By 1996, Oasis's prominence was such that NME termed a number of Britpop bands (including the Boo Radleys, Ocean Colour Scene and Cast) "Noelrock", citing Gallagher's influence on their music. Noel Gallagher has since championed Ride and once stated that Nirvana's Kurt Cobain was the only songwriter he had respect for in the last ten years, and that he felt their music was similar enough that Cobain could have written " Wonderwall". If punk was about getting rid of hippies, then I'm getting rid of grunge." In spite of the professed disdain for the genres, some elements of both crept into the more enduring facets of Britpop. Damon Albarn of Blur summed up the attitude in 1993 when after being asked if Blur were an "anti-grunge band" he said, "Well, that's good. In contrast to the dourness of grunge, Britpop was defined by "youthful exuberance and desire for recognition". Britpop bands conversely denounced grunge as irrelevant and having nothing to say about their lives. Stylistically, Britpop bands use catchy hooks and lyrics that were relevant to young British people of their own generation. Local identity and regional British accents are common to Britpop groups, as well as references to British places and culture in lyrics and image. īritpop was partly a reaction to the popularity of Nirvana and the dourness of grunge music Pre-dating Britpop by four years, Liverpool-based group the La's hit single " There She Goes" was described by Rolling Stone as a "founding piece of Britpop's foundation". The Madchester scene, fronted by the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and Inspiral Carpets (for whom Oasis's Noel Gallagher had worked as a roadie during the Madchester years), was an immediate root of Britpop since its emphasis on good times and catchy songs provided an alternative to the British-based shoegazing and American based grunge styles of music. The influence of the Smiths is common to the majority of Britpop artists. Īlternative rock acts from the indie scene of the Eighties and early Nineties were the direct ancestors of the Britpop movement. The Kinks' Ray Davies and XTC's Andy Partridge are sometimes advanced as the "godfathers" or "grandfathers" of Britpop, though Davies disputes it. Regardless, Britpop artists project a sense of reverence for British pop sounds of the past. Specific influences vary: Blur drew from the Kinks and early Pink Floyd, Oasis took inspiration from the Beatles, and Elastica had a fondness for arty punk rock, notably Wire. Britpop bands show elements from the British pop music of the 1960s, glam rock and punk rock of the 1970s, and indie pop of the 1980s in their music, attitude, and clothing. Though Britpop is seen retrospectively as a marketing tool, and more of a cultural moment than a musical style or genre, there are musical conventions and influences the bands grouped under the Britpop term have in common. Commercially, Britpop lost out to teen pop, while artistically it segued into a post-Britpop indie movement, associated with bands such as Travis and Coldplay.Īndy Partridge (left) and Ray Davies (right) are sometimes cited as the "godfathers of Britpop". While music was the main focus, fashion, art and politics also got involved, with Tony Blair and New Labour aligning themselves with the movement.ĭuring the late 1990s, many Britpop acts began to falter commercially or break up, or otherwise moved towards new genres or styles. A chart battle between Blur and Oasis (dubbed "The Battle of Britpop") brought the movement to the forefront of the British press in 1995. The timespan of Britpop is generally considered to be 1993–1997, and its peak years to be 1995–1996. The most successful bands linked with Britpop were Oasis, Blur, Suede and Pulp, known as the movement's "big four", although Suede and Pulp distanced themselves from the term. Although the term was viewed as a marketing tool, and more of a cultural moment than a musical style or genre, its associated bands typically drew from the British pop music of the 1960s, glam rock and punk rock of the 1970s and indie pop of the 1980s. The movement brought British alternative rock into the mainstream and formed the backbone of a larger British popular cultural movement, Cool Britannia, which evoked the Swinging Sixties and the British guitar pop of that decade.īritpop was a media-driven focus on bands which emerged from the independent music scene of the early 1990s. It produced brighter, catchier alternative rock, partly in reaction to the popularity of the darker lyrical themes of the US-led grunge music and to the UK's own shoegaze music scene. Not to be confused with Bitpop or British pop music.īritpop was a mid-1990s British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness.
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