Nine of the West Midlands’ most musical streets

From Brum beat to bhangra, Black Sabbath and the B-town scene - the West Midlands has a rich and diverse musical heritage. Is it any wonder, then, that many of our streets pay tribute to some of pop’s most illustrious addresses?   

Here are some of our favourites: 

Abbey Road, Harborne, Birmingham

The cover to The Beatles’ 'Abbey Road' album famously featured John, Paul, George and Ringo walking along a zebra crossing.

According to the law of averages, there’s probably a John, a Paul and even a George living on leafy Harborne’s Abbey Road, while the local shop still sells packets of Golden Wonder Ringos.

Sadly, there’s no zebra crossing.

Baker Street, Sparkhill, Birmingham

After another crazy day on Gerry Rafferty’s 'Baker Street' (which, contrary to popular myth, did not feature 'Blockbusters' legend Bob Holness on sax), you'll drink the night away and forget about everything.

Sparkhill’s Baker Street is within Birmingham’s Balti Triangle, so after another crazy day there, you could spend the evening sampling the best in Asian cuisine. Who’d want to forget about that?

If that wasn’t enough, Sparkhill’s Baker Street also pays homage to Bruce Springsteen with a motorcycle dealership called ‘Thunder Road’.

The Broadway, Perry Barr, Birmingham

Soul legends the Drifters memorably warned us that the neon lights are bright on Broadway (on Broadway).

Luckily for its residents, Perry Barr’s Broadway is significantly less prone to this sort of reckless light pollution.

Cypress Avenue, Lower Gornal, Dudley

When Van Morrison got caught one more time up on (Belfast’s) 'Cypress Avenue', it led him to write a bittersweet song about forbidden love.

If such a thing were to happen on Dudley’s Cypress Avenue, the little cul-de-sac would be a frenzy of twitching curtains.

On the plus side, there’s a Cedarwood Road nearby – which is apparently the title of a U2 song.

Electric Avenue, Aston, Birmingham

In the early '80s, Eddy Grant rocked down to London’s Electric Avenue and found himself reflecting on the recent Brixton riots.

If he rocked down to Aston’s Electric Avenue in the early 1980s, he probably would have reflected on the really massive General Electric Company factory that used to be there. That song would have been a lot more literal.  

Main Street, Dickens Heath, Solihull

The Rolling Stones’ album 'Exile on Main Street' is a stone cold classic that features the band at their swaggering, sleaziest best.

To be exiled from Solihull’s well-heeled neo-village Dickens Heath, you’d probably just need to be seen shopping at Lidl.

Stanley Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham

Modfather Paul Weller’s 'Stanley Road' album took its name from the Woking street where the ex-Jam frontman grew up. The album is heavily-influenced by the Beatles and the Kinks, two of Weller's favourite bands.

Kings Heath’s Stanley Road is a short walk from the site of the old Ritz Ballroom - when Weller was a young feller, the Beatles and the Kinks played there. Geography can be cruel sometimes.

Strawberry Fields, Meriden, Coventry

The Beatles’ 'Strawberry Fields Forever' was recorded during the band’s 'Sgt Pepper' sessions, but didn’t actually appear on the album.

Meriden’s Strawberry Fields is actually part of Coventry, but we’re including it here because it’s close to Birmingham Airport.

Warwick Avenue, Wednesbury

According to Duffy’s song, when she gets to Warwick Avenue, she’ll meet you by the entrance to the tube. This rendezvous strategy wouldn’t work so well in Wednesbury’s Warwick Avenue due to a noticeable lack of London Underground stations.

However, the area is well-served by other forms of public transport. There’s also a motorway junction nearby.

Have we missed any nearby musical streets? Let us know.

In the meantime, take a look at some of the naughtiest street names in the West Midlands.