British popular music

The significant change of the mid-1950s was the impact of US rock and roll, which provided a new model for performance and recording, based on a youth market.

This evidences a common theme of cyclical exportation and re-exportation of British and American music between the respective cultures.

Rock began to develop into diverse and creative subgenres that characterised the form throughout the rest of the twentieth century.

In the early years of the decade, while subgenres like heavy metal music continued to develop separately, especially influenced by NWOBHM leaders, Iron Maiden among others.

[28] Electronic rock bands like The Prodigy and Chemical Brothers began to achieve a high profile.

[29] At the beginning of the new millennium, while talent show contestants were one of the major forces in pop music, British soul maintained and even extended its high-profile with figures like Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse and Adele, while a new group of singer/songwriters, including KT Tunstall and James Blunt, achieved international success and to rock bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay and Bring Me the Horizon.

[32] There was also a revival of garage rock and post punk, which when mixed with electronic music produced new rave.

[34] Notable British musicians achieving global success at the beginning of the 2010s include Dua Lipa, One Direction, Little Mix, Cher Lloyd, Rita Ora, Adele and Mumford & Sons.

In 2014, the UK's top 10 albums were all by British artists, including releases by Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, George Ezra, Paolo Nutini, Coldplay and One Direction.

Adele's success was noted for reviving the music industry and saving the dwindling sales worldwide.