1. Pulp
  2. Blur
  3. Oasis
  4. Suede
  5. The Verve

Number Five: The Verve

The Verve may or may not count as Britpop depending on the person, but to me, they are 100% Britpop. Although late to the game, 1997’s Urban Hymns is a masterpiece of rock music and songwriting as a whole. Richard Ashcroft takes the listener through so many stories of his life and human life as a whole. The best songs on the album are without a doubt Bittersweet Symphony, Sonnet, and The Drugs Don’t Work. If this album came out two years earlier, The Verve would have been even bigger than they are now.

Number Four: Suede

Suede, also known as The London Suede is a band with a long discography and an incredible catalog of sounds. One of the originators of “Britpop” Suede popularized 90s British Rock with millions and continues to be a leader of the British Rock scene. Brett Anderson’s sexual ambiguity and stylish persona gave the band a true rock feel akin to that of David Bowie. Some of their best songs are Trash, Beautiful Ones, and Filmstar.

Number Three: Oasis

Dubbed by many as the kings of Britpop, Oasis is the most popular Britpop band ever, and for a good reason. Oasis dominated nineties British culture after their 1995 release of What’s The Story? (Morning Glory), with hits like Wonderwall. Liam and Noel Gallagher, the band’s leaders (and real-life brothers) grew to superstar staus and continue to hold that today. Oasis’s music spoke to the everyday Brit, a demographic they were familiar with, being from a working-class background themselves. Their best songs are Live Forever, Champagne Supernova, Don’t Look Back In Anger, and The Masterplan.

Number Two: Blur

Blur was Oasis’s direct competitor, and although in many ways less successful, Blur still became a massive hit in England and created some of the best British Rock in existence. Where Oasis was representative of the average working-class Brit, Blur was artsier and placed more political messaging into their music. Blur’s music focused on themes like corruption and often used satirical songs and videos to convey their points. Although less popular, Blur still got massive hits with songs like Song 2 and Parklife. But I would recommend Beetlebum, The Universal, and Girls and Boys.

Number One: Pulp

Anyone who knows me knows my love of Pulp. My number one artist and singers of my number one song on this year’s Spotify Wrapped, Pulp is near and dear to my heart. A band that got massive success with Common People but never got anywhere near Oasis and Blur’s fame, Pulp is the ultimate Britpop underdog and was and is often forgotten in the Britpop conversation. Pulp mixed messages the average Brit was used to, like that of sex and love, with more complex ones like personal imaging and corruption. Jarvis Cocker sported a sophisticated yet ordinary persona to keep the band grounded in reality. And that it did. My favorites are She’s a Lady, Do You Remember The First Time?, and This is Hardcore.