Every Manchester band has been ranked and this is the top ten

If there’s one thing Manchester is known for, it’s its impressive offering of musical talent.

Yep, out of the whole of the UK (and arguably the world), Manchester has been the place to be for ‘proper good’ music for decades and it seems that even today, our city isn’t short of upcoming new talent. 

And to put this Mancunian talent into perspective, Vice ID has accumulated a definitive list of every Manchester band and musician ranked in order. Here’s the top ten…

10. A Guy Called Gerald

Credited for shaping the British electronic music scene with his solo acid track ‘Voodoo Ray’ and 1995 album ‘Black Secret Technology’, A Guy Called Gerald is definitely one of the more influential musicians to hail from Manchester.

Having grown up in Hulme ‘playing chicken across the motorway from Moss Side’, A Guy Called Gerald – real name Gerald Rydel Simpson – started out as a regular nightclubber but would eventually go on to hold a residency in the famed Haçienda.

9. The Durutti Column

The Durutti Column was the late 1970s project of guitarist Vini Reilly, following his big break in the Manc band Ed Banger And The Nosebleeds. Vini left The Nosebleeds to form The Durutti Column, before splitting with the other members of the original line-up, who went on to form Simply Red (another sensational Manc offering, might I add.)

Factory Record’s Tony Wilson was the one to assemble The Durutti Column and, after the band became Vini’s own solo project, other musicians contributed to recordings and live performances for many years to follow. 

8. Buzzcocks

Obviously. 

Formed in Bolton in the late 1970s, this punk-rock band were regarded as a seminal influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, and pop punk.

And, perhaps even more obviously, the band were never far from controversy with song titles like ‘Orgasm Addict’, which was banned from the airwaves by the BBC because of the tune’s overt sexual message. All in the name of punk, I suppose.

7. Happy Mondays

The Happy Mondays made a true name for themselves in the Madchester scene with many thanks to frontman Shaun Ryder and eccentric dancer and maraca-shaker Bez. 

I think the name of their debut album, ‘Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)’ sums up the general vibe of the Mondays – the band went on to enjoy massive commercial success, with Ryder and Bez remaining firm television favourites to this very day.

6. The Fall

First associated with the late 1970s punk movement, the Prestwich group The Fall underwent many stylistic changes but, nonetheless, their music has generally been characterised by an abrasive, repetitive guitar-driven sound, tense bass and drum rhythms, and Smith’s caustic lyrics.

The band have dabbled in just about every genre you can think of, with DJ and record producer John Peel once describing them as ‘always different, always the same’ and even saying: “I know there are people who don’t like The Fall – they must be half-dead with beastliness.”

5. Joy Division

If you’ve ever been in a dark place in your life, ever felt a little lost, or have just been a generic angsty teenager, you’re guaranteed to have immersed yourself in the emotional lyrics of Joy Division at some point. 

The Salford rock band were heavily defined by their lead singer Ian Curtis so, following his devastating suicide in 1980 – believed to have been triggered by ongoing mental health issues and an epilepsy diagnosis – the band rebranded as New Order. 

4. The Stone Roses

Yep, the band responsible for creating The Second Summer Of Love and whose gig on Spike Island in 1990 has gone down as one of the most legendary live performances of all time, do indeed hail from Manchester. 

The Stone Roses were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the band’s classic and most prominent lineup consisting of vocalist Ian Brown, guitarist John Squire, bassist Mani and drummer Reni. 

3. Oasis

Oasis were always going to make the cut, weren’t they?

Regardless of your thoughts on Liam and Noel as individuals, there’s no denying the impact and influence Oasis has had upon not only music in the U.K, but all over the world. The band has sold millions of albums and, despite their very ugly break up in 2009, their fan base today is as loyal as ever.

Because come on – ordinary Manc lads taking the world by storm with rock ‘n’ roll music? Biblical. 

2. The Smiths

Definitely one to divide opinion, but The Smiths have been ranked as the second best musical group to come from Manchester.

The Salford-born band are known best for their bleak and depressing lyrics (yes, they’re the ones who sang about being hit and killed by a double-decker bus) and their controversial frontman, Morrissey. But, regardless of his personality and stance on veganism, there’s no denying that The Smiths have churned out arguably some of the best music in Manchester.

1. New Order

Described as ‘survivors’, New Order rose from the flames following the heartbreaking suicide of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis.

While the band’s early years were indeed overshadowed by the legacy of Joy Division, their experience of the early 1980s New York nightclub scene saw them incorporate dance rhythms and electronic instrumentation into their work, redefining their sound and making them the band they’re known as today.

Their 1983 hit ‘Blue Monday’ became the best selling 12-inch single of all time and remains today as an iconic club track.