To coincide with the seventh annual Welsh Music Prize this Friday (20 October), music licensing organisation PPL has released a chart of the 12 most played Welsh artists on TV, radio and in public places over the past 12 years (the number of nominees for this year’s prize). The Welsh Music Prize was founded in 2011 by Swn Festival promoter John Rostron and Swn co-founder and BBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens. The prize was established to champion the best new music coming out of Wales or made by Welsh artists around the world.
Cwmaman rockers Stereophonics take the top spot having now released 39 UK singles since their debut ‘Look Like Chaplin’ in 1996 , with Gwynedd-born blue-eyed soul songstress Duffy charting behind them at No. 2. Blackwood’s Manic Street Preachers complete the top three most played chart with a career that spans 29 years and 12 studio albums.
Elsewhere, Dame Shirley Bassey narrowly misses out on making the top ten (No. 11) and there are entries for Bonnie Tyler (No. 4), Tom Jones (No .5) and Charlotte Church (No. 7). Mid-noughties indie outfit The Automatic also appear inside the top ten (No. 8), no doubt helped by their 2006 Official UK Singles Chart top five hit ‘Monster’, a song that is now played regularly at the Cardiff City Stadium as part of the pre-match warm-up.
Newport pop-punk outfit Feeder also appear in the chart (No. 6) thanks to hits such as ‘Buck Rogers’, ‘Insomnia’ and ‘Just A Day’ and ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ singer Shakin’ Stevens takes the No.9 spot. Outside of the top 12; there are also appearances from critically-acclaimed Welsh acts Catatonia (No. 14) and Super Furry Animals (No. 20), as well as more recent artists such as Catfish & The Bottlemen (No. 15) and Marina & The Diamonds (No. 18).
This year’s ceremony will take place on 20 October at Milk & Sugar at The Old Library (Yr Hen Lyfrgell) in Cardiff and will be supported by PPL.
The 12 most played Welsh artists of the past 12 years
1.) Stereophonics
2.) Duffy
3.) Manic Street Preachers
4.) Bonnie Tyler
5.) Tom Jones
6.) Feeder
7.) Charlotte Church
8.) The Automatic
9.) Shakin’ Stevens
10.) Jem
11.) Dame Shirley Bassey
12.) Amen Corner
