BRITPOP COLLECTABLES

Billy Albert celebrates the golden age of Cool Britannia, 1992-98

It’s now approximately 10 years since the demise of the mid-nineties era known as ‘Britpop’, the end-point of which is agreed by many to the release of Pulp’s This is Hardcore LP and the subsequent singles. The term ‘Britpop’ had been bandied around several times in the music press in the early 90s, but it didn’t take a hold until Blur’s Popscene and early Suede releases stressed the importance of homegrown music, inspired by the rich legacy of British songwriting over the previous 30 years.

In a similar comparison to the way that punk rose out of the void that existed in British music in the mid-70s, Britpop is equally described as being born out of an impoverished indie scene (dominated by the ‘shoegazing’ genre) that picked up the scraps following the demise of Madchester. More importantly, Britpop was regarded as a reaction to the explosion of US grunge that had overwhelmed the album charts and music press in the early 90s. While undeniable, to suggest that the UK album and singles charts were bereft of alternative homegrown talent would be an insult to bands such as Carter USM, The Wonderstuff and The Charlatans to name just a few.

The stirrings of ‘Cool Britannia’ were evident as early as 1992, but it wasn’t until the …

by Billy Albert
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