Woo-hoo!: How Blur Mocked Grunge & Destroyed Britpop ["Song 2"] | New British Canon

[@TrashTheory]

Every now and then I get people asking for a playlist of every song mentioned in my videos: Well here's a Spotify link for this one: open.spotify.com/playlist/2UMLYO6A4AeqNqnHrNfx0c?si=64f8b67c469144d8 and the KZbin Music one: music.kzbin.info/aero/PLooaZ33lSaleHsoRk2DLX6wbfBlWob1vq&si=00vfOMTObtAHOj0x

[@ivanfranco2363]

Thanks that’s actually a great idea. Love your content

[@MellissaBoomeroftheNight]

I can't even write the things I want for fear they might catch up with how you do what you do, but you're the master of it. I think you know what I mean. For a company with only a few thousand EE's, they sure do keep their little blots busy, like little spiders ready to take every penny from great channels like yours. Amazing. Thanks.

[@davidellis5141]

Trash 🗑 Theory - Your channel has been overwhelmed by bots & trolls. You could of stopped them & you didn't. Enjoy the AI 😕

[@monotonehell]

Orville in place of R Kelly. Yesss.

[@linlaymedia8733]

It is me! I am people.

[@greifstricken]

I love these dives so much. They feel like an MTV half hour doc I'd have watched in my teens, or like going into a record store where the owner knows every disc he's selling and will tell you about it. Thank you for this channel, really.

[@paulleach3612]

Piccadilly Records was my education. lol

[@althejazzman]

Yes. Spot on. I always learn so much about a band I didn't think I was even that interested in!

[@vonsopas]

Way before MTV started to do crap like "Behind the Music", but yeah I concur

[@ForburyLion]

Blur v Oasis was marketing gold, it benefitted both bands and the Brtish music industry.

[@falconeshield]

As a kid I actually hated it. Like, my parents had Nirvana vs Pearl Jam, REM vs Radiohead, Queen vs Depache Mode, and I get this? Ah, 1997. What luxury. 😂

[@andchat6241]

@@falconeshield I can see the Nirvana/Pearl Jam & REM/Radiohead( even though REM had been around 10 years longer) choices in the similar way the Clash & the Jam were 'rivals '..... but Queen v Depeche Mode ?!?! , even discounting another near 10 year gap - what exactly would the comparison be ? It's like Patti Smith v Miley Cyrus ! - Queen & Depeche Mode were both groups but very different ..

[@Pierz373]

Actually not, i don't know how oasis has been feel about it, but for blur that was so Bad.

[@Crashinginthesamecar1]

Blur is 1000x better than Oasis

[@Pilcha.]

Oh no, that battle nearly destroyed Blur.

[@JetblackThemeTime]

I hate to say this but Song 2 was the only Blur song that was played on Alt Rock radio in Chicago. You are right. It sounds like music we genuinely liked at the time. I don't believe people saw it as ironic or even knew it was meant to be ironic.

[@ProdigalSunTzu]

Pretty much same with California radio but they did play coffee and tv out here. I loved that one with its kinda sad milk carton music video

[@whyismylifeweird4251]

How can we find the music Ironic if the lyrics are Non-Sensical. Most grunge songs’ lyrics at that time had actual deep meaning to them, even with Nirvana where Kurt Cobain have said that he’s not intending to write “Poetic deep stuff” his music still had deep symbolism to them. You can’t say the same thing for Song 2 though. You can understand the lyrics but it’s non-Sensical. Still a great song though nonetheless

[@TrulyMadlyShallowly]

The milk carton video is one of my absolute favorites.

[@One.Zero.One101]

Americans missing the sarcasm.... Of course that would happen, what did you expect from these people?

[@donnabert]

@@One.Zero.One101 And yet we bought the hell out of Radiohead. I think maybe we just didn't like Blur as much. Nothing to get butthurt about. We bought their good stuff.

[@Z3R0FiR3]

LOL the video/song you played in replacement for "I believe I can fly" was great... thanks for not giving R. Kelly a second of airplay in your video.

[@thesnoopmeistersnoops5167]

With the hand in the puppet. What oh what could that be suggesting.

[@MrMmnngghh]

At least it didn't involve a watering can....or sprinkler.....

[@OnlyTrueProletariat]

He's still my hero ✨

[@kostajovanovic3711]

​@@OnlyTrueProletariatKelly?

[@OnlyTrueProletariat]

@@kostajovanovic3711 yeah I was making a shit joke, I barely know who he is 😂

[@JReykdal]

You're missing one piece of the puzzle of Song 2. During their time in Iceland Damon saw the Icelandic band Botnleðja live in the Nightclub Tunglið and they were an undeniable influence on Song 2. I was there and remember when the guy next to me was screaming with joy hearing then. I turned around and it was Damon.

[@williamdixon-gk2sk]

I don't know what the f-ck you just said man, but that's special right there.

[@TheAdArchive]

Anyone else smell the faint off of bull shi….

[@jamespohl-md2eq]

What’s the Icelandic term for bullshit?

[@williamdixon-gk2sk]

@@jamespohl-md2eq it's pronounced JReykdal.

[@ingibjornbjornsson4958]

The band Blur, who had been recording their self-titled album Blur in Iceland in 1997, were fans of Botnleðja. Their hit song "Song 2" borrowed the catchy "woo-hoo" from Botnleðja's 'Þið eruð Frábær'. Later that year Botnleðja joined Blur on their UK tour. While touring in England with then they changed there name to Slit because it was to hard for people to pronounce Botnleðja 👌☺️. Botnleðja is awesome 👌👌👌. If you listen to there song called Þið eruð Frábær then you can hear it ☺️

[@TimmyCherry]

In the late '90s I went back and discovered all the best Britpop and got really into it, as an American. Despite being top of the charts stuff in the UK, it was like my little underground scene that no one knew about.

[@pammoore3447]

Grew up in the UK, but was living in Canada in the 90s. I missed this glorious period of British music completely. So happy to be able to catch up now.

[@daviddalrymple2284]

@@pammoore3447 Yeah. Aside from Oasis and "Song 2", Britpop got precious little airplay on MuchMusic. They had to really struggle to stand out against all the mid-90s "bubble grunge" like Moist, Live and Bush X. Songs like "Connection", "Common People" and "Trash" all charted on the countdown show, but they only provided a glimpse of what was going on in the UK; there was no real sense of a huge scene going on.

[@staysuede]

Same I used to steal Q, vox magazine from Borders to get pics for my clear binder cover. Randomly the day I moved to SF at 18 Suede did a lil outdoor show of about 75 attendees promoting Coming Up...good times!

[@jonothanthrace1530]

Imagine Dragons covering Blur is fucking hilarious because I feel like if they were coming up today, Blur would have multiple songs dedicated to shitting on them.

[@homogenicmp3]

Their cover is decent. I'm starting to think they should have been a tribute band instead...

[@GregBonks]

​@homogenicmp3 They are a truly bizarre group.

[@ptrTrick]

Young musicians, take note. Never do a song as a joke that you don't actually want to record. 9 times out of 10 you'll end up having to play it for the rest of your life.

[@AutPen38]

For many bands, the most famous song is the stupidest and shallowest. To gain mass appeal, you have to do something dumb.

[@honeyfreud8352]

I was obsessed with Blur when I was a teenager in the late 2000s. They're still really dear to me. I love their sense of humour, I think they don't take themselves too seroiusly. But they're also very good at melancholy. My favourite album is 13 and my favourite songs are He Thought of Cars and Caramel.

[@bearhustler]

He thought of cars doesn't get enough credit.

[@bgorski6937]

Damon Albarn really is a musical genius. To be part of Blur and then Gorillaz!? He's such a great songwriter.

[@Carrythe2]

Oooooh good choices!

[@honeyfreud8352]

@@Carrythe2 what are yours?

[@Carrythe2]

@@honeyfreud8352 That’s really hard. I would say Ambulance, Coffee and TV, This Is A Low… loads of songs are flooding into my brain right now! Too many! First album was Parklife so that always has a special place. But 13 & Think Tank are up there.

[@victortio]

I think this is the first time i heard you commenting on something that some else said, when damon said that oasis and blur were doing awful in the US, and you said oh, no Damon no!. that took me by surprise

[@screwtapee]

such a good moment

[@sub-jec-tiv]

I was in the US during Blur’s first US tour and went to see them, having seen them in London 8 months previously with Wire (as ‘Wir’). In no way was the US gig i went to an awful reception. Honestly it was a great crowd who loved them. There were adoring fans. College radio was playing Leisure in the States, and Blur had a solid underground following, enough to book a tour. Great show, great crowd. They only had 150-ish totally devoted fans at the gig. Horrible, right? Most bands ever should be so lucky on their first album tour, away from their home country. Inconvenient truth: Blur had die hard US fans from the very beginning. I met some, they were smart and funny.

[@sub-jec-tiv]

This channel favors a false narrative that Brits loved the good music and people outside the UK were unsupportive or didn’t ‘get’ it. When in fact, most of these bands couldn’t have survived with only British support. Look at what Depeche Mode has had to say on the topic. (Spoiler alert, it’s not "we were treated so well by British journalists and fans that we didn’t need to look abroad.") English bands look for support outside of England for very real reasons. Because in Spain, or Chile, or California, there are real heads who care about music and are willing to stand up and support artists they like, even if the UK press is talking them down and trying to destroy them.

[@kjd9634]

@@sub-jec-tiv Depeche Mode are massive in Europe, the US South America etc, not so much in England (although they have a big loyal following here) but some pretty big bands here never done much in those places. Although I agree there are informed fans of music all over the world who do like such bands. I love the Avett Brothers, the National, Band of Horses, the Allvvays, the Beths loads of music that is not popular in England.

[@violetgc6049]

@@sub-jec-tiv I'm crazy envious of you! I've been a Wire fan almost 40 years and I love the Wir LP "The First Letter." And love Blur. That must have been such a great show!

[@durivian]

I wanted to mention that period of "a year off" between The Great Escape and Self-titled. Although this was hiatus was not an official breakup, due to interpersonal conflicts (mostly Graham Coxon's disputes with Damon and Alex), Blur had no intention of making another record. (Insert that quote of Graham almost comatosed drunk and biting an interviewer on the knee...) It was only when Graham had momentarily sobered up and sent Damon Albarn a letter of confession that they considered working together again. That letter is where the infamous "I want to make music that scared people, again" comes from, as well as Graham's push to add more American slacker elements into Blur's music. So, despite them definitely choosing to have some time off, it was an undisclosed period of time that might have extended forever. There is also a quote from Damon around this time saying that je couldn't see himself in the music industry 10 years from then, so who knows what he'd be doing now... There is another misconception that the self-titled album is purely Graham's musical endeavour, but Damon had been attracted to bands like Pavement, too. Although Damon's taste of Pavement and the Rentals was less extreme than what Graham had been listening to on tour, in part to wind the others up. Damon had been attracted to these bands in mostly opposition from the seemingly ever-expanding Britpop scene. And with their mutual musical standpoint, Blur was finally ready to get into a recording studio again.

[@fromthe90s21]

I remember that Graham went mad when he learned Stephen Malkmus stayed at Damon's flat when he went to London. Like "Hey, Pavement belongs to me, not you !" but nope ! Well, I guess band leaders going along well with other band leaders is a natural thing after all.

[@JammerAma]

I love Blur to death but before self titled they never made anything that scared anyone lmao. Oh God they're singing about Sunday dinner? So edgy.

[@pressureonjulia]

@@JammerAma he's talking about their earlier years before recording any record

[@JammerAma]

@@pressureonjulia I've read stories of their old Seymour shows. People definitely thought they were weirdos but Blur and scary are opposites

[@zeitok8]

is weird people think that, they tour until july, one show in september and came back in december with a new album recorded between june and november, year off my ass

[@pablorosario5232]

Funny how Blur mocked Grunge for being so depressed and whiny then end up depressed and whiny themselves after they achieved fame 😂

[@steamboatwill3.367]

wasn't britpip already "depressed and whiny" just in a British way...... or maybe that's more for post-britpop.

[@scdl-m2z]

⁠​⁠@@steamboatwill3.367brits are inherently depressed and whiny

[@bikepacker9850]

I was just thinking this exact same thing and I looked down and seen your comment. So true...

[@jamiechappell9116]

My man doesn't understand brit pop

[@SuperRichyrich11]

@@steamboatwill3.367yeah, because Oasis was always famous for NOT being depressed, whiny, bitch music 🙄. So that particular criticism from them was off. Whiny music was simply becoming more popular in the 90’s (unfortunately).

[@Lasergunjesus]

It wasn't until watching this video that I discovered the lyrics aren't "I got my head checked/my HMO checked" and have spent the last 25 years thinking the song was all about being overmedicated by psychiatrists ("I'm pins and I'm needles", "I got my head done" etc.)

[@simonjenkin]

we don't have HMOs here in britain!

[@faceofmercy]

i thought it was "I got my head checked, got them both checked" and was like ,' ah yes, a double entendre for the tip of a penis, good show.'

[@jonothanthrace1530]

All this time I thought it was "Woo Hoo" by The 5678s.

[@Lasergunjesus]

@@simonjenkin A thought that had also never occurred to me, of course.

[@shitsucktapes]

There's this song by a german band Ton Steine Scherben called "Warum geht es mir so dreckig?" from 1970. I find some similarities there.

[@stevenedwardmaylott6078]

During the lockdown, I had to work at Amazon. There was a playlist of about ten songs on a constant replay. One if those songs was country House , it was like water torture.

[@bassboomboing]

Amazing as always. Would love to see you do Daft Punk, the New French Renaissance and the ultimate popification of Dance Music. Tom and Guy are the John and Paul of the sample and drum machine era.

[@Nozes..]

THIS.

[@goslin91]

Air, Stardust, Modjo. 1998 was a great year to be French.

[@tutubism]

Since we are speaking dance music why not include other various & obscure old school british dance acts like Renegade Soundwave, 808 State, Bomb The Bass, M/A/R/R/S, The KLF, The Beloved, etc. that were pioneers or influential to other dance related genres that were emerging in the UK during the late 80s to early 90s such as acid house, bigbeat, indie dance, IDM, etc.

[@bassboomboing]

@@tutubism fucking blah blah IDM etc.

[@350125GOW]

Yeah more interesting than overrated daft punk blah blah blah...​@@bassboomboing

[@danopticon]

I was in Oxford for part of ‘92 and a surprisingly great deal of ‘93, as part of my undergrad institution’s year abroad program, and I remember nights in the various college’s cheap pubs, and in various town pubs, or at the Jericho Tavern or at The Venue on their dance nights, or at … I think it was called The Opium Den II? there was an Opium Den which was a karaoke joint, while The Opium Den II was a fairly new venue carved out of a hastily converted building, or maybe it was vice-versa … and the dancing crowds would *explode* whenever _Smells Like Teen Spirit_ played, but then they’d go *even wilder* over all these poppy new British bands I’d never heard of - and I think you’ve named every one of them in this essay!! Man, do you bring back great memories. I was wandering through Oxford still heartbroken over a relationship which had ended in 1990, and rather indifferent (unironically, thank you alcohol and speed!) to the follow=up relationship which was probably ending around me right then, and the raffish gleeful dissolution of the Britpop bands matched your national mood and my private despair perfectly: the sense that the world is ending, so you may as well live it up, but you’re still sad it’s ending. Thank you for this upload, I needed the dive down the memory well.

[@adamstarritt7572]

I'm 10 minutes in thinking that I would download this and listen to it later but this documentary is fucking awesome that I am gonna finish it now. The amount of research that would have had to have gone into it is massive. Thank you Trash Theory you have got yourself another subscriber! It is shit like this that makes YT gold!

[@Sclasspsycho]

Damon really is one of my favorite music creators. Getting into his music like from Blur and Gorillaz really opened me up to different forms of music.

[@PushPullStrength]

I'm 42. It's insane the amount of music and culture that goes through you at a young age, you are totally unaware and choose only by the feel of a song until you eventually connect to something. Britpop was my first feeling and connection and blur was my first band though I understood nothing. I just didn't like oasis. Not long after I found East coast hip hop and was forever drawn away from anything English, up all night listening to Tim Westwood. 32 years later and here I am, intrigued by my first musical genre of choice and it's deep. So continues the journey. Great video

[@kennethrcf2202]

As an American, one cannot help but feel embarrassed by the turn out at Coachella ‘24. Blur deserved its real American fans! I wish I had been there to sing my lungs out

[@thevoid99]

i love blur but i would never ever go to coachella. plus, i'm in my 40s and i'm too old for that shit.

[@theDiReW0lf]

But as an American, we know absolutely no one knows or cares about Blur and saw that coming. So they must’ve too.

[@joroberts7855]

I did gringe seeing Damon trying to get the crowd to join in but the 2nd weekend seemed a lot better.

[@caranook]

Yeah, I’m Irish and blur were big here so watching the audience reaction made me a bit sad. I was at their show in Dublin last summer and everyone loved them, it’s a shame a lot of Americans can’t appreciate them properly.

[@PopeSaltyI]

Embarrassed... but not surprised. I wonder if it would have helped if they had listed them as "Blur ft. They Guy from Gorillaz". It blows my mind, that. It's like if everyone knew the Tom Tom Club, but no one had heard of Talking Heads. Then again, nobody has ever accused us Americans of having the greatest taste in music, eh?

[@chari6471]

absolutely gassed that I was front row at that blur wembley gig in july '23 - will never forget it!

[@danpreston564]

What a great gig that was. I was further back but I did get the tickets last minute for £15 each.

[@Britpop938]

So jealous!! That concert looked amazing ❤

[@annnee6818]

​@@danpreston564 It's unbelievable nowadays how cheap concerts were back then

[@danpreston564]

@@annnee6818 the good old days of 10 months ago.

[@oliverchong2428]

Should hope not, it was only last year!

[@Skiamakhos]

Thing is, they were beaten to the punch mocking grunge by Nirvana - Cobain's lyrics were often deliberately nonsensical. His songs were self-parody certainly once the band became successful. I think he could hardly believe people liked anything he did. Other grunge bands did finely crafted songs of misery and loss, about abuse and combat trauma, or suicide, but Nirvana were highly satirical.

[@jamesm.3829]

The only band which was absolutely miserable was Alice In Chains. Soundgarden and Pearl Jam had plenty of just normal and creative songs.

[@andchat6241]

I don't think Nirvana 'post success' songs can be described as a 'Self-Parody' - even an old git like me who was already too old when I saw them in late '80s can listen to 'All Apologies e.p' & 'unplugged' & know there's a genuine non-ironic ,understanding of pop sharpness & tone that for example Butthole Surfers didn't have but was shared by Mercury Rev , Galaxie 500 etc

[@jamesbridges7750]

There was always a sort of self-depreciation,mockery, and unseriousness to Grunge , even if it was drowning. There's honestly nothing more Grunge. I dare anyone to give deeper meaning to Bugs by Pearl Jam😂

[@jamesm.3829]

@@jamesbridges7750 What's interesting is that Blur's rival-Oasis-was the same way. Not in a mocking way, but supersonic has no deeper meaning. What is a wonderwall? Noel said that DLBIA means "IDK, maybe a stripper who's life is passing her by". Manchester and Seattle both had cloudy climates where working class kids picked up music in garages because it was fun, and the songs reflect that. Bands like Blur, REM, and Radiohead came from school-so their music has more narratives and lyricism is deeper. Battle of britpop is known for personal rivalries, class differences, and sensational headlines, but Oasis' approach to songwriting was a lot more in tuned with the scrappy stoners from Seattle, so there was a natural wedge between the two bands from the start.

[@andchat6241]

@@jamesm.3829 that's a problem all bands ( & song writers ) face .e.g. if you look at the Beatles 'I am the walrus' , 'helter-skelter, 'good morning ', 'piggies', & many more that haven't got the great lyrics of much of their songs. Oasis are often trying to put a feeling or emotion out there & the lyrics don't really matter as long as they kind of rhyme & fit the mood .- which suits them & on a song like 'live forever' or 'Wonderwall' ,'Some might say ' it all gels together...( 'Wonderwall' came via George Harrison ....Liam could have sung " you're my favourite stool'' & i reckon the audience would have sungalong ).

[@awabooks9886]

As a Yank, this is great British background I knew little about. Many Thanks

[@FishFullOfFeathers]

UK music is like that old Grandparent that you thought didn't do much and was uncool, but secretly they did more than you realised..

[@davidellis5141]

The op is a Bot.

[@PEGGLORE]

Listen to Cardiacs or The Chameleons. Way better British bands, but hardly anybody knows they exist, which is obviously pretty shameful. Actual good and mega talented bands. Whereas Blur, Oasis etc are poopers.

[@awabooks9886]

@@PEGGLORE I'll give them a listen, thanks 👍

[@malungtvnews]

You didn't miss anything

[@hvalenti]

Blur changed me and my twin brother's life. He's gone from Earth now. It's crazy how music sets bookmarks in the heart.

[@kallekas8551]

I am rediscovering Blur and Gorillaz in a very difficult part of my life atm. Gives me strength.

[@goodpeopleoftheworldunite]

Music is the soundtrack to our lives. It's very special, quite like those special relationships. Maybe one day we'll all get together and have a big ole fashioned sing-song, on the opposite shore. Until then, other sing alongs will be the zest of life.

[@kallekas8551]

@@goodpeopleoftheworldunite Music is very special indeed… but really…sing-songs?

[@hvalenti]

@@kallekas8551 especially that

[@kallekas8551]

@@hvalenti All sing-songie types…up against the wall! Also kissy-kissy touchy feely types.🤣

[@Adderkleet]

That may be the best use of Keith Harris I have ever seen.

[@chasingcolours6789]

Lol :)

[@damienhenning541]

GREAT Video! I got into these lads as an American fan of grunge back with Modern Life is Rubbish in 93 (precisely because it WAS so British, experimental, AND UNIQUE!). My favorite blur song is no one else's favorite blur song, (in fact most blur fans aren't even familiar with it!). "Villa Rosie" :D LOVE THAT TRACK!!

[@smaz9]

I'm kinda surprised that you're only getting around to Blur now. I'd love to see an episode on Talk Talk's latter albums, as they hold a special place in my heart and got me through some tough times last year

[@hachiesamor6648]

Yeah, those are timeless.

[@RedHeadWolf117]

This was amazing! I was born in the early 90s in the Seattle area, so my childhood was full of grunge. In middle and highschool I'd discovered Gorillaz, and at the same time adored stuff like Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, The Fratellis, etc. Then went back around and discovered all of Blur (each album has its own flavor), which also introduced me to Pulp and Supergrass. Anyway, great dissection, and very interesting to hear some of the dynamics of the band over time.

[@VeteranHedonist]

Have you tried "Ocean colour scene"? Their albums are great. Great live band too.

[@RedHeadWolf117]

@@VeteranHedonist Just now checked them out, I do know some of these singles! I'll have to give some albums a listen, I've been needing something new to listen to. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@aotctd]

grunge came up in the 80s and influenced by older bands

[@meadish]

@@VeteranHedonist Good shout. They've got some amazing songs.

[@PEGGLORE]

Listen to Killing Joke's 1st album. Released in 1980. Invented Grunge music with their song S.O. 36 from it. That is a classic song. 1st song ever sung through a gas mask as well it seems. Then you got the band This Heat, who are the most talented, interesting British band of all time, but only very few know they exist. Be one of the few who know they exist.

[@nigel7880]

Your videos are the new MTV and give "everything is going to be ok" vibes.

[@aotctd]

Nothing MTV

[@anthonyr.1568]

So my 'To-listen to' playlist has grown again, as in after every TT video. Thank you, man! I love your thorough research, your presentation, your dead-pan humour, and your endings are always super efficient.

[@scotthallgv]

Wow you got a clip of Fugazi playing at Shaffer Court! I was at that show.

[@robbertouwendijk5448]

Best live band I've ever seen.

[@scotthallgv]

@@robbertouwendijk5448 They were pretty great. Lost count of all the shows I went to and they were always amazing.

[@homogenicmp3]

I'm jealous

[@Milton-ij9eg]

YOUR VIDEOS MAKE MY BRAIN HAPPY! its such a weird feeling, I feel like I learn so much. thank you!

[@thecrankedamps]

Another great video. Excellent content 👌🏻 My favorite blur album is 13. My favourite blur song though in The Universal.

[@wtskam3053]

This is amazing. I’m a blur-head, since the 90s, and I’ve never stoped loving them. They were never huge here in Sweden, though the whole oasis fight did get some coverage here. I never dared to say to people that I loved oasis, it was always blur, they were the cooler more indie band with more credibility. Now I stand proud as a fan of both bands. Fascinating to hear all the suffering and bad times surrounding the band, who brought me so much joy. Thanks lads.

[@wtskam3053]

And, I love all blur albums, but 13 is my go to album, it’s one of the best albums of all time. Blur as a close second.

[@meadish]

blur are more diverse and sophisticated musically, but if I am going to drink beer and party I'd much rather do it to Oasis, maybe with a handful of songs such as Charmless Man and Song 2 as exceptions.

[@RMScott]

I’m an American, same age as these blokes, and got on the BLUR wagon quite late but never bought completely into OASIS though I do appreciate them and their craft. “Song 2” was my favorite snowboarding song. I think it was a good time to be a Brit. We, here in America, must thank the UK for the history of the music and all the influences ya’ll gave us. Cheers to Britain! 🇬🇧 ❤ Oh! And by the way, thank you for referencing XTC in this video. One of my favorites!

[@21palica]

I see a new Trash Theory video in my notifications, I stop everything and watch. Another banger!

[@vio3673]

id been doing an internship at a school of rock nearby where they set up people in bands based on genres and whatnot. i remember they had song 2 in the one hit wonders group and i remember thinking, “are you kidding?”

[@MariaVosa]

WTAF!?! And I say that as someone who was never a Blur fan.

[@davidellis5141]

The OP is a Bot.. 👎

[@HenrikGJ]

One hit wonder has become a meaningless phrase. I often see Aha labeled as a one hit wonder band despite having tons of hits, but if those hits didn't chart in the US (and vice versa) then they apparantly don't count.

[@Candyohh]

I'm still stunned by Albarn's involvement and co-writing of the"Ravenous" soundtrack, it's brilliant.

[@jonnyblamey]

This videos are so great. I love the seriousness with which they take the history of pop music. It’s amazing and so accurate.

[@elveemused]

There's kind of a transitional song on The Great Escape - He Thought Of Cars with noisy guitars and such, one of my favorites.

[@TheVampirelass]

He Thought of Cars is one of my favorite songs. It’s ridiculously good

[@markuspboeddeker5930]

@@TheVampirelass it is indeed.

[@BiscuitGeoff]

I always struggled with britpop because the bands were so smug. Even the less successful bands like Menswear and Ocean Colour Scene seemed utterly full of themselves. It always seemed at odds with British self-deprecation and I found it charmless. That was one of the things that set apart the britpop bands which I did like, such as Pulp and The Divine Comedy

[@smk2457]

Second that. That's why Pulp were always my favorite of that scene. (I'm a Suede fan but I don't include them). I know Oasis had good anthems, but I couldn't get past the whole hyper macho self seriousness. Nothing ironic or introspective in their lyrics. That's why I dove head first into Skunk Anansie, Placebo and Mansun.

[@quadrifern]

I agree. Britpop bands basked in the ego-soothing light of TOTP and Wembley and their lyrics so were either so ultra-personal or so departed from reality that they became completely unrelatable. But I believe Ocean Colour Scene opposed the Britpop madness. By keeping their lyrics reasonably open and general - and by being damn good musicians - OCS stood apart from Albarn and the Gallaghers. Their repertoire is not as varied as Blur's, but OCS added a rather beautiful and completely unique sound to the rock canon... at a time when the public preferred Britpop & Cool Britannia. But egotistical? Not to me.

[@kumachan9311]

Yeah I moved up near London in the early 90s and was like "Oh Wow, I'm where it's ALL HAPPENING".... Britpop, Grunge and Spice Girls etc, Urgh

[@theDiReW0lf]

I think that’s why I’ve never met anyone in America who liked any of these “Britpop” bands. Back then or now. Everyone assumes and gets distracted by appearances. Blur were full punk. No one got it.

[@ileutur6863]

The video opens with criticisms of grunge, but grunge was at least honest. It was the last rebellious strike of rock before hip hop consumed everything likr a cancerous growth. Britpop was just a smug image

[@hollyloomer7667]

As an American, I love Song 2. I speak for only myself that it summed up Gen X life here in the US. Raw, gritty, and "F around and find out" zeitgeist. In fact, I have it on every single Spotify play list as a 51+ woman. I drive to it, I downhill ski to it, I mow the lawn to it. It is a singular brilliant song that resonates with my soul.

[@txabalita01]

he was making fun of yall🥹

[@hollyloomer7667]

@@txabalita01 I guess it backfired.

[@AutPen38]

I guess your soul is screaming "woo-hoo". Damon and most of his fans are more melancholic.

[@wusstunes]

Would love to hear a Playlist of stylistic parody songs that became hits. I feel like there are a lot of them in music history.

[@Raitor33]

REM’s Shiny Happy People comes to mind

[@robbertouwendijk5448]

If you're not hung up on the 'that became hits' part, check out the band Ween; doing stylistic parody songs is their entire thing.

[@fromthe90s21]

@@robbertouwendijk5448 Ween is awesome ! Chocolate & cheese and The Mollusk are classics ! They definitely have their own twisted thing.

[@markr9069]

Born Slippy fits this category too

[@tyefelix]

Stuck in the Middle with You was a parody of Bob Dylan

[@marcinrnowicki8011]

Hi there, calling from Europe. This documentary is really worthwhile. Which in the YT age of such works is hardly common. Thanks! Notwithstanding, "Song 2" is one of my least favourite Blur singles. Probably losing only to "Crazy Beat"? Favourite Blur album: "Modern Life is Rubbish". Bought on cassette early 1996 at the age of 13.

[@vlad2838]

Ironic to hear Cocker slam Parklife as patronizing when the bastard was cosplaying just as egregiously with ‘Common People,’ whose premise he later admitted was just as manufactured.

[@ojigbo]

Yeah, especially ironic when he admittedly was middle class himself. Still made good songs though.

[@Jimdixon1953]

Pulp were just a pale imitation of the band Blouse, and Jarvis Cocker based his whole persona on their frontman and chief songwriter Purves Grundy.

[@heinzerhardt7047]

So he knew what he was talking about, does not mean he was wrong.

[@markuspboeddeker5930]

@@Jimdixon1953 Obviously.

[@AutPen38]

All music is manufactured.

[@WhiskeyGeneral]

Great insight Trash but I don’t think they were mocking Grunge. More like frustrated with the genre as it portrayed itself to be uncommercial but ended up, what with Nirvana Pearl Jam etc, to be commercially very successful. But I don’t agree with Albarn’s 8 year old and Prozac reference to grunge. That lacked empathy. I’ve toured and travelled America and it’s still hard for me to understand the country. It’s just a mess and people find coping mechanisms to deal with it. Grunge was one such coping mechanism. Great channel man. I have subbed and absolutely love everything that you’re putting out.

[@AutPen38]

I always thought that "Song 2" was partly a parody of the quiet/loud dynamic of grunge and partly a pisstake over the commercialisation of the genre. i.e. "Do a catchy tune, turn the amps up to 11, and put it as track two on the album, to make it a radio-friendly unit shifter".

[@WhiskeyGeneral]

@ Catchy Radio friendly unit shifter 100%.

[@IngieKerr]

chef's kiss at your Keith Harris interjection. *applause*

[@thevoid99]

indeed! an absolute improvement of the song as well as being more definitive.

[@Travelingtck]

There's a bar in Seoul I used to go to all the time called Club FF and "Song 2" was on rotation every weekend. We loved it and always went crazy when it came on.

[@__eee__]

Hahaha. FF!!! Good times. I may have run into you there.

[@blakelyhall8191]

Oh hell yes. This Monday just got soo much better!! Thank you Mr. Theory!!!❤❤❤

[@meinalteregon]

"Albarn was in his own head with the pressure, Coxon was drinking heavily, James with his whoring was making everyone look bad and Rowntree ... _had recently gotten married_ " LOL

[@DokkaChapman]

For me I've always loved the darker post-rock sounds found in the self-titled album and Think Tank, just has such an awesome mood to each!

[@Der0Nibelung]

For almost three decades now, a song briefly heard has haunted my memories... never quite able to find it, until now. Thank you for reintroducing me to The Rentals - Friends of P !!!

[@asahearts1]

Liking ironic things unironically is tight.

[@georgewhite1972]

It's super easy, barely an inconvenience

[@Johnny_67]

What?

[@Windupchronic]

Wow wow wow…. Wow.

[@austintrousdale2397]

So, y’have a Trash Theory episode for me?

[@theDiReW0lf]

There’s no other way

[@TheOtherKine]

Such a sad thing that it's become their most-known song LMAO THINK TANK is my fave album. It hits me deep, it came at the right moment, he sings about all the things that meant so much to me at that time.

[@laladoopsy]

Blur is my favourite Blur album. It's essentially everything I love about Blur and has She's So Great on it, their best song for me. Nowadays, I'd kill for a new Graham Coxon/Waeve album than a new Blur album, though I do love The Magic Whip, I just prefer what Graham did from Happiness In Magazines onwards. Seriously, listen to that Love Travels At Illegal Speed, A&E and then the Waeve's album and you'll hear the beauty that is Graham's music.

[@patrickaker4380]

Thank you for referencing the Star ship Troopers trailer! Before you said it, I was thinking it was a big reason the movie looked awesome to my 14 year old brain haha. Obliviously the movie was awesome.

[@nimbe0]

Hi, I think this is my favorite era, I was a teenager when all the britpop movement was happening in Britain, I´m from Mexico by the way. Blur did a concert in Mexico on november 18th 2023. I did´nt know what possesed me but I wanted to be the closes to the stage and I did it... I was next to Damond when he aproached the public... I can not describe the emotion it was a dream come true because that same day I went to see Pulp too... And many many years ago I saw Oasis.... Big fan, I don´t know why the britpop movement is huge here in Mexico City but it is. I remember all the Blur vs Oasis thing... but when time pass... now I remember the good moments and of course it´s insane to think that much of the bad vibe between Oasis ad Blur came from the media, some crazies fans and of course some words that should not have been said. Thanks man I really love watching anything about britpop. By the way the answer is all the albums of course all the albums.

[@VeteranHedonist]

The 90s were class here in the UK ❤

[@VeteranHedonist]

Have you tried listening to the band "Ocean colour scene"? Their albums are great. Great live band too.

[@nimbe0]

@@VeteranHedonist No I don't think so I'm gonna look for them, are they fron that era too? Thanks for the recomendation

[@danthebikeguy447]

@@nimbe0 Can you recommend some good Mexican bands? I really like The Warning.

[@nimbe0]

@@danthebikeguy447 okay, so you have to listend Cafe Tacuba, Molotov, Panteón Rococo, La cuca, El TRI, El Haragán... I will tell you abouth other bands but here in the City we also love some argentinians bands if you like I can recomienda them too

[@RetroWez]

Every second of this video is fantastic. Thank you.

[@boutrosboutrosboutrosboutros]

Blur and Gorillaz are genius. But Nirvana smacked way harder, they are not even in the same hemisphere. Raw emotion vs snarky Brit sensibilities. They couldn't be more different in substance.

[@Optimus97]

32:46 you just showed me a song I haven't thought of for 10 years after that last time I've heard it in some commercial, I don't quite remember which one, Pepsi comes to mind, but I might be completely wrong

[@hdufort]

Blur started as a shoegaze band, and they were pretty good at it. Weird to imagine them as shy introverts looking down at their pedals and gear as they emotionlessly perform onstage...

[@TheAndradeCS]

They were also doing Madchester songs too, which was on its way out since every other band was imploding itself or burning out. They made the right choice.

[@utrapzab]

Nah blur weren’t shoegaze, nowhere near it, they started hanging on the coat tails of Manchester, they smashed it by 94 tho

[@Carrythe2]

It's pretty easy to imagine Graham doing that, because he often did - he brought the "lost in fuzz" element whenever he was allowed to. But yeah, Bustin and Dronin is their only proper shoegaze song and it came later.

[@gringogreen4719]

Blur was Baggy, not Shoegaze. Damon was too extroverted to be Shoegaze or Dream Pop. I can see the rest of the band doing Shoegaze and Dream Pop but not Damon.

[@allimensch]

Always appreciate your well researched, well-edited videos.

[@romelovesdan]

I consider myself absolutely lucky to have been able to see blur early on in the USA in May 1992, and be able to take my daughter to see blur in 2003 for her first rock concert. Every show I have been fortunate enough to attend were fantastic! blur has an eclectic meaningful career that deserves in depth discovery and listening, including their B-sides.

[@petermobius]

Holy crap your video just reminded me of the song, No distance Left to Run. I loved the shit out of that song back when it came out. It spoke to me so personally and I felt the fuck out of it along with all the other sad sack indie rock I was into in the late 90's. But the point of me writing this is that I haven't heard of or thought of that song in almost 20 years...literally. and being 53 now I quite possible could have died with out it ever crossing my synapses again. Fucking music, memories and all that. Crazy!!!!!

[@kumachan9311]

There's a classic quote from one of the Gallagher Brothers calling Blur "Chimney sweep music" [Think - Mary Poppins]

[@bgorski6937]

What does that even mean?

[@kumachan9311]

@@bgorski6937 as I said like "Mary Poppins" songs = Mockney [Like Fake put on London/Britishness]

[@kumachan9311]

@@bgorski6937 kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4SmlXmMmJt3pbs

[@danielhoskins4690]

There’s a classic quote from Graham Coxon calling the Gallagher brothers “Status Quoasis”. Touché.

[@nobbynoris]

Whereas most of Oasis' oeuvre, apart from two or three good songs, could reasonably be termed Music To Wipe Your Arse To.

[@iretattoo]

I'm glad to have been part of the crowd at Wembley Stadium last year ❤ Lets hope it's not Blur's last tour 🤞🏼

[@alexanderburke2973]

Speaking of XTC's sound being an influence on "Modern Life...", Andy Partridge was originally supposed to produce that record, until he and the group had some kind of falling out.

[@fromthe90s21]

Yes. And listening to the songs he actually produced (they're in the "21" box set), they sound exactly like Stephen Street's versions. So strange.

[@andrewraphael3800]

@@fromthe90s21 Yeh Andy wasn't pleased that they essentially sounded the same

[@chrismcguigan1810]

@@andrewraphael3800 I read that the record company were the ones that felt the album was too close to XTC's sound and dispensed with Andy's services. Listen to Tracy Jacks and Respectable Street and you'll see they might have had a point! But I wouldn't have seen it as a bad thing being a big fan of both XTC and Blur.

[@lukijez]

HOLY SHIT, what an incredible job! Captivating, educative, engaging, I truly have no words to describe how great this video is.

[@julianciahaconsulting8663]

I had avoided clicking on this thinking it was going to be one of those lame AI made headline overviews with a computer generated voice that always have at least one major screwup of facts that are spreading thru youtube like a smallpox pandemic but nope this one was very well done and informative; clearly whoever made this knows their stuff and was there during those marvellous years. Two thumbs up & well worth the time watching. Now a subscriber.

[@tangerinesrock90038]

Thanks to you I had “park life” stuck in my head allll day! 😩😩 my 2 year old son’s favorite song is “song 2” . He can’t get enough of that song. We sing it together in the morning after breakfast .

[@dylanpahman]

This is great. I'd love to know more about The Rentals. One of my favorite 90s bands.

[@petermitchell2729]

Amazingly well produced. Especially avoiding copyright issues. Brilliant.

[@Eric_In_SF]

Hell, yeah bro! Blur was my jam listening in the college radio even though they weren’t mainstream it was great. Charlatans inspiral carpets and then eventually blur and Supergrass. We never got into oasis because they were too serious and if we wanted to hear the Beatles, we would just listen to the Beatles Blur was fun because it gave us a look at a life. We didn’t know, but appreciated in British culture. That be sense of humor just straight up pop hooks

[@satansalley6526]

Your American is showing 😊

[@grief8060]

i know you dont do movies anymore, but id love to see you cover Gregg Araki and his use of music in his films sometime. the electronic/triphop/shoegaze influence in his movies cant be understated

[@clairefangloria]

regarding the rentals' influence it's also worth mentioning their second album "Seven More Minutes" was heavily influenced by britpop and even had a Damon feature, along with elastica's donna matthews and ash's tim wheeler also featuring on the album

[@TheDaddyO44]

Great video! Fave Blur album '13' - a psychedelic roller coaster

[@craigcharlesworth1538]

Modern Life is Rubbish and Blur have always been my two favourite Blur records. I'd never noted the stylistic similarities before but now I hear Coxon say it, stuff like Oily Water could easily have fitted on the self-titled record and Look Inside America could have gone the other way. The thing about Blur as an album is that it was the final word in the battle with Oasis. Blur gave up trying to be the biggest band in Britain and settled for trying to be the best. Blur (the album) was forward-looking and innovative and came out a few months before Be Here Now, which was neither of those things and was the start of a precipitous decline in the quality of Oasis's work which wouldn't ever really stop. It was a Phyrric victory, perhaps, but a victory nonetheless.

[@carrionsongs]

this was so informative :D! blur is one of my favorite british bands, my favorite album being parklife, but i didnt know very much about the whole blur vs oasis thing myself (to be fair i was a teen listening to them in 2012 and just loved their sound😂 oasis' lead singer's voice is just not my thing!) i legitimately didnt know that song 2 was a grunge parody, but listening to it now its so obvious it makes me feel a bit silly haha. love your videos!!

[@paulallen9349]

Yeah oasis trying to be the beatles just was shit and wrong!

[@MrWayout74]

3rd and at this point I'd like to request a story on the charlatan's. Specifically their first four LPs. An interesting timeline for a great rock and roll band.

[@danpreston564]

And Tim is one of the all round best people in music.

[@MrWayout74]

@@danpreston564 OK then, a grass roots campaign starts here Mr Trash Theory. Let's dea it fir disco!

[@03056932]

Excellent work. Incredibly well made. Fascinating how oblivious you are to all this as a child.

[@MellissaBoomeroftheNight]

When we first heard Song 2 we got the irony. As Americans, we didn't really know Blur. I was into The Smiths, The Jam, Split Enz, Siouxsie, but that was in the early 80s. By the 90s, it was all indie bands from Orange County like Sublime, The Cadillac Tramps, Christian Death in their last breath. This was funny to us.

[@nathanisaksson]

American here. Huge Blur fan since the beginning. I saw them live in Atlanta in ‘97, and it remains one of the greatest concerts I’ve attended.

[@shylacurry9471]

I came across Blur during a class in college about British culture. Of course they talked about Blur vs. Oasis rivalry thing. After I watched an episode on Trash Theory about that cultural event, I listened to a couple of their songs. They weren’t bad, I liked them. After watching this & thinking about what happened at Coachella, I’ve come to realize they were never gonna be big or been known in America, and that’s okay. Not everyone gonna be huge here. I discovered more artists from the UK from this channel, and they’re actually good. Even as an American myself (born and raised), they definitely didn’t deserve to be treated like that.

[@whitneymichael3463]

Fairly recently given the source material (so ~10 years ago, but running back to at least 20 years ago) there was a great alt dance night in San Francisco called Popscene I used to go to. They eventually spun off a britpop night once a month called Leisure and it was my absolute favorite.

[@katherynemero4118]

The really ridiculous thought of this whole thing is that "Roll With It" is a way better song than "Country House," and "The Universal" is a way better song than "Wonderwall." I really just can't help but laugh at that.

[@mcwinfreysmythe]

Amazing vid, great storytelling, well done!

[@v.a.993]

I never knew that There's No Other Way is a Blur song. I loved Girls and Boys. And I LOVED Song 2! ---signed U.S. Citizen

[@TasteTheD]

This was so insightful and has reignited a nostalgic love of Britpop and those it influenced. Thank you :)

[@iainmcclure416]

Controversial point: Blur always had range and complexity - Oasis made an entire career out of endlessly reworking "Rain" by the Beatles.

[@rmh032]

I like a lot of what Blur have done but a lot of their singles output is nonsense. Cut down on your 'porklife' mate!!! Wow.

[@exigency2231]

@@rmh032it’s not nonsense, it’s a pretty simple fat joke

[@NeroSparda99]

Horrid take, never speak again

[@ethanprew8530]

Facts

[@montybrewster7]

Awesome vid as always TT. Many thanks.

[@rjmunro]

They were right in that old Wembley Stadium that was around in the 1990s was not built for music. The new one, built from 2002, was built with concerts in mind as well as football. They massively improved the acoustics and added sections of seating that could be removed to build the stage.

[@Pashwintime]

This has just brought back a Christmas memory as a 12 year old. I got a cassette of The Great Escape, and also What's the Story.. I dismissed the latter, having only heard Blur before, but Oasis became my go to for a few sweet years there being from Manchester. Love both bands for that time.

[@stephenphillips595]

As much as I love Song 2 as a 2 minute blast of noise, I've always thought of Bank Holiday on Parklife to be a precursor. Just as noisy as Song 2, Damon lyrics but with Graham having a wail for 1 minute 42. Maybe just how much i listened to Parklife the album but can't really hear Parklife the single without imagining the guitars flowing into Bank Holiday. Also given the release date of the video it deserved a mention!!

[@somnambulist83]

Love the style of your videos! Great clips, good information, valuable context--way better than anything Rolling Stone or Pitchfork put out.

[@anaritacoelho6689]

Went to their "Primavera" concert in Porto 2013, it was one of the most magical concerts I ever atended. I love The Universal, I was on the second row right in the middle, a mere meters of Damon Alban, and seeing him whith a flower crown in his head singging that ballad, feeling the energy of the crowd all bathed in blue light, I can still see it if I close my eyes. And I think it was on Coffee and TV that he went down to the crowd, right where we were was amasing. I was 21, life was good, and you could atend one day of a music festival for 35 euros.

[@newforestpixie5297]

every Goal ! scored by AFC Bournemouth in the brand new Dean Court ‘stadium’ (November 2001) would be greeted by it’s P.A. absolutely blasting out the WHOO HOO ! & riff …..the team scoring was a rare treat & this made it even better 😁👍

[@cascade3769]

Soccer is for pansies.

[@uverpro3598]

As an American whose introduction to modern rock was the Seattle “grunge” scene, I have to say, all my friends and I, loved Blur and Oasis. We weren’t so keen on labeling them anything but a “good band” and we were desperate for good music after 1994.

[@jaysilverstone7221]

I never responded well to blur for some reason and then you referenced teardrop explodes from 15 years earlier, who I'd seen live at the time and were brilliant

[@DrMcFly28]

As far as I remember, literally noone enjoyed "Song 2" ironically, same as Beastie Boys' "Party". You just took it at face value and went berserk.

[@stanreaper3080]

That's literally bs. A ton of people liked that song.

[@Destructocorps]

​@@stanreaper3080 that's what they said, as in lots of people legitimately enjoyed the song, rather than ironically enjoying it

[@legoqueen2445]

Yea, I only found out it was ironic couple of years ago. As a grunge teen when it came out, it was just a great song.

[@colinluckens9591]

​@@stanreaper3080 Including me, along with its awesome video!!👍👍👍👍

[@throwitatthewall6289]

Fight for your right was not ironic. Those guys are full of shit. They were young and they were singing about what they liked. They should just be honest but instead they are gaslighting people into believing their new found status with the woke has always been a thing it hasn’t.