Britpop facts for kids

Britpop is a type of alternative rock music that became popular in the United Kingdom during the 1990s. It grew out of the British independent music scene. This style of music was also influenced by British pop music from the 1960s and 1970s, especially its use of guitars.

Britpop started as a way for British bands to react against popular music trends from other countries, like grunge music from the United States. When American grunge bands such as Nirvana became very popular in Britain, many British bands wanted to create something different. They focused on British topics and concerns in their songs.

Even though Britpop bands didn't all sound exactly the same, the media first called them a "scene," meaning a new and exciting trend. Later, it became clear that Britpop was very important to British culture. The bands Blur, Oasis, and Pulp are often seen as the most important groups from this time. While some Britpop bands became popular in other countries, the style mostly faded away by the end of the 1990s.

Images for kids

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  Britpop was partly a reaction to the popularity of Nirvana and the serious mood of grunge music.

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  Select magazine's April 1993 issue – with Suede's Brett Anderson on the cover in front of a Union Flag – highlighted "Great British pop."

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  The UK media widely covered the chart battle between Blur and Oasis. The excitement over who would be number one led to Damon Albarn (left) appearing on the ITV News at Ten.

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  Oasis playing live. NME magazine said that as (What's the Story) Morning Glory? sold huge numbers, it was clear Oasis were winning the "war" even if Blur won a "battle."

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  Coldplay, a very successful band that came after Britpop, on stage in 2017. Their first three albums are among the best-selling albums in UK chart history.

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  Snow Patrol performing in 2009. Their 2006 song "Chasing Cars" is the most played song on UK radio in the 21st century.

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  DMA's live at Leeds.

See also

In Spanish: Britpop para niños