Rock Legends

Rock Legends

Blur was formed in the late 1980s when all four members were attending London’s Goldsmith’s College. However lead signer Damon Albarn and guitarist Graham Coxon had actually known each other since childhood, growing up together in Colchester. With bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree, the band began playing under the name of Seymour, after a character created by J D Salinger, but they soon changed that to Blur to secure a deal with Food Records. After their debut She’s So High failed to trouble the top of the charts, Blur teamed up with producer Stephen Street. They had immediate success with the single There’s No Other Way. Upon its release, Blur’s debut album, Leisure, failed to make the impact Food Records had hoped for but the band had a musical turning point with the release of the single Popscene. It had a distinctly English sound and is often credited as being the very first Britpop song. Blur decided to take on a quintessentially English style and image for their second album, Modern Life is Rubbish. By hanging on to their newfound English heritage, commercial fortunes would change for Blur in 1994 with the release of the single Girls and Boys. The success of Girls and Boys propelled the band’s third album, Parklife, to enter the charts at number one.