The home of Cilla Black and The Beatles has been named the nation’s most musical city.

Liverpool can lay claim to a host of big name acts including The Zutons, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Echo and the Bunnymen, The La’s, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Farm, and The Coral.

This year’s European Capital of Culture beat Sheffield, birth place of Arctic Monkeys and Pulp, to top spot in an Arts Council poll of around 10,000 people across the country.

Manchester, whose acts include Oasis, the Stone Roses, The Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, the Happy Mondays, and Take That, came third.

Leicester - home of Kasabian, Showaddywaddy and Engelbert Humperdinck - was fourth, followed by Birmingham, which is associated with Jamelia, Duran Duran, UB40, and Black Sabbath.

Despite spawning The Who, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, The Clash, Razorlight, and Amy Winehouse amongst others, London only came eighth after Brighton and Bristol.

Independent Television News Limited 2008