Pulp won the 1996 Mercury Prize for the album Different Class.
Different Class was Pulp’s fifth studio album and their commercial breakthrough. Released in October 1995, it combined disco, glam, pop, and indie rock with Jarvis Cocker’s sharply observed stories about British class, relationships, nightlife, and social ambition. The album’s success followed Pulp’s headline-making appearance at the 1995 Glastonbury Festival.
Its singles include “Common People,” “Disco 2000,” and “Mis-Shapes.” “Common People” became an anthem of 1990s British alternative music, while “Disco 2000” presented a more playful story about an old acquaintance. The album’s full title includes the parenthetical phrase “We’re All in This Together.”
The Mercury Prize ceremony in 1996 recognized Different Class over a field that included nominees such as Black Grape and The Stone Roses. A common mix-up is naming Pulp’s 1993 album His ’n’ Hers, which preceded the winning record.