The Masses Against The Classes
Encyclopedia
"The Masses Against the Classes" is a song by Manic Street Preachers
, released as a limited-edition single
in January 2000. It was a stand-alone single, not featured on any studio album, (although it appeared as a bonus track on international releases) and was deleted (removed from wholesale
supply) on the day of release.
The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart
on 16 January 2000 without any promotion by the band and without the aid of an official promo video. It was their second number-one single (the first was "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
"), and knocked Westlife
's "I Have a Dream/Seasons in the Sun" off the top spot after four weeks.
"The Masses Against the Classes" was released both as a CD single and numbered 10"; each version also featured the songs "Close My Eyes" and a cover of Chuck Berry
’s "Rock and Roll Music".
It was included on Forever Delayed
, Manic Street Preachers' Greatest Hits album, as track eleven. A live version of the song has also appeared as a B-side on "Found That Soul
".
The single begins with a Noam Chomsky
quotation and ends with a quotation from Albert Camus
. The record sleeve features the Cuba
n flag
albeit without the star, a mark of the band
's socialist political ideology. They were to play in Havana
in February 2001 to a sold-out Karl Marx
theatre with Fidel Castro
in the audience, whom they met when he arrived just thirty minutes before they were due to play.
The song appears to be a musical reply to criticism of the band's This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
album, seen by many fans as a shift in style from the usual angry alternative rock
produced by the band in the early to mid nineties, as it is noticeably harsher and louder than most of the material the band had recorded in the years leading up to the release of the single, most of the lyrics confirm this. The song was debuted on the festival circuit late in the summer of 1999.
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
, released as a limited-edition single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in January 2000. It was a stand-alone single, not featured on any studio album, (although it appeared as a bonus track on international releases) and was deleted (removed from wholesale
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
supply) on the day of release.
The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on 16 January 2000 without any promotion by the band and without the aid of an official promo video. It was their second number-one single (the first was "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
"If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" is a song by the Manic Street Preachers, released as the first single from their fifth studio album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, with lyrics written by Nicky Wire , and music written by James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore...
"), and knocked Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
's "I Have a Dream/Seasons in the Sun" off the top spot after four weeks.
"The Masses Against the Classes" was released both as a CD single and numbered 10"; each version also featured the songs "Close My Eyes" and a cover of Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
’s "Rock and Roll Music".
It was included on Forever Delayed
Forever Delayed
Forever Delayed is a greatest hits album by the Manic Street Preachers, released in October 2002. The album included three singles which had never appeared on earlier albums , the latter being one of the band's two UK #1 hits, along with "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next." Several...
, Manic Street Preachers' Greatest Hits album, as track eleven. A live version of the song has also appeared as a B-side on "Found That Soul
Found That Soul
"Found That Soul" is a song by the Manic Street Preachers, released on February 26, 2001 from the Know Your Enemy album. Writing credit was shared by all three members of the band, James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore and Nicky Wire....
".
The single begins with a Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
quotation and ends with a quotation from Albert Camus
Albert Camus
Albert Camus was a French author, journalist, and key philosopher of the 20th century. In 1949, Camus founded the Group for International Liaisons within the Revolutionary Union Movement, which was opposed to some tendencies of the Surrealist movement of André Breton.Camus was awarded the 1957...
. The record sleeve features the Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n flag
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
albeit without the star, a mark of the band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
's socialist political ideology. They were to play in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
in February 2001 to a sold-out Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
theatre with Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
in the audience, whom they met when he arrived just thirty minutes before they were due to play.
The song appears to be a musical reply to criticism of the band's This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours is the fifth album by Welsh band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in September 1998 on Epic Records, and in the United States the following year, on Virgin Records.- Background :...
album, seen by many fans as a shift in style from the usual angry alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
produced by the band in the early to mid nineties, as it is noticeably harsher and louder than most of the material the band had recorded in the years leading up to the release of the single, most of the lyrics confirm this. The song was debuted on the festival circuit late in the summer of 1999.
Chart performance
| Chart (1999/2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Singles Chart | 4 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
7 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 12 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
CD / 10"
- "The Masses Against the Classes" - 3:23
- "Close My Eyes" - 4:27
- "Rock And Roll Music" (Chuck Berry cover) - 2:53
See also
- List of number-one singles from the 2000s (UK)