Blur

Blur are an English rock band formed in London in 1988, consisting of Damon Albarn (vocals), Graham Coxon (guitar), Alex James (bass) and Dave Rowntree (drums). After an early flirtation with the shoegaze and baggy sounds of the late 1980s, the band redefined itself in the early 1990s as one of the standard-bearers of Britpop, a movement rooted in a self-consciously British take on guitar pop that reacted against American grunge dominance.

Blur's mid-90s run produced some of the era's defining singles, including «Girls & Boys», «Parklife» and «Country House», the last of which famously beat Oasis's «Roll With It» in a heavily publicized chart battle that became a cultural moment in British pop history. Rather than repeat that formula, the band shifted toward a rawer, American-influenced alternative rock sound on their self-titled 1997 album, yielding the hit «Song 2» and the UK number one «Beetlebum», and opening the band to new international audiences.

Internal tensions eventually led to Coxon's departure and a subsequent hiatus, during which Albarn pursued Gorillaz and other projects while his bandmates worked on their own ventures. Blur have reunited periodically since, and their catalog remains a touchstone for British guitar music of the 1990s and beyond.