Big names Coldplay have enjoyed huge success in the UK and US. Radiohead are seen as the creative grand masters. The Rolling Stones and Sir Paul McCartney have played to massive audiences on recent tours.

Rising stars The Darkness burst onto the scene in 2003 with spandex-clad stadium rock ambitions. And the 1960s- and 70s-influenced The Coral are building a large fan base.

Who listens? Young, white fans - preferably rebellious, miserable or both - are the most enthusiastic.

Evolution Like pop, British rock can be traced back to The Beatles. Since then, the formula for success has remained largely the same although different branches have flourished. Rock went psychedelic with Pink Floyd's trips, glam with flamboyant singers like David Bowie and wild with the guitar solos of Led Zeppelin. Punk sprung out of the cities in the late 1970s, while The Smiths moulded their misery into more sublime forms.

In the 1990s, there was a boom with the Britpop of Oasis, Blur and Pulp and guitar music is currently enjoying another renaissance, at the expense of dance.