world capital of pop

World Capital of Pop

We’ve always known that Liverpool is a big music city, from The Beatles to Elvis Costello, Echo and the Bunnymen to The La’s. But now it’s official: the Guinness Book of Records has named Liverpool the World Capital of Pop.

The award was made because Liverpool artists have had more No. 1 singles than any other city, and there certainly seems to be an innate musical talent that permeates Liverpudlians and Liverpool.

First came The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers and even Cilla Black in the 60s and then there was Elvis Costello, Echo and the Bunnymen and Teardrop Explodes in the 80s, as well as Frankie Goes to Hollywood, OMD and The Christians. The 90s saw Indie giants The La’s, The Lightning Seeds, The Boo Radleys and Cast taking up the baton, then passing it on to The Coral, Ladytron, Atomic Kitten, Sugababes and The Zutons.

But aside from producing such a glittering array of musical talent, the World Capital of Pop also lays on various major musical events and festivals. These include the Mathew Street Festival, 80+ hours of free live outdoor music which takes place in the streets around Mathew Street, home to The Cavern Club, every summer Bank Holiday weekend. The Mathew Street Festival attracts over 300,000 people each year.

There’s also Liverpool Summer Pops, a combination of artists from every musical genre, from rock and jazz to folk and pop, which takes place at the Echo Arena Liverpool and various venues across the city each summer.

The Liverpool Summer Pops Festival has become established as an important part of the European summer music calendar, with some of the greatest names in music having played over the past eight years.