Just prior to publishing time, Rory McIlroy sealed up his third major tournament victory by finishing no. 1 at The British Open. The tournament must be a favorite for the Irish golfer, as he never has to travel too far from home for the event. This year's event was held at Royal Liverpool, one of the less renowned courses to host the Claret Jug (although it's tough when you share an island with plots such as St. Andrews, Muirfield and the Royal Birkdale).
Liverpool is much better known for its music production, even if it all seems to belong to one band. Perhaps you've heard of The Beatles? Music Times combed through the city's musical history to count down the acts that made the biggest splash on that side of the pond, even if they didn't find the same international success as the biggest act of all time.
06) Cilla Black
Maybe you've heard of Brian Epstein? He was perhaps the biggest music manager in history because of all the performers he pulled from the Liverpool scene. You probably only know of one, again, The Beatles. However he had a whole slew of acts that made waves in the UK, some of whom scored U.S. British Invasion hits. Only of them was a female however, and that was Cilla Black. The songstress, a friend of John Lennon, landed two no. 1's during 1964 with "Anyone Who Had A Heart" and "You're My World." She continued with a successful run of singles before entering television. A miniseries on Black's career is due to begin shooting in Liverpool during 2014.
05) Carcass
Norway had its black metal scene but grindcore was a creation split between American and English acts. At the top of the British extreme metal scene was Carcass. The band didn't quite have the horrifying album art of its American cohorts Cannibal Corpse, but its lyrics were just as worthy of being depicted in grind house films. The band would later evolve and help develop the notion of melodic death metal, a style that guitarist Michael Amott now showcases in his current band Arch Enemy.
04) Atomic Kitten
Liverpool is better known for its Merseybeat scene (thanks again, Beatles), but it's less known for the amount of girl group acts that it provided. The most successful of which has been Atomic Kitten, a trio that released three albums and three no. 1 singles during its brief run. The group hit its peak during 2002-'03 when it topped the charts three times with the singles "Whole Again," "Eternal Flame" and "The Tide is High (Get The Feeling)" (other girl groups from Liverpool include Sugababes and one to be mentioned soon).
03) Gerry and The Pacemakers
The first Merseybeat band to reach no. 1 with its first three singles was...not The Beatles! In fact it was Gerry and The Pacemakers, another band in Brian Epstein's care that didn't have nearly as long a run as its fellow Liverpudlians. Of course, that band never had another no. 1 following its initial bout of success (good thing Epstein kept his other big band on his radar). However, the accomplishment of having one's first three singles reach no. 1 remained untouched until...no. 1 on this list came along.
02) Melanie C
The Spice Girls as a whole were not from Liverpool, but perhaps its most successful individual member was. Melanie "Melanie C" Chisholm served as Sporty Spice in the biggest of the girl groups, although she's often been out shadowed by her cohorts such as the well-married Victoria Beckham outside of the band. She's sold more than 12 million albums as a solo performer (outdoing the rest of her Spicy teammates) and holds the curious honor of being the only female in UK history to top the charts as a member of a quintet, quartet, duo and solo performer. She, like Beckham, doesn't need her first act to spring a comeback.
01) Frankie Goes to Hollywood
The no. 1 band on today's list might have "just" been a synth-pop act from Liverpool, but they grabbed attention and ultimately no. 1 singles the same way that Marilyn Manson and Eminem would: via notoriety. The band's first single, "Relax," drew a ban from the BBC for its reportedly obscene content -- sure, it's about taking your time during sex but it doesn't feature any lyrics that would strike a child as curious. The band responded by releasing a music video featuring S&M behavior inside a gay club. This induced a ban from MTV as well and guaranteed that the song would go to no. 1. Following singles "Two Tribes" and "The Power of Love" would have similar success.
BONUS! Super-Smash Singles from Liverpool Acts!
01) "(How Much Is) That Doggie in The Window?" by Lita Roza
02) "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" by Dead or Alive
