From Biffy Clyro and Franz Ferdinand to Primal Scream
Andrew Trendell

12:59 10th December 2015

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The Romans built Hadrian's Wall to stop the Scots invading. A few bricks was a pretty pitiful attempt, as you all know that nothing can stop a Scot on a mission. Culturally, they have spread their influence throughout the UK and the world - and they have one of the best track records for awesome music out of most countries we can think of. 

From Donovan and Primal Scream to Biffy Clyro, Chvrches, Franz Ferdinand and Django Django, they remain a musical force to be reckoned with. 

So, to celebrate those amazing acts from North of the border, here are the 23 greatest Scottish bands of all time. 

FREEEDOOOOOM. 

  • AC/DC: You might not know it from the Australian accents, but you might have guessed from their names that Angus and Malcolm Young are originally from Scotland. They spent the first 8 and 10 years of their lives in Glasgow before emigrating to Sydney.

  • Frightened Rabbit: Gigwise favourites F'Rabbit originally consisted solely of Scottish singer Scott Hutchison, who named the band after a childhood nickname his mother gave him due to his chronic shyness. They've since gained more members, including Hutchison's brother Grant, and have released four brilliant albums - including 2013's brilliant Pedestrian Verse. Hutchison has told us to expect some pretty awesome and weird things from their next album in 2016. You should also check out Hutchison's brilliant solo project, Owl John.

  • Belle and Sebastian: Formed in Glasgow in 1996, they would become one of the most influential indie bands of all time. Probably their biggest song, 'Piazza New York Catcher', was never released as a single, but contains some of the most beautifully opaque lyrics on record. They're icons of indie for all of the right reasons.

  • Mogwai: If someone says post-rock most people's reaction is to say Mogwai. Their influence on people is so strong that the most avid fans appear devoted to them as they would a cult.

  • Arab Strap: The band that inspired the name of Belle & Sebastian's album Boy with the Arab Strap - a testament to how influential they were in the 1990s Glasgow music scene (also 'The First Big Weekend' is the ultimate 'start of summer' anthem)

  • Django Django: Though the intrigue over their name has since been trumped by Tarantino's Django Unchained, the band's debut album was voted No.10 on NME's 50 Best Albums of 2012, and described by Tuppence Magazine as "a new modern classic." Their sophomore record only first cemented them as future headliners.

  • Primal Scream: They became a strong an influence on the scene once Bobby Gillespie married rave music with pop/rock after seeing Happy Monday's achieve it. After Andrew Weatherall was hired to mix Screamedelica, they were heralded as one of the defining bands of the 90s and were an important musical bridge for formerly opposing subcultures to come together. Today they're still making great music.

  • Cocteau Twins: The shoe-gaze band took their name from the song 'The Cocteau Twins' by fellow Scots Johnny and the Self-Abusers. Johnny etc were thankfully later re-named Simple Minds, and their song was re-named 'No Cure.' The band also collaborated with This Mortal Coil, recording a hauntingly beautiful cover of 'Song to the Siren.'

  • Glasvegas: If the band name wasn't enough to tip you off, you'll have figured out within five seconds of a Glasvegas song that they're Scottish. Three are from Glasgow, one is from Sweden, and none are from Las Vegas.

  • Calvin Harris: The richest man who ever lived, probably.

  • Annie Lennox: Lennox released eight albums as part of the rock/pop icons Eurythmics, five successful solo albums, and still had time to set up a charity organisation, SING, which raises funds and awareness for HIV/AIDS. Including her work with Eurythmics, Lennox has sold over 80 million records worldwide. Not too shabby.

  • Lulu: "WEEEEEEE-EE-EE-EEE-EE-EE-EE-EE-EEEE-EEELLLLL. YOU KNOW YOU MAKE ME WANNA SHOUT." Enough said.

  • The Proclaimers: They may be known by a lot of people as "the band who sang that '500 Miles' song", but The Proclaimers have eight albums, and a jukebox film based around their music. PLUS David Tennant is such a huge fan he walked down the aisle to 'Life With You.'

  • The Twilight Sad: Their doom-laden post-rock is a moving addition to Glasgow's musical tapestry. Robert Smith of The Cure recently covered their track 'There's a Girl in the Corner' which is about as good of a compliment a band can get. But anyway, here's another: they're one of the best bands in the world today.

  • Donovan: Though he has been labelled by some as merely a Bob Dylan impersonator, the Scottish singer has produced some impressive music in his own right. He's probably best known for 'Catch the Wind' and the bizarre 'Mellow Yellow.' Quite rightly.

  • CHVRCHES: Proving that Scotland can't stop churning out brilliant bands, this electro-pop trio are the latest to conquer the world from north of Hadrian's Wall. Their near-flawless debut album, The Bones Of What You Believe, is making waves around the planet and was even named Gigwise's Best Album Of 2013. They have blown up into one of the biggest British bands thanks to with an awesome second record, Every Open Eye. Expect them to be playing arenas and headlining festivals in no time.

  • Orange Juice: Led by the staunchly charismatic Edwyn Collins, Orange Juice were pioneering with their shiny and sharp new wave sound. They went from being the most exciting young band in Glasgow to shaking up the UK charts. Their emergence was helped along by Alan Horne's indie label Postcard Records and a 1980 John Peel session.

  • Aztec Camera: Another Postcard Records band whose jangly guitars made an impact. Their unprecedented success on a small indie operating out of a wardrobe in a bedroom led to Rough Trade snapping them up for their debut album. The band went on to tour and write until 1995 before disbanding. Still, the wave of acts they've influenced is immeasurable.

  • The Blue Nile: Paul Buchanan's The Blue Nile put out four albums between 1989 and 2004. The result of spending time to accomplish something extraordinary was worthwhile as they've had overwhelming acclaim and Buchanan has had a successful solo career since.

  • Camera Obscura: After the tragic death of keyboardist Carey Lander due to a battle with bone cancer, hopefully the band will be able to continue with their infectious and strong brand of indie pop in her honour.

  • The Jesus & Mary Chain: One of the biggest selling indie bands of the '80s with an extraordinary amount of hype.25 years later they're still regarded as one of the best guitar bands of all time. Immensely powerful stuff.

  • Idlewild: The indie rock band from Edinburgh received the honour of being referred to early on in their career as "the sound of a flight of stairs falling down a flight of stairs" by NME in their early days - but over time their sound matured to cover everything from the brutal to the tender. After a hiatus, the band returned with the immaculate Everything Ever Written - one of the best albums of 2015.

  • Travis: At the peak of their powers, they were the Glastonbury-headlining everyman tour-de-force that paved the way for the likes of Coldplay with they heartwarming acoustic-led anthems. Well, they're still on pretty good form - and are set to drop their eighth album Everything At Once in April

  • Simple Minds: Hailing from Glasgow, the arena power-pop heroes are still going strong - releasing their 16th album Big Music in 2014 and still touring and selling out massive arenas with a little help from The Anchoress, Catherine AD.

  • Big Country: Few capture the creative spirit of Scotland more than Big Country, who found fame in the 1980s for marrying traditional folk with a variety of experiment sounds. Stuart Adamson died in 2001, but the band have continued in his memory - still to great critical acclaim.

  • Franz Ferdinand: Their Mercury-selling debut album was one of the highest selling of the '00s and gave Domino Records its first major international success. 11 years on songs from that album are played in nightclubs and bars and are likely to remain ingrained into the fabric of our society for decades to come. National treasures and modern day guitar heroes - pop to make you think, pop to make you dance.

  • Biffy Clyro: One of the most idiosyncratic and batshit mental rock bands on the planet at the moment, let alone Scotland, on paper their mathy rock shouldn't have such mass appeal - with No.1 albums under the belt and having already dominated a headline slot at Reading + Leeds, we can't wait to see what great heights they reach when they return in 2016. 'Mon The Biff.

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Photo: wenn/Press