Editing Popscene

{{Short description|1992 single by Blur}}
{{About|the song by Blur|the nightclub|Popscene (club)}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Popscene
| cover      = Popscene.jpg
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Blur (band)|Blur]]
| album      =
| B-side     = {{ubl|"Mace"|"I'm Fine"|"Garden Central"|"Badgeman Brown"}}
| released   = {{start date|1992|3|30|df=y}}<ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=21|date=28 March 1992}}</ref>
| recorded   =
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = 
* [[Britpop]]
* [[pop-punk]]<ref>{{Cite podcast|url=https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade/2023/05/how-britpop-ruled-90s-u-k-music|title=Champagne Supernova Edition|website=Hit Parade {{!}} Music History and Music Trivia|publisher=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|last=Molanphy|first=Chris|date=May 12, 2023|access-date=May 16, 2023}}</ref>
* [[post-punk]]<ref name="Bradley 2014">{{cite book|title= The Alternative Jukebox|first=Larry|last=Bradley|date= November 4, 2014|chapter= The 1990s: Blur - "Popscene|page= 187|publisher=[[Cassell (publisher)|Cassell]]|isbn=978-1-84403-789-6|url=https://books.google.com/books/about/BBC_Radio_6_Music_s_Alternative_Jukebox.html?id=w_phoAEACAAJ}}</ref>
| length     = 3:15
| label      = [[Food Records|Food]]
| writer     = [[Damon Albarn]], [[Graham Coxon]], [[Alex James (musician)|Alex James]], [[Dave Rowntree]]
| producer   = Steve Lovell
| prev_title = [[Bang (Blur song)|Bang]]
| prev_year  = 1991
| next_title = [[For Tomorrow (song)|For Tomorrow]]
| next_year  = 1993
| misc       = {{External music video|{{YouTube|XV8CxSO5imQ|"Popscene"}}}}
}}

"'''Popscene'''" is a song by English [[alternative rock]] band [[Blur (band)|Blur]], released as a non-album single on 30 March 1992. Despite its relatively low chart placing, it has since become critically praised and regarded as one of the pioneering songs of the [[Britpop]] genre.

==Recording==
The song was first played live in late 1991, and recorded at Matrix Studios in [[Holborn]] with producer Steve Lovell. The lyrics showed frontman [[Damon Albarn]]'s distaste for the music business, complaining that there were too many insignificant indie bands.{{sfn|Power|2013|p=109}}

Musically, it was different to the style seen on the group's first album ''[[Leisure (Blur album)|Leisure]]'' and featured heavily flanged guitars, a [[Can (band)|Can]] influenced drumbeat, and brass from session players the [[Kick Horns]]. The band considered "Popscene" to be the loudest and best thing they had worked on at that point.{{sfn|Power|2013|p=109}}

==Reception==
The single reached No. 32 on the [[UK Singles Chart]],<ref name="uk"/> and was panned by both ''[[Melody Maker]]'' and ''[[NME]]''. The [[Beastie Boys]], guest reviewing for NME, suggested the record would sound better played at 33rpm instead of 45.{{sfn|Power|2013|p=110}} The low chart placing came as a confidence blow for the band, who were £60,000 in debt.{{sfn|Power|2013|p=111}} [[Food Records]] boss [[Andy Ross (British music)|Andy Ross]] later said "we were totally devastated ... we thought it was a brilliant single."{{sfn|Power|2013|p=110}} The band have since said that the popularity of American [[grunge]] music contributed to the single's failure, as they felt the song had a very British feel. Guitarist [[Graham Coxon]] said "It was [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] that really fucked 'Popscene' up."{{sfn|Power|2013|p=110}}

Sylvia Patterson from ''[[Smash Hits]]'' rated the song two out of five. She wrote: "[The song] starts off like the [[Inspiral Carpets]] in a car crash and ends up exactly like Mancunian punk-poppers from yesteryear [[The Buzzcocks]]. A bizarre commotion from hell. Not very good either."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Patterson |first=Sylvia |title=New singles |magazine=[[Smash Hits]] |date=1 April 1992 |page=46}}</ref>

The experience of recording "Popscene" led the band to believe they should simply play music in their own style and not worry about trends. The "Britishness" of "Popscene" carried over to the group's second album, ''[[Modern Life Is Rubbish]]''.{{sfn|Power|2013|p=136}} The song was not released on the British version of the album, though it was added as an extra track in the United States<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/174211/the-dust-bin-blur-popscene-video/|title=The Dust Bin : Blur 'Popscene' (video)|first=Doug|last=Blegg|publisher=Death and Taxes Magazine|date=13 January 2012|access-date=27 January 2015}}</ref> and Japan. In Australia, "Popscene" was not released until 1998, when it was issued as a [[A-side and B-side#Double A-side|double A-side]] with "[[On Your Own (Blur song)|On Your Own]]"; it reached No. 69 on the [[ARIA Charts|ARIA Singles Chart]].<ref name="aus"/>

The song has since become a fan favourite and is still performed live.  Retrospective critical reaction to "Popscene" has been positive. Jonathan Holden, writing in the ''Rough Guide To Rock'', declared the single to be "excellent" and that its "punky, energetic and brass-fulfilled pop" was out of place in 1992.{{sfn|Holden|2003|p=115}} [[John Harris (critic)|John Harris]] considers the track as one of the first ever [[Britpop]] songs, and a starting point for the movement.{{sfn|Harris|2003|p=67}} The song had never been included on a UK Blur album, until 2009 when it was released on the compilation ''[[Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/may/21/blur-release-comeback-compilation|title=Blur to release comeback compilation|newspaper=The Guardian|date=21 May 2009|access-date=27 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/fn3n|title=Review of Blur – Midlife|first=Ian|last=Wade|publisher=BBC Music|year=2009|access-date=27 January 2015}}</ref>

==Track listings==
All songs were written by Albarn, Coxon, James and Rowntree.
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
'''7-inch and cassette'''
# "Popscene" – 3:12
# "Mace" – 3:24

'''12-inch'''
# "Popscene" – 3:12
# "I'm Fine" – 3:01
# "Mace" – 3:24
# "Garden Central" – 5:58
{{col-2}}
'''CD'''
# "Popscene" – 3:12
# "Mace" – 3:24
# "Badgeman Brown" – 4:47
{{col-end}}

==Production credits==
* "Popscene" produced by Steve Lovell
* "Mace", "Badgeman Brown",  and "Garden Central" produced by Blur and John Smith
* "I'm Fine" '''produced by Blur''
* [[Damon Albarn]]: lead vocals, synthesizers
* [[Graham Coxon]]: guitars, backing vocals
* [[Alex James (musician)|Alex James]]: bass guitar
* [[Dave Rowntree]]: drums
* [[The Kick Horns]]: brass

==Charts==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1992)
!Peak<br/>position
|-
{{single chart|UK|32|date=19920411|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 March 2019|refname="uk"}}
|}
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1998)
!Peak<br/>position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref name="aus">{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}</ref><br/><small>''with "[[On Your Own (Blur song)|On Your Own]]"''</small>
|69
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book|title=The Last Party: Britpop, Blair and the Demise of English Rock|first=John|last=Harris|publisher=Fourth Estate|year=2003|isbn=978-0-007-13472-4}}
* {{cite book|title=The Rough Guide to Rock|first=Jonathan|last=Holden|year=2003|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=978-1-843-53105-0|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/roughguidetorock0003unse}}
* {{cite book|title=The Life of Blur|first=Martin|last=Power|publisher=Music Sales Group|year=2013|isbn=978-0-857-12862-1}}
{{Refend}}

{{Blur}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1992 singles]]
[[Category:1998 singles]]
[[Category:Blur (band) songs]]
[[Category:Songs about pop music]]
[[Category:Songs written by Damon Albarn]]
[[Category:Songs written by Graham Coxon]]
[[Category:Songs written by Alex James (musician)]]
[[Category:Songs written by Dave Rowntree]]
[[Category:1992 songs]]
[[Category:Food Records singles]]