Best Britpop Bands

1. Oasis

   

   Oasis is an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. The original lineup consisted of Liam Gallagher (lead vocals), Paul Arthurs (guitar), Paul McGuigan (bass guitar), and Tony McCarroll (drums). A few months later, Liam invited his older brother Noel Gallagher (lead guitar, vocals) to join the... read more

   Oasis are legendary. They have so many wonderful songs and two of the most important albums of the '90s. They completely changed my perspective on music. Noel Gallagher is such an amazing songwriter and definitely one of the best of the '90s. Liam has such a cool voice too. Noel also has a great voice. He sings some of my favorite tunes. Just a wonderful band.

   My favorite Oasis song is Half the World Away. Oasis is probably the band I turn to the most when I'm upset - or really in any mood. They cheer me up.

   Great band, so many hits, and their albums are still on the charts. It shows how awesome they still are. Much better than Blur.

2. Blur

   

   Blur is an English rock band formed in London in 1988. The group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James, and drummer Dave Rowntree. They were a leading force in the Britpop movement and achieved massive international success with their 1997 hit Song 2.

   Much better than Oasis. I hope Oasis will never reunite and that all of the band members stop making music. Also, I hope that Blur gets inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame instead of Oasis because Blur always wrote amazing and catchy songs. Oasis kept pumping out lame songs that always sounded the same, making them the Britpop Nickelback.

   So long story short, Blur is better than Oasis and will always be that way.

   I think Blur are the definitive Britpop band even though Oasis was more globally famous. Oasis are a solid rock band who went downhill from their debut in my opinion, but Blur covered all the bases and all the genres. From pop to rock, new wave to experimental, serious to lighthearted, and they kept changing their sound in compelling ways.

3. Pulp

   

   Pulp are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their best-known lineup during the 1990s included Jarvis Cocker, Candida Doyle, Russell Senior, Mark Webber, Steve Mackey, and Nick Banks. The band achieved major success during the Britpop era with hits such as Common People and Disco 2000.

   Oasis and Blur are great, but derivative. Oasis is basically a Beatles imitation band, albeit a very good one, and Blur are trying to imitate the Kinks. Pulp were the only one of the three who did something genuinely original. It didn't always work, but they deserve credit for it.

   Well, for starters, they're actually Britpop, unlike Coldplay. Such a fun band, however, can do serious stuff amazingly as well. Jarvis Cocker is a fantastic frontman, and he brings his own amazing style of charisma to the band.

4. Suede

   

   Suede's first three albums are the most perfect expression of a band that any group has ever achieved. They are relentless, neo-glam masterpieces, each distinct from the other. Suede is the band from this list that I find myself revisiting most often.

   I've heard all of the Britpop bands in the top 10, and I have to say that no Britpop band can be better than Suede. Suede is so underrated.

   Most of the bands in the top 10 aren't even Britpop. Suede are better than basically all of this list.

5. Radiohead

   

   Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Philip Selway, and Ed O'Brien.

   Known for their experimentation and sonic evolution, they rose to international prominence with OK Computer and continued... read more

   The Bends is very much Britpop.

6. The Verve

   

   The Verve were an English rock band formed in Wigan in 1990. The founding members were lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong joined the band later in the band's history.... read more

   The Verve are in a league of their own. Simple song construction, haunting arrangements, and deeply personal lyrics are at the forefront of what Richard Ashcroft does. Like Oasis, I don't feel the "Britishness" of their music as strongly as I do with bands like Blur, but that's not an insult. It means they write timeless, amazing music.

   This is the band that breaks my heart. Ashcroft is amazing, but I think he never got back to his Northern Soul and Urban Hymns form. The Verve were a band that was more than the sum of its parts. I wish Ashcroft and McCabe had made more records together, though some of their output was inconsistent at times.

7. Arctic Monkeys

   

   The Arctic Monkeys, also known by the pseudonym Death Ramps, are a British indie rock band formed in 2002 in Sheffield, England. The lineup includes Alex Turner (lead vocalist, songwriter, electric and rhythm guitarist), Jamie Cook (electric and rhythm guitarist, songwriter), Matt Helders (drummer, backing... read more

8. Manic Street Preachers

   

   Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh rock band formed in Blackwood, Wales, in 1986. The group consists of James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, and Sean Moore. Known for their political lyrics and energetic sound, the band has released several acclaimed albums and remains active in the music scene.

9. Coldplay

   

   Coldplay is a British rock band formed in 1996. The group includes Chris Martin (lead vocals, piano), Jonny Buckland (lead guitar), Guy Berryman (bass), and Will Champion (drums, backing vocals). Their manager, Phil Harvey, is often referred to as the unofficial fifth member.... read more

   Any music by Coldplay has a different meaning, and this makes me think... How did they change the style of music, song by song?

   Some are more electronic, some are alternative, some are melodic, and some have solos that stick in your head. Anyway, Coldplay is the best British band ever.

   A very hit-and-miss band but deserve to be high up the list.

10. Supergrass

    

    I love this band! They deserved to be more popular than they were.

    Drummer Danny Goffey is very fit, and Gaz Coombes is so cute! I got their autographs a long time ago.

    Easily top three on this list. Songs sounding better with time. Best album - In It For the Money.

    Agree, in the top five, for Sun Hits The Sky if nothing else.

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Embrace

12. ?

    Mansun

The Contenders

13. Placebo

    

    Placebo is a British alternative rock band formed in London in 1994 by Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal. They became known for their distinctive sound and hits such as Every You Every Me and Pure Morning. The band has developed a strong international following and continues to record and perform.

    Lots of great bands, but I'll jump on board with Placebo. I just think they've got that bit of extra class. In order, the rest I'd go Keane, Radiohead, Coldplay, Blur, Arctic Monkeys, Manic Street Preachers, Snow Patrol, Pulp, Kasabian, the Verve, and Suede. Also, bands like Doves, Editors, I Am Kloot, the Kooks, and Death Cab for Cutie (not sure if they're all British though).

14. Stone Roses

    

    The Stone Roses are a million times better than Franz Ferdinand.

15. Snow Patrol

    

    Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish-Scottish rock band formed in 1994, originally from Dundee, Scotland, and later based in Northern Ireland. The band consists of Gary Lightbody, Nathan Connolly, Paul Wilson, Jonny Quinn, and Johnny McDaid. They achieved international success with their 2006 single Chasing... read more

    Snow Patrol light up as if they have the choice, which makes them light up by being a successful band!

16. Kaiser Chiefs

    

    Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996 under the name Runston Parva before shortening it to Parva in 2000. They released one studio album, 22, in 2003 before changing their name to Kaiser Chiefs later that year. They rose to prominence with their debut album Employment... read more

17. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

    

    Best band of our time, it's a fact. Who Built the Moon? is a masterpiece, a work of art. It's brilliant. Noel can't do anything wrong. He's the greatest songwriter of the last 20 years and just keeps getting better. He truly is a godlike genius.

18. Elastica

19. Beady Eye

20. Muse

    

    Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The members are Matt Bellamy (lead vocals, lead guitar, piano, keyboards), Dom Howard (drums, percussion), and Chris Wolstenholme (bass, backing vocals). They have won numerous awards, including five MTV Europe Music Awards... read more

    The only band I know of that has no bad songs. All of Muse's songs are beautiful and epic, and Matt's voice is utter perfection.

    Coldplay doesn't even know which end of the guitar to fret on, while Muse is just an all-around good band.

21. Stereophonics

    

    Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in the Cynon Valley. The band achieved mainstream success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with albums such as Word Gets Around and Performance and Cocktails. Their lineup includes Kelly Jones, Richard Jones, Adam Zindani,... read more

22. Ash

23. Keane

    

    Keane is an English post-Britpop, piano rock, and pop rock band from Battle, East Sussex, formed in 1995. The group consists of Tim Rice-Oxley, Richard Hughes, Jesse Quin, and Tom Chaplin. Keane achieved major success in the 2000s with albums such as Hopes and Fears.

    I love this band to bits, as well as many others like Oasis, Blur, and Supergrass! Tom has an amazing voice and is a total gift from God!

    This is the last time I will write about this review.

    While late to the Britpop game, Keane is just a maddeningly brilliant band. Perfect Symmetry, Everybody's Changing, and Bend and Break are some of the most magnificent songs to my ears.

    Nothing short of perfect! Somewhere Only We Know, Nothing in My Way, Everybody's Changing... One is better than the other.

24. Ocean Colour Scene

    Second best Britpop band behind Oasis, with the Verve in third.

25. Franz Ferdinand

    

    Franz Ferdinand is a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow. The group was formed in 2002 and became known for its energetic style and post-punk revival sound. The original lineup included Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy, Bob Hardy, and Paul Thomson.

26. Travis

    I think Travis is absolutely amazing. Driftwood (and the whole The Man Who album) is beautiful, sad, and haunting. A little late to Britpop, but definitely strongly influenced by it.

27. Kasabian

    

    Kasabian are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997. The original lineup included vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff, and bassist Chris Edwards. After Meighan's departure in 2020, Pizzorno took over as the lead vocalist.