[2026] A roundup of the best UK bands, featuring many up-and-coming acts!
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
- Western Rock Popularity Ranking [2026]
- [Captivating] A Collection of Western Songs with Cool Intros [2026]
- Cool Western music bands. Recommended overseas bands that will get you pumped just by listening.
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- Popular Western Girl Bands Ranking [2026]
- [2026] The Australian Band Scene: Talented Artists Soaring in Popularity!
- [2026] Trending Western Music: The Latest Hit Songs to Watch
[2026] A roundup of recommended UK bands, with many up-and-coming acts! (71–80)
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.
Crazy TrainOzzy Osbourne
The first single released in 1980 by Ozzy Osbourne after leaving Black Sabbath in 1979.
Although the song is often thought to be about madness, there is a theory that it is actually about the Cold War.
A version paying tribute to Randy Rhoads, who died in a plane crash, is included on the 1987 live album “Tribute.”
Big City NightsScorpions
A song released as a single by Scorpions in 1984.
An orchestral arrangement was recorded with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for the 2000 album “Moment of Glory.” The track has also been covered by the heavy metal band Fozzy.
New StarTears for Fears
A British duo who produced many hit songs in the 1980s.
This is a rare track included on a 1996 album that compiles B-sides and non-album tracks.
It was used in a commercial for the Subaru Levorg.
GET IT ONThe Power Station
A track by The Power Station, a British supergroup formed in 1985 centered around Robert Palmer and Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor.
The original of this song is by T.
Rex, which is also well-known.
This version was used in a Honda (Honda Motor Co.) Edix commercial.
AntmusicAdam&the Ants
They debuted in 1977 and went on to release a string of hits by 1980, with their popularity exploding especially in the UK.
They were so successful that in 1982 they even won the Best Album award at the Brit Awards.
Perhaps because their style is so distinctive, though, they hardly had any hits in Japan.
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.