38 - blur

Woohoo!

At number 38 is British alt-rock band, Blur. Lead singer Damon Albarn is a creative mastermind and is also the voice behind 2D of the Gorillaz.

Wiki - Blur are an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure (1991) incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing. Following a stylistic change—influenced by English guitar pop groups such as The Kinks, The Beatles and XTC—Blur released the Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), Parklife (1994) and The Great Escape (1995) albums. As a result, the band helped to popularise the Britpop genre and achieved mass popularity in the UK, aided by a famous chart battle with rival band Oasis dubbed "The Battle of Britpop".

In recording their follow-up, Blur (1997), the band underwent another reinvention, showing influence from the lo-fi style of American indie rock bands. "Song 2", one of the album's singles, brought Blur brief mainstream success in the US. The last album featuring Blur's original lineup, 13 (1999) found the band members experimenting with electronic music and gospel music, as Albarn wrote more personal lyrics. In May 2002, Coxon left Blur during the recording of their seventh album Think Tank (2003). Containing electronic sounds and more minimal guitar work, the album was marked by Albarn's growing interest in hip hop and African music. After a 2003 tour without Coxon, Blur did no studio work or touring as a band, as members engaged in other projects.

Discography -

Leisure (1991)
Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)
Parklife (1994)
The Great Escape (1995)
Blur (1997)
13 (1999)
Think Tank (2003)

Best Songs -

10 - Country House
9 - No Distance Left to Run
8 - Tender
7 - Girls & Boys
6 - Parklife
5 - Beetlebum
4 - Charmless Man
3 - There's No Other Way
2 - Song 2
1 - Coffee & TV

In 2009 Blur reunited, with Coxon back in the fold, for a series of successful concerts. In 2010 the band released their first post-reunion single, "Fool's Day", to enthusiastic reviews. On the 11 of May Damon announced that the band would reunite further to record future singles. He stressed, however, that a full album was not yet coming soon.



next up: a band with more lineup changes than anyone for how short-lived they have been together