Global hit list
Feel the beat across these vibrant music cities around the world. By Vicky Lissaman
Nashville
Without doubt, this is one of the most influential centres for music on the planet.
Affectionately known as Music City, Nashville is where global country stars Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton made their mark, followed by Taylor Swift, whose country roots led her to global pop stardom.
Rock band Kings of Leon also got their start in Nashville, playing open mic nights at the Bluebird Cafe, a famous listening venue where upcoming writers perform new material.
To sample some of its best music, visit the Ryman Auditorium (ryman.com), known as the Mother Church of Country Music.
The Country Music Hall of Fame (countrymusichalloffame.org), is the definitive home of American music with more than 2.5 million artefacts, recordings, photographs, instruments and stage costumes.
Nashville’s much-anticipated National Museum of African American Music (nmaam.org) took place in January after its launched was postponed from September last year due to the pandemic. It is the first and only museum dedicated to promoting the legacy of African American Music in America.
■ More info: visitmusiccity.com
Stockholm
Swedish sounds have swept around the world, starting with the soaring melodies of ABBA in the 70s, followed by Roxette in the 80s and Ace of Base and The Cardigans in the 90s.
Fans can say thank you for the music at ABBA the Museum (abbathemuseum.com) in Stockholm, where the legend of Agnetha, Frida, Benny and Bjorn lives on, showcasing the band’s stage clothes, artefacts and concert footage.
There’s also an interactive experience where fans can sing and dance with holograms of ABBA, don a digital costume and record their own version of an ABBA hit.
Dedicated fans may like to visit Gamla Stan (Old Town) to see the iconic site on Stortorget where the supertroupers posed for a wintry photo shoot, as well as Baggensgatan 21, where Frida and Benny lived in 1974.
The Kungliga Operan (Royal Opera), located in Norrmalm, (North Island) is where they first performed Dancing Queen in 1976 in front of the king and queen.
More recently, Swedish acts Zara Larsson and Avicii have dominated the charts. Set to open in Stockholm this year, The Avicii Experience (aviciiexperience.com) is a tribute museum to the late DJ and hitmaker who hailed from the city.
■ More info: visitstockholm.com
London
Seminal sounds have risen from the streets here for decades, making it a magnet for music lovers around the globe.
Many a music fan has travelled to St John’s Wood to take huge strides across the zebra crossing a la The Beatles on their Abbey Road album, or posed on the staircase of Stables Market in Camden like The Clash on their debut album cover. Britpop fans, however may prefer to be swung around in a shopping trolley in River Way, Greenwich, as seen in Blur’s Parklife video.
Or, simply wander the streets inspired the songs, including The Kinks’ Waterloo Sunset, Eddy Grant’s Electric Avenue and Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street.
Seek out the former homes of Jimi Hendrix and George Frideric Handel in Brook Street or the Keith Moon blue plaque on the site of the Marquee Club at 90 Wardour Street in Soho.
Ziggy played guitar at 23 Heddon Street, on the cover of David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (there’s a plaque above the spot). A spectacular mural on Tunstall Road, Brixton, the area where he was born, celebrates the artist’s incredible legacy. In Camden, The Dublin Castle, has seen Travis, Blur and Arctic Monkeys pass through its doors, KOKO has hosted Madonna, Prince and Coldplay, and Dingwalls staged The Clash, Sex Pistols and Amy Winehouse.
Discover grime in the area where it first took form, in London’s East End. Former pirate radio station Rinse FM was one of the first to give voice to artists such as Dizzee Rascal, Skepta and Wiley. Find it at The Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, near London’s most famous record store, Rough Trade East. To hear some top grime, try Oslo in Hackney and Fabric in Farringdon.
■ More info: visitlondon.com
Seattle
In the 1990s, Nirvana and Pearl Jam ruled the airwaves, heralding Seattle as the undisputed home of grunge. Devoted fans visit the unofficial Kurt Cobain memorial in Viretta Park, where love letters and lyrics are scrawled on two park benches near his former home, as well as MoPOP (mopop.org) which has a permanent exhibit devoted to Nirvana.
Before grunge, there was Jimi Hendrix, who was born and raised in the city. Jimi Hendrix Park opened in 2017 and is dedicated to the guitar god with memorials, sculptures and lyrics etched into the purple-edged walkways. These days the likes of Fleet Foxes and Death Cab for Cutie are linked to the city, thanks to recording label Sub Pop. Venues such as The Crocodile, where Nirvana have performed, and The Showbox offer awesome nights out, while Seattle festivals Bumbershoot and ZooTunes showcase the city’s now diverse music scene.
■ More info: visitseattle.org
Vienna
More famous composers have lived here than any other city in the world. Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, Mahler and Brahms studied and composed music here and you can visit the only one of Mozart’s Viennese residences that is still standing today.
While it may be famous for its waltz, Vienna’s musical credentials stretch far beyond the classical world. It’s a melting pot for many genres, with a pulsating jazz and electro scene, and boasts 120 music and theatre venues, providing spaces for 15,000 performances per year.
■ More info: vienna.info
Seoul
No other city takes its fluffy pop music as seriously as the South Korean capital.
The spun-sugar hooks, slick choreography and bubblegum-coloured costumes of K-pop are a major part of the Korean Wave, or Hallyu, that disseminates its popular culture around the world.
Now a multi-billion-dollar industry, and South Korea’s greatest export, famous names include BTS, BlackPink, Secret Number, EXO and SuperM.
Perhaps most well-known, however, is Psy whose Gangnam Style of 2012 became a Number 1 hit in 27 countries and remains one of the most viewed pop videos on YouTube.
Sightseeing tours are available around this buzzing district of the hit’s title. Tourists can take in 1,000 years of history at the Bongeunsa Temple, browse the rails of the COEX Mall, a retail Mecca for global brands, as well as visit the Gangnam Underground Shopping Centre in Gangnam Station of Seoul Subway Level 2, ideal for keeping up with the so-called Gangnam style.
■ More info: english.visitseoul.net
Detroit
Home to four US car makers, Detroit was nicknamed the Motor City and the distinctive sound of its music became known as Motown.
Berry Gordy Jr founded Motown Records, launching the careers of Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, The Temptations, The Supremes and many, many more. Music fans can see how African-American soul and rhythm and blues crossed over into popular culture at The Motown Museum (motownmuseum.org) in Detroit, the former Motown recording studio that was known as Hitsville USA.
It’s still going strong and the city’s Movement Festival (movement. us), although cancelled this year, is the hottest place to hear it.
Rapper Eminem is another of Detroit’s famous sons. His former home, 19946 Dresden Street, features on the cover of his 2000 album Marshall Mathers LP and his 2013 Marshall Mathers LP 2. In the video for his 2013 single Survival, he walks past the boarded-up house.
Detroit’s iconic venue The Masonic remains a firm favourite among musical greats.
■ More info: visitdetroit.com