Music in Britain
British music has had a huge impact all over the world. Our most famous music exports are of course the Beatles, but the British music scene has never been as exciting as it is now, with new bands coming to the surface, continuing the innovative and diverse tradition of great British music.
Best British bands & artists
Adele:
She's only 19, but Adele Adkins has already blown away the music industry with her bewitching voice. London-born Adele won the first ever Critics Choice BRIT award, and is hotly tipped to be as big, if not bigger than Amy Winehouse. She went to the same performing arts school as Amy, and her jazzy tones have drawn inevitable comparisons.
Artic Monkeys:
These 4 lads from Sheffield took over the British music scene when their debut single 'I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor' hit number 1 in the charts. Their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, became the fastest-selling debut album in British music history and won both the 2006 Mercury Prize and the 2007 Brit Award for Best British Album. Their second album - Favourite Worst Nightmare - didn't fail to impress either, and secured them another nomination for the Mercury Music Prize.
Amy Winehouse:
Amy's distinctive mix of soul, jazz and RnB has kept her in the spotlight since the release of her debut Album 'Frank', which was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. She won the Ivor Novello Award in 2004 for her debut single 'Stronger than Me' and again in 2007 for the first single 'Rehab' from her second album Back to Black. Her wild partying has kept her in the headlines, but her amazing songwriting skills make sure that her music is always there too.
Bloc Party:
When this indie rock band from London released their debut album Silent Alarm, it broke sales records and was named the NME's Album of the Year. And it's not just here that they've made an impact - they've had sell-out gigs in America and have sold over a million copies of their debut album worldwide.
Dizzee Rascal:
Dizzee's unique mix of garage mc-ing, grime and ragga made him the youngest person to receive a Mercury Prize for Best Album (he was 19). His eclectic mixture of garage and hip-hop beats and broad palette of influences, including metal guitars and even Japanese court music, make him one of the best British talents around.
Lily Allen:
The 22-year-old singer-songwriter from London has taken the world by storm after posting her demos on her MySpace page. Her debut single 'Smile' shot to number 1 in 2006, and her debut album 'Alright, Still' got her a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.
Kate Nash:
London's favourite export Kate Nash was busy in 2007 competing with Lily Allen for hearts of young, bolshy Brit kids everywhere. Kate's fresh style mixes up a variety of genres from Hip Hop to Indy Pop, blended perfectly with classic song writing and warm piano and guitar melodies.
Mark Ronson:
London-born Mark is the best-connected man in music and one of the hottest producers in the world. He has worked with Amy Winehouse, Christina Aguilera, Lily Allen and Kanye West to produce hit after hit. His hit album 'Version' was an album of cover versions sung by contemporary artists.