When you take such little interest in the phenomenon of the celebrity – which could be a drawback in writing posts such as these – births in a particular year become less relevant. “Who?” is a familiar question. The deaths section, as morbid as it seems on paper, is more interesting, altering your sense of perspective about the passing of time.
There’s always a celebrity or two who you thought was dead but isn’t and vice versa. I didn’t come across any for 1994 but previously, yes. 1994 was a good year for death, in that it didn’t ‘rob’ me of my cultural icons to the same extent as other years. As age catches up, 2016 is, I fear, not going to be such an unusual year in that respect
1994. Yes, Britpop and all. Serial killers were unmasked as the West’s garden became the centre of the universe, and Gloucester attained notoriety, which was an improvement on the city’s previous reputation, before you ask. Several Tory MPs resigned through scandals, over sex and money which combined with the grisly details of the West’s meant it was pretty much business as usual for the world.
We said hello to:
- The Vicar of Dibley
- National Lottery
- MLS Soccer
- The Fast Show
- Cadfael
- Sky Sports 2
And bid farewell,
- John Smith (Labour MP and the last trustworthy leader)
- Brian Johnston
- Sir Matt Busby
- Derek Jarman
- John Curry
- Dennis Potter
- Peter Cushing
- Roy Castle
- Billy Wright
- Terry Scott
- Jessica Tandy
- Annie Walker (or Doris Speed as she was formally known)
- Fanny Craddock
- Cabaret Voltaire
- The Staple Singers
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
- The New Statesman
- And wishing it had been drowned in televisual baptismal font, Jim’ll Fix It
The British record-buying public surprised me but not in a good way. Mr Blobby, Chaka Demus & Pliers, Mariah Carey, Wet Wet f’kin’ Wet, Doop (Who?), Take That, Tony Di Bart (See Doop), Stiltskin, Whigfield, Patu Banton, East 17, D:Ream and Manchester United. What on earth possessed anyone to buy that? Don’t answer, I know…
While you lot listened to that, I sought solace in this:
| Title | Band |
| Rock ‘n’ Roll Star | Oasis |
| Rocks | Primal Scream |
| Do You Remember The First Time? | Pulp |
| Loser | Beck |
| How Do You Sleep | The Stone Roses |
| I Never Want an Easy Life If Me and He Were Ever to Get There | The Charlatans |
| Sabotage | Beastie Boys |
| Screamager | Therapy? |
| Tracy Jacks | Blur |
| Imperial Beach | The Coal Porters |
| Speakeasy | Shed Seven |
| Staying Out For The Summer | Dodgy |
| You & Me Song | The Wannadies |
| Another Guitar | The Rainmakers |
| Out Of The Sinking | Paul Weller |
| Motorhead | Corduroy |
| Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out | Freak Power |
| Missing | Everything But The Girl |
| (I’m Gonna) Cry Myself Blind | Primal Scream |
| Swimming Pools, Movie Stars | The Wedding Present |
| Panama City Motel | Sugar |
| Girls and Boys | Blur |
| O Baby | Siouxsie and the Banshees |
| Glory Box | Portishead |
| Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence | Pavement |
| What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? | R.E.M. |
| Born Bad | Juilette Lewis |
| Love Spreads | The Stone Roses |
| Futterman’s Rule | Beastie Boys |
| Making The Most Of.. | Dodgy |
| Slide Away | Oasis |
| Catwoman | The Wedding Present |
| I Let Love In | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds |
| Fool’s Gold | The Rainmakers |
| Lipgloss | Pulp |
| Death Like a Valentine | The Coal Porters |
| Trouble in the Message Centre | Blur |
| P.C.P | Manic Street Preachers |
| Ten Storey Love Song | The Stone Roses |
| Jailbird | Primal Scream |
| Melodies Haunt You | Dodgy |
| Hung Up | Paul Weller |
| Whatever | Oasis |
| Sure Shot | Beastie Boys |
| Fuckin With My Head (Mountain Dew Rock) | Beck |
| Be My Light, Be My Guide | Gene |
| Bellyache | Echobelly |
| Bellbottoms | The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion |
| Me And My Charms | Kristin Hersh |
| Today Tomorrow Sometime Never | Echobelly |
| Might Be Stars | The Wannadies |
| Isolation | Therapy? |
| Caught By the Fuzz | Supergrass |
| Your Favorite Thing | Sugar |
| Sleep Well Tonight | Gene |
| Sour Times | Portishead |
| Patrol | The Charlatans |
| Nowhere | Therapy? |
| Let Him Have It | The Wedding Present |
| Live Forever | Oasis |
