6 Things You Should Know About The Stone Roses

They’re headlining Coachella, and no, you’re not weird or uncool for not knowing who they are. posted on

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6 Things You Should Know About The Stone R...
Matthew Perpetua

1. The Stone Roses were announced as one of the headliners for Coachella, and a lot of people have never heard of them.

2. It’s pretty normal to have no idea who they are.

Samir Hussein / Getty Images

The Stone Roses simply are not nearly as famous in the United States as Blur, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse, or Lou Reed, who are also featured on the same day of the festival. This isn’t to say that those artists are superstars or anything, but just that they all have at least one well-known hit in America, and The Stone Roses do not. So don’t worry about seeming uncool if you don’t know who they are — they’re pretty obscure even for people who are pretty up on cool music.

3. They were a really big deal in England.

The Stone Roses’ self-titled debut album was a popular and influential record in England and a crucial part of the whole “Madchester” scene, along with albums by Happy Mondays, The Charlatans, and Inspiral Carpets. The record is regularly high up on “best albums ever” lists by British music publications.

4. These are the best-known hits from their classic era.

“She Bangs the Drums”

“Elephant Stone”

“Fools Gold”

“I Wanna Be Adored”

5. They made a second album called “Second Coming” in 1994.

The record sold well in the U.K., but is generally considered to be a big disappointment. The first album was hard to top, and in the five years between records, their audience moved on to other bands, like Blur and Oasis. “Love Spreads” was a hit in England, and got some play on MTV’s 120 Minutes. The band called it quits in 1996. Singer Ian Brown pursued a solo career, and guitarist John Squire formed another band called The Seahorses before stepping away from music to focus on painting full time.

“Love Spreads”

6. They reunited in 2011.

Samir Hussein / Getty Images

There were rumors of a Stone Roses reunion for years and years, but it all came together in late 2011. They played their first gig in 15 years on May 23 in Warrington, England, and did some big shows and festivals in Europe through the summer. They’re going to hit the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand before performing at Coachella in April. It will be their first concert in North America since 1995.

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