2008. Elbow, 'The Seldom Seen Kid'
Who were they? Mancunian quintet fronted by Radio 6 DJ Guy Garvey, Elbow had always been critical favourites. 'The Seldom Seen Kid' though, released nearly two decades after the band's formation, was an album for the people: a lush record full of lavish production, evocative imagery and
that song.
Was it an entirely outrageous choice? Well. No matter which way you turn in that list, there's an arguably better album; Burial's 'Untrue' was perhaps the most innovative nominee for a good few years and again, Radiohead contributed a brilliant record in 'In Rainbows'. 'Raising Sand' by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss was critically drooled over and '19' by Adele could've made up for Amy Winehouse's snub the previous year, but it seems cruel to want to snatch the award away from Elbow: they really wanted it and it really made a difference to their career.
What have they done since? One of the success stories of the prize, Elbow now don't have the pressure to stay financially afloat, thanks to the sales boost the Mercury Prize gave them. They've soundtracked just about every big event, including the Olympics, and 'One Day Like This' has gone on to be one of the most adored British songs this century. Latest album 'Build a Rocket Boys!' was also nominated for the Mercury Prize.