British music

Do you know British Music ?

Be ready to learn more about the most famous British artists

Mrs Goutte - Académie de Lyon

Click on the cities

and you will discover famous artists

Newcastle

Glasgow

Manchester

Belfast

Liverpool

Birmingham

Cardiff

London

Liverpool

Liverpool’s foundations date back to 1207, when he industrial revolution turned the Merseyside harbour into a thriving city and a centre for cultural and commercial exchanges. The legacy of this period is evident in Liverpool’ one time slogan, The world in one city. Did you know? On the 9th of October 1940, during a WWII air raid, John Lennon was born in Liverpool, the same city where he later founded The Beatles. Recently, Liverpool was nominated as the World Capital City of Pop. Its musicians have produced 56 number one hits in the UK, more than any other city in the world. Famous musicians: Liverpool’s most celebrated sons are of course The Beatles, but the city also gave birth to seminal artists Gerry and The Pacemakers and Billy Fury, as well as more recently, The Wombats and Rebecca Ferguson.

Hey Jude

The Beatles

Glasgow

As Scotland's premier music city with a major influence on Britain's indie scene, Glasgow is an UNESCO City of Music, with many famous music venues having a story to tell about well-known Glaswegian musicians, past and present. Did you know? Glasgow was named the UK's fourth "most musical" city by PRS for Music, it is also the most mentioned city in the UK in song titles, outside of London. Famous musicians: Some of the city’s most famous exports include Calvin Harris, Franz Ferdinand and Paolo Nutini, as well as indie royalty like The Pastels, Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, Annie Lennox, The Cocteau Twins, Primal Scream, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Garbage.

Take Me Out

Franz ferdinand

Newcastle

Newcastle is located in the North East of England. It's known as one of the best places in Britain for nightlife, with a diverse, bustling scene, home to countless bars and clubs with something for everyone to enjoy. Did you know? Jimi Hendrix was discovered in New York in 1966 by Geordie music producer Chas Chandler, who brought him back to Newcastle. Some residents still recall seeing him busk on Heaton’s Chillingham Road. Famous musicians: Newcastle has produced famous musicians and bands such as Sting, Cheryl Cole and the Animals.

An Englishman in New-York

STING

London

London has a population of more than 8.6 million people. For nearly 100 years, until 1925, London was the world’s largest city. More than 300 different languages are spoken in the diverse city, which is reflected in its multicultural food and music offerings. Did you know? The very first Hard Rock Café opened in 1971 in Hyde Park in London. Since then the chain has expanded to more than 50 cities around the globe and is specialized in music. Famous musicians: Legendary bands such as The Rolling Stones, Coldplay and Queen were founded in London, the undoubted music capital of the UK. From Adele and The Clash, to Phil Collins, to David Bowie and Led Zeppelin, dozens of bands and musicians had their beginnings in the streets of the capital.

(I can't get no) Satisfaction

The rolling stones

Manchester

Manchester was the world's first major industrialised city, due to a boom in textile manufacture during the industrial revolution. The city has one of the busiest indoor arenas in the world in terms of ticket sales for concerts and shows. Did you know? In the early 90s the British music press started referring to the Manchester music scene as ‘Madchester’. The music of the time mixed alternative rock, psychedelic rock and electronic dance music. Famous bands associated with the Madchester genre are The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays. Famous musicians: Manchester was the birthplace for several successful international bands and musicians such as Oasis, Take That, the Bee Gees and Simply Red. During the 70s and 80s, the city was also a hot spot for post punk and new wave music, with bands like Joy Division and The Smiths hailing from the area.

Wonderwall

oasis

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland and has a rich cultural legacy. Belfast was a major city in the Industrial Revolution and remained a manufacturing power until the second half of the 20th century. Did you know? An incredible number of musicians have written songs about or dedicated to Belfast, including U2, Snow Patrol, Elton John, Paul Muldoon, Nanci Griffith, Orbital, The Police, Spandau Ballet, and Simple Minds. The incredibly popular song Stairway to Heaven was first played by Led Zeppelin in Belfast and at the time because people didn’t know the song, most of them took advantage of it to go to the bar for a break. Famous musicians: The most important musician from Belfast is Van Morrison, known worldwide for songs like Brown Eyed Girl and Moondance. During the 70s and 80s, Belfast punk band Stiff Little Fingers saw success writing songs about the conflicts in the city

Brown Eyed Girl

van morrison

Birmingham

Birmingham is in the West Midlands region and is the largest city in England outside of London. Like Liverpool, the music scene in Birmingham had a golden period in the 60s and produced great artists across different musical genres from classical to heavy metal and reggae. Did you know? One of the most distinctive music venues outside of London was Mothers Club in Erdington, Birmingham. It was voted the number one rock venue in the world by America's Billboard magazine in 1969 and 1970. The club closed in 1971. Famous musicians: The most celebrated band of England’s second city has to be Black Sabbath. However, it’s also home to UB40, Duran Duran, Judas Priest, The Streets and many others.

Paranoid

black sabbath

Cardiff

Cardiff is the largest city and the capital of Wales. The city has seen Welsh, Latin, Norse and Norman French all in common use throughout history. Before the First World War, its harbour became the busiest in the world. Did you know? Spiller’s record shop in Cardiff dates from 1894 and is the world’s oldest record store. Here you can find records from genres like jazz, metal, soul, and of course a lot of Welsh music. Wales is traditionally known as “The Land of Song”, since music has always been a large part of the culture in the country. Famous musicians: The most famous singer from Wales is Tom Jones, who has been performing since the 1960s. Other important musicians from the region are the Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, and Donna Lewis.

If I Only Knew

Tom jones