The Greatest Musical City (Nominations Thread)

[damnhippie]

Yes, put me down for that, too.

Motown, MC5, The Stooges, Alice Cooper, Insane Clown Posse, Amp Fiddler, Derrick May. etc.

Detroit for sure - Motown! and rock n roll!

not sure about those last 3 mind

 

[clandestino]

Ah, I see. But I'm interpreting the thread as being about cities of musical influence, not cities who produced scenes I was necessarily into (although I was into Factory and the Glasgow scenes). I do think that was the OP's intention.

Which is what Magic Sam provided. You're not seriously suggesting that Chemikal Underground - much as I rate them as a label - are on a level with Sun, Chess and Stax?

 

[g force]

Just mentioned this to my house mate and we managed to cobble together the following list...

Sex Pistols
The Rolling Stones
Queen
Throbbing Gristle
David Bowie
The Kinks
X-Ray Spex
Yes
The Clash
The Who
Wire
Led Zeppelin
Cream
Elton John
T.Rex

Not 100% sure about all of these, please correct me if i'm wrong. But this list surely gives London a huge shout.

Not only that, but i'm neglecting to mention the huge number of smaller scenes that have centred around London during the last twenty odd years...

Led Zepp certainly aren't a London band. You missed Blur off the list too

 

[danny la rouge]

Which is what Magic Sam provided. You're not seriously suggesting that Chemikal Underground - much as I rate them as a label - are on a level with Sun, Chess and Stax?

No, I'm suggesting that Glasgow is a contender for the poll because of a number of things including Chemikal underground.

 

[Silva]

Good selection, apart from Montreal - what did the Quebecois ever do for us?

Leonard Cohen historically, and Arcade Fire and Godspeed You Black Emperor more recently. The Northeast indie scene in this decade also flutuated around the city, so it's a bit of a guess of what else might come in the next few years.

 

[danny la rouge]

Led Zepp certainly aren't a London band.

Brummies, aren't they?

 

[newbie]

.

 

[Yossarian]

Stourbridge, the cradle of Fraggle.

 

[CRI]

Glasgow - definitely


Just to be a bit different . . .

Seattle, Washington

The Posies, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Mudhoney, Jimi Hendrix, Death Cab for Cutie, Foo Fighters, etc.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Replacements, Husker Du, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Bob Dylan (almost), Prince, The Guess Who, Soul Asylum, Jayhawks, Babes in Toyland, Sugar

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Nashville

followed by Los Angeles

 

[ohmyliver]

Led Zepp certainly aren't a London band. You missed Blur off the list too

and the genre, Jungle...

 

[Detroit City]

Madonna grew up in Detroit

 

[nino_savatte]

Glasgow - definitely


Just to be a bit different . . .

Seattle, Washington

The Posies, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Mudhoney, Jimi Hendrix, Death Cab for Cutie, Foo Fighters, etc.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Replacements, Husker Du, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Bob Dylan (almost), Prince, The Guess Who, Soul Asylum, Jayhawks, Babes in Toyland, Sugar

The Guess Who were from Canada...Winnepeg to be precise.

 

[moose]

I think the North West (Liverpool/Manchester and other places) should be included as a region

I don't fucking think so.

 

[legz]

I don't fucking think so.

Too right, they've both had their own sounds and scenes over the years

 

[The Groke]

Jamaica. It's not a city, but has a smaller population than many of the cities here - think of the incredible amount of quality music that has come out of that place - it's astounding! There must be something in the water.

Not a particularly diverse selection though is it?

Unless I am missing something!

Don't even know if that is important for the purposes of this poll, but I think that diversity should count for something....

 

[Orang Utan]

Not a particularly diverse selection though is it?

Unless I am missing something!

Don't even know if that is important for the purposes of this poll, but I think that diversity should count for something....

It's MASSIVELY diverse - reggae, ska, dub, rocksteady, dancehall, ragga, mento - and had influenced an even more diverse range of music.

 

[Fez909]

Seeing as Detroit is surely the winner, and it has already been nominated; I have nothing to add.

 

[isvicthere?]

Haven't read whole thread, but going on proportion of world-renowned bands divided by population, then numerically it's got to be Manchester*.




* Obviously talking about major cities here. Otherwise, Athens, Georgia, with two, would come high on the proportional list.

 

[isvicthere?]

Also, London is the centre of the music biz, but most bands who made it there - Beatles, U2 etc. - aren't from there.

 

[isvicthere?]

Why? I think they should stand as cities - it's not like they're minor areas

Exactly. Manchester's the world's first industrial city. Why should it be marginalised?

 

[danny la rouge]

Also, London is the centre of the music biz, but most bands who made it there - Beatles, U2 etc. - aren't from there.

London's role is exaggerated because of its status as capital city; it sucks everything in.

 

[toblerone3]

London's role is exaggerated because of its status as capital city; it sucks everything in.

The whole point about London is you don't have to be born in London to be a Londoner. Most people living in the most musically and culturally innovative areas of London were not born in London.

Perhaps the Beatles were a London band as well as a Liverpool band.

 

[stavros]

Detroit does have a lot of greats, but I'm annoyed no one's mentioned the great DJ Assault. He's from there.

I could also be really pretentious and say that great music transcends geography and knows know boundaries. But I won't because I'd sound like a prick.

 

[soulman]

I can't see how The Beatles can be seen as a London band. They were a Liverpool band.

 

[Detroit City]

I can't see how The Beatles can be seen as a London band. They were a Liverpool band.

well, they were a worldwide phenomena and people equate them with England...and when people think of England they think London

 

[El Jefe]

well, they were a worldwide phenomena and people equate them with England...and when people think of England they think London

toss

 

[foo]

well, they were a worldwide phenomena and people equate them with England...and when people think of England they think London

nah, i don't think so. i think they'll always be associated with Liverpool first.

i guess someone has already said Bristol....? (not saying i think it's the greatest musical city, but it certainly has had it's own sound imo)

 

[sojourner]

Another vote for Detroit

And Manc

 

[littlebabyjesus]

London's role is exaggerated because of its status as capital city; it sucks everything in.

Often it is the dull, dreary places that produce more than their fair share of bands - the desire to get out, to escape the terrible conformity, is a great spur. A hell of a lot of good music has come from alienation.

I would say that London has produced fewer bands than you would expect given its size precisely because it isn't dull or dreary.