The Oasis reunion promises a Britpop resurgence
Oasis are back—but what is Britpop? Oasis are back—but what is Britpop? Oasis are back—but what is Britpop? Oasis are back—but what is Britpop? Oasis are back—but what is Britpop?

Highlights

In one of the biggest ‘the band are back together’ stories ever, Oasis finally announced their reunion.
Britpop was a huge movement in the 90s that continues to influence music to this day.
The Oasis reunion promises a Britpop resurgence, with plenty of Britpop-inspired songs already on Artlist.

Table of contents

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Will they…won’t they? They wouldn’t…would they? After 15 years of waiting, and with many fans giving up altogether, the news finally broke. The Gallagher brothers have settled their scores, and the band is getting back together.

The announcement of an Oasis reunion set the world alight with excitement. The Britpop band known for their timeless hits like ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ remain one of the UK’s greatest musical exports alongside the likes of The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys and Rolling Stones, with tickets for the comeback tour sold out within minutes. But what is Britpop? And how did Oasis remain so popular, despite such a long hiatus?

What is Britpop?

Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the UK during the early 1990s. Critics at the time saw it as a reaction to the dominance of American grunge music, particularly bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

As the name suggests, Britpop celebrated British culture and sought to revive elements of 1960s British pop music, drawing heavily from bands like The Beatles, The Kinks, and The Who, as well as the glam rock movement of the 1970s, and the new wave of the 1980s.

There are a few key characteristics you can pick out when analyzing Britpop:

Catchy melodies and lyrics

Britpop songs are most well known for their catchy, guitar-driven melodies and often ironic, witty lyrics that reference British life, class struggles, and youth culture. How many times have you heard an Oasis song being belted out impromptu at a British club or music festival? It often feels like the whole nation knows every song to ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’.

National identity

Britpop bands embraced Britishness which was in stark contrast to the darker, more introspective nature of American grunge. They often referenced British culture, art, and places in their music.

Optimism

Compared to the angst and nihilism of grunge, Britpop has a more upbeat, optimistic vibe, even when addressing serious topics.

Key Britpop bands

There are a few Britpop bands that headed up the 90s movement.

Oasis

Known for songs like ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger,’ Oasis were one of the biggest bands of the Britpop movement, drawing comparisons to The Beatles.

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Blur

Blur’s rivalry with Oasis became iconic (more on that below), and they produced hits like ‘Parklife’ and ‘Song 2’.

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Pulp

Pulp are most well known for their hit ‘Common People,’ which satirizes British class divisions.

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Suede

Another early Britpop band, Suede are known for songs like ‘Animal Nitrate’.

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Elastica

Elastica’s post-punk sound made them stand out, with hits like ‘Connection’ performing well in the charts.

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The Britpop highs and lows

In 1995, Oasis and Blur struck up a rivalry that really stoked the Britpop movement and was perhaps its peak. Both bands released singles on the same day — Blur’s ‘Country House’ and Oasis’s ‘Roll with It’. This became a media-fueled competition that highlighted the cultural importance of Britpop at the time. While Blur won the chart battle, Oasis ultimately became the bigger band globally.

By the late 1990s, the Britpop movement had begun to fade as bands either evolved musically or broke up. The rise of other musical genres like electronic music and post-Britpop acts like Radiohead and Coldplay marked the end of the era.

Though short-lived, Britpop had a lasting impact on British music and culture, leaving behind a legacy of iconic albums and shaping the sound of British indie music in the following decades.

Oasis’s impact on the Britpop movement

Oasis are central to the Britpop movement for so many reasons. First and foremost, they quickly became a symbol of working-class pride and aspiration, reflecting the struggles and attitudes of the British working class in their music. Their confident swagger and no-nonsense attitude, shaped by the Gallagher brothers’ Manchester roots, resonated with fans both in the UK and globally.

Celebrating British identity, Oasis infused their music with references to British culture and drew heavily from iconic bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. This aligned with Britpop’s broader goal of reclaiming British cultural identity from the dominance of American grunge.

Oasis were easily the most commercially successful Britpop band too, achieving massive global sales and widespread radio airplay, making them cultural ambassadors for the movement. Their second album, ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’ (1995), became one of the best-selling albums in British history, featuring iconic hits like ‘Wonderwall,’ ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger,’ and ‘Champagne Supernova,’ cementing their international fame. With other anthemic songs like ‘Live Forever’ and ‘Supersonic,’ Oasis consistently defined the sound of Britpop.

Oasis had a lasting impact on British culture, influencing not only music but also fashion, attitudes, and politics during the 1990s. They became synonymous with ‘Cool Britannia,’ a period of renewed national pride in British arts. Songs like ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ became generational anthems (seemingly everyone in the UK still knows every word to this day), defining ’90s British rock music.

While other Britpop bands faded, Oasis’s influence persisted. Their music continued to inspire both old and new fans even after their infamous 2009 breakup, ultimately cementing their legacy. In 2024, it’s no wonder there’s such excitement about their reunion.

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Is Britpop coming back?

So, with the news that Oasis are back together, can we expect something of a Britpop resurgence? The fact is, it’s already happening. Just last year, in 2023, Blur played their biggest show ever at a 90,000-strong Wembley stadium. Naturally, after the latest Oasis announcement, streaming of the band’s music has surged dramatically and with it, other bands such as Blur and Pulp have seen a knock-on effect as people reminisce and indulge in the nostalgia of the 90s.

Bands influenced by Britpop

Britpop has had an impact on plenty of musicians and bands since its peak in the 90s. In fact, the influence for some of the biggest bands today can be directly traced back and attributed to the Britpop movement. Here are some examples:

Coldplay

Though often seen as more melancholic, Coldplay emerged from the post-Britpop scene and incorporated elements of the Britpop sound, especially in their earlier albums. Their debut album ‘Parachutes’ (2000) featured melodic, guitar-based tracks reminiscent of Britpop, though with a more introspective tone. Coldplay, much like Oasis, balanced simple, emotive lyrics with anthemic, arena-ready music.

Arctic Monkeys

The Arctic Monkeys’ sharp lyrics and social commentary are often compared to Britpop bands like Blur and Pulp. Their early sound, especially on albums like ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ (2006), features punchy guitar riffs and witty, observational lyrics about British nightlife and working-class experiences, echoing the Britpop era’s preoccupations with British identity.

The Libertines

The Libertines were heavily influenced by the Britpop movement, particularly Oasis’s raw, rock ‘n’ roll spirit. Their chaotic performances and messy, emotionally raw songs are reminiscent of the reckless energy Oasis brought to Britpop. Their music, however, is more punk-infused and lyrically centered on British life, politics, and class struggles.

Kaiser Chiefs

Kaiser Chiefs’ sound is deeply rooted in the Britpop era, with upbeat melodies and sing-along choruses that harken back to Blur. Tracks like ‘I Predict a Riot’ recall the irreverent, tongue-in-cheek commentary on British society that was central to Britpop.

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The Killers

Though American, The Killers cited Britpop bands like Oasis as a major influence. Their 2004 album Hot Fuss features dramatic, melodic anthems, combining the Britpop ethos with post-punk revival elements. Brandon Flowers has openly praised Britpop, particularly Oasis, and their influence can be heard in The Killers’ grand, guitar-driven sound.

Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand’s angular guitar riffs and catchy hooks are strongly reminiscent of the Britpop era. Their art-school aesthetic and post-punk revival sound on songs like ‘Take Me Out’ shows clear influence from bands like Blur and Pulp, which balanced art and rock in a similar way.

Kasabian

Kasabian took elements of Britpop’s anthemic style and mixed it with electronic influences. Songs like ‘Club Foot’ exhibit Britpop’s focus on rhythm and catchy hooks but blend in a more modern, electro-rock sound, showing the genre’s lasting versatility.

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Jake Bugg

Jake Bugg’s stripped-back, acoustic-driven sound blends influences from Britpop and British folk-rock. He has cited Oasis as one of his inspirations, and his songwriting often reflects Britpop’s direct, raw, and honest lyrical approach.

Britpop on Artlist

Artlist is the home of royalty-free music, and naturally, we’ve got plenty of Britpop-inspired songs for you to pick from! Alongside Artlist music collections, there’s a large catalog of music for you to browse. Here’s some of our favorite Britpop-inspired tracks:

Perhaps Britpop never left — it just evolved

With Oasis back on the scene, it’s no surprise we’re seeing a resurgence of Britpop, a genre that never completely disappeared from radios and playlists. Its signature sound continues to inspire artists around the world, blending catchy melodies, upbeat optimism, and that undeniable sense of Britishness. Whether you’re reliving the 90s or discovering it for the first time, now’s the perfect moment to dive into this iconic genre.

Looking to capture some of that Britpop magic for your own projects? Head over to Artlist to explore a wide range of Britpop-inspired tracks.

*This article’s cover image was inspired by footage from London Retro Film by Kristian Ozer Kettner

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About the author

Josh Edwards is an accomplished filmmaker, industry writing veteran, storyteller based in Indonesia (by way of the UK), and industry writer in the Blade Ronner Media Writing Collective. He's passionate about travel and documents adventures and stories through his films.
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