The Verve | From Shoegaze Beginnings to Britrock Legends - Chart History

Music Related | Aug, 2025 theBeat.ie

With over 10.6 million records sold worldwide, The Verve carved out a spot in British rock history that few bands can rival. Formed back in 1990 by the iconic Richard Ashcroft (vocals), Nick McCabe (guitar), Simon Jones (bass), and Peter Salisbury (drums), the band’s journey is a wild mix of psychedelic beginnings, massive chart hits, and the kind of internal drama that only true rock bands seem to master.

The Verve started out with a trippy, shoegaze vibe that set the tone for their 1993 debut LP, A Storm in Heaven. But it wasn’t until their 1997 masterpiece Urban Hymns that they really hit the mainstream, and cemented their status with one of the best-selling albums in UK history.

Their chart journey started modestly in 1992 with All in the Mind, which squeaked in at No.60. Over the next few singles, nothing quite stuck, and by 1995, the band was teetering on the edge, worn down by the classic cocktail of creative tension and rock ‘n’ roll excess.

Then came 1997, their true breakthrough. Bitter Sweet Symphony stormed to No.2 in the UK charts, becoming an anthem of the era. They followed it with The Drugs Don’t Work, which soared to No.1, and Lucky Man, landing at No.7. Suddenly, The Verve weren’t just a cult favorite, they were superstars.

Their fourth single from Urban Hymns, Sonnet, was released in a very deliberate limited edition, just 5,000 copies, which meant it didn’t officially qualify for the singles chart. Still, it became a collector’s gem, and thanks to imported versions, it managed to chart at No.74.

By 1998, the pressure and infighting caught up with them. Their final show at Slane Castle in Ireland marked the end of the line, and by 1999, The Verve had split.

But band weren’t done just yet. They reunited in 2007, dropping their fourth album, Forth, in 2008. Love Is Noise gave them one last brush with the Top 20, peaking at No.4. Its follow-up, Rather Be, reached No.56, and by 2009, The Verve had split for the third time.