Britpop / UK Indie / Madchester
familyStarted 1976Peak 1994-1997Last big hit still active
A distinctly British lineage of guitar pop built on chiming melody, mod swagger, kitchen-sink lyrics and an obsession with the Beatles, Kinks and Who. Spans jangling indie, Manchester's funk-loosened grooves, walls of effects-pedal noise, mod and pub-rock revivals, and the chart-conquering anthems of the mid-90s. Witty, melodic, defiantly UK.
History
Rooted in the 60s British Invasion and refracted through punk, the family crystallised via late-70s pub rock, mod revival and post-punk, then the 80s C86 jangle scene and Manchester's late-80s acid-house crossover. Shoegaze brought noise; Britpop brought it to No.1 in 1994-97 as Oasis and Blur defined a national pop moment.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britpop
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madchester
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/britpop-ma0000011921