Jarvis Cocker Biography

Jarvis Cocker is born in Sheffield, Yorkshire.

Forms the school band Arabicus Pulp at age fifteen, beginning the group that becomes Pulp.

Performs with Pulp at Rotherham Arts Centre in the band's first official concert.

Records a four-song Pulp demo at Studio Electrophonique that later helps secure a BBC session.

Gives Pulp's demo tape to John Peel at a Sheffield Polytechnic roadshow.

Records Pulp's first John Peel session at BBC Maida Vale studios.

Releases Pulp's debut mini-album It.

Moves to London to study film at Saint Martin's School of Art while continuing his work with Pulp.

Releases Pulp's second studio album Freaks.

Releases Pulp's third studio album Separations after years of limited commercial success.

Pulp's Lipgloss becomes one of the singles that brings Jarvis Cocker and the band into wider national attention.

Releases Lipgloss as Pulp begin their breakthrough period on Island Records.

Pulp release Do You Remember the First Time, strengthening the band's position in the emerging Britpop scene.

Pulp release His 'n' Hers, the album that establishes the band as a major British alternative pop act.

Receives a Mercury Music Prize nomination with Pulp for His 'n' Hers.

Releases His 'n' Hers, Pulp's first UK top-ten studio album.

Pulp's reissued single Babies reaches the UK top twenty during the band's commercial breakthrough.

Pulp's Different Class reaches number one on the UK albums chart.

Pulp's double A-side single reaches number two on the UK singles chart.

Pulp's Common People reaches number two on the UK singles chart.

Common People enters the UK chart and peaks at number two, becoming one of Pulp's defining Britpop songs.

Fronts Pulp as the band step in to headline Glastonbury after the Stone Roses withdraw.

Releases Different Class with Pulp at the height of the Britpop era.

Pulp's Different Class enters the UK albums chart at number one, confirming the band's commercial breakthrough.

Pulp's Disco 2000 reaches number seven on the UK singles chart.

Pulp win the Mercury Music Prize for Different Class, recognising one of the defining British albums of the mid-1990s.

Interrupts Michael Jackson's Earth Song performance at the Brit Awards in a widely reported stage protest.

Pulp's Something Changed reaches number ten on the UK singles chart.

Wins the Mercury Music Prize with Pulp for Different Class.

Pulp's Help the Aged reaches number eight on the UK singles chart.

Pulp's This Is Hardcore single reaches number twelve on the UK singles chart.

Pulp's This Is Hardcore enters the UK albums chart at number one.

Releases We Love Life with Pulp, the band's final studio album before a long recording hiatus.

Pulp cease regular activity after touring, beginning an extended hiatus.

Pulp release Bad Cover Version, one of the final singles before the band enter a long hiatus.

Creates the electronic rock project Relaxed Muscle with Jason Buckle and performs under the alter ego Darren Spooner.

Writes and performs material for the fictional Weird Sisters band in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Releases Running the World as a solo song during the launch of his post-Pulp career.

Releases his debut solo album Jarvis, which reaches number 37 on the UK albums chart.

Releases Don't Let Him Waste Your Time, which reaches number 36 on the UK singles chart.

Curates the Meltdown festival at London's Southbank Centre.

Releases Further Complications, which reaches number 19 on the UK albums chart.

Begins presenting Jarvis Cocker's Sunday Service on BBC Radio 6 Music.

Publishes Mother, Brother, Lover, a collection of lyrics from his songwriting career.

Returns to live performance with Pulp for a major series of reunion concerts and festival appearances.

Pulp release a newly completed version of After You, their first new recording in many years.

Releases Theme from Likely Stories, which reaches number two on the UK vinyl singles chart.

Releases the collaborative album Room 29 with Chilly Gonzales.

Ends his regular BBC Radio 6 Music Sunday Service after almost eight years.

Releases Beyond the Pale with JARV IS..., topping the UK Record Store Chart.

Releases Chansons d'Ennui Tip-Top, an album of French-language cover versions.

Publishes Good Pop, Bad Pop, using objects from his attic to explore memory, creativity and popular culture.

Fronts Pulp on the This Is What We Do for an Encore reunion tour.

Pulp release Spike Island as the first single from their first new studio album in decades.

Releases More with Pulp, the band's first new studio album since We Love Life.

Pulp's More reaches number one on the UK albums chart, their first chart-topping album in twenty-seven years.