The Alternative Number Ones: Electronic’s “Get The Message”

In The Alternative Number Ones, I'm reviewing every #1 single in the history of the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks/Alternative Songs, starting with the moment that the chart launched in 1988. This column is a companion piece to The Number Ones, and it's for members only. Thank you to everyone who's helping to keep Stereogum afloat.

People know about Electronic, right? People definitely did. In their day, Electronic were way more popular than most college-rock side projects. They had a bunch of hits, both in the UK and on American alt-rock radio. If Electronic were ever to get back together, I'm sure there would be interest. But there are vast numbers of people who would probably love this group and who might not know that they ever existed.

If you were to fantasy-draft an alternative rock group from a particular historical era, you might wind up with Electronic. Johnny Marr could be history's most important alt-rock guitarist; his spaced-out dream-jangle was just as important to the Smiths as whatever Morrissey was doing. When the Smiths broke up, Marr linked up with another Manchester legend: Bernard Sumner, the man who steered the surviving members of Joy Division out of tragedy and who basically invented early-'90s rave-rock with New Order. These guys were in the same place at the same time, and they were friends. The fact that they ever made music together feels like a small miracle.