New research names Oxford as the UK's top rock city
Per capita, ahead of Manchester and Liverpool
Oxford has been named as the UK’s top city for rock music ahead of Manchester and Liverpool.
New research conducted for National Album Day on Saturday 18th October reveals that on a per capita basis, Oxford is the most successful location for producing rock acts.
The picturesque cathedral city has a population of just 166,000 people, however more than a dozen releases by Oxford artists - including Radiohead, Supergrass and Foals - are among the top 500 rock studio albums by UK artists over the last three decades, based on Official Charts data.
Supergrass bassist Mick Quinn says: "Oxford's always had this vibrant music scene with a mixture of interloping students and locals.
“It's far enough from London not to be competitive but amongst its many diverse achievements; the Thames Valley Shoegaze scene still seems to cast a long shadow. Ride, Radiohead and all the usual suspects seem to have started there.”
Radiohead lead the Oxford charge in the list of the UK’s top 500 rock studio albums by domestic artists, with nine records represented including ‘OK Computer’, ‘Kid A’, ‘Hail to the Thief’, ‘The Bends’ and ‘In Rainbows’.
Oxford took the title ahead of Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Glasgow.
Somewhat surprisingly, Birmingham – the birthplace of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Electric Light Orchestra and Judas Priest – doesn’t make the Top 10.
The top 10 rock cities per capita:
1 - Oxford
2 - Manchester
3 - Liverpool
4 - Sheffield
5 - Glasgow
6 - Leicester
7 - London
8 - Leeds
9 - Salford
10 - Brighton
The Top 10 ranks UK cities according to their chart sales (physical and digital download sales plus streaming consumption) on a chart of the 500 biggest rock studio albums in the UK by domestic artists since February 1994 when the Official Charts Company began. The figures are presented on a per-capita basis according to Office for National Statistics 2022 population estimates.
Greater London is the UK’s biggest rock region or nation overall in actual terms, with bands including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, and Iron Maiden all represented.
The UK’s top regions and nations for producing rock artists:
1 - Greater London
2 - North West England
3 - South East England
4 - Wales
5 - Yorkshire and the Humber
6 - Scotland
7 - East of England
8 - South West England
9 - Northern Ireland
10 - West Midlands
The research has been carried out to celebrate National Album Day, which takes place on Saturday 18th October with a theme celebrating rock music.
Iron Maiden have previously been named among the Album Champions for National Album Day 2025, alongside Wolf Alice, Architects and Nova Twins,
Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson says: “Albums matter. They always have not just to Maiden but to all of the band members that have done solo projects – none of them have just toured – they have always recorded and released product too – especially me!!
“The rush of first seeing the vinyl or the CD or back in the day the cassette for the first time never leaves you, and it’s great that fans are coming full circle to enjoy the totemistic experience that was lost for a while in this digital era.”
Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood adds: “Back in the day, and before the internet made the smallest snippet of conjecture about a band into global news, we had to rely on the release of a new album to do the heavy-lifting for us – it would herald new music of course, but also launch a tour, market the band to a wider audience with the title and the cover and - the bit I always loved - birthed a new Eddie!
“When things really exploded for Maiden back in 1982, with The Number of The Beast, the band were still finishing the album right up to going out on tour to promote it! They were different times and an amazing experience to connect with our fans.”
Find out more about Absolute Radio's Rocktober
Rock bands named after songs, including Radiohead:
Judas Priest
British heavy metal legends Judas Priest took inspiration for their brilliant name from the Bob Dylan song 'The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest' from his 1967 album 'John Wesley Harding.' The moniker was the idea of early Judas Priest bassist Brian 'Bruno' Stapenhill who exited the band in 1970 before they had laid down any recordings.
Deep Purple
Initially called Roundabout, the rock legends initially toyed with band names including Orpheus, Concrete God and Sugarlump but eventually settled on Deep Purple; taken from the 1933 Peter DeRose piano composition. The song was a huge favourite of Ritchie Blackmore's grandmother and she would often perform it on piano throughout Ritchie's childhood.
Mr Big
In 1988, Eric Martin, Billy Sheehan, Paul Gilbert and the late-great Pat Torpey named their new band after the Free song 'Mr. Big', which appeared on their breakthrough 1970 album 'Fire and Water'. Mr. Big later covered 'Mr. Big' on their third studio album 'Bump Ahead' in 1993.
Motörhead
After being dismissed from Hawkwind in 1975 following an arrest for drug possession in Canada, Lemmy started his own self-professed "fast and vicious" band and took the name Motörhead from the final song he had penned for Hawkwind just a few months earlier, 'Motorhead'. Two years later, Motörhead re-recorded 'Motorhead' as the opening track on their eponymous debut album.
Poison
Originally called Paris upon their formation in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1983, singer Bret Michaels, guitarist Matt Smith, bassist Bobby Dall and drummer Rikki Rockett wisely ditched their tame sounding band name in favour of 'Poison'; a nod to the 1981 track 'Poison' by glam metallers 'Sinner'.
Nazareth
The Scottish hard rock veterans were called the Shadettes upon their formation in the late 1960s but were unhappy with what they perceived to be a 'lightweight' name. They decided to hit a boozer to discuss a new name when 'The Weight' by The Band started playing through the bar's soundsystem. Upon hearing the opening line "I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead", bassist Pete Agnew suggested 'Nazareth' and the band agreed. The rest, they say, is history.
Volbeat
Danish rockers Volbeat took their name from the 1997 studio album 'Vol.Beat' by singer Michael Poulsen's previous band, the death metal act Dominus.
The Rolling Stones
Founder and original band leader Brian Jones gave The Rolling Stones their moniker after the 1950 Muddy Waters track 'Rollin' Stone'. The fledgling group played their first show as The Rolling Stones on 12th July 1962, at the famous Marquee Club in London.
Sepultura
The idea of former guitarist, singer and co-founding band member Max Cavalera, the Brazilian metallers called themselves Sepultura, which is the Portuguese word for "grave". Max took inspiration from one of his favourite songs, Motörhead's 'Dancing On Your Grave.'
Radiohead
Founded in Oxford in mid-1980s, Radiohead were originally called On A Friday in reference to their music rehearsal day at Abingdon School. When they signed a six-album deal with EMI in 1991, the imprint implored them to change their name and they ultimately took their band name from the song 'Radio Head' from Talking Heads' 1986 album 'True Stories'.
Bad Brains
Washington DC punks Bad Brains named themselves after the Ramones track 'Bad Brain', which appears on their 1978 album 'Road To Ruin'.
Lady Gaga
Stefani Germanotta's stage name is derived from the Queen classic 'Radio Ga Ga'. Producer Rob Fusari claims to have been the person who coined 'Lady Gaga' in the mid-noughties when they worked together.
At The Drive-In
Influential post-hardcore noisemakers At The Drive-In got their moniker from a line in Poison's 1987 single 'Talk Dirty To Me' – "Cause baby we'll be / At the drive-in / In the old man's ford / Behind the bushes / Till I'm screamin' for more." The name was guitartist Jim Ward's suggestion shortly after the band former in 1993.
Seether
Formed in South Africa in 1999 as Saron Gas, the band ditched the name as their US label Wind-up Records noted its similarity to the toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound, sarin gas. Ultimately they settled on Seether after the 1994 Veruca Salt single 'Seether'.
The Sisters of Mercy
When they formed 40 years ago in Leeds, the gothic rockers took their name from the Leonard Cohen track 'Sisters of Mercy' from his seminal 1967 album 'Songs of Leonard Cohen.' The Sisters of Mercy took inspiration from Robert Altman's 1971 movie McCabe & Mrs Miller thats' soundtracked by three Leonard Cohen songs.
Stiff Little Fingers
Previously called Highway Star and The Fast, the Belfast punks eventually decided to call themselves Stiff Little Fingers after the 1977 Vibrators song of the same name.
Overkill
Wisely abandoning the prospective band name Virgin Killer (a nod to the Scorpions), New Jersey thrash metallers Overkill ultimately honoured their other musical heroes Motörhead by naming themselves after the trio's 1979 album 'Overkill' and the single of the same name.
Panic! at the Disco
Although many people erroneously think that Panic! at the Disco are named after The Smiths' song 'Panic' and its chorus of "burn down the disco", former band leader Brendon Urie has said in multiple interviews that they take their name from a track also called 'Panic' by Californian emo band Name Taken. The song's lyrics read: "Panic at the disco/Sat back and took it so slow/Are you nervous?/Are you shaking?".