Britpop

Britpop is the common term used for a variety of popular British bands from the early 90s to today. The strongest influences on Britpop arose from the "indie" bands of the eighties, such as The Smiths, and its successors: "baggy", typified by Manchester's (or should that be Madchester's) The Happy Mondays and "shoegazing" bands such as Ride, Stereolab or Oasis.

Unlike their predecessors, Britpop crossed firmly into the mainstream, exemplified by chart battles between rivals Blur and Oasis. Their songs tend to be either pure pop music (Blur's "Girls and Boys") or anthemic (Oasis' "Don't Look Back In Anger"), with a strong "sing-along" factor. On the fringes, the dry wit of Pulp's "Common People" made an unlikely star of singer Jarvis Cocker.

By the year 2000, the initial wave had subsided: Oasis had all but collapsed under the weight of expectation, cocaine and self-indulgence, Blur had rejected pop for a more introspective college-radio-friendly sound, and Radiohead had decided they were a progressive rock band. However, these earlier bands have influenced a number of more recent acts. Amongst these are more sensitive singer songwriters such as David Gray, Travis, and Coldplay. Others, though, such as Supergrass or Muse, have a decidedly louder and rawer sound.