British rock

BRITISHROCK

The impact British rock groups had on music from the 1960s through the 1990s

CHARTS

British Invasion

Rock music was at its peak in the 1960s and early 1970s, resulting in the rise of numerous rock groups into the global mainstream. The fundamental elements of rock include heavy beats, blues, drums, and electric instruments. The genre has since expanded and created a range of new and unique music subgenres, such as Britpop and shoegaze. In the middle of the 1960s, American audiences began to gravitate toward British rock and pop music, eventually dominating the country’s music charts. Bands like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Kinks became the faces of rock music and contributed to the cultural phenomenon known as the British Invasion. The phenomenon began in 1964 with the Beatles’ visit to New York following the release of their first-ever hit song in the United States, “I Want to Hold Your Hand.“

Beetlemania

The unwavering devotion people had for the Beatles was known as Beetlemania. When the group came to the United States in 1964, The Ed Sullivan Show live-broadcast their performances to an estimated 73 million viewers. This was due to the group’s quickly rising fame in the United Kingdom throughout 1963. There, the Beatles immediate success established their status as global icons, dominating the national sales charts in a significant number of other countries.

The Beatles arriving in New York City in 1964

Date Position Weeks

1964-01-25 1 14

1964-01-25 14 8

1964-02-01 1 14

1964-02-22 3 10 Song

The Beatles, „I Want to Hold Your Hand“ The Beatles, „I Saw Her Standing There“

The Beatles, „She Loves You“

The Beatles, „Please Please Me“ -- recorded 1962-11

1964-03-21 2 16 The Beatles, „Twist and Shout“ -- recorded 1961

1964-03-21 13 8 The Beatles, „Twist and Shout“ -- recorded 1961

Background

Polly Jean Harvey, an English singer-songwriter and rock musician, was born on October 9th 1969. She was raised on a farm in a musical environment by her music-fanatic parents, who exposed her to a variety of artists who later influenced her work. She took guitar lessons from the musician Steve Knightley when she was a young girl and later she began learning how to play the saxophone during her teenage years. Polly was a member of four bands: Bologna, Polekats, Stoned Weaklings, and Automatic Dlamini. When she joined Automatic Dlamini in 1988, her career really took off, and it was there that she developed her skills in complex ensemble playing.

Britpop

Grunge, a genre of rock music, gained popularity in the 1990s due to the American band Nirvana and dominated the charts because of its recognisable, loud, distorted sound. But its success was short-lived as a different guitar-driven genre known as Britpop emerged from the British music scene and into the mainstream. Britpop’s source of inspiration came from the 1980s and 1990s songs by the Beatles, the Kinks and the Smiths. Opposed to grunge, Britpop utilised lighter-sounding and extremely melodic hooks and choruses, and British references and political remarks incorporated into the songs.

Start of Blur

In 1988, the English Britpop band, Blur, was formed in London, originally under the name “Seymour”. The band consists of lead singer and keyboardist Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, drummer Dave Rowntree and bassist Alex James. On August 26th 1991, the band released their debut album Leisure. Although the album got mixed reviews from the British music press, their second single, “There’s No Other Way,“ peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles charts.

Blur: Britpop years

Creating the group’s second album, Modern Life Is Rubbish, published on May 10th 1993, Damon Albarn took charge of the project, planning a musical counterattack against American grunge and reinforcing the fundamentals of classic British pop/rock. The ideology, image, and music were all highly British-focused and unlike anything else at the time. Despite the album receiving harsh criticism and outrage after its release, as opposed to their commercially successful debut album, Leisure, the abrupt musical and lyrical switch immediately captured people’s attention and curiosity, which helped their career take off.

The Battle of Britpop: Oasis Vs Blur

Oasis, Blur, Suede, and Pulp make up the “big four“ of Britpop. However, in 1995, Blur and Oasis competed in a chart battle known as “The Battle of Britpop,“ which made them the faces of Britpop and brought it to the attention of the British press. Initially, the two bands had mutual respect and affection, but as time passed, their tension grew and was fueled by the media, earning them the title of the greatest musical rivalry since the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.