About This Quiz
In the early '90s, Nirvana launched a grunge era that revolutionized the American music industry. For the first time, alternative was the hottest sound around, and bands like Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains and Green Day were outselling some of the more traditional rock acts for the first time. Yet even as flannel shirts and the dark lyrics of Kurt Cobain and similar artists were taking over, bands across the pond were coming out with a whole new sound, which would eventually be known as Britpop.
An antithesis to the grunge culture, Britpop was alternative done in a whole new way. Inspired by classic British groups from The Beatles to The Kinks, Britpop featured a much more up-tempo vibe, which pitted the energetic youth spirit in the U.K. against the drama of the Nirvana crowd back in the U.S. Rather than lamenting the torments of the teen years, British music of the time was more likely to showcase the energy and thrill of a night out with the lads. It was as in-your-face as grunge was disconnected and disenfranchised.
While you've probably heard of some of the more famous British bands of the period. Oasis or Blur, anyone? They were only a few to popularize this style of music. Think you can recognize the greatest Britpop bands? Take our quiz to find out!
Hailing from the working-class town of Manchester, Oasis flew up the charts on both sides of the pond in the mid-'90s with albums like "Definitely Maybe" and "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" While hits like "Wonderwall" made the band a musical success, it was the swagger of front-man Liam (left) and his outrageous blowouts with brother Noel (right) that helped Oasis make headlines.
Blur and Oasis fought an epic Britpop battle in the mid-'90s, and even to this day it's not clear which band came out on top. Led by singer Damon Albarn, the band took on Oasis in '95 with "Country House," but it was their 1997 self-titled album that produced "Song 2" and made the band a success in the States.
Richard Ashcroft and The Verve earned a '99 Grammy nomination for the mega-hit "Bitter Sweet Symphony." After breaking up in 1999 due to bitter infighting, Ashcroft told an interviewer that it would be more likely to see all four Beatles on stage together than to see a Verve reunion. Despite this, the band got back together in 2007 to make one more album before disbanding again.
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Pulp became a huge name in the mid-'90s thanks to the back-to-back albums "His 'n' Hers" and "Different Class." Their biggest song, "Common People," charted across the pond, and a 2014 film which premiered at SXSW breathed new life into this classic Britpop act.
After leaving The La's, John Power went on to become lead vocalist for Cast. The band released three albums between 1995 and 1999 but had its biggest success with the 1997 record "Mother Nature Calls," which featured the songs "Live the Dream" and "Free Me."
Fronted by Louise Wener, Sleeper traces its roots to early '90s London as the Britpop movement was finding its footing. The band not only provided music for the "Trainspotting" soundtrack but also toured with Blur in the middle of the decade.
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Elastica produced only two albums over a decade-long career, but the band managed to find success on both sides of the Atlantic. Their 1995 self-titled album was a huge seller, largely based on the song "Waking Up." This band's new wave sound was strongly inspired by the band Wire, so-much so that Elastica faced accusations of plagiarism from time to time.
Led by the Coombes brothers, Supergrass entered the charts with "I Should Coco" in 1995, but they achieved their biggest success with "In it for the Money" in 1997. Their '99 song "Pumping on Your Stereo" featured a Muppet-inspired music video that portrayed the band with puppet-style bodies.
Coldplay formed in London in 1996 during the peak of Britpop. Their post-Britpop sound found success with their 2000 album "Parachutes," thanks to songs like %0D"Yellow" and "Trouble." Things came full circle when Coldplay and Liam Gallagher of Oasis joined forces to sing "Live Forever" at One Love Manchester in 2017.
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Formed in the late-'80s, The Charlatans achieved commercial success thanks to the '94 album "Up to Our Hips" and their 1995 self-titled album, which featured the single "How High." The band is often associated with a movement called Madchester, which blends house and dance music with alternative sound and rave culture.
Named for Scout's neighbor in "To Kill a Mockingbird," The Boo Radleys formed in 1988. Their 1995 album "Wake Up!" hit at the peak of the Britpop craze, and their hit single "Wake Up Boo!" was the perfect blend of upbeat and deadpan.
Radiohead made waves starting with their very first album in 1993. The debut, "Pablo Honey," contained the song "Creep," which shot up the charts. The band's 1997 release "OK Computer" not only earned a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year, but it still ranks among the most beloved albums of the entire decade.
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Originally called Reef, Feeder found great success with their 1997 album "Polythene," as well as with their 2001 release "Echo Park." Songs like "High" and "Buck Rogers" boosted the bands popularity in the U.S., so much so that the band was picked to tour with Everclear.
Suede was formed in '89, just in time for the Britpop movement of the '90s. The song "Trash" spurred sales of their 1996 album "Coming Up," which ultimately produced five top-ten singles.
The Smiths managed to make quite a mark in their 5 years together in the '80s. Lead singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr were an iconic songwriting duo who crafted such albums as "Meat Is Murder" and "The Queen Is Dead." Oasis later covered their 1986 tune "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out."
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Manchester band The Stone Roses found big success with their self-titled debut album, largely thanks to the hugely successful single "Fools Gold." They released their second record "Second Coming" in 1994, broke up in 1996 during the height of Britpop and reunited to make new tunes in 2011.
Hailing from The Beatles' hometown of Liverpool, The La's were led by singer and songwriter Lee Mavers. They had a huge with the '88 single "There She Goes," and their 1990 self-titled debut album also made the U.K. charts. After the band split in 1992, Mavers quit music, while Power went on to play with Cast.
Closely associated withe the Madchester sound, Inspiral Carpets were still touring during the mid-'90s Britpop peak. They are best known for their 1990 debut album "Like" and its hit single "This is How It Feels."
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Move over London, Manchester and Liverpool ... Stereophonics came from Wales. Their Britpop or post-Britpop sound was on display on albums like the 1997 release "Word Gets Around" and the hugely successful "The Bartender and the Thief," which came out in 1999.
Longpigs formed in Sheffield in 1993, making a name for themselves by touring with Echobelly and even Radiohead before releasing their 1996 debut album. You may recognize Longpigs's song "On and One," which appeared on the soundtrack to "Mission: Impossible."
Named for an Indian Emperor from the 700s, Kula Shakar hit their peak in the mid-'90s as Britpop ruled the airwaves. They used Sanskrit lyrics and Indian instruments like the sitar to create a unique sound. Kula Shakar's biggest hit was a cover of the song "Hush," which appeared on the soundtrack to the horror flick "I Know What You Did Last Summer." Lead vocalist/guitarist Crispian Mills is shown here.
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Gene found major success on the indie charts with their 1995 album "Olympia" and 1997 release "Drawn to the Deep End." Even American audiences dug their Smiths'-like sound, resulting in a successful U.S. tour in 2000.
Formed in 1972 and making music all the way through the new millennium, XTC's punk, glam and new wave sound helped to inspire the Britpop movement of the '90s. The band had a huge hit with "Making Plans for Nigel" but also raised eyebrows with the 1986 single "Dear God."
The Black Grapes' debut album "It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah" went hit #1 on the U.K. charts in 1996 and went platinum the next year. While not quite as successful, the band's second release "Stupid Stupid Stupid" went gold in '97. After splitting in 1998, the Black Grapes reunited in 2015 to hit the tour circuit.
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Formed in 1993, The Bluetones went straight to #1 with their 1996 Britpop classic "Expecting to Fly." In between recording more albums with the band, lead singer Mark Morriss also recorded a folksy solo album in 2008.
Shed Seven released four top-20 albums during the peak of the Britpop movement between 1994 and 1999, beginning with "Change Giver," which went gold. The band's biggest hit came in 1996, with the song "Going for Gold." Though they briefly split in 2003, the band got back together in 2007 to tour and produce new tunes.
Manic Street Preachers began with a punk and hard-rock sound before switching to a more classic Britpop vibe in the '90s. The band's 1996 album "Everything Must Go" was a major hit and went triple-platinum. Their fifth album "This is My Truth Tell Me Yours" also went to #1 in 1998.
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In 1995, a demo created by Ocean Colour Scene found its way to Noel Gallagher, who invited the band to tour with Oasis. He might have had some regrets a few years later, when the band's "Marchin' Around" album knocked "Be Here Now" by Oasis out of the #1 spot on the U.K. charts in 1997.
Formed in 1991, The Auteurs featured singer and songwriter Luke Haines at the mic. The band's biggest success came with the release of the 1996 album "After Murder Park," which was recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios.
Dodgy's 1996 album "Free Peace Sweet" went platinum in the U.K., thanks largely to the success of the single "Good Enough," and also charted in Canada. The band was still together 20 years later, releasing their sixth album "What Are We Fighting For?" in 2016.
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Once called The Joans, Dubstar became a three piece when vocalist Sarah Black (shown here) joined the group in 1992. There 1995 debut album, which blended pop, dance and alternative sounds, was a huge hit thanks to the single "Stars."
Lush got their start in London in the '80s and had their greatest success with the 1992 album "Spooky." The band managed to crack the Billboard 200 chart with both their 1994 and 1996 albums, "Split" and "Lovelife" during the peak of Britpop mania in the States.
Primal Scream started making music in Glasgow in 1982. Their successful 1991 release "Screamadelica" blended techno, house and pop, but their 1994 album "Give Out But Don't Give Up" fit right into the Britpop scene of the time. Bobby Gillespie supplied lead vocals for the group.
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Formed in Liverpool in 1989, The Lightning Seeds had a hit with the 1995 song "Change," but it was a 1996 anthem that put them on the map. To celebrate England's hosting of the European Soccer Championship, the band recorded "Three Lions," which went to #1 in 1996 and remains a footie staple to this day.
Keane emerged out of the mid-'90s Britpop era as one of the top bands to help create the post-Britpop sound. There 2004 album "Hopes and Fears" was a commercial success, but it was the 2006 issue "Under the Iron Sea" that made them a big name in the U.S.
Snow Patrol emerged out of Dundee, Scotland in 1994. Originally named Polarbear, they stuck with the cold-weather concept when they became Snow Patrol in 1997. Their 2004 album "Final Straw" was relatively successful in the States, but it was the appearance of their song "Chasing Cars" in a 2006 episode of "Grey's Anatomy" that shot them to the top of the charts.
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Mansun was originally called Grey Lantern, and they liked the name so much that even after switching the name of the band to Mansun, they called their 1997 debut album "Attack of the Grey Lantern." The group honed their on-stage skills touring with fellow Britpop acts Shed Seven and The Charlatans but split in 2003 over the pressures of recording a planned fourth album.
The members of Echobelly got together in London in 1992 and released a successful debut album "Everyone's Got One" two years later. The album featured the single "Insomnia," which showed up on the "Dumb and Dumber" soundtrack. Echobelly's 1995 album "On" broke the top ten on the U.K. album charts as Britpop was taking over the airwaves.
Formed in Wales in the early '90s, Catatonia had a top-40 single with the 1996 song "You've Got a Lot to Answer For." Their 1998 release "International Velvet" went triple platinum on the strength of the single "Mulder and Scully."
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When he signed Super Furry Animals to the Creation label, manager Alan McGee suggested to the Welsh band that they start singing in English to attract more fans. He soon learned that they already were, albeit with thick Welsh accents. The band went on to score nine top-25 albums over the next few decades, including pushing Blur's 1997 released from the #1 spot on the U.K. album charts.