Pulp Marks 30 Years of Different Class with Expanded Reissue and Iconic Glastonbury Set

Pulp will mark the 30th anniversary of their landmark album *Different Class* with a special reissue on October 24, featuring the original tracks and their full 1995 Glastonbury headline performance.

It’s hard to overstate the impact Pulp had on British music in the mid-1990s, and their 1995 album Different Class remains a high-water mark in their career. To mark its 30th anniversary, the Sheffield band has announced a special reissue of the album, including, for the first time ever, their full headline performance at Glastonbury in 1995.

Different Class was Pulp’s breakthrough, earning them the Mercury Prize and selling over a million copies in the UK alone. The record produced some of the band’s best-known hits, including Common People, Disco 2000, and Sorted For E’s & Wizz. Its clever, socially sharp lyrics, led by frontman Jarvis Cocker, captured a generation and cemented Pulp as one of the defining bands of the Britpop era. In 2013, NME ranked Different Class as the sixth greatest album of all time.

The newly announced reissue will be available as a quadruple LP set or a double CD, set to drop on October 24 through Universal Music on behalf of Island Records. Alongside the original album tracks, fans will get a special treat: the full set from Pulp’s Pyramid Stage headline slot at Glastonbury in 1995. That performance was arranged at short notice—just ten days—after The Stone Roses cancelled, and it helped introduce the band to a wider festival audience, months before the album was officially released.

In a statement about the anniversary release, Cocker said the 45rpm double LP edition will allow the album to be heard in its full, uncompressed glory. “We were obsessed with the fact that this was our ‘Pop’ album,” he said, reflecting on the chart success of Common People. “All pop albums have 12 songs on them, six tracks per side. Only problem: this took the running time of the record to 53 minutes. We were told this would compromise the audio quality of the vinyl record—but we were more bothered about not compromising the quality of our Pop Dream. Now, 30 years later, we are finally ready for Different Class to be heard in all its glory. Different Class indeed.”

Pulp’s career stretches back to the late 1970s, with a sound evolving from post-punk experimentation to the catchy, observational pop that defined Britpop. Albums like His ‘n’ Hers (1994) laid the groundwork for their commercial breakthrough, blending sharp storytelling with inventive musical arrangements. Different Class captured their growth as songwriters, combining biting social commentary with danceable grooves, a combination that remains instantly recognizable today.

Beyond studio recordings, Pulp built a reputation as a powerful live band. Their Glastonbury performance in 1995 is remembered for its energy and timing, coming as it did just before Britpop reached its commercial peak. Their ability to connect with audiences, both in intimate venues and on festival main stages, helped maintain their popularity throughout the 1990s and into the new millennium.

The anniversary release is more than a nostalgia trip—it’s a chance for a new generation to experience Pulp at their best. With expanded vinyl and CD formats and the Glastonbury set now officially available, the album takes on new life, showcasing not just the hits but the craft behind them. It’s a celebration of the band’s career, the enduring relevance of Different Class, and the lasting impact of Sheffield’s finest on the world of British pop.

For longtime fans and newcomers alike, this reissue is a reminder of why Pulp captured the spirit of an era, blending wit, observation, and irresistible melodies in a way that few bands have matched. As Cocker himself puts it, thirty years on, Different Class finally sounds exactly as the band intended: uncompromised, complete, and full of pop ambition.

Sources:

• The Guardian
• NME
• Island Records
• Universal Music