Andy Burnham, the Labour MP for Makerfield who is on course to become the United Kingdom's next prime minister, has offered a fresh glimpse into his musical tastes. In a recent interview, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester blind-ranked his five favourite British bands, a list dominated by acts from his home city.
Burnham, whose political ideology is often described as “Manchesterism” — a brand of business-friendly socialism — has long woven music into his public persona. His by-election campaign in Makerfield featured tracks by Oasis and Elbow, and his campaign logo carried a northern soul aesthetic. The move is consistent with a politician who has made cultural identity central to his appeal.
The ranking placed Manchester band Elbow at number two, followed by London’s Wolf Alice at four and Greater Manchester’s The Courteeners at three. At the top, Burnham put Britpop icons Oasis, while indie legends The Smiths landed at the bottom — though he admitted he would not have ranked them last had he known the full list in advance.
Burnham’s campaign video for the Makerfield by-election included Oasis’s “Some Might Say”, which ends with the lyric “We will find a brighter day.” He has spoken repeatedly about his admiration for the Gallagher brothers. In 2024, he told Sky News that the announcement of Oasis’s Live ’25 reunion tour was “the day that Manchester has been waiting for”. He added that he had been in contact with Noel Gallagher and had seen both brothers perform separately.
Burnham also recalled Noel Gallagher’s help in fundraising for homelessness initiatives and noted that Liam Gallagher had recorded announcements for Manchester’s trams to promote a new music conference, Beyond The Music. Burnham is scheduled to participate in that event, which runs from 7 to 9 October in Salford, Greater Manchester. The conference is billed as a “transformative co-operative global music and content conference and festival” aimed at addressing challenges facing the creative industries.
A Deeper Playlist
For those wanting more detail, a 2022 interview with The Quietus has resurfaced in which Burnham listed his 13 favourite albums. He stressed that these were not necessarily his all-time favourites but records that “had an impact on my life or were significant moments in my life”. The list includes Manchester classics such as The Stone Roses’ debut, Doves’ The Last Broadcast, and New Order’s Power, Corruption and Lies, alongside broader picks like Radiohead’s OK Computer, The Strokes’ Is This It?, and Big Thief’s Capacity.
Burnham’s musical preferences are not merely a personal quirk. They reflect a deliberate effort to project a distinct regional identity at a time when the UK’s political landscape is shifting. His rise to the premiership — he is the only Labour MP standing for the leadership and has secured the backing of a majority of the party’s MPs — comes amid broader debates about the role of culture in European politics. As reported earlier, Burnham’s path to Downing Street appears clear after his last rival stepped aside.
The intersection of music and politics is not unique to the UK. Across Europe, leaders from Italy’s Giorgia Meloni to France’s Emmanuel Macron have used cultural references to connect with voters. Burnham’s approach, however, is unusually explicit: he has made Manchester’s musical heritage a cornerstone of his political brand. Whether this will translate into policy remains to be seen, but for now, it offers a window into the tastes of a man likely to lead one of Europe’s largest economies.
