Manic Street Preachers think releasing singles is a thing of the past.

The Welsh rockers believe the music industry has changed massively since their inception in the late 1980s and they no longer think bands want to achieve a “big” charting track.

Bassist Nicky Wire said: “It’s something we feel is probably over, the idea of having massive hit singles- unless something dramatically changes in life, it’s probably at an end. The single is no more, as such, from what we grew up with anyway, let’s face it, it’s a different dimension.

“There are no guitar bands in the charts really, if you look at the top 40. You’ve got to come to terms with that at some point.”

The ‘Postcards from a Young Man’ hitmakers are preparing for the rlease of a 38-track singles collection and think they have “earned” the right to title the compilation ‘National Treasures’.

Nicky added to NME magazine: “It is really cheeky, isn’t it? I had thought about it for a year or so. It is half-cosy and half just a p**s take as loads of people hate us.

“It just seemed to fit to everything really well, and I think we’ve earned the right.”