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The Dubliners
artist

The Dubliners

The Dubliners is a folk artist formed in 1962. 57 releases are catalogued on Riffiter.

Folk · Best folk albums

57
Releases
1964–2018
Active years
1962
Formed

Discography

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Spirit Of The Irish: The Ultimate Collection cover

Most popular

Spirit Of The Irish: The Ultimate Collection

2008 · 20 tracks

Singles & EPs

1

Live & compilations

15

Appears on

2

Releases by other artists featuring The Dubliners.

Featured tracks

1

Collaborators

1

Community

More about The Dubliners

About

The Dubliners were an Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962. The band started off as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named in honour of its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves as The Dubliners. The group line-up has seen many changes over their fifty-year career. However, the group's success was centred around lead singers Luke Kelly and Ronnie Drew, both of whom are now deceased. The band garnered international success with their lively Irish folk songs, traditional street ballads and instrumentals. The band were regulars on the folk scenes in both Dublin and London in the early 1960s, until they were signed to the Minor Major label in 1965 after backing from Dominic Behan. They went on to receive extensive airplay on Radio Caroline, and eventually appeared on Top of the Pops in 1967 with hits "Seven Drunken Nights" and "Black Velvet Band". Often performing songs considered controversial at the time, they drew criticism from some folk purists and Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ had placed an unofficial ban on their music from 1967-71.

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During this time the band's popularity began to spread across mainland Europe and they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States. The group's success remained steady right through the 1970s and a number of collaborations with The Pogues in 1987 saw them enter the UK Singles Chart on another two occasions. The Dubliners were instrumental in popularising Irish folk music in Europe, though they did not quite surpass the popularity of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem in the United States. They influenced many generations of Irish bands, and their legacy can to this day be heard in the music of artists such as The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. Much adored in their native country, covers of Irish ballads by Ronnie Drew and Luke Kelly tend to be regarded as definitive versions. One of the most influential Irish acts of the 20th century, they celebrated 50 years together in 2012, making them Ireland's longest surviving musical act. Also in 2012, the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards bestowed them with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The Dubliners announced their retirement in the autumn of 2012, after 50 years of playing, following the death of founding member Barney McKenna.

The Dubliners in brief

How many The Dubliners releases are on Riffiter?
57 releases are catalogued, spanning 1964 to 2018.
When was The Dubliners formed?
The Dubliners formed in 1962.
What genre is The Dubliners?
The Dubliners is catalogued under Folk, Irish Folk.
What is the most recent The Dubliners release on Riffiter?
St. Patrick's Day, released in 2018.

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