Blur

English pop group. Their album Parklife (1994) won wide admiration for its catchy melodies and quirky ‘cockney’ attitude. Members are singer Damon Albarn (1968– ), guitarist Graham Coxon (1969– ), bassist Alex James (1968– ), and drummer Dave Rowntree (1963– ).

Coxon left the band in 2002, and the remaining three members continued under the same name. Their first album without the influential guitarist was the successful Think Tank (2003), which was far darker and more experimental than their earlier output.

Blur's first single ‘She's So High’ (1990) won them an audience among indie music fans, and their debut album Leisure and in particular the single ‘There's No Other Way’ (both 1991) established Blur as a moderately successful though unexceptional indie band. Their second album, Modern Life is Rubbish (1993), was well received by fans but covered little new ground.

The release of the single ‘Girls and Boys’ (1994) and the third album Parklife established Blur as the typically English pop group, combining a feel for ‘classic’ English pop with a 1990s sensibility. The mainstream success that followed for Blur led to a renewed interest in modern English pop (termed ‘Britpop’).

The single ‘Country House’ (1995) went straight to the top of the charts. Their fourth album was The Great Escape (1995); it was followed by Blur (1997), and 13 (1999).