This Is Music: The Singles 92–98
The Verve · 2004
67 min · 14 tracks · alternative rock
A sweeping collection of anthemic melodies and introspective lyrics that encapsulate the band's rich soundscape and emotional depth.
Top tracks — play these first
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Bitter Sweet Symphony — This track exemplifies The Verve's ability to blend orchestral arrangements with rock elements, creating a timeless anthem about life's struggles and contradictions.
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Lucky Man — With its soaring melodies and introspective lyrics, this song captures the essence of longing and success, reflecting the duality of happiness and emptiness.
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The Drugs Don’t Work — This poignant ballad addresses themes of loss and despair, highlighted by Richard Ashcroft's emotive vocal delivery and haunting instrumentation.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
This compilation captures The Verve's signature sound but lacks the cohesive narrative of a studio album.
What we noticed
- Several songs employ lush instrumentation with layered guitars and strings, creating a rich sonic texture.
- The sequencing places the more anthemic tracks at the beginning, gradually transitioning to more introspective pieces toward the end.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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5/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- dynamic emotional journeys
- long, immersive listening sessions
- wave-like pacing experiences
- contemplative late-night moods
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released in 2004, This Is Music: The Singles 92–98 comes during a period of resurgence for The Verve after their initial breakup in 1999. This compilation follows their critically acclaimed album Urban Hymns, which had solidified their place in the Britpop scene. The album serves as both a retrospective of their early work and a bridge to their later projects.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Oasis· Radiohead· The Stone Roses
Moments worth listening for
Where the writing does something specific.
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The Drugs Don’t Work
The narrative shifts from hope to resignation as the singer acknowledges the futility of seeking solace in substances.
This progression deepens the emotional weight of the song, contrasting earlier optimism with a stark acceptance of reality.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 This Is Music 3:38
- 2 Slide Away 4:06
- 3 Lucky Man 4:49
- 4 History 5:28
- 5 She’s a Superstar 5:04
- 6 On Your Own 3:36
- 7 Blue 3:39
- 8 Sonnet 4:24
- 9 All in the Mind 4:17
- 10 The Drugs Don’t Work 5:05
- 11 Gravity Grave 8:21
- 12 Bitter Sweet Symphony 5:59
- 13 This Could Be My Moment 3:59
- 14 Monte Carlo 4:58
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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