U2's Bono was one of the few real rock heroes of the 1980s, leading the Irish band to international recognition with a charged, political approach to music. The band's early efforts brought a stadium-size presence to alt-rock, with Bono's expressive …

In 2000, Coldplay emerged seemingly out of nowhere to become a worldwide smash with their debut album PARACHUTES and hit single "Yellow." They're generally lumped in with the Britpop crowd, but, like Travis, they favor a more thoughtful, melodic pop …

British trio Keane, who trade in the sort of grandiose, melancholy Britpop that was the chief domain of Coldplay for much of the early 2000s, broke big with their 2004 debut album, HOPES AND FEARS. While many hear the band's sound as yet another wate…

These New York art shock-rockers, formed in 2003, take camp icons like Elton John, the Bee Gees, and Billy Joel as their musical foundation for a sound that's rooted in the dance clubs of their hometown. On their debut, self-titled album they reinter…

The roots of Los Angeles band Maroon 5 lay in the late-1990s Weezer-influenced alt-rock outfit Kara's Flowers. After that group disbanded, the members eventually started a new band (along with a second guitarist). Rechristening themselves Maroon 5, t…

This Athens band's initial mix of Velvet Underground strum, Byrds-like Rickenbacker jangle, and charismatically oblique singing, became the sound of the 1980s as legions of bands followed suit. But even as imitators codified R.E.M.'s approach into th…

The late 1990s saw the emergence of several notable female singer/songwriters, including Beth Orton, Jewel, and Dido. Combining elements of folk, pop, and alt-electronica, Dido scored a surprise hit with her debut effort NO ANGEL, which raced up the …

Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue started out as an actress, working on the TV show NEIGHBOURS, whose UK popularity eventuated the young singer taking up with megapop production team Stock, Aitken & Waterman (who also made Rick Astley a success). W…

Following in the footsteps their idols The Beatles, Oasis became a phenomenon in their home country in the 1990s. Taking the Fabs' template as a model, they added a thick wall of Pete Townshend-influenced guitars and stood at the vanguard of the mid-…

Glasgow, Scotland's Travis started off as an alt-rock band in 1997 (look no further than the early track "All I Want To Do Is Rock"), but transformed into Britpop songcrafters for their massive sophomore release, THE MAN WHO. Praised by Oasis' Noel G…

Diminutive, bald-headed Richard Melville Hall, better known as Moby, achieved greater mainstream success than any other electronica artist by virtue of his willingness to adapt electronic dance music to a well formed pop sensibility. From the '90s on…

Although often overshadowed by fellow Brit-rockers Oasis and Radiohead, The Verve was responsible for some of the best and most well-crafted rock to come out of England in the 1990s. While the band perfected their pop songwriting as time went on, it …

George Michael rose to worldwide superstardom as part of the cheery dance pop duo Wham! in the 1980s, before going solo after three hit albums. Michael enjoyed even more success on his own, updating older dance styles (soul, '70s disco, etc.) and eve…

To some, the Englishman born under the name Gordon Sumner will always be known as the bassist, songwriter, and frontman of the Police. But Sting's mega-successful solo career from the 1980s into the 21st century may even overshadow his former band's …

Welsh trio Stereophonics made a big splash as the first band to be signed to Virgin impresario Richard Branson's V2 label. Their 1997 debut album started them on the path to stardom, and their distinctive blend of Oasis-inspired Britpop and '70s-infl…

Getting her start with Canadian bubblegum pop in the early-1990s, Alanis Morissette reinvented herself as an angst-ridden hippie/alternative rocker by the middle of the decade. The makeover paid off splendidly, as Morissette scored one of the best-se…

Depeche Mode (French for "hurried fashion") was one of the first and best of the British synth-pop bands, combining breathless, melodic pop with perky electronics. With main songwriter Vince Clarke's departure for Yaz, Martin Gore took the reigns, an…

Coming out of the grass-roots Gilman St. punk scene of the early-1990s Bay Area, Green Day exploded into the mainstream with their third album, 1994's DOOKIE. The trio's punk energy and pop hooks, influenced by first-generation punks like the Buzzcoc…

Seal helped put heart and soul back in pop music during the 1990s. His music is often full of electronics yet always organic (thanks in no small part to super-producer Trevor Horn). The UK singer/songwriter started out trolling around the British aci…