London, England: a guide to London's Music History - Sound Travels
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British Invasion
After the blues fusion of fifties genres like skiffle and beat music, the largest musical wave to sweep London (and really the world) going into the sixties was rock music. And just as American music influenced British bands, these artists quickly took the US by storm in a movement called the British Invasion. Long-haired London gents dominated radios on both sides of the Atlantic, especially The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and The Who. The Beatles were one of the most revolutionary and influential bands of the era, though they only became London-based as their careers evolved. Other groups like The Zombies, The Kinks, Manfred Mann and The Dave Clark Five achieved massive success at the time, with hits that still resonate today. This period saw a transition from singles into full albums, which helped usher in the broader classic rock era.
Classic Rock
With Invasion bands like the Stones and Beatles creating more sophisticated music across longer records, many London artists quickly followed suit. Yardbirds guitarist Eric Clapton achieved even bigger success with Cream, which helped cement many psychedelic tones of the time, before he landed his solo career. Similarly, London blues band Fleetwood Mac brought in Americans Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, changing up their sound and becoming one of the best-selling bands in rock history. Meanwhile, Elton John and David Bowie both moved from piano ballads to costumed glam rock, showing different ways that London music could be theatrical and story-driven. This wave of Glam Rock would also see T. Rex mix loud riffs with colorful lyrics, and looks not seen in rock before. And speaking of experimental, Pink Floyd constantly challenged the perception of pop through their use of sound effects and unusual production techniques. Later in the era, Rod Stewart spun off from bands and crafted a rock sound of his own, then a disco one, then a pop one. Oh and of course each of the Beatles had big solo careers at this time. Paul McCartney put out records solo, with his band Wings, and even one album with his wife Linda within just a few years of leaving the Beatles. As a mark of London’s ability to draw and empower immigrants, one of the city’s most successful acts was led by a singer from Zanzibar. This was of course Queen, who wowed audiences with unbelievable technical proficiency, and complex songs like “Bohemian Rhapsody” that were somehow still catchy. Their mix of hard rock and over-the-top energy was perfect for the growing popularity of arena rock at sports venues like Wembley Stadium.
Metal
Rock started spinning off in different directions, with aggression and distortion leading to the genre known as heavy metal. Fellow Brits like Deep Purple would go all out on guitars, and Black Sabbath found ways to make rock feel sinister. In London, Iron Maiden cranked up the speed and aggression like a military force, while Motörhead laid on the grit and used a more lo-fi aesthetic. London’s most important founder of metal came through Led Zeppelin, who helped ease rock fans into the much more intense sound, especially with former Yardbirds guitarist Jimmy Page on board. Every member of the band was a wizard at their instrument, meaning vocals wailed, guitars shrieked (and were even played with violin bows), bass moved bodies, and drums sounded heavier and more chaotic than ever before. Though few bands had a rounded out cast that compared to Led Zeppelin, this kind of playing was the heart of metal.
Prog
The complexity of acts like Pink Floyd, and a growing demand on solos from guitars and keyboards, led to an explosion of progressive and art-rock projects too. King Crimson merged solos and film score-like instrumentals into ten minute epics. Emerson, Lake & Palmer had equally lengthy tracks that challenged how intricate and fast solos could be. Meanwhile the keyboard-heavy Supertramp used these eccentricities to make out-there music that was still pop. Bands like Yes perhaps exemplified both the catchy and detailed aspects of the genre best, as you can hear in “Roundabout.”
Punk & New Wave
In the wake of recession and tiredness towards pop in the 70s, more barebones and politically-charged music came out of London’s angry youth. The district of Camden served as a huge hub for punk, as it would for waves like Britpop in future years. With many bands building momentum, a Ramones gig in a Camden venue known as the Roundhouse seemed to inspire every band around to take their music to the next level. Rebels like The Damned and Generation X raced through tracks with a fury, which would lead to Billy Idol’s own marriage of punk and pop. The Clash would merge a political rally cry with distortion and screams, as well as elements of reggae and dub music, which helped them unite fans across genres. The seminal act of the era however was the Sex Pistols, who not only called out the monarchy in their music but had the fashion and bouncing-off-the-walls live shows to make punk a physical experience. They also exemplified punk’s riotous spirit by toying with interviewers and swearing on TV. With the anger fading and a desire to get weirder, synths and more unusual instruments began to dominate new bands and old punk outfits. New Wave applied punk’s against-the-grain mentality to pop, and infused its lyrics with the darkness of modern life. Pet Shop Boys and Gary Numan used their keyboards to build mood, while still letting audiences dance. The nature of radio hits and gender norms were challenged during this period, especially by groups like Culture Club and the Eurythmics. Catchy groups like the Police would explore unsavory sides of romance, and Siouxsie and the Banshees made their entire sound shadowy and brooding. Those wanting maturer, adult lyrics and a sonic mish mash could dive into Elvis Costello or Ian Dury (doo-ree) too.
Britpop
The overtly serious tone of much of this music in turn prompted Britpop - which rejected a lot of ongoing alternative music to instead expand on classic pop. Blur and Suede led the charge with music that was cheeky, funny, highly contagious and unabashedly fun. Their music could please the Top 40 crowd while having enough depth for the more heady listeners. Elastica brought the screeching guitars of punk back into this sound too, while romantic connections with Blur helped fuel drama within the scene. Speaking of drama, Blur’s ongoing feuds with Manchester transplants Oasis helped breed its own kind of fun rivalry in Britpop. Plus Oasis’s Beatles-influenced rock was some of the most memorable rock of the era, so it wasn’t just a matter of headlines. Meanwhile vocal pop was seeing an explosion of its own, particularly with groups. London’s biggest act in this respect was of course the Spice Girls, who would dominate the airwaves with peppy soul, infectious songs and empowering energy. To this day songs like “Wannabe” and “Say You’ll Be There” are still earning them tours. East 17 and Robbie Williams would add some male energy to this wave too. And these kinds of acts would be replicated at the turn of the century with the likes of S Club 7. The other side of this need to dance was electronic music and the craze around rave culture, especially in Dalston. With a mix of DJs, electronic producers, hallucinogens and a lot of experimentation, this subculture sounded totally different from any of the rock-derived music of the time. While the Madchester sound rocked the asphalt in Manchester, the driving beats of House collectives like MARRS and later the likes of Basement Jaxx kept the party going in London. Basement Jaxx themselves would join the more rhythmically varied UK Garage movement, along with the likes of Grant Nelson and MJ Cole. This sound was particularly centered around the Elephant and Castle district of the city. London’s own Dizzee Rascal would later mix in hip hop and more abrasive tones with Garage to help kickstart the Grime movement in the East End. All the while DJs like Paul Oakenfold and “Evil” Eddie Richards helped spread these sounds to the masses, particularly in burroughs like Southwark. Modern London acts like Hot Chip still expand on these sounds today. The beats would slow down somewhere between hip hop and dance for trip hop. This sound would blend influences from all over the map until genre seemed irrelevant, though electronics remained a key ingredient in the mix. Listening to the likes of Morcheeba and Goldfrapp gave listeners a smoky, electronic jazz-take on the sound. Meanwhile, the club-inspired side would be reflected more in the instrumental and sample heavy work of DJ Food and Coldcut. Fatboy Slim would also incorporate many of these sounds as he performed around London.
Let’s Not Forget ...
Though less significant to full musical movements, London has been home to a wealth of great singers across the decades - whether it be the soul of Dusty Springfield, the chipper pop of George Michael, or the romantic tones of both Sade and Seal. Heck, even a percussion group like Stomp managed to find success by moving to London with instruments made out of garbage cans.
Modern Pop
Recent decades have seen a variety of pop styles coming out of London, with singers like Adele, Amy Winehouse and Florence + The Machine dominating the charts with powerful voices. One Direction even proved the vocal group craze had life left in it. Mumford & Sons fuelled folk revivals themselves, while Coldplay has bridged indie, pop and dance music to be a global hit year after year. La Roux has also melded many New Wave tones into the 90s dance spirit. As current pop in London proves to be much more of a cross-breed sound, no one has taken this further than Blur’s Damon Albarn (al-barn). Albarn founded Gorillaz, which merged Britpop, punk, trip hop, rap and dance into one project. The band’s animated characters have allowed the rotating cast of players around Albarn to represent London through the sounds of the world.
Moving forward
Today, bands are still flocking to London, whether it be guitar acts like the Vaccines, or the quirky collaborative spirit of Kero Kero Bonito (keer-oh keer-oh boh-NEE-toh), Superorganism and the XX. The alt-rock scene continues with the likes of Bloc Party, and the visceral performances of Savages. Plus London continues to house chart-leaders like Dua Lipa, Rita Ora and Taio Cruz (TYE-oh), producing geniuses like Mark Ronson and the rapping brilliance of Little Simz, Skepta and Stormzy. London remains an influential powerhouse in the industry, a city whose many sounds continue to shape music history!
