Music artists

Discover real music with our featured artist profiles. Find out more about the artists we play, including music news, concert tickets, video and pictures.

The Beatles

The Beatles, also known as The Fab Four, were an English rock band from Liverpool who formed in 1960 and became one of the biggest and most critically acclaimed groups in the world. 40 years on and their timeless tracks are still flying off the shelves, with new generations of music fans firmly under their spell.How it all beganThe Beatles started out as a five piece in 1960, but a couple of... read more

Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi are an American band who put New Jersey on the map when they burst onto the music scene in 1986 with their critically acclaimed third album Slippery When Wet. They've released 14 albums in total, selling more than 120 million albums worldwide, they've performed to 35 million fans and are still going strong.BackgroundBon Jovi are one of the world's most successful rock bands, with a... read more

Coldplay

Coldplay burst onto the music scene following the release of their smash hit single 'Yellow' in 2001, and since then they've gone on to sell millions of records worldwide, picking up over 40 major music awards along the way, including six BRIT awards. HistoryColdplay were formed in 1997 and are one of the world's biggest bands. The band is made up of university friends Chris Martin, the frontman... read more

The Drums

Winners of the Philip Hall Radar award at the NME Awards in 2010, Brooklyn four-piece The Drums are one of the most exciting new young bands to come out of New York this century. Their infectious brand of mostly upbeat electro-indie tunes is set to be a likely mainstream force within the next few years.The BeginningWhen they were children, Jonathan Pierce (vocals) met Jacob Graham (guitar) at... read more

Elbow

After 18 years together and minor commercial success, Elbow really hit the big time after winning the coveted Mercury Prize in 2008 for their fourth album The Seldom Seen Kid. The record debuted at number 5 in the UK and went double Platinum in Britain. The band went on to pick up more prestigious prizes, including two Ivor Novello awards for song-writing, and BRIT and NME awards, making the... read more

Florence and the Machine

Florence and the Machine are a BRIT Award winning group who burst onto the music scene after a series of gigs in London, then at the summer music festivals. 'Florence' is lead singer Florence Welch and 'the Machine,' refers to her ever-changing backing band, who together have already clocked up a number one album and won several major music accolades.Early YearsLondoner Florence Welch was always... read more

Green Day

One of the biggest rock bands on earth, Green Day have evolved from a punk rock outfit to a politically-charged and commercially successful powerhouse. Famous for rock-opera concept albums including American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, the trio are best loved by some for their earlier work, including hits like Basket Case and Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).The Early YearsBillie Joe... read more

Kasabian

Kasabian are a BRIT award winning band which formed in 1999 and hail from Leicestershire. The quartet are described as indie rock, and have released three studio albums, selling millions worldwide and touring all over the UK, the US and beyond. In 2010,they headlined the prestigious V Festival alongside and in June 2011 they'll close the Isle of Wight Festival. The Early YearsKasabian are an... read more

The Killers

The Killers are undoubtedly one of the biggest bands in the world, having sold millions of records, won countless awards and topping Absolute Radio's Song of the Decade chart in 2010 with breakthrough single 'Mr. Brightside.' The quartet hail from Las Vegas and have been together since 2002.How It All StartedThe Killers were born in 2002 after Brandon Flowers left his previous band 'Blush... read more

Kings Of Leon

Made up of three brothers and a cousin from Tennessee, Kings of Leon have almost the perfect rock and roll story, and they're now firmly established as one of the biggest bands around. Forming in 1999, it took them until 2007 to achieve massive mainstream success, with fourth album Only by the Night, and its astronomically popular crossover hit 'Sex on Fire.' BackgroundKings Of Leon are three... read more

Lily Allen

Lily Allen can boast to being among the biggest artists to have emerged from the so-called MySpace generation, and after once being dismissed as a loudmouth brat with a famous dad, she earned genuine musical and lyrical respect with two hit albums, and a reputation for memorable festival appearances. But she gave up her music career in 2010 for one in fashion, and launched her clothes shop Lucy... read more

Muse

Muse are of the world's biggest rock bands, selling millions of records worldwide and notching up 26 major music awards since 2000. The trio from Devon are also famous for their vigorous and extravagant live performances and became the first group to sell out the new Wembley Stadium in 2007.How it all beganMuse consists of frontman and lead vocalist Matt Bellamy, who also plays the guitar and... read more

Oasis

Oasis formed in Manchester in 1991. Brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, along with school friends Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs on guitar, Paul McGuigan on bass and drummer Tony McCarroll, exploded onto the music scene following their first record 'Definitely Maybe.' They've sold over 70 million records worldwide and won countless awards.SuperstardomOasis hit the big time after the release of Definitely... read more

Paolo Nutini

Scottish/Italian singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini has one of the most impressive CVs in music, despite being in his early 20s. Having opened for The Rolling Stones and even Led Zeppelin, his ability to write charming and honest foot-tapping tunes has seen his first two albums do well on both sides of the Atlantic, and he remains one of the brightest young stars in British music today.Growing... read more

Queen

Queen are one of the planet's biggest rock bands with a massive 15 studio albums under their belts. They have sold more than 300 million of albums worldwide since they formed in the early 1970s. Their front man, the late Freddie Mercury, was arguably the greatest showman on earth, with 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' among their greatest hits.How it all beganAt the end of the 1960s, guitarist Brian May... read more

Red Hot Chili Peppers

The quintessential Californian rockers, Red Hot Chili Peppers have combined elements of funk and hip hop to create a unique brand of rock music. Surviving tragedy and numerous line-up changes over their many years together, it is with their most recent albums that they have had their greatest successes.Early yearsAnthony Kiedis (vocals) and Flea (bass) met at California's Fairfax High School, and... read more

Snow Patrol

Snow Patrol formed in 1994, but didn't hit the big time until almost ten years later when the Scots-Irish alternative rock band released smash hit album Final Straw, which went platinum five times over. Since then, they've sold over ten million records worldwide, have been nominated for three BRIT awards and won several major music awards.The beginningSnow Patrol were slow burners when it came to... read more

Stereophonics

Stereophonics are arguably the biggest band to hail from Wales, releasing seven albums since they formed in 1992, with five of them topping the UK charts after selling millions of copies worldwide. They've performed their hits during several world tours and picked up handfuls of prestigious awards. Frontman Kelly Jones is also well known for his gravelly voice, described by many as having... read more

The Strokes

New York five-piece The Strokes are regularly held up not only as pioneers of the so-called 'garage revival' in rock music in the early 2000s, but also as one of the best bands of the last decade. The energy of their 1970s-influenced guitar songs is only matched by the near-suffocating media hype that has occasionally surrounded them.BeginningsJulian ('Jules') Casablancas, the lead songwriter and... read more

U2

U2 have released twelve studio albums, sold over 150 million records worldwide during a career spanning thirty years and collected countless prestigious awards, including a whopping 22 Grammys, more than any other band. Known for extravagant and energetic live shows and political activism, the group fronted by Bono is arguably the biggest band on earth.Early yearsIn 1978, a young drummer called... read more

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