Cool Britannia was a name for the period of increased pride in theculture of the United Kingdom in the mid- and late 1990s, inspired bySwinging London from 1960s pop culture. This loosely coincided with the latter years ofJohn Major's conservative government and the1997 United Kingdom general election, whichTony Blair'sNew Labour won in a landslide.Britpop and musical acts such asOasis,Blur, and theSpice Girls were at the forefront. The term—apun on the title of the British patriotic song "Rule, Britannia!"—reflects renewed optimism in the United Kingdom after the tumultuous 1970s and 1980s.
The phrase "Cool Britannia" was coined in 1967 by theBonzo Dog Doo Dah Band as the title of the first song on their debut album,Gorilla. The title and its lyrics alluded to the song "Rule, Britannia!": "Cool Britannia, Britannia you are cool/Take a trip!/Britons ever, ever, ever shall be hip".[1]
The phrase "Cool Britannia" reappeared in early 1996 as a registered trademark for one ofBen & Jerry's ice cream flavours which mixed vanilla, strawberries and "fudge-covered shortbread".Channel 4 had a magazine show called "Cool Britannia" in 1996 and 1997.[2]
According to American journalistStryker McGuire, the "Cool Britannia" term started to become prominent in the 1990s as a shorthand metaphor to reflect theBritish economic rise during the decade. In 1996, McGuire wrote a cover story forNewsweek attributing this rapid economic development to theThatcherite policies of the 1980s, titled "London Rules". The article proclaimedLondon—one of the cities most heavily affected by recent economic developments—to be "the coolest city on the planet". Though McGuire's article did not use the phrase "Cool Britannia", he wrote in a 2009Guardian article, it "launched a thousand 'Cool Britannia' ships", .[3]
Theelection ofTony Blair in 1997 marked a change in tone from the previousPrime Minister,John Major.[4][5] Blair, who during his election campaign, liked to mention that he had been in a rock band called Ugly Rumours while in university, invited high-profile musicians to10 Downing Street for photo opportunities.[6]
Time described "Cool Britannia" as the mid-1990s celebration of youth culture in the UK.[7] To the extent that it had any real meaning, "Cool Britannia" referred to the transient fashionable London house scene: clubs included theMinistry of Sound and the undergroundMegatripolis at Heaven,[8] 1990s bands such asBlur andOasis, fashion designers, theYoung British Artists and magazines. Cool Britannia also summed up the mood in Britain during the mid-1990sBritpop movement, when there was a resurgence of distinctive British rock and pop music from bands such as Oasis, Blur,Pulp,Suede,Supergrass, andElastica.[9] Although they do not fall under the Britpop genre, popgirl group theSpice Girls were also part of the movement, withTime calling them "arguably the most recognizable face" of Cool Britannia.[7]
The renewal in British pride was symbolised in imagery such asNoel Gallagher'sUnion Jackguitar andGeri Halliwell'sUnion Jack dress, worn at the1997 Brit Awards.[10][11][12] TheEuro 1996 football tournament, hosted in England, is also considered an event that encouraged a resurgence of patriotism, particularly in England.John Major, who was prime minister of Britain at the time, famously took credit (November 1996), accompanied with a press release issued by theDepartment of National Heritage: "Our fashion, music and culture are the envy of our European neighbours. This abundance of talent, together with our rich heritage, makes 'Cool Britannia' an obvious choice for visitors from all over the world".[13][unreliable source?] With his high-profile bouts, world featherweight champion boxer“Prince” Naseem Hamed is also associated with the era, as arealcopops andLads' Magazines.[14]
Released in 1994,romantic comedy filmFour Weddings and a Funeral, featuring one of the era's biggest stars,Hugh Grant, had been an early portent of the new wave of British cinema.[15] Devised by screenwriterRichard Curtis, it set a pattern for British-set romantic comedies, includingSliding Doors (1998) andNotting Hill (1999), the latter also starring Grant.[15] The firstAustin Powers film,International Man of Mystery, co-starringElizabeth Hurley (who was in a high-profile relationship with Grant), was released in 1997, and with its Cool Britannia influenced take on the Swinging London era it instantly included itself in the same 1990s cultural moment.[15]Danny Boyle’s 1996 filmTrainspotting featured a Britpop-heavy soundtrack.[15]
In March 1997,Vanity Fair published a special edition on Cool Britannia withLiam Gallagher andPatsy Kensit on the cover; the title read 'London Swings! Again!'.[9] Figures in the issues includedAlexander McQueen,Damien Hirst,Graham Coxon and the editorial staff ofLoaded. Tony Blair's speech at the 1996 Labour party conference drew on the optimism of the Euro 96 football championships – accompanied with the summer’s chart-topping anthem “Three Lions”. Alluding to the "thirty years of hurt" lyric in the song (since England last won the World Cup), Blair stated, "Seventeen years of hurt never stopped us dreaming. Labour's coming home".[15] After the Labour party won its landslide, there was even more enthusiasm.[4]
During this time, however,The Economist was commenting that "many people are already sick of the phrase",[16] and senior Labour politicians, such as Foreign SecretaryRobin Cook, seemed embarrassed by its usage.Alan McGee voiced his anger with New Labour's policies: "In a way what Labour are doing - even though deep down in their hearts they are trying to do a good thing - is making it worse for musicians. On one hand you've got Tony Blair and Chris Smith making this thing about Cool Britannia, but on the other hand they're taking away the means for the next generation of artists and musicians to go away and create."[17] By 2000 (after the decline of Britpop as a tangible genre), it was being used mainly in a mocking or ironic way. In 2003,George Michael said "Cool Britannia is a load of bollocks to me".[18]
Two highlight DVDs,Later... with Jools Holland: Cool Britannia 1 & 2, have appeared since 2004.[19] Similar terms have been used regionally for similar phenomena; inWales andScotland, "Cool Cymru" and "Cool Caledonia", respectively, have been used.[20][21]
