Rock music has been in existence in Ireland since around the 1960s. Rock music in Ireland is also known as Irish rock. The Irish culture considers music an unquantifiable part of the richness of the culture and it birthed Irish rock bands.
There are quite a number of talented Irish rock musicians and bands that have achieved international success and are considered the best so far.
This writing will only focus on 10 Irish rock bands that are worth following at the moment. The bands will be listed in no particular order.
Here are 10 Irish Rock bands you should be following right now
1. U2
U2 are originally from Dublin and the band was formed in 1976. The group members were Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), The Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr.(drums and percussion). The past members are Dik Evans and Ivan McCormick.
The founding band members were teenage pupils of Mount Temple’s Comprehensive school. The band was first signed by Island Records and they released their first album Boy in 1980.
The band has sold about 170 million records worldwide and that made them the best-selling music artists in history. The band has released 14 albums throughout its music career. The latest album was released in 2017 and their last tour was in 2019.
U2 has received numerous awards among which are 7 Brit Awards out of 20 nominations, 22 out of 46 Grammy award nominations, Five NME Awards, and two Golden Globe awards. The band was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in March 2006.
2. Westlife
Westlife was formed in1998 in Sligo Ireland. The boy band was originally signed by Simon Cowell in the UK, Clive Davis in the US and was managed by Louis Walsh and Sonny Takhar. The boy band members are Shane Filan, Markus Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne.
The band has released eleven studio albums and many singles. Westlife has been certified for 13.1 million albums, 1.3 million video albums, and 10.4 million singles. The band is currently ranked 19th with the most number-one albums of all time and the sixth band on the list.
In the 2000s, they became they were the biggest selling albums group in the UK. The band has sold over 55 million records and has three Guinness world records among which is the first to achieve seven consecutive number-one singles in the UK.
Westlife is regarded as one of the most successful bands of all time. They have received 94 awards and 20 nominations. Among them are the World Music Award, four MTV Awards, two Brit Awards, four Record of the year awards, and many others.
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3. Pillow Queens
The Irish Indie rock band is originally from Dublin. The band was formed in 2016 and consists of the following members: Sarah Corcoran, Rachel Lyons, Cathy McGuinness, and Pamela Connolly.
The group released their first demo EP entitled calm Girls. They later performed on the Irish festival circuit before they released their second EP which they performed with Pussy Riot, Future Islands, Idles, and a few other artists.
The band released a few singles while they were working on their album. They are signed to the record label sub pop. The girl group has been described as “a sonic palette crossed with ragged-edged guitars combined with smooth harmonies”. They have both pop and punk influences in their music.
Pillow Queens starting to gain prominence and would soon be known worldwide. These ladies have so much fierce in them and a bundle of talents as well.
4. The Coronas
The Coronas also originated from Dublin. The band members are Danny O’Reilly, Conor Egan, and Graham. Dave McPhillips is the only past member of the group. The founding members met at Terenure College and formed the band.
The Coronas sold out a show at Whelan’s in September 2006. The band has become famous for their Christmas gigs in the Olympia Theatre which they usually do in December.
The band has released six albums and seventeen singles. They have also won awards for their work and have continued to produce their music through their own independent label, 3u Records.
5. Kodaline
Kodaline was originally known as 21 Demands before it was changed in 2012. The group members are Steve Garrigan, Mark Prendergast, Vincent May, and Jason Boland. The band has released four albums already. Their latest album was released on June 12, 2020.
Kodaline has one award and two nominations so far. The band won the EBBA Public Choice Award in 2014.
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6. Just Mustard
The Irish rock band started in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland. The band members are Katie Ball, David Noonan, Mete Kalyon, Rob Clarke, and Shane Maguire.
Their debut album was released in 2018 through Pizza Pizza. The album was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in 2018.
7. The Script
The Irish rock band was formed in Dublin in 2007. The band consists of Daniel O’Donoghue as the lead vocalist and keyboardist, Mark Sheehan as the lead guitarist, and Glen Power as the drummer.
The band has released quite a number of singles and albums which have topped the charts. The script’s music has been featured in television programs such as The Vampire Diaries, Made in Chelsea, The Hills, and a few more.
The script has had nine awards and 12 nominations since its inception in 2007.
8. Murder Capital
The Irish post-punk band members are from different parts of Ireland who came together to form the band in Dublin in 2018. The band members are James McGovern (vocals), Damien Tuit (guitar), Cathal Roper (guitar), Gabriel Pascal Balke (bass), and Diarmuid Brennan (drums).
The band has one studio album and four singles which were all released in 2019.
9. The Cranberries
The Cranberries was formed by Niall Quinn, Noel Hogan, Mike Hogan, and Fergal Lawler. The band was originally called The Cranberry Saw Us. The band gained fame in 1990 when they released their debut album.
As of 2019, the band has sold almost 50 million albums worldwide and it ranks as one of the best-selling alternative acts in 1990. The band has received an MTV Europe Music Award, a world music award, a Grammy nomination, and other accolades.
The cranberries became the first Irish band to reach one billion views on YouTube after they released the video of their song Zombie.
10. Fontaines D.C
The band consisted of Grian Chatten (vocals), Carlos O’Connell (guitar), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan III (bass), and Tom Coll (drums).
The band signed to Partisan Records in 2018 and released a debut album on April 12, 2019. The album was listed as the album of the year on rough trade’s website and on BBC Radio 6 Music.
It was also nominated for both Mercury Prize and the Choice Music Prize. The band’s second studio album was nominated for the best rock album at the 2021 Grammy awards.
