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{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox album
{{Infobox album
| name = The Great Escape
| name = The Great Escape
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| alt =
| alt =
| released = {{start date|1995|9|11|df=yes}}
| released = {{start date|1995|9|11|df=yes}}
| recorded = January–May 1995
| recorded = January – May 1995
| studio = Maison Rouge and [[Townhouse Studios|Townhouse]], London
| studio = Maison Rouge and [[Townhouse Studios|Townhouse]], London
| genre = [[Britpop]]
| genre = [[Britpop]]
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'''''The Great Escape''''' is the fourth studio album by the English [[rock music|rock]] band [[Blur (band)|Blur]]. It was released on 11 September 1995 on [[Food Records|Food]] and [[Virgin Records]]. The album reached number one on the [[UK Albums Chart]] and charted in the top 10 in more than ten countries around the world. Less than a year after the album was released, it was certified triple platinum in the UK.<ref>[http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx BPI Certified Awards Search] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924015932/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx |date=24 September 2009}} [[British Phonographic Industry]]. Note: reader must define "Search" parameter as "Blur".</ref> The album received near-universal acclaim on release.
'''''The Great Escape''''' is the fourth studio album by the English [[rock music|rock]] band [[Blur (band)|Blur]]. It was released on 11 September 1995 on [[Food Records|Food]] and [[Virgin Records]]. The album reached number one on the [[UK Albums Chart]] and charted in the top 10 in more than ten countries around the world. Less than a year after the album was released, it was certified triple platinum in the UK.<ref>[http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx BPI Certified Awards Search] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924015932/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx |date=24 September 2009}} [[British Phonographic Industry]]. Note: reader must define "Search" parameter as "Blur".</ref> The album received near-universal acclaim on release.


The album continued the band's run of hit singles, with "[[Country House (song)|Country House]]", "[[The Universal]]", "[[Stereotypes (song)|Stereotypes]]" and "[[Charmless Man]]" all reaching the top 10 of the [[UK Singles Chart]]. "Country House" was Blur's first number one hit in the UK, beating [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]]' "[[Roll with It (Oasis song)|Roll with It]]", in a chart rivalry dubbed "[[Britpop#"The Battle of Britpop"|The Battle of Britpop]]".<ref name="Chart Battle">{{cite news |title=Blur and Oasis' big Britpop chart battle – the definitive story of what really happened |url=https://www.nme.com/features/blur-and-oasis-big-britpop-chart-battle-the-definitive-story-of-what-really-happened-757277#egzloKzdAR3RZ0IM.99 |work=NME |date=14 August 2019 |access-date=19 September 2019}}</ref>
The album continued the band's run of hit singles, with "[[Country House (song)|Country House]]", "[[The Universal]]", "[[Stereotypes (song)|Stereotypes]]" and "[[Charmless Man]]" all reaching the top 10 of the [[UK singles chart]]. "Country House" was Blur's first number one hit in the UK, beating [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]]' "[[Roll with It (Oasis song)|Roll with It]]", in a chart rivalry dubbed "[[Britpop#"The Battle of Britpop"|The Battle of Britpop]]".<ref name="Chart Battle">{{cite news |title=Blur and Oasis' big Britpop chart battle – the definitive story of what really happened |url=https://www.nme.com/features/blur-and-oasis-big-britpop-chart-battle-the-definitive-story-of-what-really-happened-757277 |last=Beaumont |first=Mark |work=NME |date=14 August 2019 |access-date=19 September 2019}}</ref>


''The Great Escape'' is often considered to be the final album of a trio of [[Britpop]] albums released by Blur in the mid-1990s,<ref name="popmatters"/> after ''[[Modern Life Is Rubbish]]'' (1993) and ''[[Parklife]]'' (1994). With Blur's [[Blur (Blur album)|1997 self-titled album]], the band would change direction and move away from Britpop in favour of a more [[Lo-fi music|lo-fi]] and [[alternative rock]] sound.
''The Great Escape'' is often considered to be the final album of a trio of [[Britpop]] albums released by Blur in the mid-1990s,<ref name="popmatters"/> after ''[[Modern Life Is Rubbish]]'' (1993) and ''[[Parklife]]'' (1994). With Blur's [[Blur (Blur album)|1997 self-titled album]], the band would change direction and move away from Britpop in favour of a more [[Lo-fi music|lo-fi]] and [[alternative rock]] sound.
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===Concept===
===Concept===
On 17 June 1995, lead singer [[Damon Albarn]] and bassist [[Alex James (musician)|Alex James]] spoke on [[BBC Radio 1]] about coming up with a title for the album;<ref>{{cite web |title=• discography • blur • the great escape |url=http://www.blurcentral.co.uk/albumsthegreatescape.htm |url-status=dead |publisher=Blurcentral.co.uk |access-date=21 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090729214625/http://www.blurcentral.co.uk/albumsthegreatescape.htm |archive-date=29 July 2009 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> "We've got until this Wednesday, our record company inform us, to come up with it", said Albarn. "We've been trying to get ''[[Parklife|life]]'' into it, but nothing was very good – ''Wifelife'', ''Darklife'', ''Nextlife''", added James.
On 17 June 1995, lead singer [[Damon Albarn]] and bassist [[Alex James (musician)|Alex James]] spoke on [[BBC Radio 1]] about coming up with a title for the album;<ref>{{cite web |title=• discography • blur • the great escape |url=http://www.blurcentral.co.uk/albumsthegreatescape.htm |url-status=dead |publisher=Blurcentral.co.uk |access-date=21 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090729214625/http://www.blurcentral.co.uk/albumsthegreatescape.htm |archive-date=29 July 2009}}</ref> "We've got until this Wednesday, our record company inform us, to come up with it", said Albarn. "We've been trying to get ''[[Parklife|life]]'' into it, but nothing was very good – ''Wifelife'', ''Darklife'', ''Nextlife''", added James.


The album is in the style of a [[concept album]], that is, most of the songs are linked by a similar theme—loneliness and detachment. Albarn subsequently revealed that much of ''The Great Escape'' is about himself (e.g. "Dan Abnormal" is an [[anagram]] of "Damon Albarn").
The album is in the style of a [[concept album]], that is, most of the songs are linked by a similar theme—loneliness and detachment. Albarn subsequently revealed that much of ''The Great Escape'' is about himself (e.g. "Dan Abnormal" is an [[anagram]] of "Damon Albarn").


===Songs===
===Songs===
"Mr. Robinson's Quango" was the first song recorded for the album,<ref name="vblurpage.com"/> whilst "It Could Be You" was the last, in May 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vblurpage.com/info/history/9597.htm |title=The History of Blur – 1995–1997 |publisher=Vblurpage.com |date=12 August 1995 |access-date=21 August 2009}}</ref> The title of the latter was taken from the original [[advertising slogan]] of the United Kingdom's multimillion-pound-prize [[National Lottery (United Kingdom)|National Lottery]], which had drawn much public interest after its inception the previous year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/145363/Superbrands-case-studies-National-Lottery/ |title=Superbrands case studies: The National Lottery – Brand Republic News |publisher=Brand Republic |access-date=21 August 2009}}</ref>
"Mr. Robinson's Quango" was the first song recorded for the album<ref name="vblurpage.com"/> and "It Could Be You" was the last, in May 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vblurpage.com/info/history/9597.htm |title=The History of Blur – 1995–1997 |publisher=Vblurpage.com |date=12 August 1995 |access-date=21 August 2009}}</ref> The title of the latter was taken from the original [[advertising slogan]] of the United Kingdom's multimillion-pound-prize [[National Lottery (United Kingdom)|National Lottery]], which had drawn much public interest after its inception the previous year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/145363/Superbrands-case-studies-National-Lottery/ |title=Superbrands case studies: The National Lottery – Brand Republic News |publisher=Brand Republic |access-date=21 August 2009}}</ref>


"Yuko and Hiro" was originally titled "Japanese Workers",<ref name="blurtalk.com"/> whilst "The Universal" was first attempted during the ''Parklife'' sessions as a [[ska]] number. During the making of ''The Great Escape'' the song was resurrected by James, who notes in his autobiography, ''Bit of a Blur'', that the band had almost given up on getting it to work when Albarn came up with the string section.<ref name="blurtalk.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.blurtalk.com/The%20great%20Escape.asp?pagename=The%20Great%20Escape |title=The Great Escape|publisher=Blur Talk |date=17 June 1995 |access-date=21 August 2009}}</ref>
"Yuko and Hiro" was originally titled "Japanese Workers",<ref name="blurtalk.com"/> and "The Universal" was first attempted during the ''Parklife'' sessions as a [[ska]] number. During the making of ''The Great Escape'' the song was resurrected by James, who notes in his autobiography, ''Bit of a Blur'', that the band had almost given up on getting it to work when Albarn came up with the string section.<ref name="blurtalk.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.blurtalk.com/The%20great%20Escape.asp?pagename=The%20Great%20Escape |title=The Great Escape|publisher=Blur Talk |date=17 June 1995 |access-date=21 August 2009}}</ref>


One song on the album, "Ernold Same", features then-MP [[Ken Livingstone]]. He is credited in the sleevenotes as "The Right-On" Ken Livingstone.<ref name="vblurpage.com"/> Producer Stephen Street commented, "It was my idea to get him in because I’m not a huge fan of his. We needed somebody with a really nasal, boring voice doing the commentary and I suggested him. He came in thinking he was the bee’s knees and we were fans – we weren’t at all! (''Laughs'') I couldn’t stand him and my preconceptions were confirmed when he insulted the pastel jumper I was wearing that day! But his voice suited the song."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-04 |title=Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! – Stephen Street |url=https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/stephen-street-blur-oasis-pete-doherty-morrissey-the-smiths-2893930 |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref>
One song on the album, "Ernold Same", features then-MP [[Ken Livingstone]]. He is credited in the sleevenotes as "The Right-On" Ken Livingstone.<ref name="vblurpage.com"/> Producer Stephen Street commented, "It was my idea to get him in because I’m not a huge fan of his. We needed somebody with a really nasal, boring voice doing the commentary and I suggested him. He came in thinking he was the bee’s knees and we were fans – we weren’t at all! (''Laughs'') I couldn’t stand him and my preconceptions were confirmed when he insulted the pastel jumper I was wearing that day! But his voice suited the song."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-04 |title=Does Rock 'N' Roll Kill Braincells?! – Stephen Street |url=https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/stephen-street-blur-oasis-pete-doherty-morrissey-the-smiths-2893930 |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=NME}}</ref>


As with Blur's previous two albums, the [[liner note]]s also contain guitar chords for each of the songs along with the lyrics.
As with Blur's previous two albums, the [[liner note]]s also contain guitar chords for each of the songs along with the lyrics.


==Singles==
==Singles==
The album spawned four hit singles for the band with "Country House", "The Universal", "Stereotypes" and "Charmless Man". "Stereotypes" made its debut at a secret gig at the [[Dublin Castle, Camden|Dublin Castle]] in London and was considered as the album's lead single, but "Country House" got a bigger reaction from fans.<ref name="vblurpage.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.vblurpage.com/discography/albums/escape.htm |title=Blur – The Great Escape – album info |publisher=Vblurpage.com |date=11 September 1995 |access-date=21 August 2009}}</ref> "Country House" gave the band their first number one single, beating Oasis to the top spot. "The Universal" and "Charmless Man" both reached the top 5, whilst "Stereotypes" peaked at number 7. In Japan, "It Could Be You" was released as a four-track single, featuring B-sides recorded live at the Budokan.
The album spawned four hit singles for the band with "Country House", "The Universal", "Stereotypes" and "Charmless Man". "Stereotypes" made its debut at a secret gig at the [[Dublin Castle, Camden|Dublin Castle]] in London and was considered as the album's lead single, but "Country House" got a bigger reaction from fans.<ref name="vblurpage.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.vblurpage.com/discography/albums/escape.htm |title=Blur – The Great Escape – album info |publisher=Vblurpage.com |date=11 September 1995 |access-date=21 August 2009 |archive-date=17 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917202836/http://www.vblurpage.com/discography/albums/escape.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> "Country House" gave the band their first number one single, beating Oasis to the top spot. "The Universal" and "Charmless Man" both reached the top 5, whilst "Stereotypes" peaked at number 7. In Japan, "It Could Be You" was released as a four-track single, featuring B-sides recorded live at the Budokan.


==Reception and legacy==
==Reception and legacy==
{{Album ratings
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-great-escape-mw0000175366 |title=The Great Escape – Blur |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=18 November 2015 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}</ref>
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-great-escape-mw0000175366 |title=The Great Escape – Blur |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=18 November 2015 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| rev2 = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite news |title=CD of the week: Blur (and not an Oasis in sight) |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=15 September 1995 |last=Sullivan |first=Caroline}}</ref>
| rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite news |title=CD of the week: Blur (and not an Oasis in sight) |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=15 September 1995 |last=Sullivan |first=Caroline}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
| rev3 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.latimes.com/1995-10-01/entertainment/ca-51933_1_album-reviews |title=Blur; 'The Great Escape', Virgin |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=1 October 1995 |access-date=18 November 2015 |last=Hochman |first=Steve}}</ref>
| rev3score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-10-01-ca-51933-story.html |title=Blur; 'The Great Escape', Virgin |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=1 October 1995 |access-date=18 November 2015 |last=Hochman |first=Steve}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Melody Maker]]''
| rev4 = ''[[Melody Maker]]''
| rev4score = 12/10<ref name="mm">{{cite magazine |title=Colditz a Knockout! |magazine=[[Melody Maker]] |date=9 September 1995 |last=Lester |first=Paul |page=33}}</ref>
| rev4score = 12/10<ref name="mm">{{cite magazine |title=Colditz a Knockout! |magazine=[[Melody Maker]] |date=9 September 1995 |last=Lester |first=Paul |page=33}}</ref>
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| rev5score = 9/10<ref name="nme">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101000328reviews.html |title=Blur – The Great Escape |magazine=[[NME]] |date=9 September 1995 |access-date=18 November 2015 |last=Cigarettes |first=Johnny |page=46 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000817223011/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101000328reviews.html |archive-date=17 August 2000 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev5score = 9/10<ref name="nme">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101000328reviews.html |title=Blur – The Great Escape |magazine=[[NME]] |date=9 September 1995 |access-date=18 November 2015 |last=Cigarettes |first=Johnny |page=46 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000817223011/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101000328reviews.html |archive-date=17 August 2000 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev6 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev6score = 8.2/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16877-blur-21/ |title=Blur: Blur 21 |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=31 July 2012 |access-date=18 November 2015 |last=Zoladz |first=Lindsay}}</ref>
| rev6score = 8.2/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16877-blur-21/ |title=Blur: Blur 21 |work=Pitchfork |date=31 July 2012 |access-date=18 November 2015 |last=Zoladz |first=Lindsay}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| rev7 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| rev7score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Blur: The Great Escape |magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] |issue=109 |date=October 1995 |page=110}}</ref>
| rev7score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Blur: The Great Escape |magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] |issue=109 |date=October 1995 |page=110}}</ref>
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| rev9score = 5/5<ref name="select">{{cite magazine |url=http://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2013/01/blur.jpg |title=The Joy of Essex |magazine=[[Select (magazine)|Select]] |issue=64 |date=October 1995 |access-date=31 December 2016 |last=Cavanagh |first=David |author-link=David Cavanagh |pages=104–05}}</ref>
| rev9score = 5/5<ref name="select">{{cite magazine |url=http://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2013/01/blur.jpg |title=The Joy of Essex |magazine=[[Select (magazine)|Select]] |issue=64 |date=October 1995 |access-date=31 December 2016 |last=Cavanagh |first=David |author-link=David Cavanagh |pages=104–05}}</ref>
| rev10 = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| rev10 = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| rev10score = 6/10<ref name="spin">{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EYlQ2Hsft8QC&pg=PA124 |title=Oasis: (What's the Story) Morning Glory / Blur: The Great Escape |magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |volume=11 |issue=8 |date=November 1995 |access-date=18 November 2015 |last=Eddy |first=Chuck |author-link=Chuck Eddy |pages=124–25}}</ref>
| rev10score = 6/10<ref name="spin">{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EYlQ2Hsft8QC&pg=PA124 |title=Oasis: (What's the Story) Morning Glory / Blur: The Great Escape |magazine=Spin |volume=11 |issue=8 |date=November 1995 |access-date=18 November 2015 |last=Eddy |first=Chuck |author-link=Chuck Eddy |pages=124–25}}</ref>
}}
}}


''The Great Escape'' was met with widespread acclaim from critics.<ref name="bbcmusic">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/8qwx/|title=''The Great Escape'' review|last=McMahon|first=James|date=2011|publisher=[[BBC Music]]|access-date=2 January 2017}}</ref><ref name="dis"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://diymag.com/archive/on-second-thoughts-blur-vs.-oasis-who-really-won-the-britpop-war|title=On Second Thoughts: Blur vs. Oasis – Who Really Won The Britpop War?|date=24 May 2012|website=[[DIY (magazine)|DIY]]|access-date=2 January 2017|last1=Beck|first1=Dani|last2=Robertson|first2=Derek}}</ref> [[David Cavanagh]] in ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]'' called it "a funny, brave and heartbroken record" that "has everything you could want",<ref name="select"/> while ''[[NME]]'' reporter Johnny Cigarettes wrote: "''The Great Escape'' is so rammed with tunes, ideas, emotions, humour, tragedy, farce, and edgy beauty that it's utterly beyond contemporary compare."<ref name="nme"/> ''[[Melody Maker]]''{{'}}s [[Paul Lester]] awarded the album an unconventional 12/10 and deemed it superior to celebrated predecessor ''[[Parklife]]'', while noting that "Blur understand the geometry of the song, and the basic principles of pop, better than anyone today".<ref name="mm"/> In response to "album of the decade" claims from ''Melody Maker'', [[J. D. Considine]] of ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' said: "''The Great Escape'' may not be the defining work of the ‘90s, but it is the best Brit-rock release this year."<ref>{{cite news |last=Considine |first=J. D. |title=CD Reviews |work=The Baltimore Sun |date=5 October 1996}}</ref> Less enthused was ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' journalist [[Chuck Eddy]], who felt the LP ranged from "wonderful" to "detached and emotionally stiff".<ref name="spin"/> ''The Great Escape'' was named as one of the 10 best records of 1995 in ''Melody Maker'',<ref>[http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mmlists_p2.htm#1995 Year-end list]. ''[[Melody Maker]]''. 1995.</ref> ''NME'',<ref>[http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/1995.html Year-end list]. ''[[NME]]''. 1995.</ref> ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'',<ref>[http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlists.html#1995 Year-end list]. ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''. 1995.</ref> ''[[Raw (music magazine)|Raw]]''<ref>[http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/raw.htm Albums of the Year]. ''[[Raw (music magazine)|Raw]]''. 1995.</ref> and ''Select''.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=50 Albums of the Year|magazine=[[Select (magazine)|Select]]|date=January 1996|issue=67|pages=78–79|url=http://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2012/03/50albums.jpg|access-date=2 July 2020}}</ref> ''NME'' readers voted it the third-best album of the year.<ref>[http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/poppoll.html#95 Readers Poll for 1995]. ''[[NME]]''. 1995.</ref>
''The Great Escape'' was met with widespread acclaim from critics.<ref name="bbcmusic">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/8qwx/|title=''The Great Escape'' review|last=McMahon|first=James|date=2011|publisher=[[BBC Music]]|access-date=2 January 2017}}</ref><ref name="dis"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://diymag.com/archive/on-second-thoughts-blur-vs.-oasis-who-really-won-the-britpop-war|title=On Second Thoughts: Blur vs. Oasis – Who Really Won The Britpop War?|date=24 May 2012|website=[[DIY (magazine)|DIY]]|access-date=2 January 2017|last1=Beck|first1=Dani|last2=Robertson|first2=Derek}}</ref> [[David Cavanagh]] in ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]'' called it "a funny, brave and heartbroken record" that "has everything you could want",<ref name="select"/> while ''[[NME]]'' reporter Johnny Cigarettes wrote: "''The Great Escape'' is so rammed with tunes, ideas, emotions, humour, tragedy, farce, and edgy beauty that it's utterly beyond contemporary compare."<ref name="nme"/> ''[[Melody Maker]]''{{'}}s [[Paul Lester]] awarded the album an unconventional 12/10 and deemed it superior to celebrated predecessor ''[[Parklife]]'', while noting that "Blur understand the geometry of the song, and the basic principles of pop, better than anyone today".<ref name="mm"/> In response to "album of the decade" claims from ''Melody Maker'', [[J. D. Considine]] of ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' said: "''The Great Escape'' may not be the defining work of the '90s, but it is the best Brit-rock release this year."<ref>{{cite news |last=Considine |first=J. D. |title=CD Reviews |work=The Baltimore Sun |date=5 October 1996}}</ref> Less enthused was ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' journalist [[Chuck Eddy]], who felt the LP ranged from "wonderful" to "detached and emotionally stiff".<ref name="spin"/> ''The Great Escape'' was named as one of the 10 best records of 1995 in ''Melody Maker'',<ref>[http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mmlists_p2.htm#1995 Year-end list]. ''[[Melody Maker]]''. 1995.</ref> ''NME'',<ref>[http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/1995.html Year-end list]. ''[[NME]]''. 1995.</ref> ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'',<ref>[http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlists.html#1995 Year-end list]. ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''. 1995.</ref> ''[[Raw (music magazine)|Raw]]''<ref>[http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/raw.htm Albums of the Year]. ''[[Raw (music magazine)|Raw]]''. 1995.</ref> and ''Select''.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=50 Albums of the Year|magazine=[[Select (magazine)|Select]]|date=January 1996|issue=67|pages=78–79|url=http://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2012/03/50albums.jpg|access-date=2 July 2020}}</ref> ''NME'' readers voted it the third-best album of the year.<ref>[http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/poppoll.html#95 Readers Poll for 1995]. ''[[NME]]''. 1995.</ref>


Support from the music press soon tapered off, however, and ''The Great Escape'' gained many detractors. The greater commercial success of rival band [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]] is known to have played a role in this revaluation;<ref name="bbcmusic"/><ref name="dis">{{cite web|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/17156/reviews/4145310|title=Blur – The Great Escape ('21' reissue)|last=Burrows|first=Marc|date=1 August 2012|website=[[Drowned in Sound]]|access-date=6 January 2017|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094902/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/17156/reviews/4145310|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[BBC Music]] writer James McMahon recalled how the "critical euphoria" surrounding the album lasted "about as long as it took publishers to realise Oasis would probably shift more magazines for them".<ref name="bbcmusic"/> ''Q'' would issue an apologia for its five-star review of the record,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3703507/Blur-the-Britpop-boys-are-back-but-do-we-want-them.html|title=Blur: the Britpop boys are back, but do we want them?|last=Paul|first=Clements|date=10 December 2008|website=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|access-date=2 January 2017}}</ref> while Graeme McMillan in ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' remarked that it lacks the "breadth and heart" of ''Parklife'', feeling "cynical and uninspired in comparison".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://time.com/75615/parklife-blur-britpop-20th-anniversary/|title=''Parklife'' Is the Cornerstone of Britpop, But It Shouldn't Be|last=McMillan|first=Graeme|date=28 April 2014|website=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=18 January 2017}}</ref> ''[[Drowned in Sound]]'' reporter Marc Burrows felt the LP had been overrated and then underrated, writing: "Reality is somewhere in between... ''The Great Escape'' reveals itself as flawed, melancholy, occasionally stunning and utterly bonkers."<ref name="dis"/> Other journalists retained an unapologetically favourable stance: the album was described by [[AllMusic]] editor [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] as "a vibrant, invigorating record" that "bristles with invention",<ref name="allmusic"/> while Brian Doan of ''[[PopMatters]]'' dubbed it a "masterpiece" whose content examines the costs of "trusting in stasis".<ref name="popmatters">{{cite web |last=Doan |first=Brian |title=Blur and 'The Great Escape' |url=http://www.popmatters.com/feature/184232-seasick-but-still-floating-blur-and-the-great-escape/ |url-status=bot: unknown |website=[[PopMatters]] |date=5 August 2014 |access-date=2 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701192426/http://www.popmatters.com/feature/184232-seasick-but-still-floating-blur-and-the-great-escape/ |archive-date=1 July 2016}}</ref>
Support from the music press soon tapered off, however, and ''The Great Escape'' gained many detractors. The greater commercial success of rival band [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]] is seen to have played a role in this revaluation;<ref name="bbcmusic"/><ref name="dis">{{cite web|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/17156/reviews/4145310|title=Blur – The Great Escape ('21' reissue)|last=Burrows|first=Marc|date=1 August 2012|publisher=[[Drowned in Sound]]|access-date=6 January 2017|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094902/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/17156/reviews/4145310|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[BBC Music]] writer James McMahon recalled how the "critical euphoria" surrounding the album lasted "about as long as it took publishers to realise Oasis would probably shift more magazines for them".<ref name="bbcmusic"/> ''Q'' would issue an apologia for its five-star review of the record,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3703507/Blur-the-Britpop-boys-are-back-but-do-we-want-them.html|title=Blur: the Britpop boys are back, but do we want them?|last=Paul|first=Clements|date=10 December 2008|website=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|access-date=2 January 2017}}</ref> while Graeme McMillan in ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' remarked that it lacks the "breadth and heart" of ''Parklife'', feeling "cynical and uninspired in comparison".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://time.com/75615/parklife-blur-britpop-20th-anniversary/|title=''Parklife'' Is the Cornerstone of Britpop, But It Shouldn't Be|last=McMillan|first=Graeme|date=28 April 2014|website=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=18 January 2017}}</ref> [[Drowned in Sound]] reporter Marc Burrows felt the LP had been overrated and then underrated, writing: "Reality is somewhere in between... ''The Great Escape'' reveals itself as flawed, melancholy, occasionally stunning and utterly bonkers."<ref name="dis"/> Other journalists retained an unapologetically favourable stance: the album was described by [[AllMusic]] editor [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] as "a vibrant, invigorating record" that "bristles with invention",<ref name="AllMusic"/> while Brian Doan of [[PopMatters]] dubbed it a "masterpiece" whose content examines the costs of "trusting in stasis".<ref name="popmatters">{{cite web |last=Doan |first=Brian |title=Blur and 'The Great Escape' |url=http://www.popmatters.com/feature/184232-seasick-but-still-floating-blur-and-the-great-escape/ |url-status=bot: unknown |publisher=[[PopMatters]] |date=5 August 2014 |access-date=2 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701192426/http://www.popmatters.com/feature/184232-seasick-but-still-floating-blur-and-the-great-escape/ |archive-date=1 July 2016}}</ref>


[[Damon Albarn]] has expressed distaste for the album in later interviews, describing it as "messy" and one of the two "bad records" he has made in his career (the other being Blur's debut album ''[[Leisure (Blur album)|Leisure]]'').<ref>{{cite web |title=Digital Spy – Albarn cusses own albums |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a46469/damon-albarn-criticises-blur-albums.html?rss |access-date=11 May 2007}}</ref>
[[Damon Albarn]] has expressed distaste for the album in later interviews, describing it as "messy" and one of the two "bad records" he has made in his career (the other being Blur's debut album ''[[Leisure (Blur album)|Leisure]]'').<ref>{{cite web |title=Albarn criticises Blur albums |date=12 May 2007 |publisher=Digital Spy |last=Kilkelly |first=Daniel |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/music/a46469/damon-albarn-criticises-blur-albums/ |access-date=12 May 2007}}</ref>


''Select'' named the record the 34th-best of the 1990s,<ref>[http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/select90.htm Best of the 90's]. ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]''. 2000.</ref> while ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' placed it 70th.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.librarything.com/bookaward/Pitchfork%27s%2BTop%2B100%2BAlbums%2Bof%2Bthe%2B1990s%2B%5B1999%5D |title=Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1990s |date=1999 |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |via=[[LibraryThing]] |access-date=21 January 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6nghVS6Za?url=https://www.librarything.com/bookaward/Pitchfork's+Top+100+Albums+of+the+1990s+%5b1999%5d |archive-date=21 January 2017 }}</ref> It was ranked by [[BuzzFeed]] as the sixth-best album of the [[Britpop]] era.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/perpetua/the-official-britpop-album-ranking-1993-1997|title=The Official Britpop Album Ranking|last=Perpetua|first=Matthew|date=9 January 2014|publisher=[[BuzzFeed]]|access-date=21 January 2017}}</ref> ''The Great Escape'' also placed at number 725 in the 2000 edition of the book, ''[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]''.<ref>Larkin, Colin. [http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/virgin_1000_v3.htm ''All Time Top 1000 Albums'']. 2000.</ref>
''Select'' named the record the 34th-best of the 1990s,<ref>[http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/select90.htm Best of the 90's]. ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]''. 2000.</ref> while ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' placed it 70th.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.librarything.com/bookaward/Pitchfork%27s%2BTop%2B100%2BAlbums%2Bof%2Bthe%2B1990s%2B%5B1999%5D |title=Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1990s |date=1999 |website=Pitchfork |via=[[LibraryThing]] |access-date=21 January 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101124832/https://www.librarything.com/bookaward/Pitchfork%27s+Top+100+Albums+of+the+1990s+%5B1999%5D |archive-date=1 January 2020 }}</ref> It was ranked by [[BuzzFeed]] as the sixth-best album of the [[Britpop]] era.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/perpetua/the-official-britpop-album-ranking-1993-1997|title=The Official Britpop Album Ranking|last=Perpetua|first=Matthew|date=9 January 2014|publisher=[[BuzzFeed]]|access-date=21 January 2017}}</ref> ''The Great Escape'' also placed at number 725 in the 2000 edition of the book, ''[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]''.<ref>Larkin, Colin. [http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/virgin_1000_v3.htm ''All Time Top 1000 Albums'']. 2000.</ref> In October 2023, the [[Official Charts Company]] revealed that ''The Great Escape'' was the twenty-first most streamed album from the 1990s in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ainsley |first=Helen |date=6 October 2023 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/national-album-day-2023-most-streamed-albums-90s/ |title=BBC Radio 2 announces the Official Most Streamed 90s Albums Chart for National Album Day |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=9 October 2023}}</ref>


==Commercial performance==
==Commercial performance==
''The Great Escape'' continued the commercial success of previous album ''Parklife''. While the latter was more of a [[sleeper hit]],<ref name="OCC">{{cite web |last=Myers |first=Justin |title=Official Charts Flashback 1994: Blur – Parklife |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-charts-flashback-1994-blur-parklife__4770/ |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=14 November 2018 |date=2 May 2014}}</ref> ''The Great Escape'' registered strong first-week sales of 188,000.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Jones |first=Alan |title=The Official UK Charts: Albums - 27 March 1999 |journal=Music Week |date=27 March 1999 |page=13}}</ref> In its first year, the album sold 68,000 copies in the US.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-08-23-9608230170-story.html|title=The British Are Not Coming!|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|last=Kot|first=Greg|author-link=Greg Kot|date=23 August 1996|access-date=25 June 2020}}</ref> By late 1996 the album had sold approximately 600,000 units in continental Europe.<ref name="M&M"/> According to Food managing director Andy Ross, it "comfortably outsold ''Parklife'' everywhere except the UK. The total figure was up 400,000 and the balance came mainly from Europe and Southeast Asia." Sales in France up to late November 1996 were 125,000 units, compared with 69,000 for ''Parklife''. In Italy, sales were 83,000 compared with 16,000 for ''Parklife''.<ref name="M&M">{{cite magazine |last=Sexton |first=Paul |title=Blur set to break from Britpop beat |magazine=[[Music & Media]] |date=18 January 1997 |volume=14 |issue=1–3 |page=20 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/97/MM-1997-01-18-OCR-Page-0020.pdf |access-date=30 June 2020}}</ref>
''The Great Escape'' continued the commercial success of previous album ''Parklife''. While the latter was more of a [[sleeper hit]],<ref name="OCC">{{cite web |last=Myers |first=Justin |title=Official Charts Flashback 1994: Blur – Parklife |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-charts-flashback-1994-blur-parklife__4770/ |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=14 November 2018 |date=2 May 2014}}</ref> ''The Great Escape'' registered strong first-week sales of 188,000.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Jones |first=Alan |title=The Official UK Charts: Albums – 27 March 1999 |journal=Music Week |date=27 March 1999 |page=13}}</ref> In its first year, the album sold 68,000 copies in the US.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-08-23-9608230170-story.html|title=The British Are Not Coming!|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|last=Kot|first=Greg|author-link=Greg Kot|date=23 August 1996|access-date=25 June 2020}}</ref> By late 1996 the album had sold approximately 600,000 units in continental Europe.<ref name="M&M"/> According to Food managing director Andy Ross, it "comfortably outsold ''Parklife'' everywhere except the UK. The total figure was up 400,000 and the balance came mainly from Europe and Southeast Asia." Sales in France up to late November 1996 were 125,000 units, compared with 69,000 for ''Parklife''. In Italy, sales were 83,000 compared with 16,000 for ''Parklife''.<ref name="M&M">{{cite magazine |last=Sexton |first=Paul |title=Blur set to break from Britpop beat |magazine=[[Music & Media]] |date=18 January 1997 |volume=14 |issue=1–3 |page=20 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/97/MM-1997-01-18-OCR-Page-0020.pdf |access-date=30 June 2020}}</ref>


==Track listing==
==Track listing==
Line 121: Line 121:
| length10 = 3:14
| length10 = 3:14
| title11 = Ernold Same
| title11 = Ernold Same
| note11 = featuring [[Ken Livingstone]]
| length11 = 2:07
| length11 = 2:07
| title12 = Globe Alone
| title12 = Globe Alone
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| title15 = Yuko and Hiro
| title15 = Yuko and Hiro
| length15 = 5:24
| length15 = 5:24
| total_length = 56:56
}}
}}
⚫
* 4:21 into "Yuko and Hiro" is a minute long instrumental [[reprise]] of "Ernold Same". Although officially untitled, it is sometimes erroneously referred to as "A World of Difference" because these words appear in a separate box below the track list in the booklet.

{{track listing
{{track listing
| headline = Japanese bonus tracks
| headline = Japanese bonus tracks
Line 139: Line 141:
| length17 = 5:14
| length17 = 5:14
}}
}}

⚫
4:21 into "Yuko and Hiro" is a minute long instrumental [[reprise]] of "Ernold Same". Although officially untitled, it is sometimes erroneously referred to as "A World of Difference" because these words appear in a separate box below the track list in the booklet.


{{Track listing
{{Track listing
| collapsed = yes
| headline = Disc 2: ''[[Blur 21]]'' 2012 bonus material
| headline = Disc 2: ''[[Blur 21]]'' 2012 bonus material
| title1 = One Born Every Minute
| title1 = One Born Every Minute
Line 178: Line 177:
| note14 = Live at Mile End
| note14 = Live at Mile End
| length14 = 3:43
| length14 = 3:43
| title15 = [[For Tomorrow]]
| title15 = [[For Tomorrow (song)|For Tomorrow]]
| note15 = Live at Mile End
| note15 = Live at Mile End
| length15 = 7:02
| length15 = 7:02
Line 202: Line 201:


==Personnel==
==Personnel==
{{col-start}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{{col-2}}
'''Blur'''
'''Blur'''
* [[Damon Albarn]] – vocals, piano, keyboards, organ, synthesizer, handclaps
* [[Damon Albarn]] – vocals, piano, keyboards, organ, synthesiser, handclaps
* [[Graham Coxon]] – electric and acoustic guitar, banjo, saxophone, backing vocals, handclaps
* [[Graham Coxon]] – electric and acoustic guitar, banjo, saxophone, backing vocals, handclaps
* [[Alex James (musician)|Alex James]] – bass guitar, handclaps, backing vocals on "Top Man"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Blur-The-Great-Escape/release/2461868|title=Blur - The Great Escape|website=Discogs|access-date=12 January 2019}}</ref>
* [[Alex James (musician)|Alex James]] – bass guitar, handclaps, backing vocals on "Top Man"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Blur-The-Great-Escape/release/2461868|title=Blur – The Great Escape|publisher=Discogs|access-date=12 January 2019}}</ref>
* [[Dave Rowntree]] – drums, percussion, handclaps, backing vocals on "Top Man"
* [[Dave Rowntree]] – drums, percussion, handclaps, backing vocals on "Top Man"


Line 216: Line 215:
* [[Roddy Lorimer]] – trumpet
* [[Roddy Lorimer]] – trumpet
* Louise Fuller – violin
* Louise Fuller – violin
* Jennifer Berman - violin
* Jennifer Berman – violin
* Richard Koster – violin
* Richard Koster – violin
* John Metcalfe – viola
* John Metcalfe – viola
Line 224: Line 223:
* Angela Murrell – backing vocals on "The Universal"
* Angela Murrell – backing vocals on "The Universal"
* Cathy Gillat – backing vocals on "Yuko and Hiro"
* Cathy Gillat – backing vocals on "Yuko and Hiro"
* Stephen Street - handclaps
* Stephen Street – handclaps
{{col-2}}
{{col-2}}
'''Technical personnel'''
'''Technical personnel'''
* Jason Cox – studio manager
* Jason Cox – studio manager
* John Smith – engineering
* John Smith – engineering
* Julie Gardner – assistant engineering
* Julie Gardner – assistant engineering
* Tom Girling – assistant engineering
* Tom Girling – assistant engineering
* Nels Israelson – photography
* Nels Israelson – photography
Line 235: Line 234:
{{col-end}}
{{col-end}}


==Charts and certifications==
==Charts==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{{col-2}}
Line 255: Line 254:
{{album chart|Canada|24|artist=Blur|album=The Great Escape|chartid=2786|rowheader="true"}}
{{album chart|Canada|24|artist=Blur|album=The Great Escape|chartid=2786|rowheader="true"}}
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Danish Albums ([[Hitlisten]])<ref name="google1995">{{cite book |author=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |title=Billboard |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_8AsEAAAAMBAJ |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |year=1995}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Danish Albums ([[Hitlisten]])<ref name="google1995">{{cite book |author=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |title=Billboard |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_8AsEAAAAMBAJ |year=1995}}</ref>
| 10
| 10
|-
|-
Line 265: Line 264:
{{album chart|Finland|5|artist=Blur|album=The Great Escape|rowheader="true"}}
{{album chart|Finland|5|artist=Blur|album=The Great Escape|rowheader="true"}}
|-
|-
!scope="row"|French Albums ([[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|SNEP]])<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53|title=Hits of the World – France|magazine=Billboard|page=50|volume=107|issue=39|access-date=23 April 2023|date=30 September 1995}}</ref>
{{album chart|France|14|artist=Blur|album=The Great Escape|rowheader="true"}}
| style="text-align:center;"|14
|-
|-
{{album chart|Germany4|35|artist=Blur|album=The Great Escape|rowheader="true"|id=2160}}
{{album chart|Germany4|35|artist=Blur|album=The Great Escape|rowheader="true"|id=2160}}
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Icelandic Albums<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timarit.is/files/33278248.jpg |title=Tonlist Top 40 |publisher=DV |access-date=8 June 2017}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Icelandic Albums<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timarit.is/files/33278248.jpg|title=Tonlist Top 40|publisher=DV|language=is|access-date=8 June 2017}}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|align="center"|1
|-
|-
Line 278: Line 278:
| 15
| 15
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Japanese Albums ([[Oricon]])<ref name="JPN">{{cite web |title=ブラーのCDアルバムランキング |url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/143957/ranking/cd_album/ |trans-title=Blur – best-selling album ranking on the Oricon |publisher=[[Oricon]] |access-date=16 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310005727/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/143957/ranking/cd_album/ |archive-date=10 March 2014 |language=ja}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Japanese Albums ([[Oricon]])<ref name="JPN">{{cite web|title=ザ・グレイト・エスケープ {{!}} ブラー|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/143957/ranking/cd_album/|trans-title=The Great Escape {{!}} Blur|publisher=[[Oricon]]|access-date=16 October 2012|language=ja}}</ref>
| 5
| 5
|-
|-
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{{col-2}}
{{col-2}}


===Certifications and sales===
===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! Chart (1995)
! Position
|-
!scope="row"|European Albums (''Music & Media'')<ref>{{cite magazine |date=23 December 1995 |title=Year End Sales Charts – European Top 100 Albums 1995 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/95/MM-1995-12-23-OCR-Page-0014.pdf#search= |magazine=[[Music & Media]] |page=14|access-date=1 June 2023}}</ref>
|align="center"|61
|-
!scope="row"|Swedish Albums & Compilations (Sverigetopplistan)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/42?dspy=1995&dspp=1|title=Årslista Album (inkl samlingar), 1995|publisher=Sverigetopplistan|language=sv|access-date=1 June 2023}}</ref>
|align="center"|55
|-
!scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-artist-albums-chart/19951231/37502/|title=End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1995|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=1 June 2023}}</ref>
|align="center"|10
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! Chart (1996)
! Position
|-
!scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-artist-albums-chart/19960107/37502/|title=End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1996|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=7 July 2023}}</ref>
|align="center"|76
|}
⚫
{{col-end}}
==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1995|artist=Blur|title=Great Escape|accessdate=17 October 2012}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1995|artist=Blur|title=Great Escape|accessdate=17 October 2012}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=album|artist=Blur|title=The Great Escape|award=Gold|relyear=1995|certyear=1996|salesref=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infodisc.fr/CDCertif_O.php?debut=237|title=Les Albums Or|publisher=Infodisc.fr|language=fr|access-date=20 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306225254/http://www.infodisc.fr/CDCertif_O.php?debut=237|archive-date=6 March 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref>|salesamount=175,700}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=album|artist=Blur|title=The Great Escape|award=Gold|relyear=1995|certyear=1996}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Ireland|type=album|artist=Blur|title=The Great Escape|relyear=1995|salesamount=33,000|award=Platinum|number=2|certref=<ref name="musicweek"/>|salesref=<ref name="musicweek">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1995/Music-Week-1995-12-23.pdf|title=Uk acts make strides - Take That|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=8|date=23 December 1995|accessdate=23 January 2022}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Ireland|type=album|artist=Blur|title=The Great Escape|relyear=1995|salesamount=33,000|award=Platinum|number=2|certref=<ref name="musicweek"/>|salesref=<ref name="musicweek">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1995/Music-Week-1995-12-23.pdf|title=Uk acts make strides – Take That|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=8|date=23 December 1995|accessdate=23 January 2022}}</ref>}}
{{certification Table Entry|title=ザ・グレイト・エスケープ|artist=ブラー|type=album|relyear=1995|region=Japan|award=Gold|certyear=1995|certmonth=9|access-date=9 July 2013 }}
{{certification Table Entry|title=ザ・グレイト・エスケープ|artist=ブラー|type=album|relyear=1995|region=Japan|award=Gold|certyear=1995|certmonth=9|access-date=9 July 2013 }}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Norway|award=Gold|type=album|certyear=1995|relyear=1995|artist=Blur|title=The Great Escape|accessdate=1 May 2010}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Norway|award=Gold|type=album|certyear=1995|relyear=1995|artist=Blur|title=The Great Escape|accessdate=1 May 2010}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|artist=Blur|title=the great Escape|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1995|certyear=1996|certref=<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverrie |first=Fernando |date=September 2005 |url=http://www.mediafire.com/file/pd758fesp2w7i7f/Spanish+Certifications+for+1996-1999.pdf |title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 |language=es |edition=1st |location=Madrid |publisher=[[Sociedad General de Autores y Editores|Fundación Autor/SGAE]] |page=942 |isbn=84-8048-639-2 |access-date=6 October 2019}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|artist=Blur|title=the great Escape|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1995|certyear=1996|certref=<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverrie |first=Fernando |date=September 2005 |url=http://www.mediafire.com/file/pd758fesp2w7i7f/Spanish+Certifications+for+1996-1999.pdf |title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 |language=es |edition=1st |location=Madrid |publisher=[[Sociedad General de Autores y Editores|Fundación Autor/SGAE]] |page=942 |isbn=84-8048-639-2 |access-date=6 October 2019}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|award=Gold|type=album|certyear=2000|relyear=1995|artist=Blur|title=The Great Escape|accessdate=5 January 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|award=Gold|type=album|certyear=2000|relyear=1995|artist=Blur|title=The Great Escape|accessdate=5 January 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|number=3|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1995|certyear=1996|id=6965-388-2|artist=Blur|title=The Great Escape|accessdate=13 May 2013}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|number=3|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1995|certyear=1996|artist=Blur|title=The Great Escape|id=6965-388-2|accessdate=13 May 2013|salesamount=901,349|salesref=<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.musicweek.com/analysis/read/blur-top-40-000-sales-with-seventh-consecutive-no-1-album-the-ballad-of-darren/088273|title=Blur top 40,000 sales with seventh consecutive No.1 album The Ballad of Darren|last=Jones|first=Alan|date=28 July 2023|work=Music Week|accessdate=28 July 2023|url-access=subscription}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Summary}}
{{Certification Table Summary}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Europe|award=Platinum|type=album|title=The Great Escape|artist=Blur|accessdate=17 October 2012|certyear=1996}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Europe|award=Platinum|type=album|title=The Great Escape|artist=Blur|accessdate=17 October 2012|certyear=1996}}
{{Certification Table Bottom}}
{{Certification Table Bottom}}
⚫
{{col-end}}


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:Albums produced by Stephen Street]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Stephen Street]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Damon Albarn]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Damon Albarn]]
[[Category:Concept albums]]
[[Category:1990s concept albums]]
[[Category:Food Records albums]]
[[Category:Food Records albums]]
[[Category:Virgin Records albums]]
[[Category:Virgin Records albums]]

Latest revision as of 11:19, 17 November 2024

The Great Escape
Studio album by
Blur
Released11 September 1995 (1995-09-11)
RecordedJanuary – May 1995
StudioMaison Rouge and Townhouse, London
GenreBritpop
Length56:56
Label
ProducerStephen Street
Blur chronology
Parklife
(1994) 		The Great Escape
(1995) 		Live at the Budokan
(1996)
Singles from The Great Escape
  1. "Country House"
    Released: 14 August 1995[1]
  2. "The Universal"
    Released: 13 November 1995[2]
  3. "Stereotypes"
    Released: 12 February 1996[3]
  4. "Charmless Man"
    Released: 29 April 1996[4]
  5. "It Could Be You"
    Released: 22 May 1996 (Japan only)

The Great Escape is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Blur. It was released on 11 September 1995 on Food and Virgin Records. The album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and charted in the top 10 in more than ten countries around the world. Less than a year after the album was released, it was certified triple platinum in the UK.[5] The album received near-universal acclaim on release.

The album continued the band's run of hit singles, with "Country House", "The Universal", "Stereotypes" and "Charmless Man" all reaching the top 10 of the UK singles chart. "Country House" was Blur's first number one hit in the UK, beating Oasis' "Roll with It", in a chart rivalry dubbed "The Battle of Britpop".[6]

The Great Escape is often considered to be the final album of a trio of Britpop albums released by Blur in the mid-1990s,[7] after Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993) and Parklife (1994). With Blur's 1997 self-titled album, the band would change direction and move away from Britpop in favour of a more lo-fi and alternative rock sound.

Background and recording

[edit]

Concept

[edit]

On 17 June 1995, lead singer Damon Albarn and bassist Alex James spoke on BBC Radio 1 about coming up with a title for the album;[8] "We've got until this Wednesday, our record company inform us, to come up with it", said Albarn. "We've been trying to get life into it, but nothing was very good – Wifelife, Darklife, Nextlife", added James.

The album is in the style of a concept album, that is, most of the songs are linked by a similar theme—loneliness and detachment. Albarn subsequently revealed that much of The Great Escape is about himself (e.g. "Dan Abnormal" is an anagram of "Damon Albarn").

Songs

[edit]

"Mr. Robinson's Quango" was the first song recorded for the album[9] and "It Could Be You" was the last, in May 1995.[10] The title of the latter was taken from the original advertising slogan of the United Kingdom's multimillion-pound-prize National Lottery, which had drawn much public interest after its inception the previous year.[11]

"Yuko and Hiro" was originally titled "Japanese Workers",[12] and "The Universal" was first attempted during the Parklife sessions as a ska number. During the making of The Great Escape the song was resurrected by James, who notes in his autobiography, Bit of a Blur, that the band had almost given up on getting it to work when Albarn came up with the string section.[12]

One song on the album, "Ernold Same", features then-MP Ken Livingstone. He is credited in the sleevenotes as "The Right-On" Ken Livingstone.[9] Producer Stephen Street commented, "It was my idea to get him in because I’m not a huge fan of his. We needed somebody with a really nasal, boring voice doing the commentary and I suggested him. He came in thinking he was the bee’s knees and we were fans – we weren’t at all! (Laughs) I couldn’t stand him and my preconceptions were confirmed when he insulted the pastel jumper I was wearing that day! But his voice suited the song."[13]

As with Blur's previous two albums, the liner notes also contain guitar chords for each of the songs along with the lyrics.

Singles

[edit]

The album spawned four hit singles for the band with "Country House", "The Universal", "Stereotypes" and "Charmless Man". "Stereotypes" made its debut at a secret gig at the Dublin Castle in London and was considered as the album's lead single, but "Country House" got a bigger reaction from fans.[9] "Country House" gave the band their first number one single, beating Oasis to the top spot. "The Universal" and "Charmless Man" both reached the top 5, whilst "Stereotypes" peaked at number 7. In Japan, "It Could Be You" was released as a four-track single, featuring B-sides recorded live at the Budokan.

Reception and legacy

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
The Guardian[15]
Los Angeles Times[16]
Melody Maker12/10[17]
NME9/10[18]
Pitchfork8.2/10[19]
Q[20]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[21]
Select5/5[22]
Spin6/10[23]

The Great Escape was met with widespread acclaim from critics.[24][25][26] David Cavanagh in Select called it "a funny, brave and heartbroken record" that "has everything you could want",[22] while NME reporter Johnny Cigarettes wrote: "The Great Escape is so rammed with tunes, ideas, emotions, humour, tragedy, farce, and edgy beauty that it's utterly beyond contemporary compare."[18] Melody Maker's Paul Lester awarded the album an unconventional 12/10 and deemed it superior to celebrated predecessor Parklife, while noting that "Blur understand the geometry of the song, and the basic principles of pop, better than anyone today".[17] In response to "album of the decade" claims from Melody Maker, J. D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun said: "The Great Escape may not be the defining work of the '90s, but it is the best Brit-rock release this year."[27] Less enthused was Spin journalist Chuck Eddy, who felt the LP ranged from "wonderful" to "detached and emotionally stiff".[23] The Great Escape was named as one of the 10 best records of 1995 in Melody Maker,[28] NME,[29] Q,[30] Raw[31] and Select.[32] NME readers voted it the third-best album of the year.[33]

Support from the music press soon tapered off, however, and The Great Escape gained many detractors. The greater commercial success of rival band Oasis is seen to have played a role in this revaluation;[24][25] BBC Music writer James McMahon recalled how the "critical euphoria" surrounding the album lasted "about as long as it took publishers to realise Oasis would probably shift more magazines for them".[24] Q would issue an apologia for its five-star review of the record,[34] while Graeme McMillan in Time remarked that it lacks the "breadth and heart" of Parklife, feeling "cynical and uninspired in comparison".[35] Drowned in Sound reporter Marc Burrows felt the LP had been overrated and then underrated, writing: "Reality is somewhere in between... The Great Escape reveals itself as flawed, melancholy, occasionally stunning and utterly bonkers."[25] Other journalists retained an unapologetically favourable stance: the album was described by AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine as "a vibrant, invigorating record" that "bristles with invention",[14] while Brian Doan of PopMatters dubbed it a "masterpiece" whose content examines the costs of "trusting in stasis".[7]

Damon Albarn has expressed distaste for the album in later interviews, describing it as "messy" and one of the two "bad records" he has made in his career (the other being Blur's debut album Leisure).[36]

Select named the record the 34th-best of the 1990s,[37] while Pitchfork placed it 70th.[38] It was ranked by BuzzFeed as the sixth-best album of the Britpop era.[39] The Great Escape also placed at number 725 in the 2000 edition of the book, All Time Top 1000 Albums.[40] In October 2023, the Official Charts Company revealed that The Great Escape was the twenty-first most streamed album from the 1990s in the United Kingdom.[41]

Commercial performance

[edit]

The Great Escape continued the commercial success of previous album Parklife. While the latter was more of a sleeper hit,[42] The Great Escape registered strong first-week sales of 188,000.[43] In its first year, the album sold 68,000 copies in the US.[44] By late 1996 the album had sold approximately 600,000 units in continental Europe.[45] According to Food managing director Andy Ross, it "comfortably outsold Parklife everywhere except the UK. The total figure was up 400,000 and the balance came mainly from Europe and Southeast Asia." Sales in France up to late November 1996 were 125,000 units, compared with 69,000 for Parklife. In Italy, sales were 83,000 compared with 16,000 for Parklife.[45]

Track listing

[edit]

All lyrics by Damon Albarn. All music by Damon Albarn/Graham Coxon/Alex James/Dave Rowntree.

No.TitleLength
1."Stereotypes"3:10
2."Country House"3:57
3."Best Days"4:49
4."Charmless Man"3:34
5."Fade Away"4:19
6."Top Man"4:00
7."The Universal"3:58
8."Mr. Robinson's Quango"4:02
9."He Thought of Cars"4:15
10."It Could Be You"3:14
11."Ernold Same"2:07
12."Globe Alone"2:23
13."Dan Abnormal"3:24
14."Entertain Me"4:19
15."Yuko and Hiro"5:24
Total length:56:56
  • 4:21 into "Yuko and Hiro" is a minute long instrumental reprise of "Ernold Same". Although officially untitled, it is sometimes erroneously referred to as "A World of Difference" because these words appear in a separate box below the track list in the booklet.
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
16."Ultranol"2:41
17."No Monsters in Me"5:14
Disc 2: Blur 21 2012 bonus material
No.TitleLength
1."One Born Every Minute"2:18
2."To the End (La Comedie)" (featuring Françoise Hardy)5:05
3."Ultranol"2:43
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)5:03
14."Parklife" (Live at Mile End)3:43
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
19."It Could Be You (Live at the Beeb)" (Japan bonus track)3:07

Bonus track notes

  • Tracks 1–2, 12–15 from the single "Country House", August 1995
  • Tracks 3–5, 19 from the single "The Universal", November 1995
  • Tracks 6–8 from the single "Stereotypes", February 1996
  • Tracks 9–11 from the single "Charmless Man", April 1996
  • Tracks 16–17 from the Japanese single "It Could Be You", May 1996
  • Track 18 from the War Child compilation Help, September 1995

Personnel

[edit]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[71] Gold 50,000^
France (SNEP)[72] Gold 100,000*
Ireland (IRMA)[73] 2× Platinum 33,000[73]
Japan (RIAJ)[74] Gold 100,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[75] Gold 25,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[76] Platinum 100,000^
Sweden (GLF)[77] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[79] 3× Platinum 901,349[78]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[80] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 12 August 1995. p. 39.
  2. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 11 November 1995. p. 31.
  3. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 10 February 1996. p. 27.
  4. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 27 April 1996. p. 35.
  5. ^ BPI Certified Awards Search Archived 24 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine British Phonographic Industry. Note: reader must define "Search" parameter as "Blur".
  6. ^ Beaumont, Mark (14 August 2019). "Blur and Oasis' big Britpop chart battle – the definitive story of what really happened". NME. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  7. ^ a b Doan, Brian (5 August 2014). "Blur and 'The Great Escape'". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ "• discography • blur • the great escape". Blurcentral.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 July 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  9. ^ a b c "Blur – The Great Escape – album info". Vblurpage.com. 11 September 1995. Archived from the original on 17 September 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  10. ^ "The History of Blur – 1995–1997". Vblurpage.com. 12 August 1995. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  11. ^ "Superbrands case studies: The National Lottery – Brand Republic News". Brand Republic. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  12. ^ a b "The Great Escape". Blur Talk. 17 June 1995. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  13. ^ "Does Rock 'N' Roll Kill Braincells?! – Stephen Street". NME. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  14. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Great Escape – Blur". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  15. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (15 September 1995). "CD of the week: Blur (and not an Oasis in sight)". The Guardian.
  16. ^ Hochman, Steve (1 October 1995). "Blur; 'The Great Escape', Virgin". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  17. ^ a b Lester, Paul (9 September 1995). "Colditz a Knockout!". Melody Maker. p. 33.
  18. ^ a b Cigarettes, Johnny (9 September 1995). "Blur – The Great Escape". NME. p. 46. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  19. ^ Zoladz, Lindsay (31 July 2012). "Blur: Blur 21". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  20. ^ "Blur: The Great Escape". Q. No. 109. October 1995. p. 110.
  21. ^ Randall, Mac (2004). "Blur". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 89–90. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  22. ^ a b Cavanagh, David (October 1995). "The Joy of Essex". Select. No. 64. pp. 104–05. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  23. ^ a b Eddy, Chuck (November 1995). "Oasis: (What's the Story) Morning Glory / Blur: The Great Escape". Spin. Vol. 11, no. 8. pp. 124–25. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  24. ^ a b c McMahon, James (2011). "The Great Escape review". BBC Music. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  25. ^ a b c Burrows, Marc (1 August 2012). "Blur – The Great Escape ('21' reissue)". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  26. ^ Beck, Dani; Robertson, Derek (24 May 2012). "On Second Thoughts: Blur vs. Oasis – Who Really Won The Britpop War?". DIY. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  27. ^ Considine, J. D. (5 October 1996). "CD Reviews". The Baltimore Sun.
  28. ^ Year-end list. Melody Maker. 1995.
  29. ^ Year-end list. NME. 1995.
  30. ^ Year-end list. Q. 1995.
  31. ^ Albums of the Year. Raw. 1995.
  32. ^ "50 Albums of the Year". Select. No. 67. January 1996. pp. 78–79. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  33. ^ Readers Poll for 1995. NME. 1995.
  34. ^ Paul, Clements (10 December 2008). "Blur: the Britpop boys are back, but do we want them?". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  35. ^ McMillan, Graeme (28 April 2014). "Parklife Is the Cornerstone of Britpop, But It Shouldn't Be". Time. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  36. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (12 May 2007). "Albarn criticises Blur albums". Digital Spy. Retrieved 12 May 2007.
  37. ^ Best of the 90's. Select. 2000.
  38. ^ "Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of the 1990s". Pitchfork. 1999. Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2017 – via LibraryThing.
  39. ^ Perpetua, Matthew (9 January 2014). "The Official Britpop Album Ranking". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  40. ^ Larkin, Colin. All Time Top 1000 Albums. 2000.
  41. ^ Ainsley, Helen (6 October 2023). "BBC Radio 2 announces the Official Most Streamed 90s Albums Chart for National Album Day". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  42. ^ Myers, Justin (2 May 2014). "Official Charts Flashback 1994: Blur – Parklife". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  43. ^ Jones, Alan (27 March 1999). "The Official UK Charts: Albums – 27 March 1999". Music Week: 13.
  44. ^ Kot, Greg (23 August 1996). "The British Are Not Coming!". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  45. ^ a b Sexton, Paul (18 January 1997). "Blur set to break from Britpop beat" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 1–3. p. 20. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  46. ^ "Blur – The Great Escape". Discogs. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  47. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Blur – The Great Escape". Hung Medien.
  48. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Blur – The Great Escape" (in German). Hung Medien.
  49. ^ "Ultratop.be – Blur – The Great Escape" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  50. ^ "Ultratop.be – Blur – The Great Escape" (in French). Hung Medien.
  51. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2786". RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  52. ^ a b c Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (1995). Billboard. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  53. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Blur – The Great Escape" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  54. ^ "Blur: The Great Escape" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  55. ^ "Hits of the World – France". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 39. 30 September 1995. p. 50. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  56. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Blur – The Great Escape" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
  57. ^ "Tonlist Top 40" (in Icelandic). DV. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  58. ^ "Classifica settimanale WK 37 (dal 08.09.1995 al 14.09.1995)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana.
  59. ^ "ザ・グレイト・エスケープ | ブラー" [The Great Escape | Blur] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  60. ^ "Charts.nz – Blur – The Great Escape". Hung Medien.
  61. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Blur – The Great Escape". Hung Medien.
  62. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos año a año, 1959–2002 (first ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  63. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Blur – The Great Escape". Hung Medien.
  64. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Blur – The Great Escape". Hung Medien.
  65. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  66. ^ "Blur Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  67. ^ "Year End Sales Charts – European Top 100 Albums 1995" (PDF). Music & Media. 23 December 1995. p. 14. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  68. ^ "Årslista Album (inkl samlingar), 1995" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  69. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1995". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  70. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1996". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  71. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Blur – Great Escape". Music Canada. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  72. ^ "French album certifications – Blur – The Great Escape" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
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