English rock band who initially debuted with a Madchester-influenced sound in 1990 before radically reinventing themselves as 90s torchbearers of British guitar pop, following in the tradition of The Kinks, The Beatles, The Jam, Madness. Their 1994 album Parklife made them superstars in the UK and Britpop’s leading band. In 1997, Blur reinvented again, incorporating American indie rock influences into their sound and finally achieving some success in the US. Internal tensions and diverging interests led to the group’s hiatus in 2004. They reformed in 2009 and 2012 for live performances and put out their eighth studio album in 2015.
Details
- Years Active: 1988-2004, 2009, 2012-2015
- Peak Success: 1991, 1994-2000
- Origin: London, England, United Kingdom
- Styles/Movements: Britpop, Indie Rock, Madchester
- Labels:
- Food [1990-2000; UK]
- SBK Records [1991-1994; US]
- Virgin [1995-2003; US]
- Parlophone [2003-2015; UK]
- Warner Music [2015; US]
- Core Members:
- Damon Albarn (vocals)
- Graham Coxon (guitar)
- Alex James (bass)
- Dave Rowntree (drums)
- Spotify monthly listeners: 7,363,181 (as of May 16, 2021)
- Links: Website | Youtube | Spotify | Wikipedia | Allmusic