Joe Elliott, lead singer of one of the Steel City’s most famous exports, Def Leppard, once reportedly said Sheffield was a ‘great place with great people’ but that 'there’s nothing in Sheffield to write songs about’.
While he was right on the first two counts, he’s been proved wrong countless times on that final assertion, with many of Sheffield’s most successful acts taking inspiration from their home city in their lyrics.
Sheffield has also been a muse for many artists not lucky enough to hail from among its seven hills, who have still chosen to reference it in their music, from Elton John to Stormzy.
How many of these songs namechecking Sheffield or its streets and suburbs have you heard, and are there any we’ve missed off our list that you’d recommend?
9. The Crookes Laundry Murder (1922) - The Crookes
The Crookes loved Sheffield so much they even named themselves after one of its more picturesque suburbs. One of their songs, The Crookes Laundry Murder (1922), is about a notorious crime in said suburb. Its lyrics include the haunting lines: "Take me back to 1922. Let echoes of the past bleed through/And find before your eyes, an ashen scene unfold." Photo: Submitted
10. Crazy Titch (Interlude) - Stormzy
Stormzy was born a long way from Sheffield, in the London borough of Croydon, but he does reference the Steel City in his song Crazy Titch (Interlude). He sings: "I know certi' guys from all over/Brum, Manchester, Notts, Sheffield, Leeds, Manny, Liverpool/These people all say the same thing, 'We don't really even know what grime is but we know who Stormzy is'." Photo: Tristan Fewings
11. Sheffield: Sex City - Pulp
Pulp's lyrics draw heavily on Jarvis Cocker's formative years in Sheffield and the city is referenced in songs like Babies, which mentions Stanhope Road, in Intake, and Wickerman, which takes listeners on a musical tour of the lead singer's native city, from The Leadmill and The Moor to Broomhall. But for sheer number of Sheffield place names you can't beat the 8m32s opus Sheffield: Sex City, which sees the band at their seedily seductive best. It opens with a long list of neighbourhoods read out in a breathy whisper, including Pitsmoor, Wincobanks and Ecclesall. Photo: Yui Mok
12. The Sheffield Song - The Supernaturals
Glaswegian band The Supernaturals are probably best known for their indie anthem Smile. It's not clear what inspired the title of their lovesick tune The Sheffield Song but perhaps it was a doomed romance in the Steel City. Its lyrics include the cutting lines: "And I can't help comparing the two of you/It's like a Formula 1 with a Subaru." Photo: Dan Burn-Forti