10 Greatest UK No.1 Singles Of The 1990s
9. Manic Street Preachers - If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
It's everyone's favourite Welsh musical act! Well, maybe, like, third favourite. Eighth favourite? They're definitely in the top twenty.
After a string of moderate hits and cult favourites throughout the 90s, the lads from Blackwood finally topped the UK Singles Charts in 1998 for just the one week with "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next".
The song's lengthy title comes from a poster designed to recruit foreign nationals to the Republican cause during the Spanish Civil War. The band are famous for their left-wing views, so it's hardly surprising that they managed to squeeze a piece of anti-fascist propaganda into their first number one single.
This tune shows off the band's lyrical greatness, as well as their excellent musicianship. James Dean Bradfield's guitar playing is top notch throughout, from the crisp solo midway through to the iconic distorted riff that dominates the track.
The song has gone onto become a staple of The Manics' set and a favourite amongst fans of the British alt-rock movement of the late 90s.
Pertinent, powerful, and beautifully written, this song is simultaneously very nineties and timeless.