Why go: Abbey Road is the home of music making. We’re the world’s first and most iconic recording studio, and a leader in sonic innovation, with the experience and craft to bring out the best music in any vision or idea. Visit the shop or visit the famous zebra crossing outside where the Beatles had their iconic photograph taken for their album cover Abbey Road
Why go: Although there is no plaque on his birthplace, one was unveiled at 17 St Anne’s Court in Soho, the site of the Trident Recording Studio where Bowie made many of his early records. The plaque was unveiled by the singer Billy Bragg and Bowie’s friend the artist George Underwood. The Studio, closed in 1981, had been home to artists like Queen and Elton John and it was where the Beatles recorded Hey Jude.
Location: Soho Map
Why go: The Dublin Castle is a pub and live music venue in Camden Town, London. It gained prominence as a venue in the late 1970s after the band Madness established a live reputation there. Subsequently, it was an important venue in the early stages of several bands' careers and contributed to the Britpop musical genre. Amy Winehouse was a regular visitor to the pub.
Location: Camden Map
Address: Parkway, Camden
Why go: Separated by a wall and 200 years. The homes of two musicians who chose London & changed music. Handel Hendrix House is made up of two residences: Handel’s house at 25 Brook Street and Hendrix’s flat at the top floor of 23 Brook Street. The museum also offers exhibition spaces that further dive into the lives of the two musicians and their times in London.
Location: Westminster Map
Why go: Everybody who was anybody passed through these doors in the 'Seventies and 'Eighties: The Clash, The Cure, The Jam, The Police, Dire Straits, The Specials, The Stranglers, The Damned, Dr Feelgood, X-Ray Specs, Eurythmics, Elvis Costello and Madness to name just a few! U2 (famously in front of 8 people) and Joy Division (tragic frontman Ian Curtis having his first epileptic fit as he returned home from the gig), both had their debut London shows here!! The venue gained such a high reputation that The Front Row Festival in 1977 (which featured XTC, Shakin’ Stevens and Tom Robinson) was recorded and released as a live double album by Warner, reaching No. 28 in the UK Album Charts. The Stranglers, Elvis Costello and The Saints also recorded live albums here, and Madness shot their music video to "One Step Beyond" in the place. The venue bar even inspired a song – Splodgenessabounds' cult hit 'Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please' - apparently an ode to the futility trying to get served at the Hope! It reached No. 7 in the UK Singles Chart. The legendary independent label Stiff Records was founded here.
Location: Islington Map
Address: Upper Street, Islington
Why go: The guitarist and songwriter Jimi Hendrix became an overnight sensation with the release of his band’s first single, ‘Hey Joe’, in 1966. His innovative fusion of blues and experimental rock – coupled with his extraordinary live performances – has continued to have a profound influence on popular music long after his death.
Location: Mayfair Map
Why go: On 30 January 1969, the Beatles performed a concert from the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters at 3 Savile Row, in central London's office and fashion district. Joined by guest keyboardist Billy Preston, the band played a 42-minute set before the Metropolitan Police arrived and ordered them to reduce the volume. It was the final public performance of their career. They performed nine takes of five new songs as crowds of onlookers, many on lunch breaks, congregated in the streets and on the rooftops of nearby buildings to listen.
Location: 3 Saville Row London Map
Why go: Camden’s Walk of Fame – London’s version of Hollywood’s – has the music record plaques dedicated to rock and roll greats embedded in the road along Camden High Street. With a phone app, you can find out about why each person appears and explore their connection to London’s music scene. There is, of course, a record plaque to David Bowie, laid in September 2022 to coincide with the release of Moonage Daydream, the movie about Bowie’s creative, musical and spiritual journey.
Location: Camden Map
Why go: Rock and roll might be an auditory art form, but some images mean just as much to the history of the genre as any song. Such is the iconic image of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust emerging into the night on the cover of his titular album. The moment is so iconic that there is even a plaque on the spot commemorating it.
Location: Mayfair Map