Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Guitar Amps
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Artist news
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Software & Apps
  • Drums
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • You Oughta Know
  • Fake AI band
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Wrecking Crew
Recommended reading
George Harrison
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials How to play like George Harrison on The Beatles' Abbey Road
Getty Compile of Artist Pics
Artists 9 fresh long reads on tracks with astounding musical moments
Don't Look Back in Anger
Artists How Oasis rustled up the ultimate Britpop anthem with Don't Look Back in Anger
Ian "Shiner" Thomas of Those Damn Crows onstage playing to a festival crowd with his Gibson Les Paul. He wears a baseball cap and sunglasses.
Artists Shiner from Those Damn Crows on how to write a No.1 album and the Slipknot riff he wish he wrote
Steve with Billy Idol in 1984
Artists “The pirates are on their way!”: How guitarist Steve Stevens kickstarted Billy Idol’s hits White Wedding and Rebel Yell
Mark Knopfler of Dire Straights performs onstage in 1985 with his red Fender Stratocaster. He wears a dark suit and a burgundy shirt with an open collar.
Artists How Mark Knopfler grew up wanting to be Jimi Hendrix until he ditched the pick and went fingerstyle
Kane Hibberd, the photographer behind the Scale exhibition in London, poses in front of his photographs – guitars features will include Kerry King of Slayer's BC Rich and Tom Morello's Arm The Homeless S-style.
Guitars Exhibition featuring life-sized photos of 100 legendary artists' guitars to open in London
  1. Guitars
  2. Guitar Amps

13 best Britpop guitar moments

News
By Guitars and Amps Expo 2014, Matt Parker published 14 May 2014

The playing that defined an era

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Introduction

Introduction

GUITARS AND AMPS EXPO 2014: Between 1992 and 1997, guitar-wielding giants trod the land. The last major-label-backed UK-centric musical movement, Britpop, made megastars of the likes of Oasis and Blur, while Pulp, Suede and Elastica also enjoyed huge chart success. Here we take a look at the iconic riffs, solos and chord progressions in a scene that stripped rock to it's bones and shoved the six-string to the fore.

Page 1 of 14
Page 1 of 14
Song: Animal Nitrate

Song: Animal Nitrate

1993's self-titled Suede marked Britpop's true arrival and Animal Nitrate was the London band's big gun, single-wise. Bernard Butler's hammer-on-heavy runs swirl throughout, coming to an appropriately dizzy peak during the solo.

Page 2 of 14
Page 2 of 14
Song: Parklife

Song: Parklife

Indicative of the scene's embracing of 'well British Britishness' and the ensuing Union Jack-clad lad culture, Coxon's straightforward riff imbibes the song with a nonetheless irresistible swagger.

Page 3 of 14
Page 3 of 14
Song: Stutter

Song: Stutter

Representing Britpop's spikier side, Elastica's Stutter is the kind of tune that makes people form bands. Two minutes and four chords of fury, succinctly detailing the issues arising (or, err, not) when men drink before bedtime.

Page 4 of 14
Page 4 of 14
Song: Live Forever

Song: Live Forever

Epitomising the era's sense of (ironically, unsustainable) optimism, Live Forever also bore possibly the finest solo in Britpop. Kicking in at 1.44, there are few better examples of Noel Gallagher's iconic wailing, mid-heavy lead sound.

Page 5 of 14
Page 5 of 14
Song: Staying Out For The Summer

Song: Staying Out For The Summer

Combining two Britpop staples - arpeggiated guitar chords and 'borrowed' riffs - Dodgy's 1994 hit and it's notable guitar line is somewhat reminiscent of Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear The Reaper, if the reaper in question is the one from Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey...

Page 6 of 14
Page 6 of 14
Song: Wonderwall

Song: Wonderwall

The song that took Oasis from upstart rockstars to bonafide mega-fame. It's since become an 'acoustic 101'-style mainstay, the classroom starting point for an unfathomable number of guitar players.

Page 7 of 14
Page 7 of 14
Song: Disco 2000

Song: Disco 2000

Sickeningly simple, it takes just three seconds to identify Pulp's second biggest hit from its guitar intro. It took them nearly 20 years, but with 1995's A Different Class, Pulp were ingrained in teenage brains everywhere.

Page 8 of 14
Page 8 of 14
Song: Alright

Song: Alright

Alright was an ode to the discoveries of early teen years and its guitar solo was perfectly reflective of the lyrical content, combining rock 'n' roll fretboard wrangling and smooth slide guitar into happy-go-lucky perfection.

Page 9 of 14
Page 9 of 14
Song: Girl From Mars

Song: Girl From Mars

Though not always considered 'go-to' Britpoppers, Ash's thunderously catchy ode to extraterrestrial love was produced by Oasis/Weller man Owen Morris and dominated both charts and festivals in 1995, thanks in part to Tim Wheeler's tuneful wah-laden solo.

Page 10 of 14
Page 10 of 14
Song: Don't Look Back In Anger

Song: Don't Look Back In Anger

Don't Look Back In Anger saw Noel's Beatles influences brought to the fore. Like Live Forever, its solo builds to an irresistible crescendo - and it's almost impossible to listen to without singing along.

Page 11 of 14
Page 11 of 14
Song: The Riverboat Song

Song: The Riverboat Song

It may have been a tightening up and, err, re-imagining of Led Zep's 1971 tune Four Sticks, but that didn't stop The Riverboat Song (AKA The TFI Friday intro) and it's colossal opener/bridge riff becoming a 90s classic.

Page 12 of 14
Page 12 of 14
Song: Love Is The Law

Song: Love Is The Law

In 1997, having decided he was never-ever - EVER - going to reunite with The Stone Roses, pre-Britpop guitar god John Squire formed The Seahorses (acronym: he hates roses) and gave us this exercise in guitar acrobatics.

Page 13 of 14
Page 13 of 14
Song: Song 2

Song: Song 2

Although initially penned by Coxon and co to prove how easy it would be to parrot 90s US grunge and indie bands, Song 2 brought Blur stateside success and simultaneously sounded the Britpop death knell. It is, however, still a total stonker of a riff.

Page 14 of 14
Page 14 of 14
Matt Parker
Matt Parker

Matt is a freelance journalist who has spent the last decade interviewing musicians for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.

Read more
George Harrison
How to play like George Harrison on The Beatles' Abbey Road
Getty Compile of Artist Pics
9 fresh long reads on tracks with astounding musical moments
Don't Look Back in Anger
How Oasis rustled up the ultimate Britpop anthem with Don't Look Back in Anger
Ian "Shiner" Thomas of Those Damn Crows onstage playing to a festival crowd with his Gibson Les Paul. He wears a baseball cap and sunglasses.
Shiner from Those Damn Crows on how to write a No.1 album and the Slipknot riff he wish he wrote
Steve with Billy Idol in 1984
“The pirates are on their way!”: How guitarist Steve Stevens kickstarted Billy Idol’s hits White Wedding and Rebel Yell
Mark Knopfler of Dire Straights performs onstage in 1985 with his red Fender Stratocaster. He wears a dark suit and a burgundy shirt with an open collar.
How Mark Knopfler grew up wanting to be Jimi Hendrix until he ditched the pick and went fingerstyle
Latest in Guitar Amps
Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC++: the super-rare holy grail metal amp used by the likes of Vivian Campbell and Metallica has been officially released by the Gibson-own amp brand.
‘Crunch Berries’ are on the menu! Mesa/Boogie releases holy grail Mark IIC++ Metallica amp
Mooer Audio F15i Li Intelligent Amp: this battery-powered take-anywhere guitar amp is packed with amp and effects models, and is an all-in-one practice solution.
Mooer’s F15i Intelligent Amp is a desktop doozie equipped with 55 amps, 69 effects and a touchscreen
EVH Gear Hypersonic FR-12: The newly launched FRFR speaker packs 1000-watts, is available in black or ivory, and might just be the perfect companion to your amp modeller.
EVH Gear drops the Hypersonic FR-12 FRFR speaker – 1000-watts to get the most from your amp modeller
Blackstar ID:X 50: The new combo from the British amp titan is described as "this is the most natural-sounding" modelling amp on the market.
Blackstar unveils ID-X combos – complete with 6 amp voices, over 35 effects, CabRig and OLED display
Laney Black Country Customs Tony Iommi TI100: Long-time Laney user Tony Iommi is pictured with his new signature amp, which is limited to 50 units worldwide to mark Black Sabbath's final show at Villa Park.
Laney celebrates Black Sabbath's final show with a limited edition reissue of Tony Iommi's TI100 amp
Supro Airwave: the new 1x12 tube combo combines old-school looks and tones with onboard cab sim tech from Two notes Audio Engineering.
Supro teams up with Two Notes for the Airwave, a vintage-voiced 25W tube combo with onboard cab sims
Latest in News
Zach Myers of Shinedown is bathed in blue stage lights and plays his custom-relic'd Silver Sky.
Shinedown’s Zach Myers on Paul Reed Smith, signature model updates, and that relic’d Silver Sky
Barry Can't Swim
Barry Can’t Swim has no time for people who have an issue with artists using synth presets
EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening Analog Amp Simulator: the compact single-knob pedal can be used as a headphones amp or on your pedalboard as a preamp whose signal can be sent direct to desk or DAW.
EarthQuaker Devices launches headphones amp mini-pedal that you can use to record with
Field Music and The Doors
“We can fill a hole in our dire finances”: Mercury nominated Field Music are now a Doors tribute act
Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks
50 years after leaving Genesis, Peter Gabriel has reunited with Tony Banks on a new project
Miley Cyrus performs during Miley Cyrus Billions Club Series Paris at Maxim's on June 18, 2025 in Paris, France
“I have the physical ability. I wish I had the desire, but I don’t”: Miley Cyrus explains why she's not touring

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...