Sounds Irish, Acts Global; Explaining the Success of Ireland's Popular Music Industry; Murphy; Rogers

Michael Mary Murphy [+–]

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

Michael Mary Murphy is a lecturer on the music industry at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin. He worked in the music industry for twenty years as an artist manager as well as an artist and repertoire (A&R) manager in New York and London. He has published a number of articles on the Irish music industry for academic journals and contributes to radio and print media outlets on Irish music industry topics.

Jim Rogers [+–]

Dublin City University

Jim Rogers is a lecturer in communications at Dublin City University. His core research interests centre on the media and cultural industries, music, and copyright. His first book, The Death and Life of the Music Industry in the Digital Age was published by Bloomsbury Academic in 2013. He is the co-editor of A Critical Guide to Intellectual Property, Zed, 2017 and author of many published academic articles on the music industry.

Nominated for the 2024 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Awards for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research

Sounds Irish, Acts Global critically examines both the history of Ireland’s popular music industry and the current music scene in the country. By placing recent industry developments in the context of that history, the authors present a new way of examining any nation state’s music industry—to understand the industry, the local scene must be studied. This approach highlights the multiple and changing ways by which the local scene prepares artists for both domestic and international success. In Ireland’s case the scene, with its supportive network of friends, families and fans, has developed the artists who then sign with major transnational music firms.

This book will be of interest to business students and popular music scholars as well as non-academic readers.

Series: Music Industry Studies

Introduction

Introduction [+–] 1-8

Michael Mary Murphy,Jim Rogers

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

Dublin City University

Here we set out our argument that to understand the music artists and music industry of any country it is vital to understand the scene that produced them. Therefore, we have undertaken a comprehensive analysis of the networks behind Ireland’s most successful music acts as well as a critical overview of the current music scene. Many popular music histories fail to acknowledge the vital way in which artists are sustained and nurtured by their local music scene. The over-emphasis by these histories on the successful marketing of well-known acts by major firms undervalues the personal, small-scale, yet pivotal role played by the local music scene. When the three major music firms are credited with ‘discovering’ and bringing artists to the global market, the day-to-day workings of the local scene are ignored, obscured or mythologised. This misperception makes it difficult for the state, and other interested actors, to address the problems, and opportunities, of the music scene in an empirically-based way.

Chapter 1

The Irish Arrive: Early Stages in the Music Industry [+–] 9-27

Michael Mary Murphy

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

Individuals from Ireland and its diaspora played key roles in how the popular music industry developed. In the early 1900s, on both sides of the Atlantic, the Irish championed the legislation that enabled songwriters and composers to profit from their work. During that era, one of the most important people in Ireland’s recorded music industry was a female entrepreneur, Ellen O’Byrne. Although she is largely absent from music industry history, she was, arguably, ‘the founding mother of the Irish record industry’. At that time, the Shanley family, emigrants from county Leitrim, helped to shape the presentation of live music in the US.

Chapter 2

1930s Ireland: Law and Order, Business and Nationalism [+–] 28-40

Michael Mary Murphy

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

Ireland’s early independence governments shaped domestic culture, including the local music scene. Some of the judges who applied the law had a deep fear of youthful pastimes; they restricted dancing in Ireland. Although it is not included in most Irish history books, one judge, District Justice Goff, who was famous for his dancing restrictions, also sentenced a girl who was caught kissing a boy to a month in prison. The case sparked an international outcry.

Chapter 3

The Global Music Industries and Ireland [+–] 41-60

Jim Rogers

Dublin City University

The Irish music scene has been influenced in important ways by powerbrokers in the major sites of the global music industry. The music industry in any country should be seen in the context of local enterprise and major international music firms. It should also be seen in the context of separate, but overlapping, industries: the live music industry; the recorded music industry and the music publishing industry.

Chapter 4

The 1950s: Elvis and Ireland’s Catholic Pop [+–] 61-68

Michael Mary Murphy

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

When Elvis Presley was at the forefront of youthful rock ‘n’ roll in the US, he appeared on the influential Ed Sullivan Show. A singing group from Ireland appeared on the show with Elvis. The contrast was startling, and it revealed a lot about the cultural chasm between Ireland and the epicentre of pop music. In particular, it highlighted the generally unexplored, yet powerful, bond between the Catholic church and the pop industry in Ireland.

Chapter 5

Horslips: Advancing DIY and Enterprise in the Irish Music Scene [+–] 69-75

Michael Mary Murphy

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

Musically, Horslips married progressive rock with Irish traditional music in an innovative way. But their influence on Ireland’s popular culture landscape went beyond their music. Their business approach set new standards for local acts, and indicated creative paths for self-expression and business success for Irish pop much.

Chapter 6

U2: Local and Global [+–] 76-89

Michael Mary Murphy

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

U2’s global popularity elevated Ireland’s position on the pop music map. Key to the band’s success were the many forms of support that they received locally before they signed a record deal with island records. Local managers, band members, booking agents and promoters all provided the band with valuable assistance and advice. It’s vital to understand how local assistance enables any music act to survive and grow in its early stages.

Chapter 7

How Teenagers and Students Shaped Culture [+–] 90-106

Michael Mary Murphy

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

Student union entertainment organisers played a key role in the development of Ireland’s music culture and music industry. Most notably, during the 1970s and 1980s, the ‘ents officers’ from Ireland’s universities provided ways for Irish bands and youth culture to develop. This was do-it-yourself (DIY) music activity; most of the student union positions were part-time or short-term. Another important strand of DIY music activity came with Dublin’s Hope collective who arranged not-for-profit gigs for bands including Green Day, Fugazi, Chumbawamba and Babes in Toyland.

Chapter 8

Enya: ‘…not created by the record industry’ [+–] 107-118

Michael Mary Murphy

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

According to industry statistics, Enya is one of the all-time ten highest-selling solo female acts in the US. Her early growth and development, and her continued career direction and support, came from very distinctive management and enterprise in Ireland. She was guided by a husband-and-wife team who provided her with resources and guided her in significant ways. Her global success should be understood in the context of her local support and development.

Chapter 9

The Corrs: …’genetically engineer the perfect pop group’ [+–] 119-131

Michael Mary Murphy

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

Members of the Corr family formed a band to audition for the film, The Commitments. Although their management company was locally based, initially they effectively bypassed the local music industry in Ireland. While they eventually achieved very large global sales, their career pathway was not straightforward. Their career is an example of how artists can benefit from support from several countries, and not just from the music epicentre where they signed their record contract.

Chapter 10

Riverdance: Creating Profitable Local Culture [+–] 132-145

Michael Mary Murphy

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

Very few cultural products with Riverdance’s profitability were designed and brought to the market by individuals from a country of Ireland’s size. The project was driven by a female entrepreneur who quickly assembled a team in Ireland that was capable of bring the show to international success. While both of Riverdance’s initial principal dancers were from outside of Ireland, most of the team that developed the show were from Ireland.

Chapter 11

Boyzone: ‘Search is on for an Irish Take That’ [+–] 146-157

Michael Mary Murphy

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

The chart success of Boyzone brought not only the group, but their manager, Louis Walsh, to prominence in Britain. Their eventual success happened after some key activity by music industry personnel in Ireland. This highlights how the music industry in Ireland interacts with Britain’s music industry in important ways.

Chapter 12

Westlife: ‘He’s got to be kidding me’ [+–] 158-167

Michael Mary Murphy

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

Westlife’s success is generally documented with reference to music industry figures including Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh. Yet, some of the key decisions, particularly in the band’s early days, were taken by people other than Cowell and Walsh. Westlife’s career and presentation illustrate how celebrity functions in the modern cultural industries.

Chapter 13

U2, the Virgin Prunes and Graphic Art [+–] 168-176

Michael Mary Murphy

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

The music industry is shaped by many behind-the-scenes participants; the career of the graphic designer, Steve Averill, shows how influential these participants can be. Averill worked in the Irish music scene in a number of roles; behind-the-scenes participants are not confined to one role. As an advisor, graphic designer and musician Averill interacted with Irish music figures in crucial ways.

Conclusion

Conclusion [+–] 177-189

Michael Mary Murphy,Jim Rogers

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

Dublin City University

Many of Ireland’s popular music acts benefitted from the individual enterprise, or industry, of local supporters. The music industry in any country or region should be understood in the context of that enterprise. The music industry does not mean the same thing as ‘the industry of music.’ Even though the Irish music industry is suffering from a post-Covid 19 crisis, the examples of Irish supportive enterprise may benefit acts in other countries.

End Matter

Bibliography 190-208

Michael Mary Murphy,Jim Rogers

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

Dublin City University

Index 209-221

Michael Mary Murphy,Jim Rogers

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

Dublin City University

Reviews

Sounds Irish, Acts Global is an utterly fascinating volume bursting with rich narratives gleaned from archival research and interviews with key behind-the-scenes figures in Ireland’s popular music scenes. This exciting book does more than simply recite the myth that Ireland’s popular music consistently “punches above its weight;” rather, it carefully critiques this tired cliché to reveal the often-overlooked personnel, social networks, and (invisible) support infrastructures that have empowered Irish artists to achieve such remarkable successes on the global stage. Murphy and Rogers offer a unique perspective on Ireland’s popular music culture, marrying the history of making and selling music from the island of Ireland, thus offering us readers something that has been missing from these debates to date. This important book will be cited for years to come and provides the blueprint to how Irish popular music industries will be written about in the future.
Áine Mangaoang, University of Oslo, author of Dangerous Mediations: Pop Music in a Philippine Prison Video and co-editor of Made in Ireland: Studies in Popular Music

This book is full of fresh insights and illuminating details and makes a hugely important addition to scholarship on Irish music. The authors explore the crucial place of Ireland, and the Irish, in the Anglo-American music industry, and shed some much-needed light on the economic and entrepreneurial networks that have shaped popular music in Ireland. Mixing original interviews with meticulous research, the book offers new accounts of the evolution - and enduring success - of some of Ireland's key figures, such as U2 and Enya, addressing critical points in their careers, and probing the role played by managers, marketing and media in the 'making' of musical acts. The book will be a highly valuable resource for anyone interested in modern Ireland, popular music, and the creative industries.
Sean Campbell, author of 'Irish Blood, English Heart': Second-Generation Irish Musicians in England

The history of Irish popular music is slowly being written but so far, most work has focussed on the performers and the ‘front end’ of the business. As anyone who has worked in the industry knows, this is only part of the picture and, without the network of actors and technological affordances behind the scenes, no music would be heard beyond the practice room. The music business thrives on connection, on knowing who to ask, and even in major industry centres, it can be surprising how intimate and connected the business will be. This is doubly the case in a small country such as Ireland: and in a music scene where, for many years, rock and pop lagged behind country music and commercial varieties of folk, it is often a surprise to discover how many managers, agents and promoters crossed all of these genres. People moved to where the business was. Murphy and Rogers have done an invaluable job in both theorising the structures that support the music industry in a small country, and, with in-depth case studies, of showing how it actually worked at a granular level: how the deals were made, who spoke to who and when. This book will obviously be of huge interest to anyone with more than a passing interest in Irish popular music, but also to those engaged in the music business in the former peripheries of a now thoroughly globalised industry.
Stan Erraught, Lecturer in Music Management, Popular Music and Aesthetics, University of Leeds

This book is impressive in scope, charting the development and evolution of the Irish popular music industries and their interrelationship with the global music industries from the 1900s to the current context. The structure is clever, each chapter referencing key forces and individuals to frame the history of the Irish music industries, enabling the story to unfold and be told in a very compelling way. The narrative is well-informed and well-researched, and the tone is engaging and accessible.
As stated in its title, this book sets out to explain the success of Ireland’s popular music industry. It does that, but it achieves much more besides. It is a significant contribution to the literature on the popular music industries in Ireland. The authors have a unique perspective on the issues raised in this work, both having considerable music industry experience alongside their academic expertise. This shows in how well they manage the various complex themes arising in this book, including local music scenes and national music industries, business, law, culture and ideology, conservatism and social change, emigration, immigration and cultural identity, youth consumption and moral panics, countercultures and Irishness, student movements, DIY entrepreneurship and punk ethics, local identity and globalisation. Alongside documenting the local, national and global forces that shaped the Irish popular music industries, the books gives us a fascinating insight into the success of individual acts including Enya, The Corrs, Riverdance, Boyzone and Westlife. The final chapter is a notable contribution to the woefully under-researched topic of music-related graphic design and visual representations of pop, focusing on Steve Averill as a particularly important music industry art producer.
Overall, this book is an important, timely, and original contribution to literature on the Irish music industries. It holds appeal for a broad audience that is motivated to learn about Irish popular music, music scenes, music and creative industries, and the social significance of Irish music production and consumption with reference to broader cultural, political and economic forces.
Eileen Hogan, Lecturer in Social Policy, School of Applied Social Studies, University College Cork

Where many books on popular music emphasize either pop music legends or their fans, Sounds Irish, Acts Global provides a needed intervention into the ways supporting industry workers advance an artist’s career. By focusing on the support staff, Michael Murphy and Jim Rogers elucidate the power dynamics that created globally accessible Irish music. This look into the art world of Irish music will change the way scholars examine popular music going forward because it explores the power relationships between artists, industry, songwriters, and governments.
David Arditi, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at Arlington

Success has many parents and in this book, Murphy & Rogers detail the forces and individuals who helped bring about some of Ireland’s biggest acts. The book is therefore a celebration and recognition of the ecosystem, communities, and friendships that surrounded these successes and the hard work, tensions and challenges they collectively overcame.
The book also raises serious questions regarding the future of the Irish music industry and one cannot help but hope the preceding case studies provide a useful blueprint for future communities to take courage, hope, and direction from.
Orla Byrne, Assistant Professor Entrepreneurship, College of Business, University College Dublin

Illuminating study about the success of Irish music in the global music scene. This erudite analysis of major Irish acts through the lens of theoretical debate, demonstrates the innovative ways to breakthrough into the global music business, and opens up a debate into how we can preserve local music when major music corporations dominate.
Dr Hyojung Sun, Lecturer in the Business of Creative and Cultural Industries School of Arts and Creative Technologies, University of York

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Books and Journals in Humanities, Social Science and Performing Arts

Sounds Irish, Acts Global

Explaining the Success of Ireland's Popular Music Industry

Michael Mary Murphy [+–]

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin

Jim Rogers [+–]

Dublin City University

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