Ireland Rocks!

Happy St. Patty’s day! In honor of this amazing Irish day of fun, drinking, and green clothing wearing, I’d like to dedicate my post to the top Irish rock bands/artists.

1. U2- Oh Bono and The Edge, your names are so silly, but also synonymous with good rock music. I almost feel bad for your fellow band mates who have normal average names that no one remembers. In any situation, this band was one of the biggest successes to come out of Ireland. They are consistently making new hits (if you don’t count the Spiderman musical) and have won a total of 22 Grammys. Favorite songs of theirs include I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and City of Blinding Lights.
2. Snow Patrol- Snow patrol used to be my favorite band ever. I’m not really sure who takes that title today but I digress. When I first heard this Irish band’s catchy single Spitting Games I was hooked. They followed up with goodies like Chocolate and Run on their album Final Straw and only grew in my estimation from there. Their follow up album Eyes Open gained commercial acclaim due to the presence of their song Chasing Cars on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. However these  rockers have a lot more to offer then their one time hit, songs like You’re All That I Have, Disaster Button, and Set Fire to the Third Bar really show their range and rock edge.
3. The Script: This newish Irish band burst onto the scene with their radio smashing song Breakeven. Yet songs like The Man Who Cant Be Moved, Before the Worst, and For the First Time are the crux of who these guys are as a band. When I first heard them they felt like a mix of John Legend and One Republic- aka an unbeatable combination. I can only hope that the Script will continue to show us their amazing ability in future tracks.
4. The Cranberries: This Irish Rock band was one of the most successful bands of the 90’s. With hits like Dreams and Linger this fact isn’t all that surprising. This band, in my opinion, is the most “Irish” sounding of all the bands, and when I say Irish I mean Celtic. With their harder edged songs like Zombie this band definitely knows how to rock. 
5. Glen Hansard/The Frames: If you have read some of my earlier posts (for example my soundtrack post) you would know that I LOVE the movie Once. The first time I saw this “band fairytale” I cried and also gushed. When they won the Oscar for best song, I also cried, and gushed. Glen Hansard, 1/2 of the duo that makes up the movie, is Irish born, and an amazing performer. He originated in the band The Frames and took his chance at a solo career with this movie as a payoff. Favorite songs include: Falling Slowly, his cover of Britney Spears’ Everytime, and The Frames’ Song for Someone.
6. Van Morrison- Yes, this rock legend is from Ireland! I couldn’t believe it myself. With hits like Gloria and Brown Eyed Girl I probably would never have known that he was an Irish import. Without Van Morrison the 60’s would have lacked a signature Celtic and hypnotic flair.

Did I miss your favorites? Write them below!