Blur

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".