[2025] A roundup of recommended UK bands, featuring many up-and-coming artists!
In Japan, both now and in the past, bands from the UK have been especially popular among Western music.
As fellow island nations, there’s a shared sensibility—those slightly damp, melancholic melodies and lyricism resonate perfectly with Japanese tastes, and many people are also drawn to the distinctly European worldview.
In this article, we’ve researched recommended UK bands.
The first half spotlights up-and-coming and new artists you should watch to understand the “now” of Britain, while the second half takes a broader look—centered on rock—at veterans and mid-career acts you ought to know.
It features plenty of bands that are great for beginners to UK rock and Western music alike, so be sure to check it out!
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- Recommendation of Western Rock: Recommended Foreign Rock Bands, Popular Bands
- Most Popular Western Music Bands Ranking [2025]
- Western Rock Music Popularity Ranking [2025]
- [Grabs Your Heart] A Compilation of Western Songs with Cool Intros [2025]
- Cool Western music bands. Recommended overseas bands that will get you pumped just by listening.
- [2025] Cool! A roundup of Western bands with twin vocals
- Popular Western Girls' Bands Ranking [2025]
- [2025] Trending Western Music: The Latest Hit Songs to Watch
- [2025] Australia’s Band Scene: Talented Artists on a Rapid Rise in Popularity!
[2025] A roundup of recommended UK bands: lots of emerging acts too! (61–70)
Over and overHot Chip
Hot Chip is a British electro-pop band.
Their music is characterized by experimental, quirky tracks and dance music with a strong underground feel that makes heavy use of distinctive beats.
With each release, their sound seems to grow more refined.
TemptationNew Order
Hailing from Manchester, England, New Order is a rock band formed in 1980 by the remaining members of Joy Division.
Known for their wide-ranging sound spanning post-punk, synth-pop, and dance music, they debuted in 1981 with the album Movement.
Their signature track is a legendary song recorded as the best-selling 12-inch single.
With the 1983 album Power, Corruption & Lies, they introduced a new sound that fused electronic music and rock, influencing many artists to come.
In 2015, they released Music Complete.
Highly recommended if you’re looking to move your body on the dance floor.
Saturday nightBay City Rollers
A pop band from Scotland in the UK, known for catchy songs with refreshing vocals and lively melodies.
Their music has been used not only in canned coffee commercials but also on many different TV programs.
The intro is particularly striking and is used especially often.
Symphony Of The NightDragonForce
This is a track by a leading British melodic power metal band.
Although the song isn’t very well-known, its melodic and exhilarating beat is incredibly pleasant, making it a feel-good masterpiece.
I can definitely recommend it as the perfect music for high school students to get pumped up to.
I see redFrenzy
A British psychobilly band.
This song is one of their many classics; when it was released as a single, it stayed in the Top 10 of the charts for three weeks and even peaked at No.
3.
The cool, nonchalant vocal delivery and the performance are fantastic.
Also note their high level of songwriting ability.
DoomsdayArchitects
A metalcore band formed in 2004.
Having toured Japan, their harrowing, self-sacrificial screams and grand soundscapes crafted with heavy use of delay and reverb have had a massive impact not only on listeners but also on their peer bands.
It’s no exaggeration to call them one of the most important bands in today’s UK scene.
An Honourable ReignBURY TOMORROW
Formed in Southampton in 2006.
They are a leading figure in melodic metalcore, known for clean vocals that combine freshness with intensity.
Their songs follow classic metalcore stylings, with a well-balanced contrast between shouts and melodic parts and exquisite control of dynamics.