This is a timeline of music in Greater Manchester
19th century
1830s
- 1836
- 23 September: Esteemed Spanish opera singer Maria Malibran dies after collapsing while performing at the Theatre Royal on Fountain Street
1840s
- 1840
- The first (temporary) Free Trade Hall is built
- 1842
- The second Free Trade Hall is built
1850s
- 1853
- Conductor Charles Hallé first moves to Manchester to direct the orchestra for Gentlemen's Concerts
- 1856
- 8 October: The third (and last) Free Trade Hall (begun 1853) is completed
- 1857
- Fledgling Hallé orchestra formed
- 1858
- 30 January: The Hallé gives its first concert as a permanent orchestra under Charles Hallé at the Free Trade Hall
1880s
- 1888
- Charles Hallé is knighted
1890s
20th century
1900s
- 1901
- CWS (Manchester) Band formed as the CWS Tobacco Factory Band
- Hulme Hippodrome opens, becoming a variety theatre, with skiffle and rock gigs in 1950s (becomes a Mecca bingo hall in 1962, gigs again in 1980s and 2010s)
- 1902
- The Playhouse, Hulme, opens (later a BBC Studio, 1955âÂÂ1986)
- 1904
- Ardwick Empire (later, Manchester Hippodrome) opens as a music hall (demolished 1964)
- 1908
- 3 December: The Hallé gives the world première of Elgar's Symphony No. 1 under Hans Richter at the Free Trade Hall
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
- 1962
- 7 March, The Beatles record at The Playhouse, Hulme, for BBC Radio, Teenager's Turn - Here We Go, (transmitted on 8 March). They return on 11 June 1962, this time recording their first Lennon-McCartney song, Ask Me Why (transmitted on 15 June)
- March: Freddie and the Dreamers are formed in West Didsbury
- 21 October: The first American Folk Blues Festival European tour plays its only UK date at the Free Trade Hall; artists include Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee and T-Bone Walker. It will be influential on the British R&B scene, with the audience including Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones with Jimmy Page, John Mayall and other musicians, and with a second show filmed and shown on ITV.
- December: The Hollies are formed in Manchester
- 1963
- February: The Beatles play a sold-out show at the Oasis coffee bar/venue on Lloyd Street
- June: Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders are formed
- The Toggery Five are formed in Manchester
- Twisted Wheel Club music venue opened by the Abadi brothers in Brazenose Street, replaces the Left Wing Coffee Bar
- 1964
- 29 March: Jerry Lee Lewis plays at the Kings Hall, Belle Vue, Manchester
- 22 May: Carl Perkins and The Nashville Teens play at the Odeon, Manchester
- 6 June: Carl Perkins and the Nashville Teens play at the Twisted Wheel Club, Manchester
- 29 September: Bill Haley & His Comets play at the Odeon, Manchester
- 9 October: Bill Haley and his Comets play at both the Astoria, Manchester and the Odeon, Manchester
- Herman's Hermits are formed
- 1965
- AprilâÂÂMay: Freddie and the Dreamers, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders and Herman's Hermits consecutively top the American Billboard charts
- 1966
- 1 January: Manchester Corporation Act comes into force effectively shutting down many coffee bars, clubs and venues
- 17 May: Bob Dylan and the Hawks perform at the Free Trade Hall. Dylan is booed by the audience because of his decision to tour with an electric band, culminating in a famous shout of "Judas"
- 31 July: Jethro Tull play at Belle Vue, Manchester
- 4 September: The Who play Belle Vue, Manchester
- September: Barclay James Harvest are formed in Oldham
- 11 December): Family play at Belle Vue
- The Toggery Five disband
- 1967
- 24 May: Jimi Hendrix plays at Belle Vue
- 1968
- After 25 years with The Hallé, John Barbirolli retires from the principal conductorship
- 1969
- Chetham's Hospital becomes Chetham's School of Music
1970s
- 1971
- 17 August: Johnny Cash plays first of 3 shows at the Kings Hall, Belle Vue
- 30 November: Led Zeppelin play at the Kings Hall, Belle Vue
- Herman's Hermits disband
- Twisted Wheel Club closes down
- 1972
- July: perform at Belle Vue
- 10cc are formed in Stockport
- Mott the Hoople play the Free Trade Hall
- 1973
- October: The Royal Manchester College of Music merges with the Northern School of Music to form the Royal Northern College of Music
- Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias are formed in Manchester
- 1975
- Houghton Weavers are formed in Westhoughton, Bolton
- Slaughter & the Dogs are formed in Wythenshawe, Manchester
- 1976
- February: Buzzcocks are formed in Bolton
- 1 April: Buzzcocks play for first time at Bolton Institute of Technology
- 4 June: Sex Pistols play at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester
- 20 July: Sex Pistols play at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester, supported by Buzzcocks and Slaughter & the Dogs
- December: Sex Pistols play twice at the Electric Circus, Manchester in December 1976, including 9 December 1976
- Electric Circus, Manchester opens as a punk rock venue
- Sad Café are formed in Manchester
- 1977
- January: The Damned play at the Electric Circus, Manchester
- April: Magazine are formed in Manchester by Howard Devoto and John McGeoch
- 8 May: *White Riot Tour play at the Electric Circus, Manchester featuring The Clash, The Slits, Buzzcocks and Subway Sect
- 29 May: Warsaw play for the first time at the Electric Circus, Manchester (despite being billed as The Stiff Kittens), supporting Buzzcocks, Penetration, John Cooper Clarke and Jon the Postman.
- 2 October: Electric Circus, Manchester closes (see also: )
- A Certain Ratio are formed in Flixton
- Godley & Creme are formed in Manchester
- The Ramones play first gig in Manchester at the Electric Circus, Manchester
- 1978
- The Durutti Column are founded in Manchester
- Factory Records is founded by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus
- Warsaw are renamed Joy Division
1980s
1990s
21st century
2000s
2010s
2020s
Music in Manchester - births and deaths
- Gem Archer (b.1966, Durham - The Edge, The Contenders, Whirlpool, Heavy Stereo, Oasis, Beady Eye, High Flying Birds
- John Barbirolli (b.1899, London) (d.1970, London) - The Hallé
- Andy Bell (b.1970, Cardiff) - Ride, Hurricane #1, Oasis, Beady Eye
- Bez (b.1964, Salford) - Happy Mondays, Black Grape
- Tim Booth (b.1960, Bradford) - James
- Mark Burgess (b.1960, Manchester) - The Chameleons, Black Swan Lane, ChameleonsVox
- Bernie Calvert (b.1942, Brierfield) - Ricky Shaw and the Dolphins, The Hollies
- Allan Clarke (b.1942, Salford) - The Fourtones, The Hollies
- John Cooper Clarke (b.1949, Salford)
- Lol Creme (b.1947, Prestwich) - 10cc, Godley & Creme, Art of Noise
- Ian Curtis (b.1956, Stretford) (d.1980, Macclesfield) - Warsaw, Joy Division
- Howard Devoto (b.1952, Scunthorpe) - Buzzcocks, Magazine
- Bobby Elliott (b.1941, Burnley) - Shane Fenton and the Fentones, The Hollies
- Alan Erasmus (b.1949, Manchester)
- Georgie Fame (b.1943, Leigh) - Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames
- Wayne Fontana (b.1945, Levenshulme) (d.2020, Stockport) - Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders
- Liam Fray (b.1985, Middleton) - Courteeners
- Liam Gallagher (b.1972, Longsight) - Oasis, Beady Eye
- Noel Gallagher (b.1967, Longsight) - Oasis, High Flying Birds
- Freddie Garrity (b.1936, Crumpsall) (d.2006, Bangor) - Freddie and the Dreamers
- Gillian Gilbert (b.1961, Whalley Range, Manchester) - New Order
- Jim Glennie (b.1963, Moss Side) - James
- Kevin Godley (b.1945, Prestwich) - 10cc, Godley & Creme
- Jimi Goodwin (b.1970, Manchester) - Sub Sub, Doves
- Graham Gouldman (b.1946, Salford) - 10cc
- Rob Gretton (b.1953, Wythenshawe) (d.1999)
- Charles Hallé (b.1819, Hagen) (d.1895, Manchester) - The Hallé
- Martin Hannett (b.1948, Manchester) (d.1991, Manchester)
- Eric Haydock (b.1943, Stockport) (d.2019) - The Hollies
- Tony Hicks (b.1945, Nelson) - Ricky Shaw and the Dolphins, The Hollies
- Peter Hook (b.1956, Broughton, Salford) - Warsaw, Joy Division, New Order, Revenge, Monaco, Peter Hook and the Light
- Davy Jones (b. 1945, Longsight) (d. 2012) The Monkees
- Mike Joyce (b.1963, Fallowfield) - The Smiths
- CP Lee (b.1950, Didsbury) (d.2020) - Greasy Bear, Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias
- Harvey Lisberg (b.1940, Manchester)
- Ewan MacColl (b.1915, Salford) (d.1989, London)
- Maria Malibran (b.1808, Paris) (d.1836, Manchester)
- Johnny Marr (b.1963, Manchester) - The Smiths, The The, Electronic, Modest Mouse, The Cribs
- John Mayall (b.1933, Macclesfield) - John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
- John McGeoch (b.1955, Greenock) (d.2004, Launceston) - Magazine, Visage, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Armoury Show, Public Image Ltd
- Bruce Mitchell (b.1940, Didsbury) - Greasy Bear, Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias, The Durutti Column
- Stephen Morris (b.1957, Macclesfield) - Warsaw, Joy Division, New Order
- Morrissey (b.1959, Old Trafford) - The Nosebleeds, The Smiths
- Graham Nash (b.1942, Blackpool) - The Fourtones, The Hollies, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
- Peter Noone (b.1947, Davyhulme) - Herman's Hermits
- Mike Pickering (b.1954, Manchester) - Quando Quango, M People
- Vini Reilly (b.1953, Blackley) - Ed Banger and the Nosebleeds, The Durutti Column
- Lou Rhodes (b.1964, Manchester) - Lamb
- Hans Richter (b.1843, Raab) (d.1916, Bayreuth) - The Hallé
- John Robb (b.1961, Fleetwood) - The Membranes, Goldblade
- Andy Rourke (b.1964, Manchester) - The Smiths, Freebass
- Rowetta (b.1966, Manchester) - Happy Mondays
- Paul Ryder (b.1964, Little Hulton) (d.2022) - Happy Mondays, Big Arm
- Shaun Ryder (b.1962, Little Hulton) - Happy Mondays, Black Grape
- Pete Shelley (b.1955, Leigh) (d.2018, Tallinn) - Buzzcocks
- Lisa Stansfield (b.1966, Manchester) -Blue Zone
- Vic Steele (b.1945, Manchester) - Emperors of Rhythm, The Hollies
- Eric Stewart (b.1945, Droylsden) - Emperors of Rhythm, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, 10cc
- Bernard Sumner (b.1956, Broughton, Salford) - Warsaw, Joy Division, New Order, Electronic, Bad Lieutenant
- Terry Sylvester (b.1947, Allerton) - The Escorts, The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Hollies
- Andy Williams (b.1970, Manchester) - Sub Sub, Doves, Black Rivers
- Jez Williams (b.1970, Manchester) - Sub Sub, Doves, Black Rivers
- Tony Wilson (b.1950, Pendleton) (d.2007, Withington)
- Paul Young (b.1947, Benchill) (d.2000, Hale) - The Toggery Five, Gyro, Sad Café, Mike and the Mechanics
References
Sources