TOP 100 ALBUMS EVAR: #96
Teenage Fanclub: Bandwagonesque (1991) <Creation>
Genre: Power Pop, Alternative Rock
Nationality: UK (Bellshill, Scotland)
The end of the 80’s saw a massive uprising in guitar driven rock n’ roll. With so many bands centered around synthesizers at the time, it must have felt like a breath of fresh air to hear something organic on the radio. With the reintroduction to guitar rock came many different flavors, the most famous of which being grunge. Along with grunge came what is known as the power pop revival, which lasted almost the entire decade. Bands accredited to this include the Gin Blossoms, Weezer, Matthew Sweet, Superdrag, and yes, Scotland’s own Teenage Fanclub. Their third album, Bandwagonesque, may have seemed like a modest release at the time, but its impact remains still today. It’s often considered one of the best albums in its genre, along with Big Star’s #1 Record and Matthew Sweet’s Girlfriend. I think this is because how well it represents the genre. This is power pop to max, each track overflowing with crunchy guitars, clean smooth harmonies, and memorable hooks. Love songs explode with such earnest purity, such heartfelt emotion. It’s a kind of blissful, innocent happiness that flourishes on Bandwagonesque. It takes the listener back to younger days, less complicated times, when the most difficult thing to accomplish was to get the courage to ask that special someone to the homecoming dance. Key Tracks: “The Concept,” “Metal Baby,” “I Don’t Know,” “Alcoholiday” For Fans Of: Big Star, Cheap Trick, Matthew Sweet, Weezer
