The Era of Britpop

1 year ago by Alan Cross | June 26, 2009 3:56 pm

You may have heard people mention the world "Britpop." What, exactly is that?

Actually, the word describes a scene and an era that enveloped most of Britain in the middle 1990s. Blur was one of the catalysts for this. After a tour of North America in 1991 where they heard nothing but grunge, they returned to the UK determined to make homegrown music that would keep American grunge out of Britain. They’d write music that unabashedly celebrate British-ness and British musical heritage.

Music historians point to Blur’s 1993 album, Modern Life is Rubbish, as the first real Britpop album. They followed that up with Parklife a year later which coincided with Definitely Maybe, the first Oasis album. By 1995, Britpop was the biggest thing going–and it stayed that way until things burned out about two years later.

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  • John
    July 2, 2009 at 8:36 am

    The Real People, The Soup Dragons, and The Auteurs were doing proto-Britpop before anyone called it that. And wasn’t Suede’s debut album out before Modern Life Is Rubbish? Still, I might be persuaded that MLIR was the first THOROUGHLY Britpop album.

    IMHO, Britpop produced a higher percentage of truly worthwhile, enduring music than most other rock movements, so thanx for giving it a nod here.

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  • Kerry
    July 2, 2009 at 10:10 am

    “Britpop produced a higher percentage of truly worthwhile, enduring music than most other rock movements”

    That might be a tad grand. I’m willing to bet that more people can tell you what Grunge is than Britpop. And I’m certain that more people (at least in North America) are familiar with Nirvana than Blur. More enduring? I don’t really think so. Time will tell I guess.

    I’d certainly argue that the grunge movement had it’s fair share of blockbusters Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearljam, Breeders. Like it or not that scene is at least as big as Britpop if not bigger.

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  • Denise
    July 7, 2009 at 1:14 pm

    Suede was first, and I think the Stone Roses was up there as well.
    Britpop is an enduring trend in music.

    British bands like Muse, Coldplay, Spiritualized and Placebo ALL were releasing albums during this prime time in music.

    The Killers are an excellent example of the current crop of bands that have brit pop as an influence.

    I loved Britpop. I still love Britpop.

    Toronto was a GREAT place for music in the early nineties. Britpop took hold here more than in any other north american city.

    I saw Oasis, Stone Roses, Blur, Pulp, Suede, all the big bands on their first tours through North America in tiny little clubs like the Phoenix and the Opera House.

    these days, Oasis headlines stadium shows and old out festivals, and tickets to all these bands are through the roof!

    Alan, this is an incomplete picture of what britpop was, and still is. and what it has brought the world of alternative music. I understand it’s just a snapshot… your history of.. on the subject is great!

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  • Matt D
    July 7, 2009 at 10:40 pm

    Although Britpop ‘proper’ may refer to the early/mid 90′s sound, there are some wonderful bands coming out of the UK that deserve a listen..hopefully The Edge will play more of them; Infadels, Maximo Park, Elbow, Gomez, Foals, Courteeners, and Rifles to name a few…

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  • Jim
    July 8, 2009 at 5:10 pm

    Somehow, everyone has forgotton about the Modfather himself, Paul Weller. One of the main influences to the BritPop movement and he himself part of it with the releases of both Wildwood and Stanley Road in 1993 and 1995.

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  • Jim
    July 9, 2009 at 11:02 pm

    What seems to have been forgotten here once again is the Modfather himself, Paul Weller. Not only was he and the music of The Jam sited as one of the main influences for Brit Pop by both artists and music critics abroad, but he himself was part of the whole Brit Pop movement and inspiration with his solo releases, particularily his first three solo albums released between 1991 – 1995 (Paul Weller, Wild Wood and Stanley Road) It continues to amaze me how his contributions to British music always seems to be left out by North American so called “music experts” while the rest of the world really knows what is going on.

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