Oxford crowned UK's rock capital per capita

In exclusive new research for National Album Day on 18th October, Oxford has beaten iconic music destinations such as Manchester, Liverpool, and London to be crowned the UK’s most successful city per capita for producing rock artists.

The university city achieved the prestigious first after its music talent, which notably includes Radiohead, Supergrass and Foals, outranked artists from every other city on a per capita basis (reflecting population size), on a chart of the biggest-selling and most-streamed UK rock studio albums over the past three decades.

Oxford took the title ahead of Manchester, home to Oasis and The Smiths, and so many other great rock bands; Liverpool, the birthplace of The Beatles; Sheffield; and Glasgow.

Artist Perspective

Mick Quinn from Supergrass, who hail from Oxford, said:

"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.”

National Album Day

The research has been carried out ahead of this year’s National Album Day, which takes place on Saturday, 18th October with a theme celebrating Rock music.

Radiohead Lead Oxford’s Charge

What the research reveals is that successful rock artists have come from every region of the UK. However, it is Oxford, with its population of around 163,000 people – more than 50 times smaller than London and about one-third of Manchester’s – that has the greatest pedigree of any UK city when it comes to producing successful rock artists.

Radiohead: Nine studio albums among the UK’s top 500, led by OK Computer, plus The Bends, In Rainbows, and Hail To The Thief.
Supergrass: Three albums, including debut I Should Coco.
Foals: Three albums, led by Holy Fire (2013).

UK’s Top Cities for Rock Artists (Per Capita)

Source: National Album Day based on Official Charts data (up to chart week 32 2025)

1	Oxford
2	Manchester
3	Liverpool
4	Sheffield
5	Glasgow
6	Leicester
7	London
8	Leeds
9	Salford
10	Brighton

This top-10 ranks UK cities according to their chart sales (physical, digital downloads, and streaming consumption) on the chart of the 500 biggest UK rock studio albums by domestic artists since February 1994 (when the Official Charts Company began). Figures are presented on a per-capita basis according to ONS 2022 population estimates.

Industry Reaction

Dr. Jo Twist OBE, Chief Executive BPI, and Kim Bayley, Chief Executive ERA, said jointly:

“As National Album Day themes go, it’s hard to think of one in which British artists have excelled more than rock. Just this summer, the amazing Oasis concerts and the outpouring of love for Ozzy Osbourne have reminded everyone of our unparalleled rock heritage.

But it’s not just the past we are celebrating, but a vibrant future being shaped by brilliant contemporary artists like Sam Fender, Wolf Alice, Sleep Token, Wet Leg, Nova Twins, The Last Dinner Party, and countless others, who underscore a rock scene that is in rude health, with success coming from every part of the UK.”

Greater Manchester’s Rock Firepower

Ahead of it hosting next year’s BRIT Awards with Mastercard, the first to be held outside London, Manchester is named the UK’s second biggest rock city per capita.

Oasis: (What’s The Story) Morning Glory is the most-consumed UK rock studio album of the past 30 years. All six Oasis studio albums are included, plus solo releases by Liam Gallagher (As You Were) and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
Other Manchester acts: The Charlatans, James, The Smiths, and The Stone Roses.

Salford, in ninth place, is represented by:

Black Grape (It’s Great When You’re Straight…Yeah)
Happy Mondays (Pills ’N’ Thrills And Bellyaches)
Joy Division (Unknown Pleasures, Closer)

Liverpool in Third

As the home of the most successful group in history, Liverpool ranks third. Despite the chart only covering post-1994 data, The Beatles’ enduring appeal means 12 of their albums make the cut (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Abbey Road).

Other Liverpool artists:

John Lennon (Imagine)
Paul McCartney/Wings (Band On The Run)
George Harrison (All Things Must Pass)
Cast (All Change)
The Wombats (A Guide To Love Loss & Desperation)
The Zutons (Who Killed the Zutons)

Sheffield, Glasgow, and Beyond

Sheffield (4th): Arctic Monkeys (seven albums), Bring Me The Horizon, Def Leppard, Pulp.
Glasgow (5th): Chvrches, Franz Ferdinand, Gerry Cinnamon, Primal Scream, Travis.
Leicester (6th): Kasabian.
London (7th): David Bowie, Blur, Coldplay, The Clash, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, Suede, The Who, Wolf Alice, Iron Maiden, and more.
Leeds (8th): Kaiser Chiefs, Alt-J, The Music, Pigeon Detectives.
Brighton (10th): The Kooks, Levellers.

UK’s Top Regions & Nations for Rock Artists

Source: National Album Day based on Official Charts data (up to chart week 32 2025)

1	Greater London
2	North West England
3	South East England
4	Wales
5	Yorkshire & Humber
6	Scotland
7	East of England
8	South West England
9	Northern Ireland
10	West Midlands

Highlights include:

North West England: Oasis, The Verve, The 1975, Elbow, Tom Walker.
South East England: The Cure, Genesis, Keane, Paul Weller, Wet Leg.
Wales: Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics, Catatonia.
Scotland: KT Tunstall, Biffy Clyro, Gerry Cinnamon, Franz Ferdinand.
West Midlands: Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Robert Plant, Jeff Lynne/ELO.
South West England: PJ Harvey, Muse.
East of England: Depeche Mode, Bat For Lashes.
Northern Ireland: Van Morrison, Ash, Snow Patrol.

Rock Resurgence

Spanning a breadth of genres, from Metal to Indie Sleaze, Rock is enjoying a resurgence in finding new audiences.

Rock consistently remains the biggest genre in the Official Albums Chart.
Nearly 60% of the Official Vinyl Chart Top 100 is rock.
British icons like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Oasis and Iron Maiden continue to shape the global cultural landscape.
Contemporary artists like Sam Fender, Idles, Wolf Alice, The Last Dinner Party, Wet Leg, The Reytons, Nova Twins are pushing rock forward.
In May, Sleep Token’s Even in Arcadia topped both the UK Official Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200.

About National Album Day

Now in its eighth year, National Album Day is organised by:

BPI (the voice for the UK’s record labels and music companies)
ERA (digital entertainment and retail association)

It is presented in association with BBC Radio 2 as official broadcast partner and celebrates the art of the album, encouraging listening and consumption.