19 Places Every Music Lover Should See In London
It’s been 50 years since Brixton native David Bowie released one of the most globally recognised albums of all time, “Aladdin Sane”. The red and blue lighting bolt painted across his face on the cover continues to be an iconic image of pop culture to this day. The Southbank Centre is currently paying homage to Bowie’s album with an exhibition dedicated to the story behind its creation, running until 28th May.
London has always been a breeding ground for music. Many stars from all periods of musical history whether they are from London or not, have spent a considerable amount of time in this city. Whether you left the Aladdin Sane exhibit with a reignited passion, you want to shop by London’s Abbey Road or you’ve always been a die-hard fan of British music, here are some spots you won’t want to miss.
From London’s Abbey Road to famous celebrity houses to visit, these are the places every music lover should see…
Recreate your favourite album cover
The artwork of an album is a defining factor of not only what the album will sound like, but who the artist is. From the most iconic crosswalk in the world to just a random flight of stairs, you can never know what album cover may or may not be recreated when you’re wandering around in London. Take a trip to some of these locations and accurately recreate some of the most famous album covers of all time.
Abbey Road By The Beatles
Right outside of Abbey Road Studios, the iconic recording studio, lies a street called Abbey Road, London. The infamous crosswalk can be spotted easily as there are often several people stopping traffic to get their recreation of The Beatles’ eleventh album cover which features all four Beatles crossing that very road. Once getting a perfect recreation, it’s definitely worth going into the Abbey Road Studios Gift Shop as it’s full of Beatles memorabilia.
The Clash By The Clash
The intense black and white image on the cover of this culture shaping album is beyond recognizable for any punk fan. The stairs that the three members were pictured on are now a part of Camden Market and are adjacent to the Dr. Marten’s store. Next time in Camden Market, grab two friends and stand on that staircase to get the exact background.
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars By David Bowie
On the wall of 23 Heddon Street, there is a blue plaque that commemorates the spot where Bowie shot the cover for the album that changed the entire trajectory of his career. The sign that says “K. West” is no longer on the street and there is a restaurant where the photo was taken. But nonetheless, the same buildings facades and plaque still provide an excellent photo opportunity.
(What’s the Story) Morning Glory By Oasis
Two men walking by each other on an unusually quiet London street is the cover of the Oasis’ astounding second release. The street on the cover is Berwick Street. This inspiration behind this street was due to the amount of record stores on it. Today, there aren’t as many record stores, but all of the buildings are recognisable. It’s definitely worth causally walking through and getting the perfect picture.
Animals By Pink Floyd
There’s no guarantee that there will be an inflatable pig floating between the two towers of the Battersea Power Station like in the cover of Animals. But the Power Station isn’t going anywhere. Battersea Power Station is front and centre on Pink Floyd’s tenth album. It’s interesting infrastructure and musical symbolism makes this power station a must see for any fan of Pink Floyd.
Sightseeing
St Pancras Renaissance London Hotel
To any Spice Girls fan, the lobby of this hotel is instantly recognisable. It is the setting to their music video for the biggest hit Wannabe. The centre staircase remains as the main attraction as it’s exactly where the five pop stars did their synchronised choreography for the chorus of their most famous track.
Denmark Street
From St. Giles High Street to Charing Cross Road was once the centre of the music industry in London. Previously known as Tin Pan Alley, it was where NME and other music publications had their earliest offices as well as recording studios where artists like the Kinks, the Rolling Stones, the Small Faces, David Bowie (who lived in a van on the very street at one point) and the Sex Pistols all began their careers. There were also some of the greatest music stores in London at the time where Pete Townshend and Eric Clapton bought their guitars. After a lot of redevelopment of the area, none of these businesses exist anymore. But walking down the street is still like walking through musical history.
Vivienne Westwood Worlds End
This small boutique at 430 Kings Road was the first ever shop ran by Vivienne Westwood. Over the years, the name of this boutique changed continuously as Westwood began to come into her own and began designing clothes that coincided with the arising punk scene. She eventually hired Glen Matlock, future bassist of the Sex Pistols as a sales assistant. The shop as well as Westwood and Matlock became trailblazers of the punk scene and the rest is history. The shop is still a Viviene Westwood store and open for any fan of the early punk scene.
Royal Albert Hall
Right across from Hyde Park lies the historical Royal Albert Hall. It was originally built in 1871 by Queen Victoria and ever since then it has held the title of London’s most renowned venue. Not only is it structurally breathtaking, but it has been around for so long that almost every greats from all walks of life have had some sort of appearance there. From Albert Einstein and Muhammad Ali to Adele and Andrew Lloyd Webber, this hall has been around for it all. If you can’t catch a show there, there are regular tours given of this historic building.
Famous Homes To See
Many musical greats lived in London for either their whole life or for at least a part of it. Most of the homes are still occupied, but many fans often make a trip just to see the front of their once homes to pay their respects, leave a message, or take a photo to commemorate them. Here are some of the most notable musician homes you can see in London.
Amy Winehouse
Winehouse is known for being a Camden native. You can’t walk anywhere in Camden with out seeing her face. Her final residence is 30 Camden Square. It’s rather residential part of Camden, so people aren’t meant to congregate outside as it’s a quiet neighborhood. But in the park across the street, many fans have respectively left notes and messages to Winehouse.
Holly Hill House
Up in Hampstead at 10a Holly Hill is the flat where Keith Richards and Mick Jagger lived in 1965. It was rumoured to be their party flat and where they would have John Lennon over to listen to records. There’s a plaque right in front of the entrance that names it the Holly Hill House.
34 Montagu Square
This residence housed many different musicians for some strange reason all at different times. It all started when Ringo Starr of The Beatles leased it in the 60s because of its proximity to Abbey Road Studios. Paul McCartney wrote some of the the most famous Beatles songs there like Eleanor Rigby. Jimi Hendrix had a stint of living here. John Lennon and Yoko Onon lived there for a few months too. Now there is a blue plaque commemorating Lennon having lived there.
Garden Lodge
Freddie Mercury bought this hidden house at 1 Logan Place in 1986 to live in with his ten cats. He was known for throwing elegant parties and writing music at this residence. This was Mercury’s final residence. There is a rather high fence surrounding the property, but fans still make their way to the Garden Lodge to pay tribute to him.
Handel and Hendrix House
These houses are the only exception in London where visitors are welcomed inside and the interior has been restored to how it was when the musical legends lived there. George Frideric Handel, baroque composer lived at 25 Brook Street for over 30 years in the 1700s. Four rooms of his house have been restored for the public to see. In the building right next to it, at 23 Brook Street, Jimi Hendrix lived in the top flat for several months. The flat has also been restored as it is 1968. This combined museum is set to reopen in May 2023. If you are a fan of either artists, this is a must see.
Historic Bars
Pubs are one of the most essential parts of British culture. Given the amount of pubs and the amount of musicians, there is bound to be a lot of overlap. Every pub has it’s own story, but here are some that played some sort of role in a musician’s career.
The Good Mixer in Camden
This Camden pub was not only a regular spot for Amy Winehouse, but it is also where Elastica signed their first record deal as well as where Menswear were formed. This pub is also the rumoured place where the Oasis and Blur rivalry began. One of the Gallaghers made a comment about what Graham Coxon was wearing and the infamous rivalry began.
The Troubador
This pub is historically known for a long list of happenings. It was the first place Bob Dylan ever played in the UK and is responsible for helping launch the careers of Neil Diamon, Paul Simon, Elton John, The Eagles and Carole King. It was not only the meeting place for the Black Panthers, but it was where Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin spent their free time.
100 Club
This is a club that has gone through all of the shifts that the music scene has seen since the 1940s. Starting off with jazz performances by BB King and then transitioning to bands like The Who and The Kinks to the Sex Pistols and The Clash. The stage has not only welcoming the biggest stars of each genre, but the biggest stars in the industry like The Rolling Stones, Metallica, and Paul McCartney. The club still features up and coming names in music and it is definitely worth stopping by for a show.
Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club
Having opened its doors in 1959, Ronnie Scott’s has welcomed some of the biggest names in jazz from Miles Davis to Ella Fitzgerald. To this day Ronnie Scott’s is still a great place to embrace jazz and appreciate live music. There is live music on the second floor of the club every night. It is the perfect place to pay tribute to the greats as well as learn about some new artists.
Spice of Life
This particular pub has been around since 1750 and in the 1960s became a rather popular spot for folk artists. Between the 60s and 70s, this tavern helped acts like Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Cat Stevens and the Sex Pistols take the stage. Located in the heart of Soho, this isn’t a pub you want to skip over.
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