Br

1. Music & Society
Britpop
Chris Baker
www.musicstudentinfo.com

2. What was Britpop?
• Britpop Celebrated British 1960’s and 1970’s
Music
• Britpop started in the 1990’s
• Influenced by bands of the 1960’s
• The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd,
The Kinks, The Who, Lou Reed, The Small
Faces, Led Zeppelin &T Rex

3. The Oasis Beatles Connection
• Oasis have several references to John Lennon
and the Beatles
• The intro of ‘Don’t look back in Anger’ is very
similar to the opening of ‘Imagine’ by John
Lennon
• The title ‘Wonderwall’ was also the title of an
Album by George Harrison of the Beatles
• The ending of ‘She’s Electric’ is similar to end of
‘With a Little Help From My Friends’ by the
Beatles

4. Britpop built on recent British music
• Britpop bands tried to build on British pop
History
• Influenced by 1970’s British Artists such as:
David Bowie, The Jam, The Smiths
• The 1980’s & 90’s ‘Madchester’ music scene
was an influence
• ‘Madchester’ bands of the time borrowed
from the 1960’s

5. ‘Indie’ Bands
• Indie – short for alternative distribution of
records through independent labels
• Rebellion against the dominance of the large
record industries
• Political idealism and music came together to
form indie Music
• Artists shared profits 50/50

6. ‘Indie’ Music
• Joy Division – first band signed by indie label in
1979
• The Smiths fronted by Morrissey – formed in 1982
• Anti - Margaret Thatcher (Conservative leader of
the time)
• Supported the coal miners strikes
• Proud of being English

7. Manchester
• Late 80s - Rave culture hits the UK with the
advent of Acid House
• Hacienda Club most important club in the
North & very Influential Worldwide
• Incorporated elements of dance music into
the indie style

8. Reaction to other genres
• Grunge bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam
came from the West Coast of America
• Hip-Hop had emerged from New York and
Chicago in the 1980s with Artists such as
Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash & The
Sugarhill Gang
• Britpop deliberately rejected the electronic
sounds of Hip-Hop, Dance Music and the
Heavy Aggressive Grunge scene sound

9. The most well known Britpop bands
• Blur
• Suede
• Oasis
• Pulp
• Elastica
• Supergrass
• Ocean Colour Scene
• The Verve

10. BLUR
• Signed to Food records
• Inspired by British bands of the 80’s
• Enjoyed experimentation and added
unexpected twists in their music
• Songs written about everyday life
• Sung in a cockney accent
• Intense rivalry with the band Suede
• Later rivalry transferred to the band Oasis
• Chart battles raised profiles of both bands

11. Supergrass & Blur
• The Small Faces
• Lazy Sunday Afternoon (Music Hall Tradition)
• Robbie Williams
• Rod Stewart

12. Pulp
• Jarvis Cocker from Sheffield
• Recognition in 1990 with a hit single
promoted on John Peel Radio show
• Signed to Gift Records in 1992
• Different Class Album 1995
• Disco driven sound
• Lyrics about frustrated love & everyday life
• Vocals often turn into semi-spoken lyrics

13. Blur & Pulp Influences
• The Kinks (grew out of rhythm & blues )
• Kinks Tracks -You really got me, Waterloo Sunset,
Lola & Dedicated follower of fashion
• Queen
• Music Hall tradition
• Ian Drury and the Blockheads
• Paul Weller/The Jam
• Led Zepellin

14. Oasis
• Noel Gallagher started as a roadie for the band
Inspiral Carpets
• Becomes lead guitarist & songwriter for Liam’s
Band
• Signed to Creation Records run by Alan McGee in
1993
• Beatles influence
• 1960s guitar bands also important influence

15. Suede
• Rivalry with Blur
• Brett Anderson (lead singer)
• Suede had a darker view of life and built a
partnership with guitarist Bernard Butler
• Signed to Nude Records
• Lyrics – risque or dark reflecting Anderson’s
state of mind

16. Britpop Characteristics 1
• Simple chord sequences
• Rock Breakdown (band play in half time)
• Guitar solos less important
• Driving rhythm and the lyrics more important
• Influence of The Smiths very important

17. Britpop Characteristics 2
• Birth of New Labour Government
• Rekindling of a National Identity
• Backlash against American Music
• Celebration of being British (lyrically &
musically)
• Simple poetry
• Avoidance of the 12 bar blues sequence

18. Cool Britannia Politics
• Term to describe the contemporary culture of the United
Kingdom.
• Used in 1990’s and associated "New Labour" & Tony
Blair
• Election of Blair government in 1997 on a platform of
modernisation with a relatively young Prime Minister
• A parallel between "Swinging London”catchphrase of the
60’s
• Refers to young British artists,bands & magazines
• Links with resurgence of James Bond 007
• Renewal in British pride reinforced by the strong and
uninterrupted growth of the British economy from 1993

19. Britpop Drug Cocaine
• AKA Charlie, C, snow, coke, toot, rocks & stones
• Cocaine used to be the drug of choice for rock stars and the
rich-recent price cuts = massive rise in usage and availability
• Delivering a quick and euphoric high
• Confidence soars, the heart thumps, while you feel like you're
on top of the world
• The effect doesn't last very long (around 20-30 minutes) this
encourages repeated doses
• Side effects: You may well feel like a million dollars on coke,
but to those around you, you may well appear arrogant &
loud
• Expensive & Addictive

20. Thanks
BYE!