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Living In The UK

Music

For a small misty island adrift from mainland Europe, Britain has contributed an astonishing range of legendary musicians to the world scene. The classic albums and songs of these writers and bands are another window into Britain, its youth culture, and the issues and concerns of the time.

Part of enjoying the UK lifestyle is enjoying the music, and we have a few suggestions to get you going:

The Beatles	www.thebeatles.com
No list could start with any other group, and while their music is now evocative of another time (the 1960's of course), the tunes are still instantly recognizable. Try 1 - the world's biggest selling album last year - for a taste.
Robbie Williams	www.robbiewilliams.com
Love him or loathe him, the Robster has better caught the mood of an upbeat Britain than any other musician. And if rolling around with Kylie Minogue is the price of success, where do you pay? Catch The Ego Has Landed.
Spice Girls	Spice Girls
Hardly girls any more, and on the verge of doing the 'hero to zero' solo move by all accounts. This isn't exactly highbrow music, but if you're into light-weight fluff - this is your poison. Spiceworld was the high tide mark.
Oasis	www.oasisinet.com
Supergroup of the '90's, mixing blatant rip-offs of the Beatles with high-profile romances, fights, and superstar 'excess'. Now in serious decline artistically, but still a crowd pleaser. Morning Glory represented the peak of their success.
Rolling Stones	www.the-rolling-stones.com
These early 'bad boys' of British rock still do an occasional stadium tour, often with fresh material of varying quality hitting the shelves in tandem. Jump Back showcases their post 1970 output, but Rolled Gold is the definitive '60's collection.
Radiohead	www.radiohead.co.uk
The moody, cutting edge of UK music has been staked out for a number of years by the boys from Oxford. OK Computer was the classic album of 1997.
Blur	www.blur.co.uk
Some of the most recognizable anthems of the '90's (Parklife and Song 2) were penned by these so-called 'rivals' of Oasis. Check out Parklife or the self-entitled Blur.
Lightning Seeds	www.lightningseeds.com
One of the top bands of recent years, with a string of UK hits and a few that were popular world-wide. Like You Do is a strong 'best of'.
Other British Bands
If you want to listen to some of the 'best of British', check out the dance beats of the Chemical Brothers, the moody sounds of the now defunct Verve and sporadically active New Order, and the classic rock of British icons Eric Clapton, The Who, and Pink Floyd.