Scottish Music (Rock and Pop)

White

One of the hottest new bands in Scotland right now, the Glasgow-based White has a hit with "Future Pleasure"

 

The Proclaimers

Comprised of idential twins Charlie and Craig Reid from Leith (near Edinburgh), The Proclaimers had a huge hit in 1993 in the US with "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"  -- which had been a huge hit in the UK earlier in 1988. Here they are performing the song with Doctor Who (David Tenannt)

 

 For many in Scotland (and for me), "Sunshine on Leith" is a sentimental favorite.

Annie Lennox

One of my all-time favorites, Annie Lennox of Aberdeen, Scotland first gained fame as part of the 80s duo Eurythmics, with hits such as "Sweet Dreams", "Here Comes the Rain" and "Who's That Girl".  She then emerged as a successful solo artist in 1990s and 2000s with hits such as "Why," "Little Bird," and "Walking on Broken Glass" (see video below, which also features Hugh Laurie):

 

KT Tunstall

A popular singer-songwriter from Edinburgh. Below are her two most well-known songs. The first, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" is from her first TV performance, which was her breakout performance.

Franz Ferdinand

This band from Glasgow formed in 2002. They've had several hits including "This Fire," Do You Want To," and "Take Me Out". Here there are performing in Glasgow in 2014

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Simple Minds

From Glasgow, Simple Minds were a major Eighties band, selling 40 million records since 1979. Their hits included "Alive and Kicking," "Belfast Child," "Sanctify Yourself," and their biggest hit  -- from the 1985 film Breakfast Club -- "Don't You Forget About Me." (see below)

And here they are performing in Edinburgh in 2015:

Susan Boyle

Perhaps the most unlikeliest pop star of all time, Susan Boyle became a hero to us "regular" folk the world over when she wowed judges and audiences on Britain's Got Talent back in 2009. The Glasgow-native has since sold millions. To see her first appearance, go to the link below. It's well worth it.

 

The Fratellis

An indie band form Glasgow that released two hit albums in the 2000s (Here We Come and Costello Music).  For now, they seem to be on permanent hiatus. Below is one of their bigger hits, "Chelsea Dagger."

Bay City Rollers

There was a brief period between 1974 and 1975 when the Bay City Rollers were so popular that the success of the "tartan teens from Edinburgh" was being compared to Beatlemania (and was called appropriately enough Rollermania.) Their two biggest hits were "Saturday Night" and "Bye Bye Baby". (By the way, the person in the center in the above photo is not a Bay City Roller but rather Witchiepoo from HR Puffnstuf)

Sheena Easton

From Bellshill, Scotland, Easton had several hits in the 1980s including "Strut", "For Your Eyes Only" (from the 1981 James Bond film), "The Lover in Me," and "Sugar Walls."  Below is her first hit, "Morning Train" (called "9 to 5" in the UK)

 

Gerry Rafferty

Singer-songwriter Rafferty, a Glasgow-native, had several hits in the 1970s, first with his band Stealers Wheel ("Stuck in the Middle With You") then had several solo hits, such as "Right Down the Line," "Days Gone Down," and his biggest hit (#2 in the US), "Baker Street".

 

Amy MacDonald

While not as well-known in the US, MacDonald from Bishopbriggs, Scotland is huge throughout Europe (especially in Germany, Denmark and Sweden). Her album, This is the Life has sold 3 million copies.

 

Donovan

Briefly considered the UK's answer to Bob Dylan, Donovan (full name: Donovan Philips Leitch) of Glasgow had several hits in the 1960s, including "Sunshine Superman," "Wear Your Love Like Heaven," "Atlantis" and the "Hurdy Gurdy Man" (below), which was used quite effectively in the film Zodiac.

 

Big Country

A staple of "Best of the 80s" compilations, this Dunfermline-based band formed in 1981. Their biggest hit was "In a Big Country.

 

Del Amitri

From Glasgow, this band's hit "Roll to Me" was ubiquitous in the 1990s.

 

Maeve O'Boyle

One of Scotland's newest singer-songwriters, O'Boyle is from Glasgow, where she often performs at local clubs.

Nazareth

The group was from Dumfermline, Scotland. Their biggest hit was 1976's "Love Hurts," one of the original "power ballads" that is now a staple of Hollywood soundtracks.

Mark Knopler (of Dire Straits)

Knopler was born in Glasgow, Scotland and is best known for the 1985 Dire Straits song, "Money for Nothing."

 

Jesus and Mary Chain

A Glasgow-based alternative band from the late 1980s and 1990s. Below is one of the bigger hits, "Head On."

 

Emma's Imagination

The stage name of Edinburgh-native Emma Gillepsie. While not well-known in the US yet, she has had two hit songs in the UK, "Focus" and "This Day" (see below for both). She got her break when she won the Sky-TV talent program Must Be the Music.

Lulu

A star in the 1960s and early 1970s, Lulu (real name Marie McDonald McLaughlin, from Glasgow) was  most famous for the theme song to the James Bond hit Man With the Golden Gun and for starring in and singing the title song to To Sir, With Love.