http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/10744192/10-ways-Britpop-changed-modern-manhood.html
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02872/Untitled-1_2872518b.jpg
1. It made us patriotic
Pre-Britpop, we looked across the Atlantic for cool, exciting new stuff: be it grunge or hip-hop, action blockbusters or cult Tarantino films, Friends or The X-Files. But for five halcyon years in the mid-90s, Blighty was where it was at: Blur vs Oasis, Cool Britannia, Euro ’96, TFI Friday, Lock Stock, Spice Girls, Young British Artists, Trainspotting… We were reminded of the greatness on our own doorstep. That feeling of renewed national pride has never left us. We might again be in thrall to American tech, Italian food or Scandi design, but we’ve learnt to love our country again too. Look at London 2012 – it was well Britpop.
2. It improved our dress sense
There wasn’t just a Britpop band called Menswe@r (doesn’t that “@“ date them?): it was a glorious time for actual menswear too. Designer terrace threads by Stone Island, GioGoi, Paul Smith and Duffer of St George. Fila and Adidas trackie tops. Cords, desert boots, vintage Ts and Harrington jackets. We dressed like a cross between 60s bands, 70s teachers and 80s hooligans. It helped revive homegrown heritage labels like Clarks, Aquascutum, Doc Marten, Fred Perry and Burberry. Brit menswear has since gone from strength to strength.
3. It wasn’t to be sniffed at
“All your dreams are made / When you're chained to the mirror and the razorblade.” Ecstasy had been the drug of choice since Madchester and acid house but when Oasis arrived, it was riding on a huge snow-drift of cocaine. It suited Britpop’s cocky, beery swagger. As rock’n’roll poet Murray Lachlan Young titled his 1996 poem: “Simply Everyone’s Taking Cocaine”. It made a generation feel beautiful and invincible. Coke’s never really fallen out of fashion since.
4. It made football cool again
From Three Lions to the Gallaghers' Man City shirts, the beautiful game became linked with the music scene for the first time since George Best.
5. It revived live music
Sweaty Suede and Elastica tours. Bouncing around to Supergrass. Blur live at Mile End Stadium. Glastonbury 95, headlined by Oasis and Pulp. Britpop made us fall in love with gigs again. By 1996, the Gallagher brothers marked their imperious peak with two nights at Knebworth and there were a mad-fer-it 2.6m applications for tickets (still a record today). It kickstarted the festival boom and two decades of live music making a mint.
6. It was central to the radio revolution
In 1993, new Radio 1 controller Matthew Bannister exiled the old guard of Smashy ’n' Nicey-style DJs and replaced them with young talent like Steve Lamacq, Jo Whiley and Chris Evans — all of whom wanted to play new British music. The trickle-down is still being felt on Radios 1 and 2, 6Music, Absolute and Xfm today.
7. It made boys be boys
Sure, there were Britpop girls - Elastica’s Justine Frischmnn, say, or Louise Wener off of Sleeper - but it was mainly about lads being lads. I don’t mean that tedious “wahey, boobz and bantz!” kind of laddishess. I mean an old-fashioned, faintly roguish joy in just being a cheeky tearaway who likes football, beer, rock music and male bonding. Let’s have it! Mad fer it! Parklife! Etc.
8. It made us cook
Without Britpop there would have been no Jamie Oliver: the mop-topped, bish-bash-boshing Naked Chef, riding his scooter and listening to (eek!) Toploader. And without Jamie Oliver, a generation of fellas wouldn’t be dedicated foodies. “Look at this bad boy! Wallop! Pukka!” *"Blood Sausage!" Etc.
9. It made us culturally cleverer
Britpop is often stereotyped as lumpenly thuggish but it made young men smarter too. We were inspired to explore its musical influences: not just the Beatles but The Who, The Kinks, Bowie, The Byrds, The Jam, Sex Pistols and Small Faces. In their lyrics and interviews, Damon Albarn, Brett Anderson and Jarvis Cocker were our literate, art-schoolish big brothers in the way Morrissey was a decade earlier.
10. It made us go down the pub
All we needed were cigarettes and alcohol. And if it had a jukebox too, all the better. In the late 80s and early 90s, we had our heads turned by posh bars serving poncey bottled beers and cocktails. Britpop put paid to such pretensions. After all, its spiritual epicentre was the north London neighbourhood of Camden, particularly a grotty old man’s boozer on Inverness Street called The Good Mixer. The ubiquitous, artfully distressed gastropubs of today owe a debt to “The Mixer”.
*may not have been said in the real article.
Poll Results
| Option | Votes |
| 7. It made boys be boys | 19 |
| 5. It revived live music | 12 |
| 8. It made us cook | 11 |
| 9. It made us culturally cleverer | 10 |
| 3. It wasn’t to be sniffed at | 7 |
| 1. It made us patriotic | 4 |
| 10. It made us go down the pub | 3 |
| 2. It improved our dress sense | 2 |
| 4. It made football cool again | 1 |
| 6. It was central to the radio revolution | 0 |