Britpop was an alternative rock phenomenon, that as the name suggests, originated in Britain. It was a movement that was most popular during the mid 90s in Great Britain. It was the indie scene from the early 90s that gave rise to Britpop. It was characterized by bands, whose main influences were, the British guitar oriented pop music produced in the 1960s and 1970s. To a large extent it developed as a reactionary movement against the various musical and cultural trends that emerged in the late 80s and early 90s, the grunge phenomenon in particular, which came from the United States.

The grunge invasion was dominated by American bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains. In the wake of this American onslaught many bands began to incorporate patriotic rhetoric into their music, dealing with topics and concerns uniquely British.