7 great Irish bands not named U2

Thin Lizzy were one of the premier hard rock bands throughout the 70s and early 80s. Hailing from Dublin, the group scored numerous hits with singles like “The Boys Are Back In Town,” “Whiskey in the Jar,” “Jailbreak,” and “Cowboy Song.”

The Cranberries had a quick rise to fame in the early 90s off the heels of their massively successful singles “Dreams,” “Linger,” and “Zombie.” With a unique blend of alt rock, indie rock, and traditional Irish folk, The Cranberries became one of the best-selling acts of the 90s with almost 50 million records sold worldwide.

Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, more commonly known as Hozier, may not be a band, but he’s certainly one of the finest contemporary musicians to come out of Ireland. With a booming voice, Hozier’s 2013 single “Take Me to Church” instantly became a staple as he’s wowed listeners with his blend of blues, folk, and soul music.

Hansard began his music career at the age of 13 when he dropped out of school and began busking on the streets of Dublin. In 1990, he formed The Frames as the band quickly became one of the most influential rock acts in Ireland. Hansard also is one half of the folk rock duo The Swell Season, who won an Oscar for their single “Falling Slowly” in 2008.

We’ll get back to bands in a second, but first we have to highlight the woman who is the best-selling Irish solo artist in history. Enya has sold over 75 million albums worldwide and has rightfully earned the nickname the “Queen of New Age.” Hailing from Gweedore, Enya has taken home four GRAMMYs in her illustrious career.

Formed in Dublin in 1983, My Bloody Valentine pioneered the shoegaze sound, a genre that takes its name from artists staring down at the ground at their pedal board. While My Bloody Valentine has only released three albums (including a 23-year period in between records), their 1991 album Loveless has been hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time.

If you ever get the feeling that you just need to get up and dance, throw on some Two Door Cinema Club. Creating an infectious blend of indie dance rock, Two Door Cinema Club have already scored several hit singles in their young career with the songs “What You Know,” “Sleep Alone,” and “Changing of the Seasons.”