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Pop/rock Music
Even Pop/rock music has a fundamental role in this country and Ireland contend with Australia for the third place as world-wide centre of rock after United States and Great Britain:
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Mary Black
mixes with great ability POP and rock elements with traditional music with her limpid and deep voice. Is one of the most famous female voices in
Ireland. Her most important albums are Shine and Woman's Heart.
Enya, coming from Donegal, is now famous all over the world, with her characteristic style that moves on tightened contact with New Age. She became famous also thanks to some of her songs used for successful movie soundtracks. Her best album is Watermark. |
| Van Morrison instead can be considered a poet; he was perhaps the first modern Irish artist to become famous all over the world during 60s, playing with the Them band, with the song Gloria. His masterpiece, Astral Weeks, is considered one of fundamental album of 60s. In his music he blends folk, jazz, blues and Gospel songs beginning from his Northern Irish roots and from traditional music. He has played with the Chieftains in the album Irish Heartbeat. |
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Sinéad O'Connor has caught up an enormous reputation thanks to the album I do not want what I haven't Got (with the song written by Prince Nothing Compares to You) before showing herself off in dubious polemical protests against Church and in favour of an excessive Nationalism. Before becoming a famous singer she has worked in the now famous Bad Ass Cafe in Dublin. |
| The Cranberries, guided by the splendid voice of Dolores O' Riordan, are now a very famous band all over the world. Coming from Limerick, with their first album they gain great success in United States and Europe. But with the single Zombie their reputation is extended all over the world. Their best album is No need to Argue, but also the first disc "Everybody else is doing it I know why can' t we?" has some much evocative songs. |
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The Corrs is a band formed by 3 sisters and a brother and fuses POP music with sounds and instruments of traditional Irish music. The splendid voice of the singer Andrea sings over a sweet and catchy music. Their most famous album is Talk on Corners. Recently they have published an album that records a beautiful Unplugged concert performed for MTV: it's worthy for listening. |
| U2
is probably the most famous rock band in the world. Formed in 1976 in Dublin they got the names of Feedback and The Hype before becoming U2. Their first album,
Boy (1980) gains a good success that carries them in some tours in United States. The following album,
October (1981), received instead some critics, while War
(1983), in which songs like Sunday Bloody Sunday and New year's Day appear, brought back them to have one great reputation, especially as Band for live concerts. As pledge of this ability, was published in 1983 the Album
Live Under a Blood Red Sky. Working with the eclectic producer Brian Eno, in the album The Unforgettable Fire (1984), recorded near Slane Castle in Ireland, they begin to leave a pure rock music realising a much more personal style. With the performance at Live Aid in 1986 their reputation increases more and the next year The Joshua Tree have a great success and in 1988 they publish Rattle and Hum that includes some and live songs. After a long break, U2 makes up a comeback in 1991 with the album Achtung Baby, new musical turning point of their career. The great success of this album is followed by a memorable Tour that collected "sold out" in many parts of the World. In 1993 with Zooropa they try to continue the lines begun with Achtung Baby and the Tour but they don't gain the success they expected. Their last disc POP represents an new turning point in the their music that gather profusely from disco sounds and rhythms. The tour that have an enthusiastic public everywhere: in Reggio Emilia more than 150.000 people watch the POP Mart concert (largest paying audience paid for a single band). After some new songs appeared on the soundtrack of the last Wim Wenders' movie (The Million Dollar Hotel) U2 will publish their new album within the end of 2000. |
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