Defining "Cool Britannia" as a genre or continuum

One of the things that interests me about Britpop (circa mid-'90s) was all the discourse about how it reclaimed a very British musical continuum that had been lost for a time. First, musicians and journalists defined it as a reaction against several musical trends at the time, including American grunge and alternative music, and also certain UK alternative strands like shoegaze. 

They also referenced contemporary music that they were drawing from; namely, "baggy jeans" and Madchester bands like the Stone Roses, the Happy Mondays, Primal Scream, Inspiral Carpets, the Charlatans, James, et al. So those groups get in.

The key Britpop bands are the usual suspects: Oasis (clearly Beatles-influenced), Suede (clearly Bowie-influenced), Blur (many noticed similarities with the Kinks, especially their "Little Britain" phase; Albarn sings in a very Bowie-like manner as well; XTC is a big influence as well), Elastica (Wire was a noticeable influence), Pulp (the artier & more literary strains of UK music, like Bowie, the Smiths, Roxy Music), Supergrass (again, Beatles, punk, power pop). There were many other bands as well, and many great songs, but their influences were generally the same as above.

So what, then, is Cool Britannia as a genre? And what isn't Cool Britannia? This is the question for everyone who's interested in this topic. (And of course, genres are constructed, they're not real, the borders are fluid, blah blah blah. We all know that. Let's move on from that, and get to it! )

Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd is clearly in, but not post-Barrett or prog-era Floyd. Early Stones are in, but not the American stuff (i.e. the blues influences in the late 60s, nor the NYC disco influences of the 70s). Early Who is in, but not the bombastic opera or epic Who's Next-era. Does any prog band get in? I don't think so. But maybe? (Moody Blues? Procol Harum? Jethro Tull? Maybe we could say "Cool Britannia" is decidedly urban, as opposed to the more rural sounds of acts like Fairport Convention and (let's face it) most prog - Genesis, Camel, Tull, Yes, King Crimson, with their folk and classical influences.)

Do any American bands get in? I'd argue yes. For example, Supergrass were clearly influenced a bit by the Monkees, and apparently came close to working with Stephen Spielberg in a Monkees-style show or movie. Who else from the US might get in? Maybe some power pop tunes by the likes of Todd Rundgren (Couldn't I Just Tell You), Cheap Trick (If You Want My Love), the Raspberries, Cotton Mather's Kontiki album (the Gallagher brothers were big fans). What else? Would it be too preposterous to say maybe the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds gets in? (Big influence on Britpop bands.) Early pre-country Byrds get in, when imitating British Invasion sounds? And surely, if Cool Britannia has a theme song, I'd argue it's Soul Bossa Nova by Quincy Jones 

How about in the UK? Do Radiohead get in? I'd argue The Bends/OK Computer era gets in, but not Pablo Honey. "Creep" is more of an American-style grunge tune, and that's why they broke first in the US. But then, Britpop started blowing up in the UK while grunge was dying, and Radiohead went to a Britpop-type sound, and sharing bills with all the other Britpop bands when touring. At the time, in the UK, publications grouped them in with that genre. And "Karma Police" enjoyed airplay next to "Common People," "Wonderwall," and "Parklife." But by 2000, of course, Britpop was dead, and Radiohead charted a new course with Kid A. So I'd argue Pablo Honey, Kid A and everything after *isn't* on this Cool Britannia continuum.

How about a lot of the electronic music that was so popular in the UK during the Britpop era? For example, Underworld scored a big hit with Born Slippy, which was featured in the Britpop-heavy soundtrack to Trainspotting. The singer in the Prodigy, on tunes like "Firestarter" and "Breathe," snarled like Liam Gallagher channeling Johnny Rotten - speaking of whom, guested on the Britpop classic "Open Up" by Leftfield. Fatboy Slim's remix of Cornershop's "Brimful of Asha" was a hit, while Noel Gallagher guested on two Beatlesque tunes by the Chemical Brothers (Setting Sun, Left Forever Be). There's some clear overlap there then. To my ears, Massive Attack on other hand don't get in; yet, in a documentary on Britpop, they're featured heavily, so perhaps others feel they're in.

How about 80s synthpop from the UK? Does that get in, or is that outside the continuum? For example, the Human League? The Cure? Gary Numan, OMD, Duran Duran, the Pet Shop Boys? I really love this era, but are they in or out? (Are certain songs in?)...

Does Two-tone get in? Strangely enough, the Specials were revered by many Britpop personalities, especially Damon Albarn. He really ran with that influence in Gorillaz. (And are they in or out?)

Who today gets in? I'd argue the 1975 do; as well as the Arctic Monkeys, the Libertines, Kasabian, Stereophonics, Baxter Dury (& his father Ian)... If we're going to build a playlist, what gets in? Who doesn't? Coldplay: no. Foals: no. Wolf Alice: maybe yes? Sleaford Mods: yeah?

What's the criteria for getting in, I wonder? I can "hear" a song, and say, "No, that doesn't get in," but how to define it? In many ways, we *are* talking about pop music. Britpop was 'pop' because the songs were pop hits; the Beatles and Who were pop because they had pop hits. But that doesn't mean a UK rock band gets in because they had a pop hit, right? Like, Supertramp and the Alan Parsons Project are from the UK, they had pop hits - yet, they don't feel like they belong at all to this genre. Cat Stevens? Al Stewart? 10cc? Elton John!?! No, right? (On the other hand, ELO - maybe?)

I read some articles recently about Hendrix in London, and how he was often hanging out with the Beatles and Cream and whatnot, and usually the Monkees were said to be there too. So it seems at the time, they were greeted rather enthusiastically. I find that really cool! :)