This Is Hardcore

This Is Hardcore is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Pulp, released on 30 March 1998. Following the success of Different Class (1995), friction grew in the band, culminating in the departure of the guitarist and violinist Russell Senior. Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker left for New York alone to decompress and write in isolation. These new songs took a much more art rock approach and glam rock influence. After reconciling with the band, work on the album began in November 1996 and finished in January 1998. Lead single "Help the Aged" was released on 10 November 1997, followed by "This Is Hardcore" on 11 March 1998. After the album's release, two more singles were released: "A Little Soul" on 8 June and "Party Hard" on 7 September. As with the band's previous album, This Is Hardcore received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, but with far fewer sales. The album earned Pulp a third successive nomination for the 1998 Mercury Prize. A deluxe remastered edition of This Is Hardcore was released on 11 September 2006, containing a second disc of B-sides, demos and rarities.