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Blur

Modern life is rubbish

One of the best-selling British acts of the 90s, Blur helped define Britpop before ultimately transcending the genre by turning towards left-field American influences. Originally a rather run-of-the-mill shoegazing outfit, Blur forged the Britpop sound out of classic UK songwriting teams such as The Kinks, XTC and Small Faces. By the late 90s guitarist Graham Coxon's fascination with US act Pavement took hold, signalling a new direction. Coxon has since left Blur, and the band have been on hiatus since 2003.