The difference, by ear
The genre it defined itself against, explicitly and at the time. Grunge is discomfort in drop D; britpop is craft in standard tuning.
Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 90 to 150 bpm. To hear the difference, play Oasis next to Nirvana. Both grew out of alternative rock, grunge first and Britpop five years after.
In figures
Britpop
Where it sits
Rock › Alternative rock › Britpop
In short
Britain answers grunge with Beatles-and-Kinks melody and lyrics about ordinary English life.
How it sounds
- Beatles and Kinks melodic writing inside classic British pop structures.
- Clean or lightly distorted guitars, organ, occasionally strings.
- Deliberately marked British accents and lyrics about ordinary life.
Key acts
- Oasis
- Blur
- Pulp
- Suede
Start here
The pickPulp - Different Class. The decade's best lyrics, and it isn't close.
Full page →Grunge
Where it sits
Rock › Alternative rock › Grunge
In short
Punk plus Black Sabbath plus flannel: quiet verse, exploding chorus and lyrics about self-disgust.
How it sounds
- Quiet verse, chorus at full distortion - the dynamic taken from the Pixies.
- Guitars sometimes tuned a whole step down, through simple fuzz pedals.
- Hoarse vocals with lyrics about self-disgust, apathy and unfocused anger.
Key acts
- Nirvana
- Soundgarden
- Alice in Chains
- Pearl Jam
Start here
The pickAlice in Chains - Dirt. The heaviest and bleakest record the scene produced.
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