10 British Bands that Change the World of Music

June 12, 2009 10:42 AM from

For a small island, we Brits are awfully creative. We’ve also given the world some hugely influential artists, especially when it comes to popular music. We’ve come up with 10 British bands that, quite simply, changed music the world over. So, in no particular order, here they are… Arguably the greatest rock band ever to have graced the planet, there is something undoubtedly special even today about the incredible drumming of the late John Bonham, the pounding bass of John-Paul Jones, the mesmeric guitar playing of Jimmy Page and the unmistakeable voice of Robert Plant. They were the biggest band in the world in the 1970s and, through refusing to release singles, they pioneered the concept of album-orientated rock – despite writing some great songs such as “Whole Lotta Love”, “Kashmir” and “Stairway to Heaven”. They’ve sold an estimated 200 million records worldwide, and if you doubted their importance today then just look at the reception they got when Jason Bonham joined them behind the drum kit for a reunion at the O2 Arena in 2007. The Fab Four from Liverpool were probably the first British band to achieve global domination, and with over a billion international record sales they are clearly one of the most commercially and critically successful groups ever. Their music and fashion sense were both worldwide trend setters, and the ‘Beatlemania’ that followed them around propelled John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr to the status of everlasting international megastars. Despite half of them no longer being with us, they are still a huge draw, and still pull a huge influence on pop culture. Last year they topped Billboard magazine’s list of top-selling artists released to celebrate the chart’s 50th anniversary.

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