What the World Was Waiting For

"Madchester made a rousing backdrop for those of us growing up in the north-west. That its heroes were not perfectly coiffed popstars or smouldering American rockers, but looked like every lad you had ever known, only enhanced the sense of proximity. I recall watching a report on the local news–vox pops with northern teenagers, an interview with the founder of Joe Bloggs jeans, a light-hearted exploration of the baggy scene–and feeling a new allegiance to my scruffy, overlooked part of Britain."

Laura Barton at The Guardian remembers the Stone Roses, thirty years after the release of their debut album.