Britpop icons Shed Seven are still coming to terms with their remarkable achievement of securing two number-one albums in a single calendar year. The York-based band, who celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2024, now join an elite group of artists—such as The Beatles, Elton John, Queen, and Taylor Swift—who have accomplished this rare feat.
The band first topped the charts in January with A Matter of Time, their debut number-one album. They followed it up with Liquid Gold, cementing their place in British music history. Reflecting on the achievement, frontman Rick Witter described the moment as “madness” and admitted it would take time to fully appreciate their success.
“Probably, in January 2025, when things quiet down, we’ll start doing the stats and wondering what on earth has happened,” Witter said. “We’ve done something unique for York, which is just as amazing as anything else—we’ve well and truly put York on the musical map.”
Guitarist Paul Banks echoed the sentiment: “To have two number-one albums in one year is absolutely mind-blowing. We can’t quite believe it.”
The band has a storied career, with six UK Top 40 albums, four of which entered the Top 10, including the 1996 hit A Maximum High and 1999’s Going for Gold. Their latest release revisits iconic tracks from their three-decade journey, celebrating their enduring impact on the music scene.
This milestone year also saw Shed Seven perform two sold-out homecoming shows at York’s historic Museum Gardens, drawing thousands of fans. The current lineup includes Witter, guitarist Paul Banks, bassist Tom Gladwin, and drummer Alan Leach, with the band continuing to captivate audiences after three decades.