The Rise And Fall Of Britpop

THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITPOP (320kbs-m4a/377mb/2hrs41mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 12th July 2023

Jo Whiley & Steve Lamacq tell the unfiltered story of a genre that shaped modern Britain.

30 years later, Steve and Jo are taking advantage of their contacts, going through old notebooks, photo albums, DATs, Mini Discs and the BBC archives to chart the Rise and Fall of one of the biggest musical movements ever to hit the UK... Britpop.

Presented by Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq
Written by Steve Lamacq and Paul Sheehan
Produced by Paul Sheehan with additional production by Phil Smith
Technical Production by Tim Heffer
Editor for BBC Audio Helen Hobday
Commissioning Producer Jonathan O'Sullivan
Commissioner for BBC Music Will Wilkin
A BBC Audio Production
Archive comes from The Word, Fierce Panda, Channel 4, Hattrick, Steve Lamacq, Peel Acres, Creation Call, Ginger Media and the BBC Archive.

The producers would like to thank all contributors and archive interviewers and interviewees including Matt Everitt, Jax Coombes, Miranda Sawyer, John Harris, Stephen Merchant, Matt Tasker, Dermot O'Leary, Sara Tabar, Anna Richards, Tom Ravenscroft, Sam Cunningham, Chris Morris, Stuart Maconie, Mark Goodier, Georgia Frampton and Snuff.

THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITPOP - 0. THIS IS... THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITPOP (320kbs-m4a/7mb/3mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music podcast: 30th June 2023

THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITPOP - 1. OH WELL WHATEVER, NEVERMIND: THE BIRTH OF BRITPOP (320kbs-m4a/46mb/20mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 12th July 2023

What was life like before Britpop? Join Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley as they rewind the tape to hear how the UK sounded at the start of the 90's.

Britpop emerged at a very specific time in British History, recession and war had dominated the headlines, the Iron Lady left Downing Street for the final time and the UK's music scene was fractured. Rave was still in relatively rude health, terrifying the tabloids and the parents of teenagers, Morrissey had felt the wrath of music fans after appearing on stage in a Union Jack, and the Manic Street Preachers were bringing their own unique blend of rock n roll to the world. But there was one genre that dominated the airwaves and co-opted the ears of the UKs Youth... Grunge.

In Episode 1 of The Rise and Fall of Britpop, Steve and Jo have new interviews, never-before-heard archive material and more, giving us a warts-and-all look back at the genesis of the scene. Discovering how these different elements collided to create the perfect conditions for a big bang which saw a new wave of British creativity spewed into existence.

Warning: this episode contains strong language, adult themes and descriptions of self-harm and suicide, which some listeners may find distressing. Details of help and support are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline

THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITPOP - 2. ROCK AND ROLL STAR: THE MONTH THAT CHANGED IT ALL (320kbs-m4a/43mb/19mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 12th July 2023

Britpop as a term landed in the spring of 1993, but it was a full year later that everything changed, over the course of just twenty days.

In Episode 2 of The Rise and Fall of Britpop, Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley revisit the key moments on the road to Britpop's explosion. Including on-air resignations at Radio 1, a band of rowdy Mancunians and a tragic death which caused shockwaves around the world.

Warning: this episode contains strong language, adult themes and descriptions of self-harm and suicide, which some listeners may find distressing. Details of help and support are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline

THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITPOP - 3. WHAT DO I DO NOW? A CULTURAL TAKE OVER (320kbs-m4a/40mb/17mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 12th July 2023

Thirty years ago, a youthquake of creativity took hold of the UK as Britpop sucked everything into its cultural orbit.

From supermodels at Fashion week to Edinburgh's underbelly, and from Match of the Day montages to puppets interviewing rock stars on Breakfast TV, the attitude and aspirations of Britpop reverberated across the country.

In episode 3 of The Rise and Fall of Britpop, Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley dust off old note books, photo albums, CDs and tapes and look at the effect Britpop had on every aspect of British culture.

THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITPOP - 4. CONNECTION: THE RISE OF LAD CULTURE (320kbs-m4a/39mb/17mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 12th July 2023

As Britpop and lad culture became intertwined, did this heady relationship do a disservice to the women behind the music?

30 years on from Britpop, Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq take a trip back to the 90s to reassess the scene's relationship with sex and gender. From the front covers of lads mags to music videos, they delve into the day to day experiences of many band members.

Featuring new and archive interviews with Louise Wener, Shirley Manson, Miki Berenyi and Justine Frischmann, Episode 4 of The Rise and Fall of Britpop highlights the barriers women faced and celebrates the trails they blazed across the decade.

THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITPOP - 5. SOMETHING CHANGED - PULP FICTION (320kbs-m4a/54mb/23mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 12th July 2023

Despite Blur and Oasis dominating the headlines, one band more than any other came to represent the soaring highs and crushing lows of Britpop - Pulp. From recording in a semi-detached house in Sheffield to writing songs in a tent the night before headlining Glastonbury, the Pulp story has it all.

Thirty years on from the legendary Radio 1 Evening Session, Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq look back at the history of Pulp, discuss the band's impact and reveal how the intervention of Bob Mortimer and David Bowie might just have saved the 90s.

THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITPOP - 6. IT COULD BE YOU - THE BATTLE OF BRITPOP (320kbs-m4a/39mb/17mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 12th July 2023

In August 1995, battle lines were drawn and the North vs South rivalry was reignited as Blur and Oasis battled it out for the top spot in the UK charts. What started off as banter soon became a full Britpop war, with offices, classrooms and friendship groups divided.

In episode six of The Rise and Fall of Britpop, Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley tell the real stories behind the 'Battle of Britpop'.

THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITPOP - 7. THE DRUGS DON’T WORK (320kbs-m4a/48mb/21mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 12th July 2023

As the 90s hurtled towards a new millennium, Britpop wasn't just making big headlines, it had also become very big business.

As money flowed through the UK music industry, everyone was desperate to be part of Cool Britannia. However, with the arrival of money came the arrival of excess.

In Episode 7 of The Rise and Fall of Britpop, legendary Evening Session hosts Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq re-unite to look back at what life was like for those in the eye of the storm.

THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITPOP - 8. TO THE END (320kbs-m4a/60mb/26mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 12th July 2023

Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq wrap up their analysis of the Rise and Fall of Britpop. They examine the final throes of the phenomenon and revaluate the impact it had on the musical landscape. They'll also hear from some of the key players and the artists Britpop influenced along the way.