THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

904-Feeder-Buck Rogers.

2001-Number 5 single.

Best Bit-At 0.24. For the youngsters out there, a C.D. player was something that you could listen to music on. Don’t ask me about the Gramophone, as I am far, far too young to remember.

Feeder are a British Rock group who were formed in Newport, Wales, in 1994, by Grant Nicholas, (guitar, vocals, and piano) Taka Hirose, (bass, and multi instrumentalist) and Jon Lee, (1968-2002) (drums) after the suicide of Lee in 2002, ex ‘Skunk Anansie’ drummer Mark Richardson took over the role of drummer until returning to a re-formed Skunk Anansie in 2009. At the time of writing, Feeder, who took their name from Grant Nicholas’ pet goldfish, remain active as a duo of Nicholas and Hirose.

Feeder who can be filed under ‘Post Britpop,’ Alternative Rock,’ and ‘Post Grunge,’ have released 11 studio Albums to date, between 1997-2022, and 40 singles between 1996-2022, there are also 12 official compilation Albums available. Feeder have achieved 10 top 40 Albums in the UK, with ‘Pushing the Senses’ from 2005, peaking the highest at Number 2, while on the UK top 40 singles chart, they have had 20 chart entries, with both ‘Buck Rogers,’ and ‘Tumble and Fall’ from 2005, making Number 5. Although they have never charted on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in America, they have charted twice on the Billboard ‘Rock’ airplay chart, and once on the Billboard ‘Alternative Rock’ chart as well.

‘Buck Rogers’ was the first of four singles released from ‘Echo Park,’ the third studio Album from Feeder, from April 2001. ‘Buck Rogers’ and it’s parent Album’s 12 tracks were all written by Grant Nicholas, with the production credited to Feeder, and Gil Norton (see also best songs 490 and 292.) Nicholas thought that ‘Buck Rogers’ was too commercial sounding, and too radio friendly, for the type of sound he was trying to achieve with Feeder, and had intended to offer the song to the American Rock band ‘SR-71,’ for them to release as a single, but after being persuaded by Gil Norton to have Feeder release it themselves, it has gone on to be there best known, and probably their best loved song. Grant Nicholas has said,’If I put my hand on my heart, I was just trying to write a song that sounded like the Pixies (see also best songs 688.) On the demos, it was much more raw, too, but I think the end result was a bit poppy, a bit throwaway.’

Gil Norton was born in Liverpool, England, and is one of the most successful music producers of all time, since starting out on his first production work in 1981. As well as ‘Feeder,’ with whom he has produced three studio Albums, his other two productions on this ‘1000 Best Songs’ countdown are the ‘James’ song ‘Sit Down’ from 1990, and the ‘Foo Fighters’ 1997 single ‘Everlong,’ and it’s parent Album ‘The Colour and the Shape.’ Norton has also produced for many of the worlds top acts, including ‘Echo and the Bunnymen,’ the ‘Pixies,’ and ‘Patti Smith,’ along with many others.

‘Buck Rogers’ tells the story of a relationship ending, in which the girlfriend of the narrator leaves him for a character called Buck Rogers. Nicholas explained,’I was going through a break-up, and it was inspired by that. I just put a load of words down without really thinking about them. It was supposed to be stupid and funny, it was never supposed to be used for anything.’ The songs title was inspired by the 1979-1981 American science fiction adventure television series ‘Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.’ Nicholas had been experimenting on a keyboard, and told his engineer, Matt Sime, that he thought what he was playing sounder futuristic, they both agreed a good title would be ‘Buck Rogers.’

In admitting that the songs lyrics are meant to be stupid and funny, Nicholas has said that people always ask him about the lyrics,’Drink cider from a lemon. Nicholas has said that as a teenager he and his friends would go out drinking cider, but because of it’s taste, they would add lemonade.

‘He’s got a brand new car, looks like a jaguar. It’s got leather seats, it’s got a CD player, but I don’t wanna talk about it anymore. I think we’re gonna make it, I think we’re gonna save it, so don’t you try and fake it anymore, anymore.’