History Main / Britpop

* {{Blur}}, a former {{shoegazing}}[=/=]Madchester act that, after touring America in 1992 and finding the experience dreadful, became one of Britpop's leading lights, hearkening back to British pop music of TheSixties such as TheKinks.

In the end, heaving under the weight of drugs, [[CreatorBacklash artist disillusionment]], and the continued failure by any band not named Oasis to break America, it collapsed in 1997: Oasis's long awaited third album ''Be Here Now'' was (and still is) the fastest selling album in British history, but it was equally quickly sold on to charity shops by disheartened fans and went down in history as an overhyped, dismal flop. Oasis chugged along, releasing well selling albums that got alright reviews until the band ended in an yet another squabble between the Gallagher brothers in 2009. {{Blur}} turned away from the Britpop sound with their fifth album ''Blur'', paved the way for the GarageRock Revival of the 2000s, and unlike Oasis quit while they were ahead and still at the top of their game in 2003. Pulp continued to release critically adored albums for a few years before completely disappearing. Supergrass somehow managed to outlive most of their second-tier Britpop competition, became a major player in the British alternative scene and existed until April 2010. {{Radiohead}} and The Verve, formerly 'the ones who did ''Creep''' and 'that shoegaze act', released ''OK Computer''

* QuietlyPerformingSisterShow: Well, a Quietly Performing Sister ''Scene'' anyway: the "Cool Cymru" movement of Welsh bands that ran alongside Britpop in its last few years. The most famous of these bands, Super Furry Animals, despite never really having a huge hit single like {{Oasis}} or {{Blur}}, released many critically acclaimed albums and managed to outlive most of their Britpop peers. Psychedelic folk band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci also had critical acclaim and were favourites of BBC Radio indie tastemaker [[TheLastDJ John Peel]], but [[NoHitWonder they never even managed a Top 40]] single despite ''eight'' of their singles making the UK Top 75.

* VindicatedByHistory - In the past decade, music critics have realized that {{Blur}} - sometimes considered inferior to Oasis - were one of the finest singles acts of the 1990's.

Britpop came to a head in the summer of '95 (when Blur and Oasis fought the Battle of Britpop, a fight to get to Number One when they released singles - "Country House" and "Roll With It" - on the same day. Blur won that battle, but Oasis ultimately was the more popular band at the end of the 90's) and in early '96. In the end, heaving under the weight of drugs, [[CreatorBacklash artist disillusionment]], and the continued failure by any band not named Oasis to break America, it collapsed in 1997: Oasis's long awaited third album ''Be Here Now'' was (and still is) the fastest selling album in British history, but it was equally quickly sold on to charity shops by disheartened fans and went down in history as an overhyped, dismal flop. Oasis chugged along, releasing well selling albums that got alright reviews until the band ended in an yet another squabble between the Gallagher brothers in 2009. {{Blur}} turned away from the Britpop sound with their fifth album ''Blur'', paved the way for the GarageRock Revival of the 2000s, and unlike Oasis quit while they were ahead and still at the top of their game in 2003. Pulp continued to release critically adored albums for a few years before completely disappearing. Supergrass somehow managed to outlive most of their second-tier Britpop competition, became a major player in the British alternative scene and existed until April 2010. {{Radiohead}} and The Verve, formerly 'the ones who did ''Creep''' and 'that shoegaze act', released ''OK Computer'' and ''Urban Hymns'', successful albums that moved the music scene onward.

{{Britpop}} was a somewhat ill-defined scene in British AlternativeRock in the mid-90s. When in 1991 {{Nirvana}} released "Smells Like Teen Spirit", {{Grunge}} quickly took over the British music conciousness: suddenly everyone had long hair and scrappy clothes again. A loose rabble of musicians in London took exception to this, and around 1993 Britpop was born - music that was somehow 'British' rather than the American stuff.

* OneWorkAuthor: The La's, who basically imploded on themselves after releasing their self-titled album, an important influence on the Britpop bands that came only a few years later.

* OlderThanTheyThink - Pulp formed in 1978. The Boo Radleys formed in 1988. Ocean Colour Scene and Blur were originally dance-rock acts in the early 90's before adapting a more rock-oriented sound.

** Britpop bands fair a lot better in their homeland.

* Super Furry Animals, a Welsh psychedelic band that actually had nothing to do with {{Britpop}}, but because they played rock music and formed around the same time, they were often grouped with the scene.

* LongRunner. Subverted, many Britpop bands split up when Britpop died or not long after. Two of Britpop's major bands, Blur and Pulp stuck around until 2003 (with Blur reuniting in 2009, and [[AWorldwidePunomenon a good chunk of Pulp]] became members of [[FaceOfTheBand lead singer Jarvis Cocker]]'s solo band until the band announced a proper reunion in 2011). However, Oasis, Supergrass and The Bluetones stuck around well after Britpop died and only very recently (2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively) split. Currently the only four major Britpop bands that still exist without breaking up and reuniting or going on a long hiatus are the Welsh bands ManicStreetPreachers and Super Furry Animals - both of whom were only barely involved in Britpop - and the English group Ocean Colour Scene (who actually predate the movement) and the Northern Irish band Ash (which was formed by teenagers in the mid-90's).

* LongRunner. Subverted, many Britpop bands split up when Britpop died or not long after. Two of Britpop's major bands, Blur and Pulp stuck around until 2003 (with Blur reuniting in 2009, and a good chunk of Pulp became members of [[FaceOfTheBand lead singer Jarvis Cocker]]'s solo band until the band announced a proper reunion in 2011). However, Oasis, Supergrass and The Bluetones stuck around well after Britpop died and only very recently (2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively) split. Currently the only four major Britpop bands that still exist without breaking up and reuniting or going on a long hiatus are the Welsh bands ManicStreetPreachers and Super Furry Animals - both of whom were only barely involved in Britpop - and the English group Ocean Colour Scene (who actually predate the movement) and the Northern Irish band Ash (which was formed by teenagers in the mid-90's).

* QuietlyPerformingSisterShow: Well, a Quietly Performing Sister ''Scene'' anyway: the "Cool Cymru" movement of Welsh bands that ran alongside Britpop in its last few years. The most famous of these bands, Super Furry Animals, despite never really having a huge hit single like {{Oasis}} or {{Blur}}, released many critically acclaimed albums and managed to outlive most of their Britpop peers. Psychedelic folk band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci also had critical acclaim and were favourites of BBC Radio indie tastemaker [[TheLastDJ John Peel]], but they never even managed a Top 40 single despite ''eight'' of their singles making the UK Top 75.

* Super Furry Animals

Despite the eager tagging of bands, what exactly Britpop ''was'' is difficult to define. Among the earliest adapters were TheStoneRoses in 1989 (who themselves were part of "Madchester" a sort of halfway point between NewWave and Britpop), but they never lived up to the promise of their first album. Then there were The La's, who were either twenty years ahead of their time or twenty behind. There was Suede, glam rockers taking cues from DavidBowie who camped it up around Camden Town and got their picture on the cover of Melody Maker before they even had a record out. After touring America in 1992 and finding the experience dreadful, former {{shoegazing}}/Madchester act {{Blur}} became one of Britpop's leading lights, hearkening back to British pop music of TheSixties such as TheKinks. There were also: Elastica, a mostly-female group who drew their sound from punk acts like Wire or The Stranglers, {{Music/Pulp}}, a band that was formed by a few teenage friends in [[OlderThanTheyThink 1978]] which had finally found commercial success with their 1994 album ''His n' Hers'', Sleeper, Echobelly, {{Lush}} - which pulled an abrupt GenreShift from {{Shoegazing}} to Britpop in 1996 - Supergrass, The Bluetones, Ocean Colour Scene, Kula Shaker...

And then there were {{Oasis}}, big Mancunian fans of TheBeatles and simple, big, stadium-filling rock 'n' roll. They were by far the most successful act to come out of the Britpop years, and the only ones who really made any impact in America.

* LongRunner. Subverted, many Britpop bands split up when Britpop died or not long after. Two of Britpop's major bands, Blur and Pulp stuck around until 2003 (with Blur reuniting in 2009, and a good chunk of Pulp became members of [[FaceOfTheBand lead singer Jarvis Cocker]]'s solo band until the band announced a proper reunion in 2011). However, Oasis and Supergrass both stuck around well after Britpop died and both only very recently (2009 and 2010 respectively) split. Currently the only four major Britpop bands that still exist without breaking up and reuniting or going on a long hiatus are the Welsh bands ManicStreetPreachers and Super Furry Animals - both of whom were only barely involved in Britpop - and the English group Ocean Colour Scene (who actually predate the movement) and the Northern Irish band Ash (which was formed by teenagers in the mid-90's).

* QuietlyPerformingSisterShow: Well, a Quietly Performing Sister ''Scene'' anyway: the "Cool Cymru" movement of Welsh bands that ran alongside Britpop in its last few years. The most famous of these bands, Super Furry Animals, despite never really having a huge hit single like {{Oasis}} or {{Blur}}, released many critically acclaimed albums and managed to outlive most of their Britpop peers. Psychedelic folk band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci also had impressive critical acclaim, but they never even managed a Top 40 single despite ''eight'' of their singles making the UK Top 75.

* QuietlyPerformingSisterShow: Well, a Quietly Performing Sister ''Scene'' anyway: the "Cool Cymru" movement of Welsh bands that ran alongside Britpop in its last few years. Some bands (Catatonia, Super Furry Animals) managed a couple minor hit singles or critical acclaim, but most others (the most notable being the folk group Gorky's Zygotic Mynci) flew completely under the radar despite lasting longer than many Britpop bands and managed to grow impressive cult followings after Britpop had largely faded. Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, in fact, managed 8 UK Top 75 singles. ''None'' of them made the Top 40, although three of them made it it #41, #42 and #43, respectively.

Despite the eager tagging of bands, what exactly Britpop ''was'' is difficult to define. There was Suede, glam rockers taking cues from DavidBowie who camped it up around Camden Town and got their picture on the cover of Melody Maker before they even had a record out. After touring America in 1992 and finding the experience dreadful, former {{shoegazing}}/Madchester act {{Blur}} became one of Britpop's leading lights, hearkening back to British pop music of TheSixties such as TheKinks. There were also: Elastica, a mostly-female group who drew their sound from punk acts like Wire or The Stranglers, {{Music/Pulp}}, a band that was formed by a few teenage friends in [[OlderThanTheyThink 1978]] which had finally found commercial success with their 1994 album ''His n' Hers'', Sleeper, Echobelly, {{Lush}} - which pulled an abrupt GenreShift from {{Shoegazing}} to Britpop in 1996 - Supergrass, The Bluetones, Ocean Colour Scene, Kula Shaker...

Britpop came to a head in the summer of '95 (when Blur and Oasis fought the Battle of Britpop, a fight to get to Number One when they released singles - "Country House" and "Roll With It" - on the same day. Blur won that battle, but Oasis ultimately was the more popular band at the end of the 90's) and in early '96. In the end, heaving under the weight of drugs, [[CreatorBacklash artist disillusionment]], and the continued failure by any band not named Oasis to break America, it collapsed in 1997: Oasis's long awaited third album ''Be Here Now'' was (and still is) the fastest selling album in British history, but it was equally quickly sold on to charity shops by disheartened fans and went down in history as an overhyped, dismal flop. Oasis chugged along, releasing well selling albums that got alright reviews until the band ended in an yet another squabble between the Gallagher brothers in 2009. {{Blur}} turned away from the Britpop sound with their fifth album ''Blur'' and became more like American AlternativeRock acts like {{Pavement}}, and unlike Oasis quit while they were ahead and still at the top of their game in 2003. Pulp continued to release critically adored albums for a few years before completely disappearing. Supergrass somehow managed to outlive most of their second-tier Britpop competition, became a major player in the British alternative scene and existed until April 2010. {{Radiohead}} and The Verve, formerly 'the ones who did ''Creep''' and 'that shoegaze act', released ''OK Computer'' and ''Urban Hymns'', successful albums that moved the music scene onward.

Despite the eager tagging of bands, what exactly Britpop ''was'' is difficult to define. There was Suede, glam rockers taking cues from DavidBowie who camped it up around Camden Town and got their picture on the cover of Melody Maker before they even had a record out. After touring America in 1992 and finding the experience dreadful, former {{shoegazing}}/Madchester act {{Blur}} became one of Britpop's leading lights, hearkening back to British pop music of TheSixties such as TheKinks. There were also: Elastica, a mostly-female group who drew their sound from punk acts like Wire or The Stranglers, Pulp, a band that was formed by a few teenage friends in [[OlderThanTheyThink 1978]] which had finally found commercial success with their 1994 album ''His n' Hers'', Sleeper, Echobelly, {{Lush}} - which pulled an abrupt GenreShift from {{Shoegazing}} to Britpop in 1996 - Supergrass, The Bluetones, Ocean Colour Scene, Kula Shaker...

Tropes somehow involved with Britpop:

Tropes somehow involved in Britpop:

Despite the eager tagging of bands, what exactly Britpop ''was'' is difficult to define. There were Suede, glam rockers taking cues from DavidBowie who camped it up around Camden Town and got their picture on the cover of Melody Maker before they even had a record out. After touring America in 1992 and finding the experience dreadful, former {{shoegazing}}/Madchester act {{Blur}} became one of Britpop's leading lights, hearkening back to British pop music of TheSixties such as TheKinks. There were also: Elastica, a mostly-female group who drew their sound from punk acts like Wire or The Stranglers, Pulp, a band that was formed by a few teenage friends in [[OlderThanTheyThink 1978]] which had finally found commercial success with their 1994 album ''His n' Hers'', Sleeper, Echobelly, {{Lush}} - which pulled an abrupt GenreShift from {{Shoegazing}} to Britpop in 1996 - Supergrass, The Bluetones, Ocean Colour Scene, Kula Shaker...

* LongRunner. Subverted, many Britpop bands split up when Britpop died or not long after. Two of Britpop's major bands, Blur and Pulp stuck around until 2003 (with Blur reuniting in 2009, and a good chunk of Pulp are now members of [[FaceOfTheBand lead singer Jarvis Cocker]]'s solo band). However, Oasis and Supergrass both stuck around well after Britpop died and both only very recently (2009 and 2010 respectively) split. Currently the only four major Britpop bands that still exist without breaking up and reuniting or going on a long hiatus are the Welsh bands ManicStreetPreachers and Super Furry Animals - both of whom were only barely involved in Britpop - and the English group Ocean Colour Scene (who actually predate the movement) and the Northern Irish band Ash (which was formed by teenagers in the mid-90's).

Britpop came to a head in the summer of '95 (when Blur and Oasis fought the Battle of Britpop, a fight to get to Number One when they released singles - "Country House" and "Roll With It" - on the same day. Blur won that battle, but Oasis ultimately was the more popular band at the end of the 90's) and in early '96. In the end, heaving under the weight of drugs, [[CreatorBacklash artist disillusionment]], and the continued failure by any band not named Oasis to break America, it collapsed in 1997: Oasis's long awaited third album ''Be Here Now'' was (and still is) the fastest selling album in British history, but it was equally quickly sold on to charity shops by disheartened fans and went down in history as an overhyped, dismal flop. Oasis chugged along, releasing well selling albums that got alright reviews until the band ended in an yet another squabble between the Gallagher brothers in 2009. {{Blur}} turned away from the Britpop sound with their fifth album ''Blur'' and became more like American AlternativeRock acts like {{Pavement}}, and unlike Oasis quit while they were ahead and still at the top of their game in 2002. Pulp continued to release critically adored albums for a few years before completely disappearing. Supergrass somehow managed to outlive most of their second-tier Britpop competition, became a major player in the British alternative scene and existed until April 2010. {{Radiohead}} and The Verve, formerly 'the ones who did ''Creep''' and 'that shoegaze act', released ''OK Computer'' and ''Urban Hymns'', successful albums that moved the music scene onward.

* LongRunner. Subverted, many Britpop bands split up when Britpop died or not long after. Two of Britpop's major bands, Blur and Pulp stuck around until 2003 (with Blur reuniting in 2009, and a good chunk of Pulp are now members of [[FaceOfTheBand lead singer Jarvis Cocker]]'s solo band). However, Oasis and Supergrass both stuck around well after Britpop died and both only very recently (2009 and 2010 respectively) split. Currently the only four major Britpop bands that still exist without breaking up and reuniting or going on a long hiatus are the Welsh bands ManicStreetPreachers and Super Furry Animals - both of whom were only barely involved in Britpop - and the English groups Ocean Colour Scene (who actually predate the movement) and Ash (which was formed by teenagers in the mid-90's).

** During the early years of Britpop, this is what many magazines mocked {{Radiohead}} with. However, by the time they released ''[[GrowingTheBeard The Bends]]'' and ''[[CrowningMusicOfAwesome OK Computer]]'', [[MagikarpPower No one was laughing at Radiohead anymore]].