The People's History of Pop is a BBC project crowdsourcing photos and audio/video of our audience's cherished music memorabilia - ticket stubs, diary entries, teen band recordings, wrist bands, rare footage and more - to tell the stories of British rock and pop music from the Fifties to the noughties. Here BBC Manchester presenter Stephanie Hirst explains why the Nineties is her favourite musical decade.
I was born in the mid-Seventies and recently celebrated my 40th birthday, so naturally the decade I really should devote my love towards is the Eighties.
Right at the beginning of that decade my Mum bought me my first record Madness’ - "Baggy Trousers" when I was just five years old, starting an obsession with music and collecting records. Yes, I know I really should have been collecting those scented rubbers which all my school friends seemed to do… but no, for me it was the 7-inch single, locking myself in my bedroom with a hairbrush and singing along to my favourite music.
The Eighties was magical for me as it’s also when I first developed my love of radio, but if I bring that love of radio and my obsession of music together it’s the Nineties that really does have a huge place in my heart.
You see, by the early Nineties I was on the radio daily, and very much part of the hit-making machine. It’s all well and good having a great single, but if it doesn’t get played on the radio, listeners can’t hear it, and it fails to sell: thus becoming a flop and one of the many reasons why radio is so important.
Thursdays seemed to be the day when radio stations added new songs to the playlist and I can’t tell you how amazing it was to be one of the first to play the new Oasis or Blur single, during Brit Pop fever. I also remember vividly being one of a limited number of DJs to play the new Beatles song "Free As A Bird" in 1995 – to be behind that microphone, pressing the play button and announcing that this is the first new single in 25 years from the Fab Four, for people to hear for the very first time, was a huge thrill.
Growing up between the ages of 15-25 in the Nineties, saw me get my first radio show, pass my driving test, have my first relationship and also live the life of ‘Nightclub DJ’, all to a wonderful soundtrack.
The Nineties was the era of the super-club, where we had moved on from the mirrored Eighties nightclub look to sound systems of Nineties clubs becoming almost stadium-esque with full on theatre laser light shows. Up on the DJ stand surrounded by 3,000 people on a weekend really did make me feel like Queen of the decks, playing the biggest floor fillers. I was in the thick of it and I couldn’t get enough.
I know it feels almost too early to celebrate the Nineties, but it’s 26 years ago since the decade began and I remember going to Seventies nights in the Nineties, so now is the time to revisit that decade. Remember If you were 25 in 1990, you’ll be 51 this year, and ripe for looking back at a time when you were still very much in your youth.
But, I feel that the Nineties still aren’t musically loved as much as other decades, due to a perception that it was all ‘bang bang bang’ music on ‘Rave FM’. On the surface of course there's the obligatory over-played hits like Snap’s "Rhythm Is A Dancer" and Robin S' "Show Me Love" - but dig a little deeper and you'll soon find the rich depth of music the decade has to offer, every bit as rewarding as tunes from the Seventies and Eighties.
Artists such as Sheryl Crow, Jamiroquai, Brand New Heavies, Gabrielle, Tori Amos, Lighthouse Family, Cast, Space, The Verve, Des’ree, The Charlatans and Massive Attack, all gave us some wonderful music which I love showcasing every Saturday night on Nothing But The Nineties, along with the staple diva’s such as Whitney and Mariah.
Each week as I compile the show, I surprise myself with tracks I’ve completely forgotten about, and even during the show listeners will get in touch with their favourite Nineties tracks too, for which I can’t thank them enough.
All decades have their place in history, and trust me the Nineties was the last truly great decade for all genres of music in the charts.
Stephanie Hirst presents Nothing But The Nineties on BBC Radio Manchester
- Visit the Nothing But The Nineties programme page
- Find out more about BBC Music's the Peoples History of Pop
