1. Semiotic Analysis of Album Covers
Oasis – Definitely Maybe – 1994
Genre – Britpop
Britpop - is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United
Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the
early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop
music of the 1960s and 1970s. In the wake of the musical invasion into the
United Kingdom of American grunge bands, new British groups such as
Suede and Blur launched the movement by positioning themselves as
opposing musical forces, referencing British guitar music of the past and
writing about uniquely British topics and concerns. These bands were soon
joined by others including Oasis, Pulp, Supergrass, Sleeper and Elastica.
2.
1. Band Album
name – title
‘0asis’ ‘Definite
ly
Maybe’
1. Band name – Oasis. Bold lettering along with a distinctive logo, this can
create synergy, as this may become a staple of the band.
2. Album name – ‘Definitely Maybe’. Ambiguous title name.
The album cover depicts the five members of the band sitting or lying
down in what looks to be a lounge. This looks to reflect that the band are
just you and I or are simply normal people. This is further represented by

2. the lack of anything of grandeur or that could be seen as reserved for
someone with money.
The band also seem to give off the classic Britpop themes of a ‘lad’ type
culture which is represented by the band all being together in one room
and also by the picture of Manchester City footballer. The picture gives
away that they are from Manchester and are supporters of football, both
of these points together enhance the view that are ‘lads’, are possibly
from a working class background and as they are all together give off the
impression that they are all just mates in a band and that anyone could
achieve what they have and that they are clearly British which is a staple
of Britpop.
Pulp – Different Class
Album
Band Name
Name –
‘Pulp’
1. Band name – Pulp. Distinctive logo.
2. Album Name – Different Class.
The album name itself is a double entendre as ‘different class’ as it could
mean either, something or someone was in a class of their own or it could
mean the difference between social classes. (It does in fact mean the
difference between social classes as many of the songs on the album have
this theme.)

3. The album cover depicts a wedding photo of what seems to be quite an
upper class group of wedding guests, which is represented through their
clothes, and the nice backdrop of this photo. The six band members of
Pulp are also shown in the photo interspersed throughout the photo but
are shown as ghostly figures with extremely white faces, which makes
them look out of place within the context of the wedding photo. The idea
of the band not fitting in could represent the fact that the band
themselves do not fit in the ‘mainstream’ music scene but is more likely a
comment on the differing social standing of the British population and
how certain people would not fit in with others, which links in with the
title of the album.
Blur –Parklife
Album Name –
‘Parklife’
Band Name –
‘Blur’
1. Band Name – Blur
2. Album Name – Parklife
The album cover depicts two dogs racing on a track. This picture is to link with
the title of Parklife as a comment on English life. The title Parklife relates to how
the album is about English society and how people lived their lives at the time.
This is a staple of the Britpop genre as the bands part of the scene, such as Pulp
and Oasis would use their music to comment on society, whether they were
writing about the differing social classes or about what is was like in Britain at
the time, which is what this particular album is focusing on.