8 Best And Famous Irish Bands

Are you looking for famous Irish bands? 

In Ireland, music is an inescapable part of everyday life, that almost every part of the Emerald Isle has its brand of traditional music that you’ll hear in pubs and bars. More than the distinctly Irish music, many solo artists, groups, and bands from Ireland have brought their music to the world stage.

From Enya to Hozier, Boyzone to Westlife, U2 to the Corrs – Ireland has produced the most talented musicians as well as the best songs. 

8 Best And Famous Irish Bands

Spanning genres and recent generations, here are some of the most popular Irish bands and groups that should be in your playlist if they are not there already. 

1. Boyzone

From: Dublin

Known for:  “Love Me for a Reason”, “Isn’t it a Wonder”, ” No Matter What”, “I Love the Way You Love Me”, ” Picture of You” 

Boyzone began in 1993 when manager Louis Walsh advertised for hopefuls to join an “Irish Take That” competition.

More than 300 people applied, and producers eventually narrowed the number down to the five members who became Boyzone. They quickly rose to prominence as one of the most successful boy bands in the world.

Before going on sabbatical in 2001, the group achieved 16 consecutive top 5 hit songs in the United Kingdom. Boyzone reunited in 2008 and scored two more top ten hits. One of the group’s two lead vocalists, Stephen Gately, died in 2009.

Boyzone regrouped in 2010 to release Brother, which debuted at number one in the United Kingdom. They followed it up in 2013 with BZ20, which reached #6.

However, neither album produced any notable hit singles. The band announced in April 2018 that they would disband permanently following the release of one final studio album, a tribute to Stephen Gately, and a concert tour.

2. The Corrs

From: Co. Louth

Known for: “Only When I Sleep”, “Runaway”, ” Breathless”, “Radio”

The Corrs are one of the most well-known Irish bands of all time. Combining traditional Irish musical themes with pop rock has never been simple, but a group of brothers and sisters from County Louth have done so with style and tremendous success.

The Corrs have issued seven studio albums and countless singles since their inception in 1990, totaling forty million globally.

Two of them, Talk On Corners and Forgiven Not Forgotten, have been number one and two in the UK charts at the same time, making them one of only a few acts to do so. They are without a doubt one of Ireland’s top pop bands.

3. The Cranberries

From: Limerick 

Known for “Zombie”, ” Linger”, Dreams”, “Just My Imagination”, ” When You’re Gone” 

The Cranberries are an Irish rock band founded in 1990 and led by vocalist Dolores O’Riordan. In the 1990s, the band was hugely successful around the world, selling over 40 million CDs.

The track “Linger” from 1993 was the group’s first commercial success. The song and its music video were picked up by MTV, which helped it become a top ten pop smash in the United States. With their following album, No Need To Argue, and the hit “Zombie,” which was inspired by Ireland’s 1916 Easter Rising, the Cranberries shifted their sound to heavier rock.

From 2004 through 2008, the Cranberries were on sabbatical as members of the band concentrated on various projects.

Following the release of Dolores O’Riordan’s solo album No Baggage, they reunited for a North American and European tour in 2009. Roses, the group’s next album, was released in 2012. It charted at #51 in the United States.

Dolores O’Riordan, the band’s lead vocalist, died abruptly in January 2018 at the age of 46. She was in London to work on new records. The band intends to finish a final album with O’Riordan’s vocals already recorded.

4. Kodaline

From: Dublin

Known for “All I Want”, “High Hopes”, “Love Like This”

Since 2005, Dublin-based indie-rock band Kodaline has been gently boiling on the undercurrent of mainstream fame.

They gained a lot of attention in 2012 after releasing The Kodaline – EP and their debut album In a Perfect World, with singles like “All I Want” (which was featured in the 2012 Google Year in Review along with a variety of soundtracks), “High Hopes,” and “Love Like This” attracting a lot of attention.

Kodaline’s sound is varied, diaphanous, and beautiful; they can do it all, from motivational to nostalgic to quietly optimistic to conveying a simple picture of love. Coming Up For Air, released in 2015, further broadening their horizons.

Politics Of Living, their third studio album, was released on September 28, 2018.

5. Snow Patrol

From: Northern Ireland 

Known for: “Chasing Cars”

Snow Patrol was formed in 1993 by members of Northern Ireland and Scotland. After signing with Polydor Records and enlisting Nathan Connolly in 2002, they received critical praise.

In 2003, their album Final Straw was certified platinum in the United Kingdom, catapulting them into a celebrity.

When Snow Patrol released Eyes Open in 2006, every one sung along to “Chasing Cars,” and the band gained international prominence. It is Snow Patrol’s most successful single to date. It charted at number 6 in the UK Singles Chart and number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100.

6. The Script

From:Dublin

Known for: “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved”, ” Breakeven” 

The Script was formed in Dublin in 2001 and is best known for its song “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved.” The group’s leader is lead vocalist Danny O’Donoghue. The music of the ensemble was used in a variety of TV series.

In 2008, their self-titled debut album debuted at number one in the United Kingdom. It featured the band’s breakout pop smash “Breakeven,” which sold over two million copies and scored #1 on the adult pop and adult contemporary charts in the United States.

The Script’s breakthrough in the United States continued with 2010’s “For the First Time,” and “Hall Of Fame,” released in 2012, became the group’s first #1 pop smash single in the United Kingdom.

In 2014, The Script released No Sound Without Silence, their fourth studio album. It’s a prelude to the band’s debut album, according to Danny O’Donoghue. It was the group’s third number one album in the United Kingdom, and it reached the top ten in the United States. In the United Kingdom, the song “Superheroes” charted at #3.

The Script’s fifth studio album, Freedom Child, was released in September 2017. Terrorism and political conflict in the United States are among the issues addressed. The new album was met with mixed reviews from critics. The album charted at number one in Ireland.

7. U2

From: Dublin

Known for: “With or Without You”, ” One Love”, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, “Beautiful Day”

You have to admire a band that has sold more than 170 million albums worldwide, with a diverse catalog of some of the best songs ever written. U2, led by Bono and backed by The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr, is one of the most widely and persistently adored bands of all time.

The group was formed in 1976, and their iconic album Joshua Tree, released in 1987, placed them on a route to the top, and they haven’t looked back since. The band has established a fanatical and dedicated fan base, buoyed by Bono’s superb vocals and robustly supported by The Edge’s fantastic guitars.

You can’t deny U2’s massive reach, whether you like them or not.

8. Westlife

From: Dublin and Sligo

Known for: “My Love”, ” If I Let You Go”, “Fool Again”, ” Queen of my Heart” 

Westlife began as a group known as Six To One before renaming themselves IOYOU. They were noticed by Irish manager Louis Walsh, and Simon Cowell expressed interest in signing them, but only if three members were eliminated.

Two new members were added to the group as a result of the new auditions. In 1998, the band got their big break in Dublin, where they opened for Boyzone and Backstreet Boys.

Westlife has 10 studio albums that have been in the top three in the United Kingdom. The group had 13 top-ten pop hits in the United Kingdom. In 2012, Westlife officially disbanded.

Shane Filan, a member of the band, indicated in a 2016 interview that while no official preparations had been made, he wouldn’t rule out a reunion at some point in the future.

All of the members of Westlife have released solo albums.