Beginner’s guide to Dubstar

If you were listening to pop music in the 1990s, you should probably have come across Dubstar. Their discography may not have turned out to be quite as extensive as it ought to have been, but there were plenty of good hits along the way.

Key moments

The string of singles which started with Stars, Anywhere, and Not So Manic Now back in 1995-1996, and never really stopped until their split five years later.

Where to start

Start with the 2004 compilation Stars – The Best of Dubstar, which gets you a whole load of highlights from all three albums plus a couple of acoustic versions and a demo.

What to buy

All three albums are worth tracking down in their own way. Disgraceful (1995) is pure pop genius; Goodbye (1997) has too many tracks, but plenty of good ones among them; and finally Make it Better (2000) is darker, but still has things worth hearing.

Don’t bother with

Most of the remixes, apart from the Disgraceful bonus disc (1996).

Hidden treasure

There are heaps of singles with hidden goodies on them, such as the first disc of No More Talk, or the EP that was led by The Self Same Thing, which includes collaborations with Gary Numan and Ian Broudie of Lightning Seeds.

For stowaways

• Dubstar – Elevator Song (November 2014)

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