Quintessentially British

Though the rock music of Britain and America have remained in an ongoing dialogue with each other since the 1950s, Britain has nevertheless maintained its own distinct tradition of rock music. One might say that they are two countries separated by a common musical tradition. The British tradition has drawn on both musical and lyrical themes which are... well, quintessentially British: guitar pop, idyllic British folk, kitchen sink drama, character sketches, and whimsical psychedelia. This playlist traces that tradition up through the Britpop phenomenon of the 1990s, emphasizing those artists whose impact — both on the charts and in terms of musical legacy — has been much stronger in Britain than in America.

(Two artists who deserve strong representation, though not available in Spotify are The Beatles and Slade. Early material by The Kinks is also notably absent, except for a few live versions.)