Britpop
tagStarted 1992Peak 1994-1997Last big hit 1997From United Kingdom
Located in 2 routes
Bright, hook-forward British guitar pop with mod sharpness and Beatles/Kinks DNA: ringing chords, big melodic choruses, swaggering or sardonic vocals and proudly English lyrics about council estates, lager and class. Production is punchy and chart-ready, swinging from Oasis's wall-of-sound anthems to Blur's art-school music-hall wit.
History
Emerging around 1992-93 as a self-conscious reaction against US grunge, Britpop championed UK identity. Suede and Blur set the template; the 1995 'Battle of Britpop' chart duel between Blur's 'Country House' and Oasis's 'Roll With It' marked its commercial apex. It faded after 1997 as Oasis bloated and Radiohead's 'OK Computer' pointed elsewhere.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britpop
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/britpop-ma0000011921
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/britpop