"Sale of the Century" is a song by
Britpop
Britpop was a mid-1990s British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. It produced brighter, catchier alternative rock, partly in reaction to the popularity of the darker lyrical themes of the US-led grunge music and to the ...
band
Sleeper, written by the band's vocalist/guitarist
Louise Wener
Louise Jane Wener (born 30 July 1966, Gants Hill, London, England) is an English writer, singer, songwriter and guitarist of the band Sleeper. She is the younger daughter of Donald Wener, an Inland Revenue tax inspector from East Ham who had se ...
and drummer Andy Maclure. In Europe, "Sale of the Century" was the second single to be released from their second album ''
The It Girl'' in 1996 and became the group's first top ten hit on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
.
Louise Wener said of the protagonist of "Sale of the Century": "Love makes you a little insane, yet rationality always kicks in. Dreamy persistence fascinates me, but so does powerlessness, ruined lives, and people who can't or don't get what they want."
"Sale of the Century" was backed with "
Atomic", the band's cover of the
Blondie hit single, recorded for the ''
Trainspotting
Trainspotting may refer to:
* Trainspotting (hobby), an amateur interest in railways/railroads
* ''Trainspotting'' (novel), a 1993 novel by Irvine Welsh
** ''Trainspotting'' (film), a 1996 film based on the novel
*** ''Trainspotting'' (soundtr ...
'' soundtrack.
Single release
In the United States,
Arista positioned "Sale of the Century" as the lead-off single for the North American release of the album, submitting a
radio edit
In music, a radio edit or radio mix is a modification, typically truncated or censored, intended to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form. Radio edits may als ...
of the track to alternative radio.
''Billboard'' magazine were quick to point out that the single and the band were distinctive from other Britpop acts by not borrowing from
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
.
"Like all great
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
gems, this song has wit, lyrical power, melodic beauty, and a muscular backbeat", Larry Flick wrote in his ''Billboard'' review for "Sale of the Century", adding that the song was "one of the most thrilling summer singles for years".
"Sale of the Century" preceded the release of ''The It Girl'', which impacted stores across North America on 18 June 1996.
Nevertheless, it still failed to reach any North American chart positions.
Track listings
*UK 7" single
Indolent SLEEP 011 ''(ltd no'd edition of 10,000; green vinyl)''
*UK cassette single
Indolent SLEEP 011MC
#"Sale of the Century" – 4:34
#"Atomic"– 3:57
*UK CD single
Indolent SLEEP 011CD
#"Sale of the Century" – 4:34
#"Package Holiday" – 2:56
#"Oh Well" – 2:10
*EU CD maxi
BMG 74321 36478-2
*Australia CD single
BMG 74321 36478-2
#"Sale of the Century" – 4:34
#"Package Holiday" – 2:56
#"Oh Well" – 2:10
#"Atomic"– 3:57
Comprehensive Charts
References
External links
"Sale of the Century" music videoSleeper @ BBC MusicSleeper release discography @ We Heart Music
{{Authority control
1996 singles
Sleeper (band) songs
Song recordings produced by Stephen Street
Songs written by Louise Wener
1996 songs