BRIT POP
| Britpop | |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | early 1990s, United Kingdom |
| Typical instruments | |
| Mainstream popularity | Popular from the mid- to late-1990s. |
| Regional scenes | |
| England - Scotland - Wales - Northern Ireland | |
| Other topics | |
| Bands - Cool Britannia - Lion Pop - Timeline of alternative rock | |
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s. The movement developed as a reaction against various musical and cultural trends in the late 1980s and early 1990s, particularly the grunge phenomenon from the United States. In the wake of the musical invasion into the United Kingdom of American grunge bands (in particular Nirvana), new British groups such as Suede and Blur launched the movement by positioning themselves as opposing musical forces, referencing British guitar music of the past and writing about uniquely British topics and concerns. These bands were soon joined by others including Oasis, Pulp, Supergrass and Elastica.
Britpop groups brought British alternative rock into the mainstream and formed the backbone of a larger British cultural movement called Cool Britannia. Although its more popular bands were able to spread their commercial success overseas, especially to the United States, the movement largely fell apart by the end of the decade.
