The 1990s
Articles examining 1990s British music scenes including Madchester, Britpop, jungle and early garage. Topics span major bands, emerging electronic genres and the changing role of festivals.
Bhangra, Music for Dancing
Bhangra started as Punjabi harvest music and grew into a major British music force that blends tradition with hip-hop and gives voice to Asian youth.
British Hip-Hop
How British hip-hop fought to find its own sound and finally became a major musical force after decades of struggle.
How Take That Began
Take That went from manufactured pop group to 1990s chart dominance with seven number ones and sales rivaling the Beatles.
Madchester
How Manchester's indie and acid house fusion created one of Britain's most influential musical movements in the late 80s and early 90s.
Nirvana, UK and American Band
The British psychedelic duo Nirvana made orchestral rock in the 1960s, years before the Seattle grunge band took the name.
Stone Roses
The Stone Roses went from punk-influenced unknowns to defining the Madchester scene with one landmark debut album that still ranks among the best ever made.
The 90s and Grunge Rock
Grunge rock emerged from Seattle's underground scene in the mid-80s, blending punk and heavy metal before Nirvana brought it to the world.
The Development of House Music
House music started in Chicago as an electronic take on disco, spreading globally through the Second Summer of Love and beyond.
The History of Britpop
How British guitar bands rejected grunge in the 1990s by reviving the sounds and spirit of the 1960s and 1970s.
The Impact of Oasis on the 90s Music Scene
How Oasis became one of the biggest bands of the 90s and changed the global music landscape.
The Impact of the Spice Girls on the 90s
How the Spice Girls became a global phenomenon and reshaped pop culture in the 1990s.
The Jungle Music Scene 1994
How jungle music merged dance, hip-hop and reggae in 1994 to create a new sound that would become drum'n'bass.
The Return of Rock: Boo Radleys
How the Boo Radleys and other 1990s bands kept rock alive by reinventing it beyond the indie and Britpop trends.
What Are Shoegazers?
Shoegazing was a self-absorbed 1990s indie movement where bands gazed at their instruments instead of connecting with audiences.