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21 Bands I Love

My Music Taste in 2021

By Chloe GilholyPublished 3 years ago 10 min read
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21 Bands I Love
Photo by naomi tamar on Unsplash

Having been forced to isolate again in 2021, I found more time for writing. Didn’t do as much as planned due to exhaustion but now I’ve recovered from COVID, I can start writing again. I know too tens are popular but I thought I could do a top 21 list of bands since we are in 2021 now. This list is in no particular order. My tastes have changed a lot over the years but there’s some bands that have remained in my top 20 for years. If I made this list fifteen years ago, there would been mainly pop, R&B and the occasional indie band here and there.

Depeche Mode

Country: UK

Genre: Synthpop/ New Wave. They’ve also dabbled in Rock, Electronica and Industrial music.

Famous Works: Personal Jesus and Enjoy The Silence from their 1990 album Violator. Just Can’t Get Enough from their debut album Speak and Spell is also a popular 80’s hit.

Favourite works: Their last album with Alan Wilder, Songs of Faith & Devotion. I personally love all their albums, but this one is my favourite. Other albums I reccomend are Black Celebration, Music for the Masses, Violator and Ultra.

Seen Live: Yes! During their Delta Machine Tour, I saw them live In Birmingham. It was in the beginning of 2014 I saw them, just before going to New York. They were fantastic.

Nightwish

Country: Finland

Genre: Symphonic Metal. Sometimes labelled as Gothic metal or rock.

Famous Works: Ghost Love Score, I Wish I Had An Angel and Nemo from their 2005 album, Once. I think their most popular songs post-Tarja are Amaranth, Elan, Greatest Show on Earth and Noise.

Favourite works: Ghost Love Score and Romanticide are amazing track. I recommend the albums: Oceanborn, Imaginearium and Endless Forms Most Beautiful. Once is also a great place to start if you’re new to Nightwish becaus it’s got all it’s iconic sounds that them so well loved.

Seen Live: Seen them twice, both in Wembley and both with Floor Jansen as their singer. The first time was during their Endless Forms Most Beautiful Tour in 2015. The concert I saw them in was later filmed on DVD for Vehichle of Spirit. The second time was during their Decades tour and I couldn’t believe my luck when I got to stand near the front. Both times they were amazing.

Within Temptation

Country: The Netherlands

Genre: They’re a hard band to capture in one genre. They’re labeled Symphonic Metal and Gothic Rock, but their albums cover a wide range of styles. It’s cool how they always come up with something different.

Famous Works: Stand My Ground, Angels and Memories from The Silent Force. Ice Queen from Mother Earth is also a popular song. They did a really cool collaoration with original Nightwish singer, Tarja for their albu, Hydra.

Favourite works: I’m a big fan of their early works. I love Enter, Mother Earth and The Dance EP. So happy when I got them on a physical CD. Their first four albums are special and really adore The Heart of Everything. In regards to their recent work, I think The Reckoning is the best track they’ve done in years.

Seen Live: Yes! I couldn’t believe how lucky I was when I got near the front. I saw them in Manchester at the O2 arena. The queue to get in was crazy, never seen a pack so crowded since MCM Comic Con.

Babymetal

Country: Japan

Genre: A fusion of J-Pop and Heavy Metal branded as Kawaii Metal. They have elements of Dubstep, Hip-Hop and Electronica in some of their songs. I’ve seen several bands like LADYBABY try out the Kawaii Metal, but none pull it off like Babymetal can.

Famous Works: Gimme Chocolate, Headbanger and Megistune form their self-titled debut. Their first album is a blast.

Favourite works: All three of their albums so far have a special charm to them. The One from Metal Resistance is my favourite song from them because it’s so epic and powerful. I also love Syncopation which is a Japanese exclusive track from Metal Galaxy.

Seen Live: Yes, in Wembley in 2016. They had no support acts, so it was all them. I think it was one of the best concerts I’ve been to.

Placebo

Country: UK

Genre: Alternative Rock, sometimes branded as emo because a lot of their songs are fuelled by angst.

Famous Works: Meds, Black Market Music and Without You, I’m Nothing are their most popular albums. Full of great tracks between all three of them.

Favourite works: Without You I’m Nothing contains My Sweet Prince which is a gorgeous angst-filled ballad. Pure Morning is infectious and catchy. It’s also worth checking out their cover album because Placebo brought a whole new life in Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill.

Seen Live: Yes! I saw them in Sheffield on the same year I saw Depeche Mode. I got chills when they performed Running Up That Hill.

Garbage

Country: USA

Genre: Rock

Famous Works: Their earlier singles like Push It, Only Happy When It Rains, I Think I’m Paranoid and Milk are quite well known. I think a lot of fans see Version 2.0 as their best album.

Favourite works: Their first two albums and their most recent album are 3 of my favourites from them. I love the two songs they did for movies. #1 Crush for Romeo and Juliet was one of the first songs I purchased on iTunes. The World is Not Enough is also a gorgeous song. I love Shirley’s vocals.

Seen Live: Nope, but I really want to. They’ve got a new album in the works so I hope to see them in their next tour.

Queen

Country: UK

Genre: Rock! Their earlier works crossed the heavy metal territory. They also invented Trash Metal with their song, Stone Cold Crazy.

Famous Works: Bohemian Rhapsody is considered one of he greatest songs ever recorded. Radio Gaga is where Lady Gaga got her name from. We Will Rock You is an anthem that’s been covered so many times. They’ve got tonnes of hits.

Favourite works: As a band that’s got tonnes of hits, it’s a shame that their earlier albums and album tracks get glossed over. March Of The Black Queen from Queen II is solid example of this.

Seen Live: Nope. I was sadly too young. Freddie Mercury died the year before I was born. The remaining members of Queen have toured with Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert. If I know they’re touring at some point, I might buy a ticket.

Onmyo-za

Country: Japan

Genre: Metal/Visual Kei

Famous Works: It’s a shame they’re well known in the west. If I knew more Japanese, I could say which songs are more well known, but Kevy Metal has a good list of songs to reccomend.

Favourite works: Karyo Binga and Hyakki Ryoran are two excellent albums. I also love Onmyouji from their debut album.

Seen Live: Sadly no. I don’t think they’ve ever toured in Europe yet. Maybe I should fly over to the UK to see them in concert.

Nine Inch Nails

Country: USA

Genre: Industrial Rock

Famous Works: Closer, Hurt and the rest of The Downward Spiral is considered an essential album by Nine Inch Nails.

Favourite works: I love the Downward Spiral for Closer and I love Kinda I Want to from Pretty Hate Machine.

Seen Live: Another band that I’ve seen in Birmingham at the NEC. They were great.

Black Sabbath

Country: UK

Genre: The original lineup are considered the grandfathers and founders of Heavy Metal.

Famous Works: The album Paranoid and it’s title track, amongst with Masters of Reality and Heaven and Hell.

Favourite works: I love the first two albums from Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell and I also love Headless Cross which I think is criminally underrated.

Seen Live: Sadly no. They’ve disbanded now.

Nirvana

Country: USA

Genre: Grunge/Rock

Famous Works: Every 90’s kid knows Smells Like Teen Spirit and Lithium from Nevermind.

Favourite works: I think their MTV Unplugged album is amazing and worth listening to, especially their cover of Bowie’s Man Who Sold The World.

Seen Live: Another band that disbanded before my time.

Tristania

Country: Norway

Genre: Gothic Metal

Famous Works: Their first two albums with founder Morten Veland: Widow’s Weeds and Beyond The Veil are considered some of the best albums in Gothic Metal.

Favourite works: Ashes from Tristania is an underrated gem.

Seen Live: Not yet, but I hope their touring Latin America later this year.

Epica

Country: Netherlands

Genre: Symphonic Metal

Famous Works: Design Your Universe and The Phantom Agony are great albums from them.

Favourite works: As above, I really love those two albums. I also really like the Attack on Titan EP they did.

Seen Live: Not yet, but I really want to.

The Sins of Thy Beloved

Country: Norway

Genre: Gothic Metal

Famous Works: Lake of Sorrow

Favourite works: Lake of Sorrow is a great album, and my favourite song from them is Forever from their second album. It’s amazing how atmospheric their music is despite their small discography.

Seen Live: No. They’ve had no album since 2000 and been inactive for a while before confirming their break up years later.

After Forever

Country: Netherlands

Genre: Symphonic Metal

Famous Works: Energize me and Emphasis seem to be popular. Decipher and Reimagine are respected for their epicness.

Favourite works: Their last album before they disbanded had a great ballad called Cry With A Smile. I like Invisable Cirlcles because of the story being told through the album.

Seen Live: No, they are another band that split up, but I did see singer, Floor Jansen peform with Nightwish.

Kamelot

Country: USA

Genre: Symphonic/Power Metal

Famous Works: Their albums with Roy Khan are adored, especially Black Halo, Epica and Ghost Opera.

Favourite works: Sacrimony is a gorgeous track form their album, Silverthorn. I’m also fond of Black Tower from their debut album, Eternity.

Seen Live: Not yet. Even though Roy Khan is no longer in the band, I think Tommy is a worthy replacement.

Rammstien

Country: Germany

Genre: Industrial Metal and also known as pioneers of Neue Deutsche Härte in their home country.

Famous Works: Gotta be Du Hast and Mein Herz Brennt

Favourite works: Mutter and Sehnsucht are epic albums.

Seen Live: I almost did but tickets were sold out. I was gutted, but I hope there will be a next time.

Sioxsie & The Banshees

Country: UK

Genre: Rock, also labelled as New Wave, Post-Punk and Gothic.

Famous Works: Iconic songs like Spellbound, Hong Kong Garden, Dear Prudence and Face to Face.

Favourite works: The albums Juju and A Kiss in the Dreamhouse are gorgous punk albums full of gothic soul. Face to Face is also a beautiful track.

Seen Live: No. Sadly they were another band that disbanded before I was old enough to see their concerts. If they did reunite, I would go to their concert if I could.

Iron Maiden

Country: UK

Genre: Heavy Metal/ New Wave of Heavy Metal

Famous Works: Epic songs like Prowler, The Trooper, Hallowed by Thy Name, Run to The Hills, The Evil that Men do and Bring Your Daughter to The Slaughter.

Favourite works: Where to start, I really love Number of a Beast as an album. Also love the albums they did with Paul Di’anno and Blaze Bayley. Stand out albums for me are their self-titled debut, Number of a Beast, Seventh Son of A Seventh Son and Fear of The Dark.

Seen Live: Not yet, but they’re another band that I am dying to see. When it comes to booking tickets for an Iron Maiden concert, I need to be quick or be dead...

Lords of Acid

Country: Belguim

Genre: Electronic and Techno.

Famous Works: This Belguim underground techno group are loved for their horny music like I Sit On Acid, Crablouse and I Must Increase My Bust. It’s shameless techno trash but I love them for it.

Favourite works: Voodoo U is theit best album Because it’s so heavy. Love Crablouse, Dirty Willy and all the samples.

Seen Live: No, but I’m sure they would kill it live.

Black Casino & The Ghosts

Country: UK

Genre: Rock

Famous Works: Boogeyman was featured in the indie horror game, Downfall. Son of Dust is also well loved. I also love how their first two albums, Some Dogs Think Their Name is No and Until The after Runs Clear has the same art style as Downfall.

Favourite works: All their albums are great. My favourite songs from them are Boogeyman, Wolf Is Howling, I Like You ’Cause You’re Free and Son of Dust.

Seen Live: No, but I really want to see them live.

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About the Creator

Chloe Gilholy

Former healthcare worker and lab worker from Oxfordshire. Author of ten books including Drinking Poetry and Game of Mass Destruction. Travelled to over 20 countries.

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