1990s
1990 in British Music
Madchester fades, shoegaze gazes, and club culture tightens its grip.
The Story of 1990
The Nineties began with baggy and Madchester at their peak. The Stone Roses played Spike Island in May, a defining moment for a generation – 27,000 fans in a chemical works car park, the summer of '90 feeling limitless until it wasn't. Happy Mondays released 'Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches', their masterpiece, with 'Step On' and 'Kinky Afro' becoming anthems. The Charlatans' 'The Only One I Know' was perfect baggy pop. But the Roses were already in legal disputes with their record label, the dream starting to fray. Elsewhere, rave culture was fragmenting into genres – breakbeat hardcore, techno and ambient. The Orb's 'The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld' was ambient house. Primal Scream's 'Loaded' was indie-dance perfection. George Michael's 'Freedom! '90' was a masterpiece of pop songwriting. Madonna's 'Vogue' dominated. The rave scene faced increasing police pressure, and the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act was making its way through Parliament, targeting music characterised by a succession of repetitive beats. British music was fighting for its right to party.
Key Events
Shoegaze emerges: My Bloody Valentine, Ride, and Slowdive define a scene
Massive Attack release Blue Lines — the Bristol sound and trip-hop are born
The Happy Mondays' Spike Island gig draws 27,000 — the peak and end of baggy
Dominant Genres
Notable Trends
- →Rave culture goes superclub: venues like The Hacienda become legendary
- →The 'difficult second album' from Stone Roses looms (won't arrive till 1994)
- →Bristol sound (trip-hop, drum and bass) emerges as UK's most innovative scene
Key Artists of 1990
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