Ireland is a country filled with musical talent. It is everywhere, even on the streets! Grafton Street has become the area par excellence where you can listen to street music bands that play the nicest and most famous songs from all over the world… in life! How beautiful it is going to work listening to a musician cover The Cranberries, Bob Dylan or Ed Sheeran. It helps you start your days with more energy!
Even traditional Irish music is catchy and special! However, do you know any Irish bands? There are a lot, in fact, and they’re very famous. Maybe there are some popular bands you didn’t even know were from Ireland… Therefore, and for your musical well-being, here you have my list of the 7 Irish bands you should listen to.
Here we go!
U2
Who does not know Bono and the famous U2? The super famous rock band was created in Dublin in 1976. Songs like ‘With or without you’, ‘One’ or ‘Beautiful Day’ have become universal hits and we all know how to hum, at least, the chorus of them. U2’s six albums have sold more than 170 million copies around the world, and they have been awarded some of the best prizes in music. This band is considered one of the most popular rock bands in the world since the 1980s.
Kodaline
My number two goes to Kodaline. Relatively new but very popular, Kodaline is an indie rock band from Swords, County Dublin. The band was born in 2005 as ’21 Demands’, and made very little impact. However, in 2011 they decided to change to Kodaline and it was then they started to enjoy success. The song that brought them to fame is ‘All I want’, as it appeared in the popular TV series, Grey’s Anatomy.
Hozier
This 27-year-old musician was worn in Bray, County Wicklow, and his music belongs to the genres of Indie Rock, Soul and Blues. His first famous single was the beautiful ‘Take Me To Church’, which became a viral hit overnight. His first debut album titles ‘Hozier’, was released in 2014, which was very successful, with more than one million copies sold.
James Vincent McMorrow
James Vincent McMorrow is a very famous singer and song-writer born in Dublin. His debut album ‘Early in the Morning’ was released in February 2010 for which he obtained great national recognition. Many of his songs have been used as movie soundtracks, TV series or in advertising such as ‘Wicked Game’ for the Game of Thrones season 6 trailer, or ‘Ghosts’ for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. His music is unique, quiet and melancholic at the same time… Vital!
The Script
After releasing four albums ‘The Script’, ‘Science & Faith’, ‘#3’ and‘No Sound Without Silence’, this Irish band created in the heart of Dublin has achieved indisputable success. Their songs have that special something that catches people. ‘Hall of the fame’, ‘Superheroes’ or ‘Rain’ are just a few examples. Their music has been used in video games such as FIFA 09 and TV programs like Waterloo Road.
The Cranberries
The classic Cranberries are from Limerick and the band was born in 1989. ‘Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?’ was the album which brought them fame. They became one of the most successful rock groups in the 90s, selling more than 14.5 million albums in the EEC alone. Today they are an iconic group. My favourite song? Zombie, which was awarded best song of the year at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
Walking on Cars
This indie-rock group was born in Dingle, County Kerry, in 2010. Many of their singles have become authentic musical hits, for example, ‘Catch Me If You Can’, their debut single; ‘Always be with you’ or the popular ‘Speeding Cars’, which is constantly on Irish Radio. It has a cool and catchy sound!
