Gabba Flamenco Crossover said:
Neither badly drawn boy or or Roni Size have done anything major since they won. And it's arguable that pulp's best work was behind them by 1996, although a lot of people rate This Is Hardcore.
For a lot of people , winning the mercury might be too much too soon in terms of mass market recognition - I'm thinking roni size obviously, but also portishead & dizzee. All might have benefitted from that kind of attention more had it been lavished on thier 3rd or 4th record, not thier 1st.
Well, Roni Size may not have the mainstream acclaim he once had, but he kept his undergound cred (and, more importantly, fans) more or less intact through the years, and he still has quite a steady profile (and job offers) as a DJ. Not to mention V Recordings has been unleashing some of the biggest underground drum 'n' bass anthems of past few years, going so far as to release the biggest record the scene had for so long, with that "LK (Carolina Carol Bella)" tune (it even reached the Top 20, if you remember). So to say the Mercury was Roni's kiss of death is pushing the envelope a bit.
As for BDB, I still did that soundtrack to that really dodgy Hugh Grant film. I reckon it mustn't have been his best selling album, but it did spawn his most recognizable song to the Average Joe (and the one which still has some play on the radio): "Silent Sigh". The kiss of death happened with the next two albums not having an impact on anyone nor anywhere.
As for Pulp, the real kiss of death was that Scott Walker-produced album, which didn't get any commercial success and had a heavily mixed reception on the music press.
And it's definitely arguable that Pulp's best work was behind them by 1996. Personally, I think they only really came into their own from
His 'n' Hers onward.