Sound of the Underground

About Sound of the Underground

"Sound of the Underground" is the debut single by British pop group Girls Aloud, later featured on their debut album of the same name. The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, and Niara Scarlett, and produced by Higgins and his production team Xenomania. Following Girls Aloud's formation on the ITV1 reality television show Popstars: The Rivals, "Sound of the Underground" was released just sixteen days later on 16 December 2002. Commercially, the song was an immediate success. It became the year's Christmas number one in the UK, spending four consecutive weeks atop of the charts in total. The song also reached number one in Ireland, and reached the top forty in the Australia, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands. It also entered the top 100 in Brazil, France and Germany. The music video was recorded in an empty London warehouse days after Girls Aloud were formed. The song has been performed by Girls Aloud in a number of live appearances including Popstars: The Rivals and each of Girls Aloud's concert tours. Critically appreciated for its juxtaposition of surf guitar against electronic beats, "Sound of the Underground" was praised for its quality for both a girl group and a reality television act. The song was referred to as a defining moment of the decade musically, credited with reshaping British pop for the 2000s. more »