1995

In 1995 the Internet lost its last public funding and went fully private, just as AOL and Prodigy were putting web browsers in front of ordinary people. Elsewhere, the Tokyo subway sarin attack and the Oklahoma City bombing darkened the spring, Barings Bank collapsed under Nick Leeson's losses, and South Africa lifted the roof off the Rugby World Cup by winning it at home.

Britpop and American alternative rock shared the spotlight. Radiohead's The Bends arrived in March, and Oasis answered in October with (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, while The Smashing Pumpkins went double-length with Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Dave Grohl stepped out from behind the drums with Foo Fighters, Green Day returned with Insomniac, and Alice in Chains put out a self-titled record at the end of October. Metal looked in several directions at once: Deftones debuted with Adrenaline, Rammstein with Herzeleid, and Iron Maiden released The X Factor. Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzmosis, AC/DC's Ballbreaker and Black Sabbath's Forbidden showed the old guard still turning up, Nine Inch Nails delivered Further Down the Spiral, and Queen's Made in Heaven closed the year on a wistful note.

The losses were real. Helloween's former drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg died in March, and Manic Street Preachers' Richey Edwards vanished in February. Motörhead's Würzel left, Ian Astbury quit The Cult, and Kyuss called it a day in October. Accept, Living Colour, Saint Vitus and Suicidal Tendencies also disbanded.