The A to Z of Blur

Introduction

The list you never realised you wanted but opened anyway. One letter, one entry. No context. No waffle. Just Blur, alphabetised for your convenience and confusion. You’re not here to learn. You’re here because you’re still defending The Great Escape and wondering why 13 still hurts. Twenty-six entries. All still humming.

A – Albarn, Damon

Frontman, instigator, and control freak. Made heartbreak hummable and boredom sound profound.

B – Blur

The name Food Records picked off a shortlist. Better than "Seymour". Just.

C – Country House

The single that outsold Roll With It in ’95 and started a media war. No one came out looking good.

D – Dave Rowntree

The drummer who became a councillor. Kept time, kept calm, kept the band from falling apart more than once.

E – Elastica

Justine Frischmann’s band. And Damon’s undoing. Most of 13 owes her.

F – Food Records

The label that saved them, renamed them, and nearly dropped them.

G – Girls & Boys

The song that made Blur stars. A Duran Duran bassline, a sideways wink, and a Top of the Pops moment.

H – Hyde Park

The 2009 comeback. Coxon was back. The setlist was tight. Albarn welled up during “Tender”. It meant more than anyone expected.

I – I Broadcast

Track six on The Magic Whip. Spiky and scrambled. Proof Blur still knew how to short-circuit expectations.

J – Jamie Hewlett

Gorillaz co-creator. Turned Albarn into a cartoon. Saved everyone’s sanity.

K – King's Cross

Where it nearly ended. A press day in ’95 that pushed Coxon too far. Blur were selling millions and falling apart.

L – Leisure

The debut. Part shoegaze, part Madchester, mostly filler. Still charted.

M – Modern Life Is Rubbish

The Britpop manifesto. Kinks guitars, London buses, anti-grunge defiance. The real beginning.

N – No Distance Left to Run

The breakup song. With Justine. With Britpop. With pretending.

O – Orbit, William

Producer of 13. Made Blur sound like a comedown and a breakdown, beautifully.

P – Parklife

The album. The single. The talking point. Turned Blur into a national cliché. And then something more.

Q – Q Awards

Blur won plenty. Until they didn’t. The backlash came quick.

R – Reunion

Started in 2009. Stopped. Started again. Ended up at Wembley.

S – Song 2

Two minutes. Four chords. One "woo-hoo". The song that finally cracked America.

T – Tender

The ballad. The gospel moment. Blur at their most unguarded.

U – Under the Westway

The 2012 single. Slow, sad, sincere. One eye on the skyline, the other on the exit.

V – Valentine’s Day ’96

That NME cover. All four looking lost. Britpop peak. Britpop rot.

W – Wembley Stadium

In 2023, Blur sold out two nights. Twenty-five songs. No bloat. Blur went big and earned it.

X – XFM

Live session in May ’93. Pre-Parklife, pre-hype. Just a band playing like it mattered.

Y – Yuko and Hiro

Office life in a pop song. Robots, routine, and resignation. Blur at their weirdest.

Z – Zang Tumb Tumb

Japanese label that released Bustin’ + Dronin’. Blink and you missed it. Blur completists didn’t.

That’s It. Time to Get Back to the Music

You just read 26 entries about Blur without being asked to rank anything. Go put on Parklife. Or don’t. You already know what track’s coming first.