The City of Music

Liverpool is a city with a rich history. It is a city which is proud of its own heritage. It is also home to a host of monumental buildings such as the Neoclassical-style St. George’s Hall and the famous Royal Liver Building. The city is also the proud home of two of England’s most successful football clubs – Liverpool and Everton. Compatriots of the city, who are also known as “Scousers”, are famed for their unique accents and their quirky banter. It is a city which is a whirlwind of activity – wherever you go in Liverpool, there always seems to be something going on. And then there is just the small matter of the city’s musical history…

Before the swinging era of the 1960s occurred, the city welcomed many different immigrants and cultures from around the world – all of which would introduce their different music styles, and would combine to shape and influence some of the best music produced in history.

During a foreword for Paul Du Noyer’s book, Liverpool: Wondrous Place, the great Sir Paul McCartney reflects upon his past in music and how the city of Liverpool was a big part of it. McCartney claims that “the big factor about Liverpool was it being a port”.

“There was a massive amount of music to be heard. So, with all these influences, from your home, the radio, the sailors and the immigrants, Liverpool was a huge melting pot of music. And we took what we liked from all that.”

This account, contributed to by none other than a member of one of the world’s, if not, the world’s most famous and successful band, amplifies Liverpool’s heritage as a music city. Long before The Beatles had put the city of Liverpool on the global map, people were drawing influences from the different cultures which were coming into the city, as well as drawing influences from their own homes and the radio.

The fact that Sir Paul describes the city as a “huge melting pot of music” from which he and the rest of The Beatles drew influence from just goes to show the scale and the depth of the musical knowledge and know-how which the city housed back then. That knowledge has since erupted into a mass of various Liverpool music artists, and it continues to develop today.

Whilst The Beatles were undoubtedly the city’s biggest success, other music acts such as Lita Roza, Frankie Vaughan, Michael Holliday and Gerry and The Pacemakers preceded them in reaching number one in the UK music charts. Billy Fury, The Searchers and Cilla Black were also prominent music acts coming out of Liverpool in the sixties, whilst comedian Ken Dodd even managed to obtain a number one single with his song, ‘Tears’.

However, it was The Beatles who put Liverpool on the musical map in the sixties and since then, it has continued to live up to its reputation as a music city, producing a diverse range of music acts in the process.

Amongst such music acts were the soul band The Real Thing, who gained international recognition in 1976 with their disco classic, ‘You to Me Are Everything’.

The 1980s then saw the emergence of Liverpool dance-pop groups such as Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Dead or Alive. Interestingly, Frankie Goes to Hollywood were only the second act ever in history to reach number one in the UK charts with their first three singles – the first act being none other than fellow Scousers, Gerry and The Pacemakers. The eighties also gave rise to fellow Liverpool bands Echo and The Bunnymen and A Flock of Seagulls.

Then came the 1990s, with Liverpool bands such as The Lightning Seeds, The La’s, Space and Cast all contributing towards the era which would eventually go on to be famously known as “Britpop”. The Lightning Seeds famously wrote and collaborated with the comic duo, Baddiel and Skinner, on the number one single, ‘Three Lions on the Shirt” – a song which was written for the England national football team for the Euro ’96 tournament. The song swept the nation and was used again two years later in the 1998 World Cup, reclaiming the number one spot in the UK music charts.

And now into the 21^st century, the city continues to produce talent, with bands such as The Coral, The Zutons and The Wombats producing successful chart hits. Whilst The Zutons had relative success with their hit single ‘Valerie’, reaching number nine in the UK music charts in 2006, the late Amy Winehouse famously took the song and made it her own the following year when she collaborated with Mark Ronson.

Looking back at Liverpool’s musical heritage, it is evident that music is just something which remains in the city’s blood. So much so that Liverpool has been named “World Capital City of Pop” by Guinness World Records, having produced 56 number one singles to this current day – more than any other city in the world.

The city still remains an attraction for tourists, with “The Beatles Story Exhibition” and the new rebuild of the famous Cavern Club being big attractions for music fans, as well as the world renowned Matthew Street Festival. The city is also host to a number of music venues, including The Royal Philharmonic Hall and the 11,000-seater Liverpool Echo Arena, which was opened in 2008 as part of the city’s celebration as the Capital of Culture.

Whilst it would be rash to say that the city of Liverpool would be nothing without its music, due to other factors contributing to the city’s history, it would be fair to say that the music is the heartbeat of the city – boosting the city’s profile and helping it to thrive off its success.