With 1994's Parklife, Albarn's songs revealed an altogether new sophistication, his wry social commentaries and clever melodies evoking the great British pop tradition of bands like
the Kinks and
the Jam. The album made
Blur the most popular and influential band in England at the time, and it captured a rabid cult following abroad as well. Although chief rivals
Oasis quickly usurped
Blur's dominance, 1995's The Great Escape debuted at number one nonetheless. Still, when the record slipped down the charts, the band was written off by the music press and spent much of 1996 in seclusion, although Albarn made the most of that time by releasing his solo debut, "Closet Romantic," which doubled as his contribution to the Trainspotting soundtrack.
Blur's self-titled LP restored the band's luster one year later, as the single "Song 2" became an American hit. The same year, Albarn made his film debut in Antonia Bird's Face, and
Blur's full-length 13 followed in 1999.
In 2000, Albarn debuted
Gorillaz, his highly successful "virtual hip-hop group," which released four albums between 2001 and 2011. Other Albarn-driven projects arrived during the new millennium, too, from Mali Music -- an eclectic collaboration with Malian musicians like
Afel Bocoum -- to the
Good, the Bad & the Queen, a British supergroup featuring
Paul Simonon, Simon Tong, and
Tony Allen. Albarn also began exploring cinema and theater projects, co-creating the opera productions Monkey: Journey to the West and Doctor Dee, while also scoring a film adaptation of his sister's own book, The Boy in the Oak.
Rocketjuice & the Moon, another supergroup featuring
Allen and
Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist
Flea, released their first album in April 2012; a month later, a recording of the Dr. Dee opera -- inspired by polymath and advisor to Elizabeth I John Dee -- arrived. Also in 2012, Albarn worked with
XL Recordings co-founder Richard Russell on The Bravest Man in the Universe, a comeback album from soul legend
Bobby Womack. Albarn re-teamed with Russell for his first official solo album, Everyday Robots. Featuring cameos by
Brian Eno and
Natasha Khan from
Bat for Lashes, Everyday Robots saw release in April 2014. ~ Jason Ankeny & Andrew Leahey, Rovi