Is Blur 21 a good place to start with Blur?

Yes, Blur 21 is recommended as a starting point for new Blur listeners. A sprawling collection of Blur's eclectic sound, blending Britpop anthems with introspective art rock and playful experimentation. Released in 2012, 'Blur 21' serves as a comprehensive retrospective of the band's influential career, spanning from their debut in 1991 with 'Leisure' to their later works. This compilation arrived after a hiatus and reunion, showcasing how Blur evolved from a leading Britpop act into a more experimental group by the end of the 1990s.

Blur 21 works well if you're into dynamic journey with varied pacing, heartfelt introspection and experimentation and sing-along anthems for gatherings.

How many songs are on Blur 21?

Blur 21 has 343 tracks, running approximately 1374 minutes.

Blur 21

Blur · 2012

1374 min · 343 tracks · alternative rock

A sprawling collection of Blur's eclectic sound, blending Britpop anthems with introspective art rock and playful experimentation.

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Top tracks — play these first

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She’s So High Start here — accessible entry with immediate hook
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Girls & Boys — This track epitomizes the band's catchy Britpop style, incorporating themes of hedonism and social commentary through its infectious chorus and danceable beat.
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Song 2 — With its explosive energy and iconic 'woo-hoo' refrain, this song became a defining anthem for the band, showcasing their ability to blend grunge influences with pop sensibilities.
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Tender — A poignant ballad that highlights Damon Albarn's emotional depth, 'Tender' stands out for its vulnerability and lush instrumentation, contrasting with the band's more upbeat tracks.
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Coffee & TV — This track reflects Blur's shift towards more introspective lyrics while maintaining their melodic prowess, marked by its memorable guitar riffs and poignant narrative about longing and alienation.
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Beetlebum — 'Beetlebum' illustrates the band's exploration of darker themes intertwined with catchy melodies, making it a significant piece that showcases their lyrical complexity and evolution.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

dynamic journey with varied pacing
heartfelt introspection and experimentation
sing-along anthems for gatherings
for nostalgic afternoons
engaging background for creative work

Maybe skip if you

prefer concise, standalone tracks
seek constant high-energy momentum

Where this album fits

In the catalog: Deep Cut — A comprehensive retrospective, but not a primary entry or breakthrough album.
Themes: Britpop nostalgia· social commentary· post-2000 introspection
Career context: Released in 2012, 'Blur 21' serves as a comprehensive retrospective of the band's influential career, spanning from their debut in 1991 with 'Leisure' to their later works. This compilation arrived after a hiatus and reunion, showcasing how Blur evolved from a leading Britpop act into a more experimental group by the end of the 1990s.
Stylistic neighbors: Oasis· Pulp· Radiohead

New to Blur? Find your way in →

Tracklist

Disc 1

1 She’s So High Start here 4:46
2 Bang 3:37
3 Slow Down 3:11
4 Repetition 5:25
5 Bad Day 4:24
6 Sing 6:00
7 There’s No Other Way 3:24
8 Fool 3:14
9 Come Together 3:52
10 High Cool 3:37
11 Birthday 3:49
12 Wear Me Down 4:51

Disc 2

1 I Know (extended mix) 6:31
2 Down 5:58
3 There’s No Other Way (extended version) 3:58
4 Inertia 3:49
5 Mr Briggs 3:58
6 I’m All Over 2:00
7 Won’t Do It 3:20
8 Day Upon Day (live) 4:13
9 There’s No Other Way (Blur remix) 4:56
10 Bang (extended version) 4:25
11 Explain 2:45
12 Luminous 3:14
13 Berserk 6:43
14 Uncle Love 2:31
15 I Love Her (demo version Fan Club single) 3:36
16 Close (Fan Club single) 3:02

Disc 3

1 For Tomorrow 4:21
2 Advert 3:45
3 Colin Zeal 3:16
4 Pressure on Julian 3:31
5 Star Shaped 3:26
6 Blue Jeans 3:54
7 Chemical World / Intermission 6:33
8 Sunday Sunday 2:38
9 Oily Water 5:01
10 Miss America 5:35
11 Villa Rosie 3:54
12 Coping 3:24
13 Turn It Up 3:22
14 Resigned / Commercial Break 6:12

Disc 4

1 Popscene 3:14
2 Mace 3:25
3 Badgeman Brown 4:48
4 I’m Fine 3:03
5 Garden Central 6:00
6 For Tomorrow (Visit to Primrose Hill extended version) 6:01
7 Into Another 3:55
8 Peach 3:57
9 Bone Bag 4:04
10 Hanging Over 4:27
11 When the Cows Come Home 3:50
12 Beachcoma 3:38
13 Chemical World (reworked) 3:44
14 Es Schmecht 3:36
15 Young and Lovely 5:03
16 Maggie May 4:06
17 My Ark 5:57
18 Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Made for Two) 2:48
19 Let’s All Go Down the Strand 3:41

Disc 5

1 Girls & Boys 4:51
2 Tracy Jacks 4:19
3 End of a Century 2:45
4 Parklife 3:05
5 Bank Holiday 1:42
6 Badhead 3:25
7 The Debt Collector 2:10
8 Far Out 1:37
9 To the End 4:04
10 London Loves 4:15
11 Trouble in the Message Centre 4:09
12 Clover Over Dover 3:22
13 Magic America 3:37
14 Jubilee 2:47
15 This Is a Low 5:16
16 Lot 105 1:19

Disc 6

1 Magpie 4:16
2 Anniversary Waltz 1:22
3 People in Europe 3:28
4 Peter Panic 4:21
5 Girls & Boys (Pet Shop Boys 12″ remix) 7:16
6 Threadneedle Street 3:18
7 Got Yer! 1:48
8 Beard 1:44
9 To the End (French version) 4:05
10 Supa Shoppa 3:02
11 Theme From an Imaginary Film 3:34
12 Red Necks 2:53
13 Alex’s Song 2:45
14 Jubilee (acoustic, BBC live version) 2:32
15 Parklife (acoustic, BBC live version) 2:59
16 End of a Century (acoustic version) 2:44

Disc 7

1 Stereotypes 3:11
2 Country House 3:56
3 Best Days 4:49
4 Charmless Man 3:33
5 Fade Away 4:18
6 Top Man 4:00
7 The Universal 3:58
8 Mr Robinson’s Quango 4:00
9 He Thought of Cars 4:16
10 It Could Be You 3:12
11 Ernold Same 2:06
12 Globe Alone 2:23
13 Dan Abnormal 3:23
14 Entertain Me 4:19
15 Yuko and Hiro 5:24

Disc 8

1 One Born Every Minute 2:18
2 To the End (La Comédie) 5:05
3 Ultranol 2:42
4 No Monsters in Me 3:38
5 Entertain Me (Live It! remix) 7:17
6 The Man Who Left Himself 3:22
7 Tame 4:47
8 Ludwig 2:24
9 The Horrors 3:18
10 A Song 1:45
11 St Louis 3:13
12 Country House (live at Mile End) 4:57
13 Girls & Boys (live at Mile End) 5:02
14 Parklife (live at Mile End) 3:42
15 For Tomorrow (live at Mile End) 7:02
16 Charmless Man (live at Budokan) 3:22
17 Chemical World (live at Budokan) 4:12
18 Eine Kleine Lift Musik 4:18

Disc 9

1 Beetlebum 5:05
2 Song 2 2:01
3 Country Sad Ballad Man 4:50
4 M.O.R. 3:27
5 On Your Own 4:26
6 Theme From Retro 3:36
7 You’re So Great 3:35
8 Death of a Party 4:33
9 Chinese Bombs 1:24
10 I’m Just a Killer for Your Love 4:11
11 Look Inside America 3:50
12 Strange News From Another Star 4:03
13 Movin’ On 3:42
14 Essex Dogs 8:10

Disc 10

1 All Your Life 4:12
2 A Spell (For Money) 3:30
3 Woodpigeon Song 1:43
4 Dancehall 3:11
5 Get Out of Cities 4:02
6 Polished Stone 2:42
7 Bustin’ + Dronin’ 6:32
8 M.O.R. (Road version) 3:01
9 Swallows in the Heatwave 2:33
10 Death of a Party (7″ remix) 4:18
11 Cowboy Song 4:07
12 Beetlebum (live acoustic version) 4:33
13 On Your Own (live acoustic version) 4:11
14 Country Sad Ballad Man (live acoustic version) 4:44
15 This Is a Low (live acoustic version) 3:31
16 M.O.R. (live in Utrecht) 3:17
17 Death of a Party (live in Utrecht) 4:16
18 Song 2 (live in Utrecht) 2:07

Disc 11

1 Tender 7:40
2 Bugman 4:47
3 Coffee & TV 5:58
4 Swamp Song 4:36
5 1992 5:29
6 B.L.U.R.E.M.I. 2:52
7 Battle 7:43
8 Mellow Song 3:56
9 Trailerpark 4:26
10 Caramel 7:38
11 Trimm Trabb 5:37
12 No Distance Left to Run 3:27
13 Optigan 1 2:34

Disc 12

1 French Song 8:20
2 All We Want 4:32
3 Mellow Jam 3:56
4 X‐offender (Damon / Control Freak’s Bugman remix) 5:38
5 Coyote (Dave’s Bugman remix) 3:49
6 Trade Stylee (Alex’s Bugman remix) 5:58
7 Metal Hip Slop (Graham’s Bugman remix) 4:15
8 So You 4:10
9 Beagle 2 2:54
10 Tender (Cornelius remix) 5:23
11 Far Out (Beagle 2 remix) 3:57
12 I Got Law (demo) 2:42
13 Music Is My Radar 5:28
14 Black Book 8:30

Disc 13

1 Ambulance 5:09
2 Out of Time 3:51
3 Crazy Beat 3:14
4 Good Song 3:08
5 On the Way to the Club 3:47
6 Brothers and Sisters 3:47
7 Caravan 4:35
8 We’ve Got a File on You 1:02
9 Moroccan Peoples Revolutionary Bowls Club 3:02
10 Sweet Song 4:00
11 Jets 6:25
12 Gene by Gene 3:48
13 Battery in Your Leg 11:34

Disc 14

1 Money Makes Me Crazy (Marrakech mix) 2:52
2 Tune 2 3:47
3 The Outsider 5:14
4 Don’t Be 2:40
5 Morricone 4:49
6 Me, White Noise (alternate version) 6:44
7 Some Glad Morning 4:18
8 Don’t Be (acoustic mix) 2:39
9 Sweet Song (demo) 3:50
10 Caravan (Zoë Ball XFM session) 4:14
11 End of a Century (Zoë Ball XFM session) 2:40
12 Good Song (Zoë Ball XFM session) 3:31
13 Out of Time (Zoë Ball XFM session) 3:36
14 Tender (Zoë Ball XFM session) 6:21

Disc 15

1 Dizzy (Seymour rehearsal & demo) 3:34
2 Mixed Up (Seymour rehearsal & demo) 3:51
3 Birthday (Seymour demo) 4:32
4 Sing (To Me) (Sing demo, released to Fan Club Dec 1999) 5:28
5 Fool (Seymour 4 Track demo, 30 July 1999) 2:36
6 She’s So High (Seymour rehearsal) 11:33
7 Won’t Do It (demo released to Fan Club April 2002) 3:12
8 I Know (Falconer studio demo) 3:55
9 Repetition (Falconer studio demo) 5:12
10 High Cool (7″ Master) 3:39
11 Always (I’m Fine early version) 2:58
12 Come Together (demo, released to Fan Club April 2002) 3:34
13 I’m All Over (demo) 1:52
14 Wear Me Down (demo) 5:32

Disc 16

1 I Love Her (alternate version) 3:39
2 Popscene (1991 demo) 3:44
3 Beached Whale (4 Track demo June 1992) 3:23
4 Death of a Party (demo released to Fan Club August 1996) 3:40
5 Pap Pop (4 Track demo recorded June 1992) 2:24
6 Pressure on Julian (demo) 4:26
7 Colin Zeal (demo) 3:32
8 Sunday Sunday (demo) 2:11
9 Never Clever (demo, released on Food Compilation ″Food 100″ in 1997) 2:51
10 Advert (demo) 3:45
11 Star Shaped (demo) 3:05
12 She Don’t Mind (Blue Jeans demo) 3:52
13 Coping (Andy Partridge version) 3:22
14 Sunday Sleep (Sunday Sunday Andy Partridge version) 3:31
15 Seven Days (Andy Partridge version) 3:41
16 Kazoo (Turn It Up early version) 3:15
17 The Wassailing Song (7″ giveway at Hibernian Club Gig, Fulham on 16 December 1992) 3:24
18 When the Cows Come Home (demo) 3:26
19 For Tomorrow (mix 1 ‐ early demo) 4:14
20 Magpie (early demo) 2:05

Disc 17

1 Parklife (demo) 3:08
2 Clover Over Dover (demo) 2:54
3 Jubilee (demo) 2:51
4 One a Minute (One Born Every Minute demo) 2:13
5 Badhead (demo) 3:07
6 Far Out (demo, electric version) 3:16
7 The Debt Collector (demo) 2:11
8 Trouble in the Message Centre (demo) 3:37
9 Red Necks (Take One) 2:46
10 Red Necks (Take Two) 0:59
11 Alex’s Song (demo) 3:09
12 Cross Channel Love (home demo) 3:16
13 Ernold Same (demo) 1:20
14 Saturday Morning (demo) 4:33
15 Hope You Find Your Suburb (Eine Kleine Lift Musick full band demo) 4:13
16 Rico (Fade Away demo) 5:08
17 Bored House Wives (Entertain Me early version) 4:57

Disc 18

1 Beetlebum (demo) 3:00
2 On Your Own (Mario Caldato Jr mix) 4:21
3 Woodpigeon Song (original full length) 3:01
4 Battle (Jam, Mayfair Studios 11 August 1998) 5:46
5 Caramel (ambient) 7:47
6 So You (alternative version) 3:45
7 Squeezebox (Music Is My Radar alternative version) 6:34
8 Jawbone (Black Book alternative version) 5:33
9 “1″ 3:38
10 “3″ 4:49
11 Sir Elton John’s Cock 1:23
12 Avoid the Traffic 1:29
13 Money Makes Me Crazy (Deepest Darkest Devon mix) 2:29
14 Don’t Bomb When You’re the Bomb (Previously Released on a 7″ Promo) 3:59
15 Nutter 2:42
16 Piano 3:19
17 Kissin’ Time 5:38
18 Fool’s Day 3:28
19 Under the Westway 4:17

Disc 19

1 Intro 2:36
2 Lot 105 1:36
3 Sunday Sunday 3:11
4 Jubilee 3:18
5 Tracy Jacks 4:05
6 Magic America 4:28
7 End of a Century 3:15
8 Popscene 3:18
9 Trouble in the Message Centre 4:20
10 She’s So High Start here 5:37
11 Chemical World 4:37
12 Badhead 4:04
13 There’s No Other Way 5:25
14 To the End 4:07
15 Advert 4:46
16 Supa Shoppa 2:43
17 Mr Robinson’s Quango 4:24
18 Parklife 4:21
19 Girls and Boys 4:36
20 Bank Holiday 2:03
21 This Is a Low 7:40

Disc 20

1 Intro 0:59
2 I Know 3:50
3 She’s So High Start here 5:16
4 There’s No Other Way 3:41
5 Popscene 3:38
6 For Tomorrow 6:25
7 Chemical World 4:18
8 Girls & Boys 4:26
9 To the End 4:15
10 Parklife 3:02
11 End of a Century 3:25
12 Country House 4:25
13 The Universal 4:15
14 Charmless Man 3:25
15 Beetlebum 6:02
16 Song 2 2:16
17 On My Own 5:28
18 M.O.R. 3:11
19 Tender 6:11
20 Coffee & TV 6:16
21 No Distance Left to Run 4:24

Disc 21

1 Intro 1:31
2 B.L.U.R.E.M.I. 2:28
3 No Distance Left to Run 4:20
4 Tender 6:26
5 Battle 7:44
6 Beetlebum 6:29
7 Bugman 3:39
8 Trimm Trabb 5:37
9 Mellow Song 3:38
10 Song 2 2:01
11 Dizzy 3:45
12 There’s No Other Way (BBC live version) (1st TV Performance) 2:46
13 To the End (La Comédie) (French promo video) 4:14
14 It Could Be You (Japanese promo video) 3:08
15 Music Is My Radar (promo video) 5:03
16 Out of Time (promo video) 3:55
17 Crazy Beat (promo video) 3:18
18 Good Song (promo video) 3:14

Disc 22

1 Superman 3:38

What to play next

Listen next

The Magic Whip

2015

Continues the experimental sound and introspective themes explored in Blur 21.

Go back to

Think Tank

2003

Precedes Blur 21 with a shift towards more eclectic and experimental elements.

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