Audio

The top 30 Manchester bands of all time, officially ranked by The Manc Audio

This divisive list is probably going to start an argument... enjoy.

Dean Hadcock Dean Hadcock - 27th October 2023

What better way to ruin Christmas than a very biased and totally one-sided list of the best Manchester bands of all time, decided by us at The Manc Audio. 

When it comes to the question of ‘Who are the best Manchester bands’ everyone has an opinion, but this time yours is wrong and the only opinion that matters is ours. Sorry.

Here is our totally biased list of the top 30 Manchester bands of all time.

To stir the pot further we’ve also picked our favourite track by each band. Expect to see the regulars but expect a couple of newcomers, like our number 30…

30. Delights 

We’re starting out with new and upcoming band Delights, who hail from Manchester. 2022 has been their year with the release of their new EP Cool Sports. They mix a blend of bedroom pop with 70s psych and funk. Our favourite track is Iris.

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29. The Ting Tings 

Yeah, bet you didn’t know these were from Greater Manchester. Salford to be exact. These two absolutely owned 2008 with tunes like That’s Not My Name and Shut Up and Let Me Go. Then they seemingly disappeared. Despite the former two being more popular, Great DJ will always be our fave. 

28. IST IST

In the past couple of years, post-punk has had a massive revival with NPR coining it ‘The Post-Brexit New Wave’. Loads of new bands have come out of this revival and IST IST has been our favourite with fans liking them (especially the vocals) to classic post-punkers, Joy Division. If you’re listening to anything by them make it You’re Mine.

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27. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

Noel Gallagher. Credit: Publicity picture

After the Oasis split, what else were Noel and Liam going to do but start their own bands? The High Flying Birds have had their flops (I’m looking at you Who Built The Moon). But they’ve also had their fair share of hits too, peaking in 2015 with their album Chasing Yesterday, an instant classic. Obviously our favourite is In The Heat Of The Moment.

26. Elbow 

It’s hard to believe Elbow have been going since 1997 since it wasn’t until 2008 they brought out their magnum opus The Seldom Seen Kid, which featured massive tracks like Grounds for Divorce and of course ours and probably everyone else’s top track, One Day Like This.

25. The Hollies

We’ve got to the oldest band on the list now. The Hollies were one of the best and most commercially successful acts of the British Invasion back in the 60s, obviously trailing behind a couple of other bands including one called The Beatles, if you’ve heard of them? The Hollies have a massive selection of tunes but it’s the absolute anthem The Air That I Breathe we’re picking as our favourite.

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24. Magazine 

After leaving the punk group Buzzcocks in 1977, Howard Devoto created what was one of the first post-punk bands ever, Magazine. Even loved guitarists like Johnny Greenwood and Johnny Marr had massive influences from Magazine. Their debut from 1978 Real Life still slaps today. Ours and everyone else’s top song is Shot By Both Sides.

23. Afflecks Palace

Dubbed as ‘Nu Manchester’, one thing you can’t doubt about Afflecks Palace is their massive cult Manc following with fans getting their debut album to no.20 in the UK album charts, peaking at no.3 in the UK vinyl chart and selling out their first ever gig at Band on the Wall. Do yourself a favour and listen to Forever Young.

22. Take That

Say what you want about them, but after being formed in Manchester in 1990, Take That owned the UK pop charts in both the 90s and then again in the 00s. From It Only Takes A Minute, to Rule The World, the band have bangers for days. Of course, Relight My Fire will always be their top tune.

21. Beady Eye 

Liam Gallagher – press shot

Liam Gallagher was always going to be above Noel Gallagher on this list. Beady Eye – what a severely underrated band, with even Liam even blaming a lack of coverage for the band’s disbandment. If you never made it around to these listen to The Roller and remember why Manchester loves Liam Gallagher.

20. Porij

Porij (pronounced like porridge) are an electronic-indie band, with each of their songs feeling like a love letter to the Hacienda rave scene and bands which came before like New Order. Porij’s acid beats get us pretty pumped, especially on our favourite track Lose Our Minds.

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19. The Verve

The Verve owned the 90s from their formation in 1990, to their first proper split in 1999. Richard Ashcroft wrote some massive tunes with the band like Lucky Man and The Drugs Don’t Work, but are there any songs more legendary than Bitter Sweet Symphony? A Manc classic. 

18. Electronic

We love a supergroup and this Manc one is our favourite. Formed by Bernard Sumner of New Order and guitarist Johnny Marr of The Smiths they released their self-titled debut album in 1991, which featured the absolute banger Getting Away With It.

17. The Charlatans

Even though they formed in the West Midlands, the Tim Burgess-fronted band are Manchester through and through with everyone’s favourite The Only One I Know being one of the best songs hailing from the Madchester era.

16. The 1975 

The 1975. Credit: Samuel Bradley

Love or hate them you can’t deny The 1975s global success, with them winning a Brit in 2017. Matty Healy’s tunes are always instant indie-pop classics and tracks like Somebody Else and Chocolate will always take us back to our indie roots. It’s Love Me though that’ll forever get us up off our seats.

15. Courteeners 

Nothing goes better with Courteeners debut album St Jude than a hot beer garden and a pint of dark fruits. I can almost taste it. They owned the indie dancefloor then and they still own it now. For the simple fact we’re not 19 anymore we’re picking Summer as our favourite track.

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14. Bee Gees 

It’s hard to believe that such a world renowned group like the Bee Gees have their roots in Manchester from the three brothers living in Chorlton at the start of their musical careers. We could’ve put them at number 1 for the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack alone. Our favourite track is You Should Be Dancing.

13. Inspiral Carpets 

Inspiral Carpets were absolute key players in the Madchester movement during the late-80s/early-90s. Their 1990 album Life is still a proper Manc classic, but it’s Saturn 5 from Devil Hopping we’re picking as our top track. We love you Clint Boon! 

12. Working Men’s Club

In 2020 Working Men’s Club, who formed in Manchester, released their self-titled album and people, including us, went absolutely crazy for it. And rightly so. The band blend post-punk and that classic Manchester acid house sound to make a sound akin to New Order. Give Valleys a listen and you’ll never look back.

11. The Fall

Named the most prolific band of the British post-punk movement The Fall, which was fronted by Manc legend Mark E. Smith, have a massive catalogue of music and our favourite was an easy choice, Totally Wired.

10. Buzzcocks 

Buzzcocks. Credit: Facbook

Part of the first-wave of punk bands to hit the music scene in the UK, this Bolton band led the way for punk in Manchester, that of which has not died out yet. Easy pick for top track – Ever Fallen In Love.

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9. Blossoms

Blossoms. Credit: Publicity picture

Ever since they released their self-titled debut album back in 2016, Blossoms have been hard to avoid – and I’m definitely not complaining. Now they have four massive studio albums but it’s still that first one we’ll always keep on coming back to, a true masterpiece! Our top track is Blown Rose.

8. James 

Once you get past their great but overplayed songs Laid and Sit Down you’ll find that James has an extensive catalogue filled with absolute bangers and Tim Booth is still out there making albums and touring with James now, accumulating a career which spans 40 years. Our favourite track is Sometimes.

7. Happy Mondays 

Shaun Ryder and the band defined a generation. They were there at the right place at the right time. I feel like ecstasy pills should come with a free copy of their 1990 album Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches. Even Paul McCartney loved them saying ‘they reminded me of the Beatles in their ‘Strawberry Fields’ phase’. Top track has to be Twenty Four Hour Party People, solely for the fact that no other song can get us geared up for a night out more than this one.

6. Oasis 

You probably didn’t expect to see Manchester’s sweethearts this high, did you? I told you this list will ruin Christmas. What can I even say about Oasis that you don’t already know. One of the greatest bands not only in Manchester but the world. They quite literally put Manny on the map. Top song (this was hard) is She’s Electric.

5. The Stone Roses

Arguably one of the greatest debut albums ever recorded. The Stone Roses were the leading force of the Madchester scene and have now become a rite of passage for every young Manc getting into the Manchester indie scene. Track by track that first self-titled album just doesn’t miss and picking a top track was hard but of course, nothing hits better than singing along to I Am The Resurrection at the end of a long boozy night.

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4. New Order

Bluedot Festival. Credit: Jody Hartley

After the death of Ian Curtis no one expected his former band Joy Division to go off and create an electronic post-punk dance band, but they did and it was amazing. They soon became the flagship band for Tony Wilson’s Factory Records and his club The Hacienda, later with their 1983 masterpiece and our top track (obviously) Blue Monday becoming the best-selling 12-inch record of all time.

3. Joy Division 

We’re all aware of Joy Division’s HUGE legacy. From the untimely death of Ian Curtis, who is still mourned today, to their incredible debut album Unknown Pleasures, which you still can’t help but not see on t-shirts and posters whenever you take a trip into Northern Quarter. Our top track is Digital.

2. The Smiths 

What a band. From Morrissey’s lyrics, to Marr’s guitar, the sound they created was not only loved by Mancs but the world. Whether it’s the highs of Bigmouth Strikes Again or the lows of I Know It’s Over, The Smiths have a song and an album for everyone. Our top track is Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.

1. 10cc

10cc

Gouldman, Stewart, Goodley and Creme. Four Manc lads who came together and created one of the greatest rock bands the world has ever seen. They birthed Strawberry Studios in Stockport, where massive songs including Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart were recorded. 10cc ruled the 70s from their debut album in ‘73, with three of its four singles getting into the top 10. To their critically acclaimed album The Orginal Soundtrack which features their (and ours) top hit, I’m Not In Love.

Featured Image – Publicity picture / Samuel Bradley

Audio

An unmissable Whitney Houston tribute event is returning to Greater Manchester

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

A much-adored and cherished Whitney Houston tribute show is returning to Greater Manchester later this year for not one but two different shows, each channelling the charisma and energy of the pop legend.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the phenomenal theatre production, ‘Queen of the Night’, the show is visiting a multitude of stages and venues all across the UK.

0161 had to receive at least one date on this tour, partly due to being the music capital of the North and also due to the fact that this is a city many fans of the 80s diva will forever hold close to their hearts.

Houston played her final ever concert performance of her career here in this very city back in 2010, taking up residence in AO Arena for two nights of world-renowned ballads and mesmerising live vocals.

This tribute show is set to include some of the diva’s biggest and much-loved hits like ‘I Will Always Love You’, ‘How Will I Know’ and ‘The Greatest Love of All’, the audience is sure to be singing along.

Adenike Adewale is taking on the role of the American R’n’B Pop singer and is no stranger to the stage or TV, featuring on The Voice in 2021 where she sang a Whitney classic, making it to the semi-finals.

The first Whitney Houston tribute show is taking place over at The Plaza Theatre in Stockport on 20 March, which is also hosting the stage version of a beloved British comedy next month.

Fast forward to 1 June and the tour returns to Greater Manchester and legendary city centre space, Bridgewater Hall: an incredible room more than fit for renditions of the powerhouse vocalist.

A pair of stunning venues, two stunning shows and one incomparable voice.

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It’s not only our lovely region the Queen of the Night experience will be visiting; our friends over at The Hoot have plenty of nearby opportunities to sing along too, with Yorkshire dates in Hull, Halifax, Harrogate and Bradford to name a few.

I’m definitely saving all my love for when this show visits us later this year in March, and after I buy out the front row for all my friends I’ll certainly relate to the smash 1993 single ‘I Have Nothing’.

Tickets are on sale already now – you can grab yours HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image – Publicity Picture (Supplied)

Audio

Better Man has bombed at the box office – but is the Robbie Williams biopic any good?

Danny Jones Danny Jones Better Man review Robbie biopic

So, Robbie Williams’ biopic Better Man has been out for a little while now and the question on many people’s lips – you know, apart from ‘why is he a monkey?’ – is, quite simply, is it any good?

Many of you may have already seen it, others may have absolutely no interest in hearing about Robbie‘s already well-publicised exploits (be they in ape form or otherwise), or maybe you’ve just been waiting to hear whether it’s any good before heading out to the cinema.

Well, if you’re judging it purely by the current headlines circulating online, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s absolute rubbish. So far, Better Man has ‘tanked’ at the box office, making just over $1 million compared to a budget of nearly $110m (£90.8m).

However, given how pivotal the US viewing figures are, a big chunk of the commercial disappointment has come down to Americans largely not knowing who Robbie Williams even is and it’s no surprise that it’s done a little better here in the UK – though still not stellar. But again, ticket sales aside, is it good?

Better Man – Review

I wasn’t sure a (very good) CGI monkey Robbie Williams film was going to be any good either based solely on the trailer, but they nailed it.

*Once again, some spoilers ahead – though it is his life story, so we’re not really spoiling anything…

I’ll start this off by admitting that for all his foibles and controversies of the years, I am a Robbie fan; his music was always on in my house as a kid and well into my teens. Being born in the mid-90s, he was probably one of the first big pop stars to ever enter my world.

Growing up obsessed with football too, a charismatic, mainstream rock and roll-spirited figure in the mainstream who also loved the beautiful game and even took influence from chants heard around the grounds in his songwriting always made him extra appealing to me.

All that is just to say that I’m fully aware there’s probably some bias here, so I’ll still try to be as impartial and ‘objective’ as you can be with a film review. But back to the point, the short answer is yes: it’s good – very good, in my opinion.

If you’re similarly fond of the frenetic, funny and ferocious showman, you’ll obviously have a vested interest in looking back on his career thru a (somewhat simian) Lens, but even if you’re not, I still think you can get a lot of of the film and a greater insight into a captivating life story.

Monkey see, monkey do—make me sad, very sad…

better man review
This scene (among many) had us welling up. (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

For starters, put simply: as daft as it may seem, the monkey thing does work. It may come across like a strange gimmick when you first see the trailers but it doesn’t take much digging to realise that there’s quite a well-thought-out three-pronged approach behind it.

One of the first things the 50-year-old singer said on the press tour for this film is that he’s always felt “unevolved” and it’s something that’s brought up a couple of times in the film itself, so making him an ape rather than a modern Homo sapien is one way to way to communicate that.

Plus, not only does it obviously make any sad moments – and there are a lot of them – even more emotional and tear-jerking, especially during the scenes during Robbie’s childhood, but it also plays into the sad reality that he’s felt like a performing monkey for the majority of his life.

When you stop and think about the reasoning behind it feels a lot more considered than on first impression, and it certainly helps you empathise and, more importantly, sympathise with the troubled character you’re seeing on screen.

Robert vs Robbie

robbie williams movie good
A very clever movie poster to boot.

And that’s pretty much the rub right there: this was always going to be at least a somewhat self-indulgent watch, not just because it’s a biopic but because it’s Robbie and that’s what his persona is about – but it is and always has been a performance in every sense of the word and the film does a great job of trying to distinguish ‘Robbie’ from Robert.

From seeing the origins behind being given that name specifically, his younger years and affectionate albeit mostly fraught relationship with his father; how the boom of Take That engulfed his entire world and even more so once he went solo, as well as the version of himself he’s shown to the world for last three decades, it’s clear he’s often struggled to find the line between the two himself.

It’s also very important to state the cheeky, cocksure Robbie Williams you were expecting to watch the rise of throughout this biopic has wrestled with a much lower opinion of himself than you could ever imagine. It’s a driving force behind the film and manifests in all manner of problematic and unpleasant ways, just as it did in real life. You see him see a lot of them in the crowd throughout the duration, in fact.

Because for anyone who isn’t aware, a lot of Robbie’s experiences are problematic and unpleasant; the early days as a boyband commodity, his substance abuse, struggles with mental health and beyond are all laid bare on screen in fairly graphic detail at times. A lot of the situations these issues spring from would feel hard to believe were it not for the fact it’s a true story with very little embellishment, if at all.

Manchester references are a bonus

One of the things that did stand out as a particularly surreal aspect of the film was the handful of references to Robbie’s intersection with Mancunian culture, which simultaneously felt familiar and somehow like going back in time to peep behind the curtain at a world that very few saw first-hand.

Again, the behind-the-scenes examination of how Take That transpired and those very dangerous, inappropriate and frankly unlawful series of events in nightclubs over on the likes of Canal Street feels like a fever dream (as it did for Robbie).

Perhaps the biggest buzz we got was the not-so-surprise appearance by the Gallagher brothers and ‘The Robster’s obsession with Oasis. The look is exactly what you’d expect and Liam‘s accent might not be perfect but it still gave us a thrill without feeling like pointless lip service.

They even recreate this famous showbiz moment:

Is it worth a trip to the cinema?

All that being said, is the much-talked Robbie biopic a good enough film to warrant popping out to the pictures? Well, I’d certainly say so. Not only are the visuals and the CGI itself pretty flawless, but the motion capture is done so well that it never felt like I was taken out of the film at any point – even the very particular Stoke and Cheshire accents of Robbie and Gary Barlow are very convincing.

We knew there was going to be lots of humour too but there’s also a lot of impressive stuff the director does that I wasn’t expecting.

One of those is the transitions: there are lots of clever tonal switches done with great camerawork and effects (particularly during one driving sequence and some of the flashback frames) and they really do help covertly shift the mood so some of the darker moments don’t give you full on whiplash.

And lastly, the director’s fingerprints can be felt all over the movie as Michael Gracey’s The Greatest Showman pedigree certainly makes sections of the film feel more like a musical than I was expecting – but in a good way. Big bold cabaret choreography fitting of the man himself.

After all, we all know most Robbie tunes are bangers but seeing them brought to life in these new and interesting ways really does make Better Man a better film than we’d even hoped for and it’s certainly good enough to be performing a lot better than it is at the box office right now. Maybe give it a go.

As far as I’m concerned, big stunning set pieces like this are just the tip when it comes to what makes the Robbie biopic a good film.

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Featured Images — Paramount Pictures/Chrysalis Records

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