Most bands hit the big time immediately and fade away, or they build a dedicated following and slowly climb their way to the top. Pulp didn't follow either route. For the first 12 years of their existence, Pulp languished in near total obscurity, releasing a handful of albums and singles in the '80s to barely any attention. At the turn of the decade, they began to gain an audience, sparking a remarkable turn of events that made them one of the most popular British groups of the '90s.

The band broke into the mainstream with the release of ‘His ‘n’ Hers’ in 1994. It earned positive reviews, reached the UK Top 10 and was nominated for the 1994 Mercury Prize. Jarvis Cocker suddenly became omnipresent on British television. These suave, humorous television appearances became legendary, making Cocker somewhat of a national hero.

It was the release of ‘Common People’ in 1995 that saw Pulp really break the big time. The single became a massive hit debuting at No. 2 in the UK. The album ‘Different Class’ arrived in October to rave reviews - entering the charts at No. 1, going Gold within its first week and Platinum within the second.

The massive fame and attention that ‘Different Class’ brought Pulp influenced the direction of their follow-up, 1998's world-weary, paranoid ‘This Is Hardcore’. Meanwhile, they continued to play live, performing at various festivals, including the Meltdown festival curated by Scott Walker, who Pulp hired as the producer of their new material. The resulting album, ‘We Love Life’ was released in the autumn of 2001 in the UK to critical acclaim.