The Stone Roses

Since the Stone Roses were the nominal leaders of Britain's ‘Madchester’ scene -- an indie rock phenomenon that fused guitar pop with drug-fueled rave & dance culture -- it's rather ironic that their eponymous debut only hints at dance music.

What made the Stone Roses important was how they welcomed dance & pop together, treating them as if they were the same beast. Equally important was the Roses' cool, detached arrogance, which was personified by Ian Brown's nonchalant vocals. Squire's riffs are bright & catchy, recalling the British Invasion while suggesting the future with their phased, echoey effects. The Stone Roses was a two-fold revolution -- it brought dance music to an audience that was previously obsessed with droning guitars, while it revived the concept of classic pop songwriting, & the repercussions of its achievement could be heard throughout the '90s.