary,
Full list of National Album Day titles below:
808 state - ex:el (2LP)
Ace Of Base - Happy Nation (Picture Disc Vinyl)
Babybird - Ugly Beautiful (2LP)
Belinda Carlisle - Live Your Life Be Free (Picture Disc Vinyl)
Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish (2LP Transparent Orange Vinyl)
Bob Dylan - Time Out Of Mind (2LP Clear Gold Vinyl)
Catatonia - International Velvet (1LP Recycled Colour Vinyl)
Dannii - Girl (2XLP / 4CD Box Set)
Dinosaur Jr. - Where You Been (Limited Edition Double Splatter Vinyl)
Duster - Stratosphere (25th Anniversary Edition) (1LP Clear & Black Splatter Vinyl)
Eternal - Always and Forever (1LP Recycled Colour Vinyl)
Fatboy Slim - You've Come A Long Way Baby (2LP Half-Speed Remaster)
Gabrielle - Rise (1LP)
Garbage - Version 2.0 (2LP Blue Colour Vinyl)
Ginuwine - The Bachelor (2LP Red Vinyl)
Hole - Live Through This (1LP)
Idlewild - Captain (1LP Recycled Colour Vinyl)
James - Laid (2LP)
James - Gold Mother (2LP)
Jeff Buckley - Grace (1LP Lilac Wine Vinyl)
Leftfield - Leftism (2LP White & Black Marbled Vinyl)
Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive
Marc Almond - Tenement Symphony (2LP / Deluxe 6CD/DVD)
Melanie C - Northern Star (1LP)
Nas - It Was Written (2LP Gold & Black Vinyl)
Neneh Cherry - Man (1LP)
Paul Weller - Wild Wood (1LP)
REM - Automatic For The People (1LP Yellow Vinyl)
Robert Miles - Dreamland (2LP)
S Club - S Club (1LP)
Shola Ama - Much Love (2LP Recycled Colour Vinyl)
Simply Red - Blue (1LP Blue Vinyl)
Siouxsie - The Rapture (2LP)
Songs: Ohia - Songs: Ohia (Colour Vinyl)
Songs: Ohia - Axxess & Ace (Colour Vinyl)
Stereophonics - Performance & Cocktails (1LP)
Stone Temple Pilots - Purple (1LP Recycled Colour Vinyl)
Stone Temple Pilots - Core (1LP Recycled Colour Vinyl)
Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque (1LP Transparent Yellow Vinyl)
The Corrs - Forgiven, Not Forgotten (1LP Recycled Colour Vinyl)
The Cranberries - Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? (1LP)
Tricky - Maxinquaye (3LP, 1LP & 2CD) *Released Friday 13th October*
Various Artists - The Virgin Suicides (Music From The Motion Picture) (1LP Recycled Colour Vinyl)
Various Artists - HELP (12”)
Various/V4 Visions - V4 Visions: Of Love & Androids (2LP Clear Smoke Vinyl)
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers) (1LP Gold Marbled Vinyl)
Now in its sixth edition, National Album Day sees the music community come together each year to celebrate and promote the art of the album. This year’s 90s theme will look to shine a light on a profoundly rich decade for music and album making that skipped between Britpop, Dance and Hip Hop; gave us national treasures Take That and global phenomenon the Spice Girls; and saw diverse genres ranging from dance, house and techno to R&B, rap and reggae and to grunge and industrial rock, among many others, rise to reach their full cultural expression – in the UK and globally”.
Each year, some chosen ambassadors are nominated. They act as a sort of face and voice of the theme. An artist relevant to what is being themed and represented. As it is about the '90s, we have legends like Shola Amo and The Corrs lending their support. Here are some more details:
“National Album Day today announces music legends Shola Ama and The Corrs as the two new artist ambassadors, alongside Gabrielle, Declan McKenna, Tricky and Nuno Bettencourt. National Album Day, held on Saturday 14th October, will celebrate the 90s this year and 75 years of the album format. National Album Day is presented in association with official audio partner Bowers & Wilkins and official broadcast partner BBC Sounds.
BRIT Award winner, Shola Ama is known for her soul and R&B sound. Making herself known in the industry in 1995, Shola released her biggest single ‘You Might Need Somebody’ in 1997 and followed with her debut album ‘Much Love’ that year. Shola has also earned various prestigious accolades throughout her career including a Brit Award for Best British Female and two MOBO Awards. Since then, Shola has created three more albums and recently released her newest R&B single ‘Not Us’.
Shola Ama says “Overjoyed to be an ambassador for NAD celebrating the 90’s. The late 90’s was Such a great time for British music, especially for UK Soul and R&B , and now just over 25 years since the release of my album “ much love “ it’s been really nice to get the chance to revisit some songs and memories from that time and celebrate the album with a vinyl release - I love that vinyl is coming back into fashion”.
Originally from Dundalk, County Louth in Ireland, The Corrs are a Irish family band that combine pop rock with traditional Irish themes. Starting their career gigging in local pubs around Ireland in 1990, the renowned band has gone on to release seven albums, including their platinum selling album ‘Talk on Corners’. After performing all over the world, the band is now sharing their pop rock and folk tunes with thousands as they tour Australia and New Zealand later this year.
The Corrs say “We're delighted to be ambassadors for this year's National Album Day to celebrate the art of the album! Forgiven, Not Forgotten was our debut album originally released 28 years ago back in 1995. Its release came at such a special moment in time for us and it's been a real pleasure revisiting the memories as we've put together this special limited edition recycled colour vinyl.”
Now in its sixth edition, National Album Day sees the music community come together each year to celebrate and promote the art of the album. This year’s 90s theme will look to shine a light on a profoundly rich decade for music and album making that skipped between Britpop, Dance and Hip Hop; gave us national treasures Take That and global phenomenon the Spice Girls; and saw diverse genres ranging from dance, house and techno to R&B, rap and reggae and to grunge and industrial rock, among many others, rise to reach their full cultural expression – in the UK and globally.
National Album Day is again presented in association with official audio partner Bowers & Wilkins and official broadcast partner BBC Sounds, and will pay tribute to artists who tell their stories behind these significant and influential bodies of work. Artist ambassadors tied into the theme – both those that came to the fore during the 1990s and current new and emerging talent that are inspired by its music; specially reissued albums and new releases; and promotional events and other activities will be announced in due course alongside further updates.
Since its launch in 2018, NAD has been supported by a broad range of artist ambassadors, including Kylie Minogue, Joy Crookes, Sharleen Spiteri, Lewis Capaldi, Mark Ronson, La Roux, Elbow, Paloma Faith, Blossoms, Alice Cooper, Novelist, Tom Odell, Mahalia, Toyah Willcox and Jazzie B. Last year Franz Ferdinand, India Arkin, KSI, The Mysterines, Sam Ryder, and The Staves were the latest talents to add their voices as passionate advocates of the long player. Typically benefitting from around a week-long build up, NAD has hosted a variety of activities such as listening events with album platforms including Classic Album Sundays, Pitchblack Playback, The Record Club, Tape Notes and Tim’s Listening Party; live performances; in-store artist appearances and record store promotions, street art murals; and album sleeve artwork exhibitions.
Renowned audio brand, Bowers & Wilkins, continues its support for National Album Day as official audio partner. Built on a passion for music, Bowers & Wilkins has been on an unrelenting pursuit of the highest quality listening experiences for music fans for over 60 years, always delivering sound that remains true to how the artist intended their album to be heard. National Album Day will announce an extensive list of exclusive 90s albums on 13th September that are being released or reissued on vinyl and CD to coincide with this annual event celebrating the art of the album”.
PHOTO CREDIT: cottonbro studio/Pexels
Album sales are doing terrific business in the U.S. More and more people are buying albums on format like vinyl, C.D. and cassette. Vinyl sales are going up in the U.K. The first six months of this year saw a rise - which continued recently. There is a great appetite for vinyl. The fact that National Album Day marks a decade where people were buying albums on physical forms means that there will be a lot of sales of '90s vinyl released to mark the day. I hope that the embrace of the decade also sees a revival in cassette and C.D. sales. Both formats are still alive, though they still to keep up with vinyl. Maybe they do not have the same appeal, though there are less expensive and, therefore, really accessible to many. I think that this is one of the very best and most exciting National Album Days. I will round off with advice for people who want to get involved locally. You can check them out yourself. There are numerous articles arguing why the 1990s was the greatest music decade. It is an opinion I share myself. However, that could be the fact I was a teenager in the decade and, therefore, had those formative experiences and exposure! New genres were born; others were taken to new places. From the hardware formats like cassette and C.D., portable devices like the Discman, through to the music T.V. and all the music shows we had to choose from, it was a verdant and hugely exciting time! Also, as the article below states, the 1990s is very much back now. It has never gone away…yet you can hear so many modern artists nod to the '90s. Colossal mainstream queens like Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX and Rina Sawayama have elements in their music. Artists such as beabadoobee and Dua Lipa were growing up in that time, so that music is relevant to them.
I think that is a fair point. One that is also covered by a second article I will bring in. Artists in their twenties and thirties now were either experiencing the 1990s' music first-hand, or they were young in the early-'00s - and getting exposure from older friends. Maybe their parents handed down and played 1990s music. Sounds of the decade played a lot on radio no doubt inspired them. This is why National Album Day’s '90s salute is perfectly timed! As this feature highlights, there are clear and understandable why the music and sounds of that wonderful time are very much fresh and current now:
“There are several reasons why ’90s music is still popular nowadays. Firstly, the theme of the ’90s was highly influential and innovative. In addition, it was a time when created many new genres and sub-genres. This meant that there was a lot of variety in the music of the time and still appreciated today.
Secondly, the artists of the ’90s were highly talented and charismatic. They connected with their fans in a way that is still rare today. This connection made their music even more special to those who listened.
Thirdly, the lyrics of 90’s songs were often very relatable and personal. This made them resonate with listeners in a way that is still relevant today. Fourthly, the production values of 90’s music were often very high. This made the songs sound fresh and exciting years after they were first released.
Finally, we cannot underestimate the nostalgia factor. For many people, the music of the 90s brings back happy memories of their youth. This nostalgia can make people appreciate the music even more.
The different genres of 90’s music
It’s no secret that music from the 90s is still popular today. Many of the different genres of music that were popular back then are still going strong. Here are just a few examples:
Hip hop – This genre of music was huge in the 90s and is still strong today. There are many different sub-genres of hip hop, but the overall sound is still the same.
R&B – Another massive genre in the 90s, R&B is still popular today. Many of the biggest names in music started in this genre, and it continues to be among the most popular genres.
Pop – Pop music was also trendy in the 90s, and it’s still going strong today. Many of the biggest hits from that decade are still played on the radio today.
Rock – While rock music wasn’t as prominent in the 90s as in previous decades, many great bands and artists still made music in this genre. Today, rock is still strong, and there are many different sub-genres to choose from.
Metal – Metal was another genre
The influence of 90s music
The influence of ’90s music can still be seen and heard today, even though some people may not realize it. Today’s famous artists and bands started in the 90s or have been heavily influenced by the music of that decade.
The 90s was a time when various genres of music were starting to become more popular. Grunge and alternative rock were rising, while hip hop and R&B were also becoming mainstream. This diversity in music led to many different sounds and styles being created, which are still present in today’s music.
One of the biggest reasons why ’90s music is still popular is because it was a time when anyone could make it big. There were no rules or specific genre requirements that artists had to follow. This allowed for creativity and experimentation, which today’s music scene lacks.
If you’re a fan of ’90s music or just curious about what made it so special, there are plenty of ways to enjoy it today. You can listen to radio stations that play only 90’s hits, or you can find online streaming services that specialize in this type of music. You can even find some great 90’s
IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa
The rise of streaming services
In recent years, there has been a significant shift in the way people consume music. The rise of streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music has made it easier for people to listen to their favorite songs. This has led to a resurgence in popularity for many older artists and new artists who can reach a wider audience than ever before.
One of the biggest reasons for its continued popularity is that they have been able to adapt to the changing landscape of the music industry. They were one of the first artists to embrace streaming services, and they continue to release new music that resonates with their fans. In addition, they have maintained a strong presence on social media, which has helped them stay relevant in the modern era.
Music is still popular because they have been able to evolve with the times. They have remained relevant by releasing new music and staying active on social media. In addition, their willingness to embrace new technologies has helped them reach a wider audience.
Conclusion
There are many reasons why ’90s music is still popular today:
The 90s was a time of change and experimentation in the music industry, which led to the development of new genres and sub-genres.
The technology of the time allowed for greater access to music and made it easier to produce and distribute.
Artists from the 90s remained popular thanks to their dedication and willingness to evolve with the times”.
The more we celebrate and play music from the 1990s, the more contemporary artists will utilise and harness that. Even Beyoncé, whose music career started in the 1990s, owes a debt to the decade (if you listen to a lot of the songs on her latest album, Renaissance). I will finish off in a second. First, The New York Times published a feature in 2020 that argued that, for artists in their twenties, the modern time is like the 1990s all over again:
“Artists like Ariana Grande (b. 1993), Normani (b. 1996), Charli XCX (b. 1992), Troye Sivan (b. 1995), Summer Walker (b. 1996) and SZA (b. 1990), among others, have in various ways begun to riff on the Y2K-era pop of their childhoods, creating songs and music videos that feel like they are recalling and subsequently rewriting their earliest musical memories.
Nineties nostalgia is of course nothing new — the pop-cultural landscape has long been littered with hallmarks of the early part of that decade, like flannel and “Jock Jams”-worthy athleisure, and the revivalist sounds to match. But time marches on, and so, too, does that roughly 20-year cycle of the old becoming stylishly new again. And now the halcyon, almost-forgotten pop artifacts of the late ’90s — boy bands, winking futurism, inordinate amounts of glitter — are being dusted off and refurbished by today’s younger stars.
The fashion and design worlds got to this future nostalgia first. In 2016, Evan Collins started a popular Tumblr called the Institute for Y2K Aesthetics, which one write-up described as a compendium of “Baby G watches, Britney Spears cradling a robot dog, a shimmering pink bean-shaped Walkman, [and] inflatable backpacks.” Last July, GQ ran a piece about why, suddenly, “Y2K-era gear became the hottest thing in the vintage-clothing world.” Bold, label-obsessed and often future-fixated, the style of that window of time between 1995 and 2001 was the result of, as the writer Erin Schwartz noted, a “jumble of excitement and anxiety about the spread of technology at the turn of the millennium.”
So was the music. The Y2K era coincided with the rise of the glistening, Swedish-engineered, factory-efficient teen pop of Britney Spears, ’N Sync and the Backstreet Boys, as well as the futuristic R&B of TLC, Destiny’s Child and Aaliyah. What united all these sounds was a cyborgian fusion of the “artificial” and the “real”: the acoustic guitar lick trapped beneath the frosty digital sheen of TLC’s “No Scrubs,” the hammering piano riff that underscored Spears’s digitally processed “oh-baby-baby.” (Rest assured; though not a girl, she was not yet a robot.)
Back then the music industry was still heedlessly optimistic and flush with cash — not yet stymied by streaming services or even fully feeling the effects of file sharing. (Napster debuted in June 1999 and shut down in July 2001.) So many labels were happy to make bets on potential new stars or shell out money for high-concept music videos. Everything was, to quote the longest-running No. 1 song on MTV’s popular early-aughts video countdown “TRL,” larger than life.
It can be surreal to process nostalgia for eras that feel like they just happened — for so long (perhaps because we never settled on a decent thing to call them), “the 2000s” were simply the present. But if aesthetics are easier to see in hindsight, so, too, are their expiration dates. The Y2K bug certainly didn’t send us retreating into our canned-good-stocked bunkers — we’d only have to wait 20 years for a pandemic to take care of that — but two very different unforeseen events would burst the music industry’s maximalist, techno-utopian bubble instead: the rise of file sharing, followed by the solemn shock of 9/11. Suddenly the future didn’t seem as bright.
But the music of the Y2K moment remains, a glorious, extravagantly budgeted, neon-hued dream forever frozen in that moment right before the alarm clock brrrrring-ed it back to reality. And as the internet makes it easier than ever to revisit the pasts we yearn for, millennium-pop will continue to hold an escapist allure. In the YouTube comments section for the 2001 Jennifer Lopez video “I’m Real,” one viewer writes, wistfully, “I came here for the late 90s early 00s sparkle sound”.
Not to stay too far away from the point and focus of this feature – celebrating National Album Day on 14th October -, it is important to give context. Rather than this '90s nostalgia in modern music being a fad or very new thing, it has been building and evolving over the past few years - or maybe even before that some would say. I seriously love it! I also hope that artists look to other periods. I guess, if you grew up around '90s music and that is your generation, you may not be that aware of music from the 1960s. Even so, there is so much gold to be extracted from that time! Artists are keeping 1990s music fresh and adding their own spin. There are events taking place for National Album Day; ways too you can share your celebrations. Follow National Album Day on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I hope they brand out in years to come to TikTok and YouTube. Maybe doing their own Spotify playlists and podcasts. In any case, it is a day where we can celebrate the 1990s and albums from the time. People who remember getting those albums in the 1990s, or those who are younger and are new top it. It will be a wonderful celebration of…
A magic decade!