18. Take That - Back For Good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2ICtCO8TCw Unlike their counterparts The Spice Girls, Take That were a comparatively slow burn. Their early singles saw them struggle to carve out a niche for themselves, they flirted with cover versions and extremely clichéd teen anthems, but when they released Back for good, theyd finally grown some cajones. They were already huge at this point in their career, but this was the song that made turned them into a pure pop institution and finally saw them crossover in the United States. It was also at this time that saw the crossover of pop and rock in the decade and Robbie Williams decided hed rather hang out with Oasis than his own bandmates, which saw him unceremoniously kicked out of the band. But the fact that members of boy bands were now hanging out at Glastonbury added to the blurring of the musical genders of the decade, and that was a very good thing indeed. So what makes Back for good a landmark? Well it delivered on he original promise that the band had, using the songwriting of Gary Barlow and coupling it with the looks and cool the other four brought to the party, making a marvellously mature pop song that would be equally adored by teenagers as well as their increasingly mature audience. The video made them look like rock stars, mean and moody rather than their earlier twee and pretty incarnation. Back for good sounds like a Coldplay song and the lyrical themes are identical to those frequently explored by Chris Martin:
In the twist of separation you excelled at being free, can't you find a little room inside for me? Now, thats conscious uncoupling.