From the... erm... more than 5 boroughs.
March 6, 2014 5:05 AM Subscribe
Who is each borough of London's best selling music act?
u/wittybrit' s outline of their mapping methodology in the comments of their mapping submission.
u/wittybrit' s outline of their mapping methodology in the comments of their mapping submission.
Sorry... this isn't "which act sold the most records in a particular borough', but rather, according to the reddit cartographer:
sales. The origin of the act, not the later or current area was used. The origin was either where they were born (most of them) or where they formed, lived or practiced when they recorded first.
Edit: Hijacking my own comment to say the map shows bands that originated and formed in the respective areas, not the most popular music act from around the world in each borough, some people were getting confused (my fault, the title is a bit misleading).
posted by panaceanot at 5:12 AM on March 6, 2014 [3 favorites]
sales. The origin of the act, not the later or current area was used. The origin was either where they were born (most of them) or where they formed, lived or practiced when they recorded first.
Edit: Hijacking my own comment to say the map shows bands that originated and formed in the respective areas, not the most popular music act from around the world in each borough, some people were getting confused (my fault, the title is a bit misleading).
posted by panaceanot at 5:12 AM on March 6, 2014 [3 favorites]
Thanks panaceanot.
posted by three blind mice at 5:26 AM on March 6, 2014
posted by three blind mice at 5:26 AM on March 6, 2014
Billy Idol beats David Bowie for Bromley? Really? Huh.
posted by theseldomseenkid at 5:31 AM on March 6, 2014
posted by theseldomseenkid at 5:31 AM on March 6, 2014
I'm glad I don't live in Phil Collins
posted by iotic at 5:43 AM on March 6, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by iotic at 5:43 AM on March 6, 2014 [5 favorites]
Pretty impressive that they can still accomplish that at their age.
posted by indubitable at 5:54 AM on March 6, 2014
posted by indubitable at 5:54 AM on March 6, 2014
iotic, I do.
I am very disappointed.
I am so close to the borough of Sex Pistols.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 6:02 AM on March 6, 2014
I am very disappointed.
I am so close to the borough of Sex Pistols.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 6:02 AM on March 6, 2014
I would pay all the money to go to this music festival.
Especially if we can bring back the artists who are no longer with us.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:05 AM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Especially if we can bring back the artists who are no longer with us.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:05 AM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
In a paper called The Geographic Flow of music (pdf) some researchers seem to have attempted to look, for real, at how where you live influences what you listen to (they used LastFMs popularity data over a number of cities). It seems to show that Londoners just follow most of the rest of us in listening to the new stuff uncovered by the denizens of Oslo, Stockholm, Chicago, Montreal, Atlanta, Dublin, Hamburg and Paris.
posted by rongorongo at 6:12 AM on March 6, 2014
posted by rongorongo at 6:12 AM on March 6, 2014
My home borough of Islington = Coldplay. I'm not sure I can live with the shame.
posted by Paul Slade at 6:13 AM on March 6, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by Paul Slade at 6:13 AM on March 6, 2014 [6 favorites]
Billy Bragg, Kathy Kirby, Linda Lewis... what is it with alliteration and northeast London?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:16 AM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:16 AM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Go Team Muswell Hill!
posted by FelliniBlank at 6:47 AM on March 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by FelliniBlank at 6:47 AM on March 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
Billy Idol beats David Bowie for Bromley? Really? Huh.
They've got him down for Lambeth. Don't know how appropriate that is but he is there.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 7:15 AM on March 6, 2014
They've got him down for Lambeth. Don't know how appropriate that is but he is there.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 7:15 AM on March 6, 2014
I can't tell whether it's a matter of longevity or whether only old folks like me buy music, but that is a nostalgia trip through my record collection.
posted by immlass at 8:44 AM on March 6, 2014
posted by immlass at 8:44 AM on March 6, 2014
I don't care about the methodology. I'm just happy to see Ian Dury in nice big letters.
posted by maurice at 9:27 AM on March 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by maurice at 9:27 AM on March 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
If you inverted this map, this American would still be able to tell where West London is.
posted by anewnadir at 9:46 AM on March 6, 2014
posted by anewnadir at 9:46 AM on March 6, 2014
I looked for The Clash and couldn't find them. Can a Londoner explain?
posted by benito.strauss at 10:04 AM on March 6, 2014
posted by benito.strauss at 10:04 AM on March 6, 2014
Re: no Clash appearance - I'm not a Londoner, but I'd assume that it's because they're from the same borough as Pink Floyd, who out-sold them. Personally a bit disappointed that (Scottish "son" but Camden-born) Rod Stewart beat out Madness for Camden...
posted by pammeke at 10:21 AM on March 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by pammeke at 10:21 AM on March 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
I like that there is no music from the City of London, except the keening of women and the gnashing of teeth echoing around the void forever.
posted by forgetful snow at 10:21 AM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by forgetful snow at 10:21 AM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Ian Dury wasn't even a Londoner he was a beautiful man of Essex.
posted by dng at 10:36 AM on March 6, 2014
posted by dng at 10:36 AM on March 6, 2014
Do Londoners/Englishfolk think in terms of boroughs a lot? Just curious: as an outlander who "knows" London only via music, books, films/TV, history, etc., I know way more London districts/parishes/neighborhoods than I do boroughs, with a few exceptions.
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:18 PM on March 6, 2014
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:18 PM on March 6, 2014
The Ian Dury / Havering connection is legit-ish (it's where he pretended to be from) but he was born in Harrow Weald (outsold in Harrow by Elton John, alas) and his first band was Kilburn And The High Roads (outsold in Brent by Jay Sean, apparently) so... anyway. A beautiful man for sure and I'm glad he's on this map.
posted by motty at 1:27 PM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by motty at 1:27 PM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Do Londoners/Englishfolk think in terms of boroughs a lot?
The boroughs are significant administrative units, and some are important cultural units too. They are artificial modern constructs, but the extent of their power, particularly after the abolition of the GLC, has meant that the character of local administration has had a degree of effect of the character of the areas.
So it really depends, I think. When I lived in Stratford, people would tell you they came from Stratford, not from Newham, and the area was culturally distinct from (say) West Ham. But the fact that it was in Newham was important on a practical level. Other boroughs, in particular, it seems, the smaller and wealthier ones, seem to be more culturally homogeneous.
But that's just my impression. I've lived and worked in London, and I have some experience of working with London local government, but I'm not a Londoner, so my depth of cultural knowledge is limited.
posted by howfar at 2:56 PM on March 6, 2014
The boroughs are significant administrative units, and some are important cultural units too. They are artificial modern constructs, but the extent of their power, particularly after the abolition of the GLC, has meant that the character of local administration has had a degree of effect of the character of the areas.
So it really depends, I think. When I lived in Stratford, people would tell you they came from Stratford, not from Newham, and the area was culturally distinct from (say) West Ham. But the fact that it was in Newham was important on a practical level. Other boroughs, in particular, it seems, the smaller and wealthier ones, seem to be more culturally homogeneous.
But that's just my impression. I've lived and worked in London, and I have some experience of working with London local government, but I'm not a Londoner, so my depth of cultural knowledge is limited.
posted by howfar at 2:56 PM on March 6, 2014
I thought Siouxsie and the Banshees would have been from Bromley, what with having been part of the "Bromley Contingent" of punks.
posted by acb at 3:25 PM on March 6, 2014
posted by acb at 3:25 PM on March 6, 2014
Billy Idol beats David Bowie for Bromley? Really? Huh.
They've got him down for Lambeth. Don't know how appropriate that is but he is there.
He was born in Brixton (which is in Lambeth) so that makes sense.
Re: no Clash appearance - I'm not a Londoner, but I'd assume that it's because they're from the same borough as Pink Floyd, who out-sold them.
Hmm, I would have put them down for Hammersmith and Fulham (so same borough as the Pistols) rather than Kensington and Chelsea, but I'm no expert.
posted by Pink Frost at 3:48 PM on March 6, 2014
They've got him down for Lambeth. Don't know how appropriate that is but he is there.
He was born in Brixton (which is in Lambeth) so that makes sense.
Re: no Clash appearance - I'm not a Londoner, but I'd assume that it's because they're from the same borough as Pink Floyd, who out-sold them.
Hmm, I would have put them down for Hammersmith and Fulham (so same borough as the Pistols) rather than Kensington and Chelsea, but I'm no expert.
posted by Pink Frost at 3:48 PM on March 6, 2014
I think Bromley is the one with "Siouxsie and the Banshees" on it.
posted by w0mbat at 4:55 PM on March 6, 2014
posted by w0mbat at 4:55 PM on March 6, 2014
I live in The Who, but I am literally on the border with David Bowie.
posted by Decani at 5:32 PM on March 6, 2014
posted by Decani at 5:32 PM on March 6, 2014
I think Bromley is the one with "Siouxsie and the Banshees" on it.
posted by w0mbat at 12:55 AM on March 7
Slightly mysteriously, they're in Southwark.
Didja all miss my helpful link upthread?
posted by Decani at 5:34 PM on March 6, 2014
posted by w0mbat at 12:55 AM on March 7
Slightly mysteriously, they're in Southwark.
Didja all miss my helpful link upthread?
posted by Decani at 5:34 PM on March 6, 2014
« Older narcoleptic squirrel song | The Face Behind Bitcoin Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by three blind mice at 5:09 AM on March 6, 2014 [1 favorite]