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Beautiful Ones
Beautiful Ones
from Wikipedia
"Beautiful Ones"
Single by Suede
from the album Coming Up
B-side
  • "Young Men"
  • "Sound of the Streets"
  • "Money"
  • "Sam"
  • "By the Sea" (demo)
Released14 October 1996 (1996-10-14)
GenreBritpop
Length3:50
LabelNude
Songwriters
ProducerEd Buller
Suede singles chronology
"Trash"
(1996)
"Beautiful Ones"
(1996)
"Saturday Night"
(1997)

"Beautiful Ones" is a song by English rock band Suede, released as the second single from their third album, Coming Up (1996), on 14 October 1996 through Nude Records. The song became a top-10 hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number eight, and reached number one in Iceland for two weeks.

Background

[edit]

Featuring one of new guitarist Richard Oakes' first guitar riffs, "Beautiful Ones" became one of Suede's more popular singles. The song was originally titled "Dead Leg" after bassist Mat Osman jokingly threatened to give Oakes a dead leg if he was unable to write a top ten single.[1] The song charted at number eight on the UK Singles Chart in October 1996, in an era when the top 10 consisted of an eclectic mix of pop, indie and dance music.[2]

Reception and legacy

[edit]

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Like a fast-mangled Oasis song, The London Suede succeeded in making sounds of pop/rock that are definitely unique. The painfully true lyrics and vibrant sounds have already proved to be a hit in the U.K."[3] Kevin Courtney from The Irish Times commented, "The Suede resurrection continues apace with this second single from the band's brilliant Coming Up album [...] Richard Oakes's crispy guitar intro sets the sordid scene, and Brett takes up the trashy torch with bum slapping gusto. As immediate and invigorating as, well, a good sniff of premium unleaded."[4] Music writer James Masterton said in his weekly UK chart commentary, that the band’s follow up to "Trash" "hits similar heights with a rather fine catchy melody that is by no means instant but gradually works its way into your consciousness with repeated listens."[5] A reviewer from Music Week gave it four out of five, adding that "the familiar strains of Brett Anderson ride over this strong single".[6] Alex Needham of Smash Hits was mixed, giving the song a rating of two out of five. He called it: "A jovial, if hardly life-changing, bit of fluff from the nation's favourite pop spooks [...] It gains extra points for the line 'shaking their bits to the hits', but ultimately falls rather flat. The terrible truth is that Suede used to be brilliant until their old guitarist/tunesmith Bernard Butler left, and now they're just pleasantly average."[7]

In 2014, Paste listed the song at number 34 in its list of "The 50 Best Britpop Songs". Michael Danaher wrote: "The song is both simple and sophisticated, and it's a true Britpop gem that deserves much attention."[8] In a Clash retrospective feature on Coming Up, Ricky Jones called the single "a jangly pop masterpiece with one of the most melancholic sing-a-long choruses Britpop would ever produce."[9]

Music video

[edit]

The music video for the song was directed by Pedro Romhanyi, who had previously made the video for the band's third single, "Animal Nitrate" in early 1993. The video features the band shot in black and white performing the song, intercut with quick edits of conceptual segments illustrating the song's lyrics in a literal fashion.

Track listings

[edit]

All songs were written by Brett Anderson and Richard Oakes except where noted.

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Gold 400,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 14 October 1996
  • CD1
  • cassette
Nude [24]
21 October 1996 CD2 [25]
Japan 20 November 1996 CD [26]
United States 21 July 1997 Modern rock radio [27]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
"Beautiful Ones" is a song by the English alternative rock band Suede, serving as the second single from their third studio album, Coming Up, released on 14 October 1996 through Nude Records. The track achieved significant commercial success, peaking at number eight on the UK Singles Chart and helping to revitalize the band's popularity following the departure of guitarist Bernard Butler. The song's lyrics, written by lead singer , vividly capture the exuberant chaos of the mid-1990s British club and culture, with references to ecstasy-fueled nights, drag performances, and relentless dancing to electronic beats. Anderson has described it as "a celebration of the madness of our lives," reflecting his and his friends' experiences in London's nightlife scene at the time. The song was originally titled "Dead Leg", then changed to "The Beautiful Scum" to evoke a more gritty edge, before being simplified to "Beautiful Ones" for wider accessibility. Musically, the track is driven by an infectious guitar riff composed by Richard Oakes, Suede's new guitarist after Butler's exit, around which Anderson constructed the melody and structure. The band experimented extensively during recording, with Oakes testing over 20 guitars to achieve the final tone. The music video, directed by Pedro Romhanyi, was filmed in stark black and white, costing £100,000, and features the band performing with cutaway shots, capturing the song's excitement.

Background

Writing and development

Following the departures of guitarist after the recording of Suede's second album in 1994 and original member earlier in the band's career, the group underwent significant lineup changes that revitalized their creative direction. In 1995, 17-year-old guitarist Richard Oakes joined as Butler's replacement, bringing fresh energy to the band's sound as they prepared material for their third album, Coming Up. This new configuration shifted Suede toward a more immediate, anthemic style, with Oakes' high-octane riffs helping to define tracks like "Beautiful Ones." The song originated amid lingering tensions from the chaotic production of , which had strained band relationships and led to Butler's abrupt exit. , seeking to motivate the young Oakes, jokingly threatened to give him a "dead "—a playful British term for a painful punch—if he failed to deliver a potential hit single. This inspired the track's original working title, "Dead Leg," under which Oakes began developing its core during sessions in early 1996. Oakes toyed with the riff for some time, experimenting with multiple guitars to achieve its fizzy, driving quality, while the rhythm section incorporated drum machine-like beats to evoke the pulsating energy of contemporary club scenes. Vocalist then built the lyrics around Oakes' riff, drawing from the "madness" of his and his friends' marginal lives in , aiming to create an uplifting ode to youthful excess and outsider vitality. The initial demos captured this raw, high-energy essence, with the song evolving quickly into a centerpiece of Coming Up's vibrant aesthetic before formal recording began. An early four-track demo, still titled "Dead Leg," preserved the track's nascent form and highlighted the new lineup's collaborative spark.

Recording

The recording sessions for "Beautiful Ones" formed part of the production for Suede's third studio album, Coming Up, which commenced in December 1995 at The Townhouse Studios in and extended into early 1996 across multiple facilities, including , Westside Studios, and Master Rock Studios. These sessions marked a period of renewal for the band following lineup changes, with Richard Oakes replacing on guitar and Neil Codling joining as keyboardist. Ed Buller served as producer and engineer, continuing his collaboration with Suede from their prior albums, assisted by engineer Gary Stout and mixer David Bascombe. The core personnel included on lead vocals, Richard Oakes on guitar, on bass guitar, Simon Gilbert on drums, and Neil Codling on keyboards and backing vocals. Buller's approach prioritized a direct, high-energy sound, incorporating live-feel elements such as initial click-track demos with acoustic and 12-string guitars, alongside percussion additions like bongos and maracas played by Gilbert to infuse rhythmic vitality. Technical choices emphasized layered instrumentation to evoke urgency and immediacy, including the use of an ADA Ampulator and Marshall JMP-1 preamp for guitar tones, alongside effects like the Yamaha FX-900 for . For "Beautiful Ones" specifically, the track's riff-based structure centered on a hypnotic, circular guitar hook progressing through C, D7, F, and E chords, achieved via a composite of up to eight guitar tracks featuring a , Gibson 355, , and to deliver a raw, propulsive drive.

Composition

Musical style

"Beautiful Ones" exemplifies a blend of and , incorporating and influences that define Suede's evolving sound during the mid-1990s. The track's energetic, radio-friendly composition marked a shift toward more accessible pop structures on the band's third album, Coming Up, while retaining the group's signature dramatic flair. This genre fusion is evident in its polished production, which emphasizes melodic hooks and rhythmic drive over the denser arrangements of prior works. The song operates at an upbeat of 99 beats per minute, propelling its anthemic chorus into a euphoric, crowd-singalong climax that became a hallmark of Suede's live performances. Structurally, it follows a verse-chorus format, launching with a memorable intro crafted by guitarist Richard Oakes, who experimented with multiple guitars to achieve its bright, overdriven tone. A bridge introduces swelling keyboard elements from Neil Codling, adding textural depth before the outro fades on sustained guitar layers, creating a sense of expansive release. Instrumentation centers on Oakes' jangly yet distorted guitar riffs, which provide the song's infectious backbone, complemented by Mat Osman's driving that anchors with melodic precision. Drummer Simon Gilbert delivers propulsive beats reminiscent of a mechanized intensity, evoking the "psycho " referenced in the track's energy. Harmonically, the song is rooted in , featuring uplifting chord progressions—such as movements through B, D♯m, E, and C♯m—that amplify its celebratory vibe and contribute to the overall sense of exhilaration.

Lyrics and themes

The lyrics of "Beautiful Ones" offer a satirical snapshot of urban , cataloging the chaotic excesses of London's marginal through a series of vivid, fragmented images. Lines such as "High on diesel and / Psycho for / Shaking their bits to the hits / Drag acts, acts, suicides / In your dad's suits you hide / Staining his name again" evoke the frenetic energy of club scenes, raves, and , where individuals experiment with identity, substances, and self-destruction while concealing their vulnerabilities behind borrowed facades. This portrayal critiques the superficial allure of and glamour, highlighting instead the gritty, flawed underbelly of hedonistic pursuits among outsiders and misfits. Frontman drew these themes from personal observations of his own social circle and the city's vibrant yet precarious subcultures, adopting an androgynous lens to explore ambiguous notions of , intoxication, and nocturnal . In a 2018 interview, Anderson explained that the song was intended as "a celebration of the madness of our lives," reflecting "mine and my friends' marginal lives" amid the "craziness" of . The narrative ties into Suede's heritage, echoing the theatrical ambiguity of influences like , but reimagined through the lens of contemporary urban alienation and fluid identities. The chorus—"Oh, here they come / The beautiful ones / Loved up, Doved up, hung around / Stoned in a lonely town"—serves as an ironic for these imperfect figures, bestowing a mocking grandeur on the "trash" and "litter" of . Anderson originally titled the track "The Beautiful " to emphasize its raw, unflattering edge, but revised it to "Beautiful Ones" to broaden its appeal without seeming "too marginal" or contrived, allowing the irony to underscore the song's commentary on flawed ideals of attractiveness and excess. This evolution from earlier drafts preserved the core satirical bite while enhancing its anthemic quality.

Release

Track listings

The "Beautiful Ones" single was released by Nude Records in the on 14 October 1996 in CD and cassette formats, each featuring the title track alongside exclusive B-sides not included on the parent album Coming Up. The CD releases were packaged as a set comprising two discs. No vinyl single was issued for this release.

UK CD1 (NUD 23CD1)

No.TitleLength
1"Beautiful Ones"3:50
2"Young Men"4:37
3"The Sound of the Streets"5:02
All tracks produced by and mixed by Dave Bascombe and . "Beautiful Ones" and "Young Men" written by and Richard Oakes; "The Sound of the Streets" written by .

UK CD2 (NUD 23CD2)

No.TitleLength
1"Beautiful Ones"3:51
2"Money"4:06
3"Sam"3:39
All tracks produced by and mixed by Dave Bascombe and . Written by and Richard Oakes.

UK cassette single (NUD 23MC)

Side one
  1. "Beautiful Ones" – 3:50
  2. "By the " (original demo)
Side two
  1. "Beautiful Ones" – 3:50
  2. "By the " (original demo)
"Beautiful Ones" written by and Richard Oakes; "By the " (original demo) written by . Several B-sides, including "By the ", "", and "Sam", appear on the 1997 compilation , with remastered versions included in the 2020 collection Beautiful Ones: The Best of Suede 1992–2018.

Release history

"Beautiful Ones" was initially released as a single on 14 1996 through Nude Records in the , serving as the second single from Suede's third studio album, Coming Up. The release was available in multiple formats, including two CD singles (CD1 in a sleeve and a limited edition CD2), cassette. The single saw international distribution shortly thereafter, with European releases occurring in October 1996 via Nude Records in formats such as CD maxi-singles and standard CDs across various countries. In , a was issued the same year under Nude Records. The release was delayed until 1997, handled through Sony's Columbia label, primarily as promotional CDs and singles rather than a full commercial rollout. Following Nude Records' distribution partnership and eventual transition under Sony, the track was reissued on the 2003 compilation album Singles by Sony Music Entertainment (UK). It was later featured on the 20th anniversary deluxe edition of Coming Up, released in 2016 by Edsel Records, which included the original album tracks alongside bonus material.
RegionDateLabelFormats
United Kingdom14 October 1996Nude RecordsCD single (2 editions), cassette
EuropeOctober 1996Nude RecordsCD single, CD maxi-single
Japan1996Nude RecordsCD single
United States1997Columbia / SonyCD promo, VHS promo
Worldwide (reissue)2003Sony MusicCD compilation (Singles)
Worldwide (reissue)2016Edsel RecordsCD deluxe edition (Coming Up)

Promotion

Music video

The music video for "Beautiful Ones" was directed by Pedro Romhanyi, who had previously helmed the band's 1993 single "Animal Nitrate". Filmed in black and white, it depicts the band performing the track in a straightforward setup, intercut with brief clips of young clubgoers dancing energetically. This visual approach captures the song's vibrant energy and ties briefly to its themes of youthful nightlife and abandon. The production exemplified a standard music video aesthetic, emphasizing the band's polished look and live-like rendition with minimal cutaways to enhance the track's upbeat momentum. According to bassist , "I think it’s a really typical ’90s video in that, we look good in it, we’re playing the song, there are a couple of cut-aways, and it probably cost £100,000." It premiered in the on 14 October 1996, coinciding with the single's release via Nude Records, and later appeared in DVD compilations of the band's work.

Live performances

The song "Beautiful Ones" first entered Suede's live repertoire in early 1996, with the earliest recorded performance on January 27, 1996, at the Hanover Grand in . It became a highlight during their late 1996 UK tours supporting the album Coming Up, with early setlists including it as a highlight from the record's emerging material. One of the first televised performances followed shortly after, when the band appeared on the UK show on October 11, 1996, delivering an energetic rendition that captured the track's glam-infused pop energy. In the years following its release, "Beautiful Ones" featured in varied live formats, including an acoustic version performed by and Richard Oakes at a store event in , , on September 30, 2002, which stripped the song to its melodic core. The track returned prominently during the band's 2010 reunion, headlining a benefit concert at London's on March 24, where it served as a crowd-pleasing closer amid orchestral arrangements. Suede continued to showcase "Beautiful Ones" in festival settings throughout the 2010s, such as at the Les Inrocks Festival in on November 11, 2013, where the full band rendered it with raw intensity at venue. More recently, the song has remained a live fixture, appearing at the Flow Festival in on August 11, 2023, emphasizing its enduring appeal in outdoor environments. In 2024 and 2025, performances highlighted the track's versatility across intimate and large-scale events, including a July 10, 2024, show at in , , where it was played acoustically by Anderson and Oakes before transitioning to full-band energy. Later that year, Suede delivered it at in the Park on September 7, 2025, during their Takeover residency at the , including a collaborative show with Paraorchestra on September 19, and during a Virgin Radio session atop (Top of the Tower) on September 2, 2025, both capturing the song's anthemic sing-along quality for broadcast audiences. Throughout its live history, "Beautiful Ones" has become a setlist staple, performed 604 times since 1996 (as of November 2025), often extended with guitar solos by Richard Oakes during reunion shows and anniversary tours like the 2016–2017 Coming Up 20th anniversary run.

Commercial performance

Weekly charts

"Beautiful Ones" debuted at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart dated 26 October 1996, marking its peak position there. The song remained in the top 40 for three weeks, dropping to number 20 the following week and number 27 the week after, before exiting the top 40. It spent a total of 8 weeks on the chart, with re-entries in late 1996 and early 1997. In the mid-1990s, the UK Singles Chart was compiled exclusively from physical sales data reported by retailers, as digital downloads and streaming were not yet factors, and airplay was tracked separately for radio charts. The single achieved success in several European countries. It peaked at number 6 on the Finnish Singles Chart, number 11 on the Swedish Singles Chart (Sverigetopplistan), number 1 on the Icelandic Singles Chart (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) for two weeks, number 10 on the Scottish Singles Chart, and number 56 on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. In Australia, it did not enter the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart. In the United States, "Beautiful Ones" received limited airplay on alternative radio stations but did not enter the Billboard Hot 100 or any main chart due to the era's focus on commercial radio formats and the lack of a major US promotional push for Suede's music.
CountryPeak PositionChart
United Kingdom8UK Singles Chart
Finland6Finnish Singles Chart
Iceland1Íslenski Listinn Topp 40
Scotland10Scottish Singles Chart
Sweden11Sverigetopplistan
Eurochart56Eurochart Hot 100 Singles
AustraliaARIA Singles Chart (no entry)
United StatesNo entry (limited airplay)

Year-end charts

"Beautiful Ones" ranked No. 94 on the UK Singles Chart year-end compilation for 1996. Internationally, the single earned placements in various European year-end compilations, contributing to the success of the album Coming Up.

Certifications

In the , "Beautiful Ones" was certified Silver by the (BPI) on 13 July 2018, denoting 200,000 units (sales and streaming equivalents). The certification was upgraded to on 3 May 2024, recognizing 400,000 units. Since 2014, BPI certifications for singles include audio streaming data combined with physical and digital sales. No certifications were awarded prior to 2018, as thresholds were not met at the time. No certifications have been issued for the single in other countries. These awards underscore the track's sustained popularity decades after its release.

Reception and legacy

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single in October 1996, "Beautiful Ones" received acclaim from British music publications for its vibrant energy and embodiment of Britpop's spirit. NME's review of the parent album Coming Up highlighted the track's airy momentum and Brett Anderson's signature exploration of life's underbelly, positioning it as a highlight of the record's infectious drive. Similarly, Select magazine lauded Coming Up as a "wondrous pop record, simultaneously immediate and full of surprises." The song exemplifies the album's satirical bite toward superficiality through lyrics depicting "drag acts, drug acts, suicides" and the "psycho for drum machine" crowd. Retrospective assessments have emphasized the song's critique of yuppie conformity and celebration of youthful eccentricity. In a 2018 NME interview, Anderson described "Beautiful Ones" as a tribute to the "madness of being young and living in London in the 90s," reworking an initial title to evoke the "beautiful ones"—those outsiders defying societal norms—rather than polished elites. The track frequently appears in "best Suede songs" compilations, ranking among the band's most enduring anthems; for instance, PopMatters included it in their 2013 list of top 10 Suede tracks, praising its role in the group's post-Dog Man Star reinvention. While some observers critiqued "Beautiful Ones" as leaning into formulaic pop structures relative to Suede's earlier, more experimental output, its musical elements drew consistent praise. Reviewers noted the song's shift toward chart-friendly accessibility, yet commended new guitarist Richard Oakes' crisp, riff-driven contributions as a defining strength. As of 2025, live performances of "Beautiful Ones" continue to underscore its lasting resonance in tour reviews. At Suede's September show at London's , the song's explosive delivery was said to "threaten to take the roof off the building," with Anderson venturing into the crowd amid its anthemic chorus. Similarly, a House of Coco critique of the same residency hailed its "unforgettable riff" and singalong refrain as a fitting closer to an epic set, affirming the track's timeless crowd-pleasing power.

Legacy

"Beautiful Ones" played a pivotal role in revitalizing Suede's career following the experimental and less commercially successful (1994), marking a deliberate shift toward greater pop accessibility while retaining the band's glam-inflected edge. The single, as the second release from Coming Up (1996), helped propel the album to number one on the charts and contributed to its global sales exceeding 1.5 million copies by 1998. This resurgence re-engaged fans and solidified Suede's position within the movement, with the track's anthemic chorus and vivid lyricism exemplifying the album's streamlined sound. The song has endured as an iconic element of the Britpop revival, often celebrated for capturing the era's youthful exuberance and urban grit. Frontman has reflected on it as a tribute to the "marginal lives" of his circle, portraying a "celebration of the madness" amid London's nightlife excesses like club scenes, drugs, and fleeting romances. In media discussions, such as a NME interview, Anderson highlighted its roots in personal and cultural chaos, positioning it as a symbol of the city's hedonistic underbelly. While "Beautiful Ones" has not inspired major covers, it has influenced subsequent indie acts through Suede's broader impact on guitar-driven, narrative-driven songwriting in the landscape. The track frequently appears in curated "best of the " playlists and lists, underscoring its lasting resonance as a quintessential anthem. In 2025, amid Suede's ongoing activity—including the release of their tenth studio Antidepressants—the song continues to affirm its timeless status, featured prominently in anniversary tours, live sessions at London's , and performances. These appearances highlight its enduring appeal in the band's repertoire, connecting new audiences to their foundational sound.

References

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