Blur are an English rock band formed in London in 1988, consisting of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James, and drummer Dave Rowntree. Their debut album, Leisure (1991), incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegaze. Following a stylistic change influenced by British guitar pop groups such as the Kinks, the Beatles, and XTC, Blur released the albums Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), Parklife (1994), and The Great Escape (1995). The Parklife lead single "Girls & Boys" became a hit in the UK and the US, respectively peaking at number 5 on the UK singles chart and number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100. As a result, the band helped to popularise the Britpop genre and achieved mass popularity in the UK, aided by a widely publicised chart battle with rival band Oasis in 1995 dubbed "the Battle of Britpop".
Blur's self-titled fifth album (1997) saw another stylistic shift, influenced by the lo-fi styles of American indie rock groups, and became their third UK chart-topping album. Its single "Song 2" became popular on alternative radio in the US. Their next album, 13 (1999), saw the band experimenting with electronic and art rock styles, and featured more personal lyrics from Albarn and Coxon. Their seventh album, Think Tank (2003), continued their experimentation with electronic sounds and was shaped by Albarn's growing interest in world music, featuring more minimal guitar work. Coxon left the band early in the sessions for Think Tank, and Blur disbanded for several years after the album's tour in 2003.
In 2009, Blur reunited with Coxon and embarked on a European reunion tour. In the following years, they released several singles and compilations and toured internationally. In 2012, they received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Their eighth album, The Magic Whip (2015), was their first in twelve years and the sixth consecutive Blur studio album to top the British charts. After the Magic Whip tour, Blur went on hiatus until the release of their ninth album, The Ballad of Darren, in 2023.
History Formation and Leisure (1988–1991)
Blur were formed in December 1988 when bassist Alex James joined Damon Albarn's band, Circus, and they changed the name to Seymour after J. D. Salinger's Seymour: An Introduction.Harris, 2004, p. 46 Already in the band were drummer Dave Rowntree, who had joined in October,Thompson, 2004, p. 209 and guitarist Graham Coxon, Albarn's childhood friend from Essex, who was studying at the University of London's Goldsmiths College along with Albarn and James.Harris, 2004, p. 45 The group performed live for the first time in summer 1989 in the goods shed of the East Anglian Railway Museum at Chappel & Wakes Colne.Harris, 2004, p. 47 In November, Food Records' A&R representative Andy Ross attended a Seymour performance that convinced him to court the group for his label. After this he brought label founder David Balfe to a couple more, including a particularly packed gig at The Falcon, Camden. The only concern held by Ross and Food was that they disliked the band's name. Food drew up a list of alternatives, from which the group decided on Blur. Food Records finally signed the rechristened band in March 1990.Harris, 2004, pp. 49–50
From March to July 1990, Blur toured Britain, opening for the Cramps, and testing out new songs. In October 1990, after their tour was over, Blur released the single "She's So High", which reached number 48 in the UK singles chart.Strong, 2003, pp. 635–636 The band had trouble creating a follow-up single, but they made progress when paired with producer Stephen Street. The resulting single release, "There's No Other Way", became a hit, peaking at number eight.Harris, 2004, pp. 53–55 As a result of the single's success, Blur became pop stars and were accepted into a clique of bands who frequented the Syndrome club in London dubbed "The Scene That Celebrates Itself".Harris, 2004, pp. 56–57 NME magazine wrote in 1991, "[Blur] are [the] acceptable pretty face of a whole clump of bands that have emerged since the whole Manchester thing started to run out of steam."Kelly, Danny. "Sacre Blur!" NME. 20 July 1991.
The band's third single, "Bang", performed relatively disappointingly, reaching only number 24.Harris, 2004, p. 58 Andy Ross and Food owner David Balfe were convinced Blur's best course of action was to continue drawing influence from the Madchester genre. Blur attempted to expand their musical sound, but the recording of the group's debut album was hindered by Albarn having to write his lyrics in the studio. Although the resulting album Leisure (1991) peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart, it received mixed reviews, and according to journalist John Harris, "could not shake off the odour of anti-climax".Harris, 2004, p. 59
Britpop years (1992–1995)
After discovering they were £60,000 in debt, Blur toured the United States in 1992 in an attempt to recoup their financial losses.Harris, 2004, p. 66 The group released the single "Popscene" to coincide with the start of the tour. Featuring "a rush of punk guitars, '60s pop hooks, blaring British horns, controlled fury, and postmodern humor", "Popscene" was a turning point for the band musically.Harris, 2004, pp. 67, 77 However, upon its release it only charted at number 32. "We felt 'Popscene' was a big departure; a very, very English record", Albarn told the NME in 1993, "But that annoyed a lot of people ... We put ourselves out on a limb to pursue this English ideal and no-one was interested."Harris, John. "A shite sports car and a punk reincarnation". NME. 10 April 1993. As a result of the single's lacklustre performance, plans to release a single named "Never Clever" were scrapped and work on Blur's second album was pushed back.Harris, 2004, p. 68
During the two-month American tour, the band became increasingly unhappy, often venting frustrations on each other, leading to several physical confrontations.Harris, 2004, p. 73 The band members were homesick; Albarn said, "I just started to miss really simple things ... I missed everything about England so I started writing songs which created an English atmosphere." Upon the group's return to Britain, Blur (Albarn in particular) were upset by the success rival group Suede had achieved while they were gone.Harris, 2004, pp. 73–75 After a poor performance at a 1992 gig that featured a well-received set by Suede on the same bill, Blur were in danger of being dropped by Food.Harris, 2004, p. 78 By that time, Blur had undergone an ideological and image shift intended to celebrate their British heritage in contrast to the popularity of American grunge bands such as Nirvana.Harris, 2004, p. 79 Although sceptical of Albarn's new manifesto for Blur, Balfe gave assent for the band's choice of Andy Partridge (of XTC) to produce their follow-up to Leisure. The sessions with Partridge proved unsatisfactory, but a chance reunion with Stephen Street resulted in him returning to produce the group.Harris, 2004, p. 82
Blur completed their second album Modern Life Is Rubbish in December 1992, but Food Records said the album required more potential hit singles and asked them to return to the studio for a second time. The band complied and Albarn wrote "For Tomorrow", which became the album's lead single.Harris, 2004, pp. 82–83 "For Tomorrow" was a minor success, reaching number 28 on the charts.Harris, 2004, p. 90 Modern Life Is Rubbish was released in May 1993. The announcement of the album's release included a press photo which featured Blur, dressed in a mix of mod and skinhead attire, posing alongside a mastiff with the words "British Image 1" spraypainted behind them. At the time, such imagery was viewed as nationalistic and racially insensitive by the British music press; to quieten concerns, Blur released the "British Image 2" photo, which was "a camp restaging of a pre-war aristocratic tea party".Harris, 2004, pp. 88–89 Modern Life Is Rubbish peaked at number 15 on the British charts, but failed to break into the US Billboard 200, selling only 19,000 copies there.Duffy, Tom. "SBK, Blur focus on U.S. market". Billboard. 28 May 1994.
The success of Parklife (1994) revived Blur's commercial fortunes. The album's first single, the disco-influenced "Girls & Boys", found favour on BBC Radio 1 and peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart,Harris, 2004, p. 141 and number 59 in the US Billboard Hot 100 where it remains the band's highest-charting single. Parklife entered the British charts at number one and stayed on the album charts for 90 weeks.Harris, 2004, p. 142 Enthusiastically greeted by the music press—the NME called it "a Great Pop Record ... bigger, bolder, narkier and funnier [than Modern Life is Rubbish]"—Parklife is regarded as one of Britpop's defining records.Dee, John. "Blur – Parklife". NME. April 1994. Blur won four awards at the 1995 Brit Awards, including Best Band and Best Album for Parklife.Harris, 2004, p. 192 Coxon later pointed to Parklife as the moment when "[Blur] went from being regarded as an alternative, left field arty band to this amazing new pop sensation".Tuxen, Henrik; Dalley, Helen. "Graham Coxon interview". Total Guitar. May 1999.
Blur began working on their fourth album The Great Escape at the start of 1995.Harris, 2004, p. 222 Building upon the band's previous two albums, Albarn's lyrics for the album consisted of several third-person narratives. James reflected, "It was all more elaborate, more orchestral, more theatrical, and the lyrics were even more twisted ... It was all dysfunctional, misfit characters fucking up."Harris, 2004, pp. 223–24 The release of the album's lead single "Country House" played a part in Blur's public rivalry with Manchester band Oasis termed the "Battle of Britpop". Partly due to increasing antagonisms between the groups, Blur and Oasis released their new singles on the same day, an event the NME called "The British Heavyweight Championship". The debate over which band would top the British singles chart became a media phenomenon, and Albarn appeared on the News at Ten.Live Forever: The Rise and Fall of Brit Pop. Passion Pictures, 2004. At the end of the week, "Country House" ultimately outsold Oasis' "Roll With It" by 274,000 copies to 216,000, becoming Blur's first number one single.Harris, 2004, p. 235
The Great Escape, which Albarn told the public was the last installment in the band's Life Trilogy, was released in September 1995 to ecstatic reviews.Harris, 2004, pp. 238–239 The NME hailed it as "spectacularly accomplished, sumptuous, heart-stopping and inspirational",Cigarettes, Johnny. "Blur – The Great Escape review". NME. September 1995. while Mojo argued "Blur are the very best that '95 Britpop has to offer and this is a most gong-worthy sound, complete with head-slicing guitars, catchy tunes and very funny words". Entering the UK charts at number one, the album sold nearly half a million copies in its first month of sale.Harris, 2004, p. 241 However, opinion quickly changed and Blur found themselves largely out of favour with the media once again. Following the worldwide success of Oasis' (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (which went quadruple platinum in the United States), the media quipped "[Blur] wound up winning the battle but losing the war." Blur became perceived as an "inauthentic middle class pop band" in comparison to the "working class heroes" Oasis, which Albarn said made him feel "stupid and confused". Alex James later summarised, "After being the People's Hero, Damon was the People's Prick for a short period ... basically, he was a loser – very publicly."Maconie, Stuart. "The Death of a Party". Select. August 1999.
Reinvention after Britpop (1996–2000)