There are few things that Brummies are more passionate about than their music. Thankfully, there are more than a few reasons why we are able to have pride in our music, with some rock legends having broken through in the city throughout their careers.
Some of the artists that have broken through in Birmingham have gone on to transcend genres throughout their respective careers, and that has helped create a clear pathway for emerging stars over the coming years. But, who are some of the biggest rock bands that have emerged from the Second City?
Band patches have always been popular. Hardcore fans of the band would wear the band patch to show their love for the band. However, the act of sewing it or having it permanently placed on your clothing indicates fanaticism. Custom band patches can be a great way to cheer on your favorite Birmingham artists. Sewing the patch on your leather jacket is a way to show that your attitude of liking rock bands is also individual and unique in line with the spirit of rock and roll. Go ahead and customize it on Patches Co.
Led Zeppelin
While Led Zeppelin was originally formed in London, two-quarters of the group is originally from the West Midlands. That includes Robert Page, who was born in West Bromwich. Therefore, it only seems right that Brummies claims the band as one of their own. The band was one of the biggest rock groups on the planet throughout the 70s, and has undergone multiple reunions shows over the past four years in front of their adoring fans.
The group was one of the most important when it came to the development of album-orientated rock, and stadium rock. During their career, the band had a top-ten album with their debut release titled ‘Led Zeppelin’, which includes huge singles such as ‘Dazed and Confused’ and ‘Good Times Bad Times’. However, it was their untitled fourth studio album that was their most commercially successful, with over 37 million copies sold globally.
The album featured massive hits such as ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and ‘Rock and Roll’. Overall, it is estimated that the group sold between 200 and 300 million records globally, and they were subsequently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Black Sabbath
It would be hard to do a list of the best Brummie bands without mentioning one of the most influential heavy metal groups of all-time- Black Sabbath. The group was pioneers in the genre, and effectively ensured that heavy metal was able to grow in size, which has later been recognised as they have been cited as inspirations behind some of the biggest rock groups of this era.
The group was together between 1968 and 2006, and later reunited in 2011 for six years. The group was made up of Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, and Bill Ward during their most prominent era in the 70s. They released four renowned albums during the early 70s, including ‘Black Sabbath’, ‘Paranoid’ and ‘Master of Reality’.
The group underwent massive changes following Osbourne’s departure, and was never able to hit the same heights. However, they reunited with the original line-up (minus Ward) in 2011 and released the album ‘13’. Their popularity was evident, as they played farewell tours around the world, which culminated in a show in Birmingham in February 2017. The group sold over 70 million records globally, and won two Grammy Awards, as well as being honoured with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
Judas Priest
Birmingham was the place to be for heavy metal fans throughout the 70s, and more evidence of that was the success that Judas Priest enjoyed. The group was formed in Brum in 1969, and went on to rank as one of the greatest heavy metal groups of all time. The band has sold a staggering 50 million albums during its career. They found success later on that Black Sabbath, as their most commercially successful album wasn’t released until 1980 with ‘British Steel’.
Judas Priest has also seen an extensive number of turnovers in terms of band members, with a number of drummers playing in the group throughout the 70s. Singer Rob Halford left the band in 1992, and was replaced by Tim Owens, before Halford returned to the band eleven years after his departure.
Their best-selling album to date came with the 1982 release of ‘Screaming for Vengeance’. The band also enjoyed a resurgence throughout the 90s, as they played worldwide shows across the globe, and were also the very first VH1 Rock Honors inductees. Judas Priest has been nominated on three occasions to enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with their most recent nomination coming in 2022.
Editors
One of the best modern groups to have come out of the Second City is the Editors. The band was formed back in 2002, and was previously known as The Pride, Snowfield, and Pilot, before settling on Editors. The group is made up of Tom Smith, Russell Leetch, Justin Lockey, Elliott Williams and Ed Lay in its current formation.
The group has enjoyed massive success throughout its career, and has released two platinum studio albums, and six albums in total. Overall, the group has sold over three million copies worldwide and received a nomination for the Mercury Prize for their album titled ‘The Back Room’ in 2005. Their next release saw them awarded a Brit Nomination, while ‘An End Has A Start’ also reached the top of the charts in the UK Album rankings in June 2007.
More success followed with their third studio album, as ‘In The Light and on This Evening’ went straight to the top of the UK Album Charts when it was released in October 2009. The group remains one of the most popular to come out of Birmingham, and has headlined a number of sold-out shows, as well as headlining huge festivals.
