The National Pop League Archive
A digitisation and oral history project documenting the celebrated Glasgow club night
In 2002: National Pop League 12
“I’ve found myself getting nostalgic for past NPLs now, the one last February with the big snowball fight outside at the end, the World Cup one in May the day of the France v Senegal game, even the outrageous heat of August. It’s easier not to say these things and avoid the embarrassment. But the precision of the honesty from everyone is making it all shine. So I’ll go with it.”
John Hunt
NPL 12 Fanzine
November 29, 2002
“It’s easy for people to laugh about the passion you might feel for certain songs, and certain situations. Everyone’s sarcastic these days. But at the core of that passion is something beautiful and precious. And when the start of a song makes you feel as if you’re about to kiss the most beautiful person in the world, you can’t argue with it.
Only sometimes you don’t feel it until the song is loud enough to rattle your ribs. So we’ll supply the volume.”
John Hunt
November 15, 2001
The playlist from the first Halloween National Pop League is now online. Take a listen if you dare…
Songs missing from Spotify
Song #9: Shop Assistants – I Don’t Want To Be Friends With You
Song #13: Fire Engines – Candyskin
Song #28: Tindersticks – Can We Start Again?
Song #46: James – Hymn From A Village
Song #24: The Go-Betweens – Hold Your Horses
Song #41: The Mummies – Sooprize Package For Mr. Mineo
In 2002: National Pop League 11
NPL celebrates both Halloween and its first anniversary with a spooky playlist featuring such ghastly horrors as witches, ghosts, mummies… and Margaret Thatcher.
Do You Believe in Magic? Do You Remember the First Time? These timeless musical questions were played back to back at National Pop League 10, and we have two questions of our own in honour of this week’s One Hit Wonder Day. What’s your favourite one-hit wonder—however you define it—played at NPL? The NPL 10 playlist, now available to stream on Spotify, features a few contenders. Can you name them?
Songs missing from Spotify
Song #3: 14 Iced Bears – Shy Like You
Song #5: Beachbuggy – Kickin’ Back
Song #14: Ten Benson – The Claw
Song #20: Ballboy – I’ve Got Pictures Of You In Your Underwear
Song #21: All Girl Summer Fun Band – Later Operator
Song #29: My Bloody Valentine – Thorn
Song #43: The Gentle Waves – Weathershow
Song #68: Happy Mondays – WFL
In 2002: National Pop League 10
More punk! Less rock! Blow your Bazooka and recall the tenth edition of NPL.
“Have a look at the fourth photograph from NPL45; it sums up everything for me. It’s perfection.”
John Hunt
September 4, 2005
Be a dork, tell your friends you love them, listen to the NPL9 playlist.
Songs missing from Spotify
Song #8: The Siddeleys – You Get What You Deserve
Song #25: Tompaulin – It’s A Girl’s World
Song #26: Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci – Young Girls And Happy Endings
Song #46: The Fall – C.R.E.E.P.
Song #59: The Go-Betweens – Lee Remick
Song #65: My Bloody Valentine – You Made Me Realise
In 2002: National Pop League 9
This month’s NPL anniversary offers up another playlist mystery: I’m a Dork by Bikini Kill.
There is no trace of a BK tune by that name. However, the legendary Bikini Kill #2 ’zine from 1991—famous for the first use of the phrase ‘girl power’—also featured some deep thoughts on dorky cool. A Riot Grrrl manifesto flyer created by Kathleen Hanna also urged us to embrace our inner dork.
If any of our sharp followers have another lead on this riddle, please share!
This past week has been as hot as a July evening at the Woodside so cool down with some peppermint gum from the NPL 8 fanzine, and listen to its playlist that includes Molly’s Lips, a Head Full of Steam and a Destroyed Heart.
Songs missing from Spotify
Song #7: The Housemartins – Time Spent Thinking
Song #8: The Siddeleys – Wherever You Go
Song #15: The Arrogants – Lovesick
Song #20: The Groovy Little Numbers – Windy
Song #27: The Bodines – Therese
Song #31: My Bloody Valentine – Slow
Song #40: Ballboy – Essential Wear For Future Trips To Space
Song #41: The Shop Assistants – Safety Net
Song #42: The Mummies – Sooprize Package For Mr. Mineo
Song #63: James – Hymn From A Village
The National Pop League Archive 
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