Often has been told ‘rock is dead’, but a look at this month’s Music Moves Europe Artist chart shows quite the opposite…
Taking the ‘difficult’ path of intensive touring, winning over fans by exciting live shows, and gaining so much buzz radio can’t ignore them anymore…There are quite a few examples in this chart that show that this route is still successful.
To begin with, two British rockers stay fierce inside the top 10: Springsteen-influenced Sam Fender at #6 and self-declared punk rocker Yungblud at #5. Fender is currently with four tracks in the weekly Top 100: Hypersonic Missiles, Will We Talk, Play God and The Borders (all Universal). Yungblud even with no less than seven: Hope For The Underrated Youth, Loner, I Love You Will You Marry Me, his mash-up of Camila Cabello’s Havana and Dua Lipa’s New Rules, Parents, Medication and Original Me – the latter track even features Dan Reynolds, the frontman of American rock band Imagine Dragons (all Universal).
Even more striking is that most rock bands are rising with big steps to the top now: Irish bands Fontaines D.C. now reaches #15, Inhaler goes up to #28 and The Murder Capital rises to #63. Elsewhere, some British rock bands find their way up; Sea Girls at #40, Squid at #45, Riddim Punks at #64, Love Fame Tragedy at #66 and Piroshka at #87. Let’s not forget, still charting are Norwegian Pom Poko at #31, and British acts Sports Team at #52, Sorry at #53 and Black Midi at #75. And yes, they all rrrock!
Also great is that Sam Fender, Yungblud, Fontaines D.C., Pom Poko, Sea Girls, Sports Team, The Murder Capital and Black Midi all have been playing ESNS Festival in the past and that Inhaler and Squid are already announced for next year January in Groningen. Maybe I meet you in the front rows!
If indie rock is not your cup of tea, there are four new entries in other styles in the Music Moves Europe Artist chart to welcome. British indie band Wild Beasts split last year. Earlier this year Wild Beasts member Hayden Thorpe entered the charts. Now his former bandmate Tom Fleming is the highest newcomer at #76 with his new project One True Pairing. His song dawn At The Factory (Domino) was produced by Depeche Mode producer Ben Hillier and receives airplay in Luxembourg, Portugal and Poland.
While German singer-songwriter Au/Ra leaves the chart after the maximum validity period of three years, two new German acts enter this month. First up at #77 is the exciting new name in German language hip-hop called Apache 207. He draws attention with his nineties vibe on his new Platte EP (Sony). All eight tracks on his EP and three former singles as well enjoy streaming success in the German-speaking countries, which include Luxembourg. And at #93 pop princess Ilira comes in via airplay on her single Extra Fries (Sony) mainly in Switzerland. The singer with Kosovo Albanian roots reminds of Dua Lipa.
The last entry is, as the name of the act already makes clear, in the gospel house genre. British act House Gospel Choir enters at #96 thanks to airplay in Belgium, Ireland and Poland for their single Salvation (Universal), while British-American producers duo Silk City are still rockin’ on top.
Menno Visser
Music journalist and radio professional from The Netherlands
