5 Irish Artists You Need To Hear (Just In Time For St. Patty’s Day)

Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, a celebration of all things Irish. So what better way to mark the occasion here on REBEAT than a guide to some of the best artists the emerald shores have to offer?

Ireland’s most successful musical export has undoubtedly been U2. Over the past three decades, they’ve built up a huge international reputation and sold millions of albums worldwide. But the country’s arguably produced better bands, some of whom may not be quite as familiar to audiences outside of the British Isles. Here are five you should listen to.

1) Boomtown Rats

Bob Geldof is well known for his organization of the Live Aid concerts in 1985. To music fans in the UK and Ireland, however, he’s known first and foremost as the front man of Irish post-punk band the Boomtown Rats. Formed in Dublin in 1975, the Rats released six albums and had a string of hit singles beginning with “Lookin’ After No. 1,” which broke into the UK Top 40 in 1977. Their success continued with “Rat Trap,” which became the first single by an Irish rock band to top the UK chart. It overtook “Summer Nights” by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, which had been #1 for seven weeks, and when the band performed the single on Top of the Pops, Geldof famously tore up a photo of the Grease pair.

In 1979, they released their most famous song, “I Don’t Like Mondays,” which was written about the Cleveland Elementary School shooting in California. The song’s title was the response given by 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer, who had carried out the shooting, when asked why she had done it. It was a huge hit in Britain and many other countries, but failed to make an impact in the United States, possibly due to the sensitive subject matter.

The Rats’ last big hit was the ska-style “Banana Republic” in 1980, a scathing attack on Irish society which stemmed from an infamous TV interview Geldof had given about his hatred of “nationalism, medieval-minded clerics and corrupt politicians.” It was a view echoed by many Irish people. The band’s success started to wane in the early ’80s, and they called it a day not long after their performance at Live Aid. Geldof embarked on a solo career and concentrated increasingly on charity work, but the band eventually reformed in 2013 for a UK and Irish tour. They still have an army of loyal fans, and Geldof is undeniably one of the great lyricists of his generation, a fact which is often overshadowed by his humanitarian endeavors.

2) The Blades

If ever there was a band who deserved to make it big, it was Dublin New Wave trio the Blades. Virtually unknown outside Ireland, they made a big impact on the country’s music scene in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, releasing some excellent singles including “Hot For You” and “Ghost of a Chance.” Front man Paul Cleary was voted best Irish songwriter in Hot Press magazine in 1982, and the band clearly had the potential to be a success overseas. Alas, it wasn’t to be, as the release of their planned debut album on Energy Records was stalled. The Last Man in Europe was eventually released on Reekus Records in 1985, but by that time the Blades were about to split up.

The band’s only single to chart was the fantastic “Downmarket,” which perfectly captured the mood of the country in the midst of recession. With songs as good as this, it’s a shame things didn’t work out the way they could have. Meanwhile U2, at that time their biggest rivals on the Irish music scene, went on to become international stars.

After the split, Paul Cleary turned to writing questions for the TV quiz show Blackboard Jungle while continuing to play music on the side. It seemed highly unlikely the Blades would ever reform, until 2013, when they played two sold-out shows at Dublin’s Olympia. Cleary expressed surprise that they hadn’t been forgotten about. They may have missed the opportunity to go global, but their music stands the test of time.

3) Gilbert O’Sullivan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJdJO-D5ffs

For a while in the early ’70s, Gilbert O’Sullivan was one of the most popular artists in the UK and Ireland. The Waterford-born singer-songwriter enjoyed chart success with a series of great songs including “Nothing Rhymed,” “Alone Again (Naturally),” and “Get Down,” and his style often drew comparisons with Elton John. He also made a name for himself further afield, managing 16 Top 40 records and six #1 singles worldwide.

These stats are remarkable when you consider that O’Sullivan is barely talked about these days. He has always had a hardcore fanbase, but his star began to wane in 1975 when he changed record labels and subsequently became involved in a legal battle with his former manager over royalties, which left him understandably bitter and disillusioned with the industry. He has continued to release albums, but sadly has never quite been able to recapture his previous success.

He did make an unexpected return to the live music scene in Britain when he headlined the Glastonbury festival in 2008, and he really does deserve to be considered one of the great pop songwriters of the era.

4) Horslips

One of the most iconic Irish bands of all time, Horslips fused traditional Celtic music and rock, something that has been done by numerous artists since, but was completely new at the time. Their songs consisted of their own arrangements of Irish jigs and reels, combining guitar, bass, drums and keyboards with pipes, whistles, flutes and fiddles. The band formed in 1970 and were active throughout the decade. Their debut album, Happy To Meet – Sorry To Part (1972) at one time held the record for being the fastest-selling album in Ireland.

While their debut focused mainly on traditional Irish tunes, Horslips’ second album, The Táin (1973) was more rock-influenced. It was a concept album based on the 10th century tale of the war between Connacht and Ulster, and it also spawned the hit single “Dearg Doom.” The song’s distinctive guitar riff was later used as part of Ireland’s 1990 World Cup anthem.

Horslips toured the United States and had some success there with their penultimate studio album, The Man Who Built America, which told the story of Irish emigration. But they were always far more popular in their homeland. They notably performed in Northern Ireland at a time when the Troubles were at their worst, and their music united people during one of the most divisive periods of Irish history. They split up in 1980 when their commercial success came to an end, but in 2004 they performed together at an exhibition put on by Horslips fans in Derry. They then reunited for a new album and have since toured. They were pioneers of Celtic rock and their influence can be heard in the many fusion bands that have emerged since.

5) Rory Gallagher

Rory Gallagher ranks alongside Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy as Ireland’s most revered rock star, and he was also arguably its first. Mention his name to any self-respecting music fan and you’ll be met with an enthusiastic response. Gallagher is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest rock and blues guitarists, inspiring everyone from Brian May to Slash. Rumor has it he was once even asked to join Led Zeppelin. Born in Donegal and raised in Cork, he first picked up a guitar at the age of nine, and from then on it was his greatest passion in life. He formed the blues rock band Taste in the early ’60s before carving out a successful solo career.

Gallagher was never really a singles artist, which is probably why his popularity waned for a while when punk was at its height. He achieved most of his success through his albums, and particularly his live releases. He lived like a true bluesman, touring constantly and completely dedicating his life to his music. Unfortunately this also had a detrimental effect on his health. In his later years he was prescribed medication to help him with his fear of flying, but coupled with heavy drinking, it resulted in liver damage. He died in 1995 aged just 47. He famously said, “The blues is bad for your health,” and he really did sacrifice everything for his art.

Since his untimely death, Gallagher has rightly been celebrated. There is a bronze statue of him in his birthplace of Donegal, and Rory Gallagher Corner in Dublin was named after him, with a sculpture of his famous Stratocaster also being unveiled there. Despite undoubtedly being better known internationally than anyone else on this list, throughout his career he was still somehow strangely underrated. Thankfully that now seems to be changing.

What are your favorite Irish bands, underrated or otherwise? Let us know in the comments!

Sarah Stacey

Sarah is a writer and aspiring radio producer from Ireland. She is obsessed with vintage music and comedy and sometimes feels like she was born in the wrong decade. When not writing or thinking up new ideas for radio shows, she spends her spare time playing guitar, going to as many gigs as possible, and watching classic British sitcoms.