The difference, by ear
The guitar sound is inherited from jangle by way of the Smiths, with the melancholy replaced by swagger.
Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 110 to 150 bpm. To hear the difference, play Oasis next to R.E.M. They share a root in rock, and jangle pop came first, by thirteen years.
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 →Jangle pop
Where it sits
Rock › Folk rock › Jangle pop
In short
Clean, chiming Rickenbacker guitars and melody everywhere. The building block of indie rock.
How it sounds
- Compressed Rickenbacker guitar with no distortion - the jangle itself.
- Melodic bass with its own lines, often moving in counterpoint.
- Clear melodies, with vocals sometimes mixed lower than radio expected.
Key acts
- R.E.M.
- The Smiths
- The Go-Betweens
Start here
The pickR.E.M. - Murmur. Don't try to decipher the lyrics; the band didn't want you to.
Full page →