Simon Cowell appears to have never heard of Britpop

Simon Cowell, one of the most powerful figures in the history of popular music in Britain, appears not to have heard of Britpop.

In an interview with The Sun promoting his new ITV talent show, X-Factor: The Band, aimed at finding a new girl group and boy band, Cowell said:

K-Pop is ruling the world. This is a show to find a band to launch UK-Pop. It’s more than winning a record contract, it’s starting a new music wave.

Back in the heady days of the 1990s, when Four Weddings and Pogs represented cultural phenomena, Britpop ruled the airwaves.

Blur and Oasis battled for the top spot in the charts while Pulp, Suede and Supergrass made innovative albums that emphasised “Britishness” in response to the rise of grunge on the other side of the Atlantic.

Either Cowell is being willfully obtuse or else he genuinely has no recollection of one of the most significant recent cultural moments on these shores.

People had thoughts, as they tend to when it comes to these kinds of things.

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