
1 minute read
NO ONE ASKED
If you had to show someone one song that encapsulated Britpop what song would that be?
No. Looking back I don’t really think it’s a very good question, hence why it only got asked once before I axed it. I think Jane’s answer is the only legitimate answer someone could come up with. I think Jarvis’ antics at the Brits in ’96 with Michael Jackson cements his place as the only true answer to the question.
Advertisement
What do you think led to the downfall of Britpop?
I think a general boredom of the movement itself. Oasis releasing Be Here Now, which was hyped up before its release as if it was going to be the greatest record ever. I think the press had shat themselves after they all gave What’s the Story (Morning Glory), pretty average reviews and then it became one of the biggest albums of all time. So they weren’t going to risk ending up with egg on their face for the third Oasis record. However, Be Here Now was no where near the same standard as the previous album and it just seemed a bit ridiculous that it got so hyped for nothing. I also think that the death of Princess Diana signalled the end of the movement, just as the death of Kurt Cobain signalled the end of grunge. Its funny though as these two events happened around the same time in 1997, yet one of the defining Britpop records, Urban Hymns was released that same year. I don’t think you can pinpoint when it ended, as Cliff and Jon said, movements just fade away.
band crash and burn like they did must have been heart breaking. A high point I think would be seeing either, Blur at Mile End Stadium, Oasis at Maine Road or The Verve at Haigh Hall. Nothing beats seeing a band perform on their home turf, especially the Oasis or Verve gigs where the band were returning after relocating to London and finally reaching superstardom. It means just as much to the band as it does the audience, it truly creates a special atmosphere.