Europe

Liverpool - The name Liverpool comes from Old English "lifer" meaning thick or muddy water and "pol", meaning pool (where 2 streams drained) and was first recorded in 1190. As a port city in Merseyside, England (near the Irish Sea) and 178 miles west of London it has a population of a little over 500,000 and part of the larger regional area of over 1.5 million and major in railway and steamship innovation since 1829.

As early as 1851, the city was described as "the New York of Europe with immigrants from across Europe resulting in diversity and many religious buildings in the city for the new ethnic and religious groups. For example, the Princes Road Synagogue came into existence in the late 1860s and is such an icon that the recently for King Charles England issued a coronation stamp and it features a kippah and drawing of the Synagogue on it (see photos). During WWII the city was heavily bombed by the Germans with 80 air raids killing 2,500 people and major destruction, until the pivotal Battle of the Atlantic was won by the Allies in Liverpool.

In the 1960s, Liverpool was the center of the Merseybeat sound, which became synonymous with The Beatles (recording 18 UK and 20 US number-one singles) and other Liverpool bands. It was influenced by American rhythm and blues and rock music. Capitalizing on the popularity of 1960s rock groups, Liverpool became a large cultural center with art galleries, museums and landmarks that made it a largest tourist attraction and helped the economy grow and sustain itself.

Liverpool and music are synonymous, with a rich and diverse music history and talent from across the region, music is at the very heart of what makes Liverpool special. In 2015, Liverpool was designated as a UNESCO City Of Music.

The weekly UK singles chart started in 1952. Lita Roza was Liverpool's first singing star, her jazz-tinged cabaret act was globally successful and she regularly topped 'best singer' polls throughout the 1950s. She became the first British woman to have a number one hit record with the novelty pop song '(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window' in 1953 (my mother loved that song). Despite it being her most famous hit, she disliked the song so much she never sang it again after making the record. Four years after Lita, Frankie Vaughan became the second Liverpool singer to top the charts with his song 'The Garden of Eden'.

Liverpool and the 1960s with 32 number one songs by musicians from the city. Michael Holliday topped the charts twice in 1960, followed by another hit by Frankie Vaughan and Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Searchers, Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Scaffold and even Ken Dodd.

While the 1960s and The Beatles were a huge and iconic part of Liverpool's music legacy, George Harrison was the first former Beatle to have a solo number one with 'My Sweet Lord' in 1971 and Paul McCartney's band Wings topped the chart in 1977 with Mull of Kintyre. And the hit by The Real Thing in 1976 'You To Me Are Everything'.

The 1980s started with more hits for the former Beatles, with 3 iconic songs by John Lennon reaching number one in the last year of his life. Paul McCartney duetted with Stevie Wonder on 'Ebony and Ivory' in 1982 and finally had his first solo number one in 1984 with 'Pipes of Peace'. And then Frankie Goes To Hollywood roared to the top of the charts with three consecutive number one singles and in particular “Two Tribes”, the famous “faceoff video” between Ronald Reagan and Konstantin Chernenko.

The Lightning Seeds 'Three Lions' football anthem was number one position in both 1996 and 1998. While Lita Roza was the first woman Liverpool singer to top the charts, Cilla Black and Sonia were the only other women from the city to achieve a number one single in the 20th century. Former Spice Girl Melanie C had solo success with 'Never Be The Same Again' and 'I Turn To You' in 2000. The baton was then handed to a new supergroup, Atomic Kitten, who had three number one hits in 2001 and 2002.

Liverpool legends once again came together in 2012 as part of the Justice Collective, to raise money and awareness of the fight for justice for those killed or injured at Hillsborough. Their chart-topping single 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' featured a Peter Hooton, Gerry Marsden, John Power, Melancie C, Rebecca Ferguson, Holly Johnson, Dave McCabe, Paul McCartney, comedian John Bishop, actor Neil Fitzmaurice, footballer Peter Reid and the LIPA gospel choir, alongside stars from across the world.

In November 2023 The Beatles released their final single 'Now and Then', which became their 18th number one in the UK charts. The band made history with the longest gap between reaching the top of the charts, setting the record at 54 years since their last number one - 'The Ballad of John and Yoko' in 1969. "Now and Then" originated as a ballad that John Lennon wrote and recorded around 1977 as a solo home demo but left unfinished. It was shelved for nearly three decades, until it was completed by Paul and Ringo using overdubs and guitar tracks by George and Lennon's voice was extracted from the demo using AI audio restoration from the demo. After John Lennon’s murder, Liverpool Airport was renamed for him.Les mer