Welcome to The Great British Songbook, a music blog and directory devoted to the canon of classic popular songs written by British artists.
The site was created on 1st January 2019 with the ambition to catalogue and define the songs that make up the “Great British Songbook”. A term to denote the most important and most influential British popular songs of the 20th century.
It is widely accepted and well documented that “The Great American Songbook” reflects the great Broadway, Hollywood and musical theatre songs from the 1920’s to 1950’s, known as America’s classical music. However despite the influencial and amazing raft of work, the term the Great British Songbook is only just starting to gain some traction. Helped in part by the wonderful BBC Radio Two series that involves current music stars covering classic British songs. The sites aim is to cement the term so it becomes a culural treasure for generations to come. In the first instance we will concentrate on British songs from the 1960’s to the 1990’s. The site aims to attract guest authors and contributors, the entries for songs will be both personal and crowd approved.
Since the 1960’s British music has been and continues to be a huge global success story and major export. Worldwide, the creativity of British artists and song writers punch way above the weight of its island population. The songs collectively are a huge effective advert holding up a mirror to the very best qualities of the British Isles.