Career: Blur signed to the Food record label in 1989 after changing their name from Seymour, scoring their first hit single with There's No Other Way in 1991. The group nearly went bankrupt soon afterwards due to a disastrous American tour, but released the critically acclaimed album Modern Life is Rubbish in 1993. Parklife, released the following year, was a pivotal record and became an unofficial soundtrack to the Britpop movement. Follow-up The Great Escape received a cooler reception. In 1997, the band finally made an impact on America with the single Song 2. Guitarist Coxon left the group in 2003. Albarn has also released solo albums and enjoyed worldwide success with cartoon group Gorillaz, followed by The good, The Bad and The Queen. Blur reunited in 2009 for a tour with Coxon back in the band.

Career: James and Coxon dropped out of university in their second year to concentrate on the band. Blur released their first single, She's So High, in 1990, and their debut album Leisure charted at a respectable number seven. However, it was the release of their third album, Parklife, in 1994 that transformed the band into a household name. The following year, they got drawn into a high-profile chart battle with Oasis, which they won, but following the hype, Blur changed musical direction. Coxon parted company with the band in 2002 ahead of their seventh album Think Tank, but the original line-up reunited for a string of concerts in 2009. Blur also performed a headline show at Hyde Park for the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, as well as a handful of festival dates in 2013.