House music supergroup M People were one of the biggest pop acts of the '90s in the UK, scoring numerous Top 10 singles. Founded in 1990 by DJ and producer Mike Pickering, who was the resident acid house DJ at Factory's Manchester club The Haçienda in the late '80s, M People hit it big immediately with their 1991 debut, Northern Soul. With a sound that combined classic soul and jazz with deep house grooves, M People brought urbane sophistication and pop hooks to the world of club music, releasing albums that worked as more than collections of dancefloor-friendly singles.