The Beatles have been named as the ultimate British group by BBC Radio 2 listeners.
The ‘Twist and Shout’ band saw off competition from Queen and The Rolling Stones to top the poll that was organised to mark National Album Day – which has the theme of Great British groups this year – on October 19.
A countdown of listeners’ top 30 acts will be presented by Mark Goodier on the station that day after listeners were asked to vote for their favourite five.
The top five is rounded out by Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac – who qualified for the poll as the majority of their members were born or lived in the UK.
Other acts to feature in the top 30 include The Who, Spice Girls and Led Zeppelin.
Listeners had the chance to vote from a shortlist of 54 acts ranging from the 1960s to the 2010s that were put together by a panel that included several Radio 2 presenters.
The chairman of the selection panel is Radio 2 and Radio 6 Music’s head of music Jeff Smith – who also serves as the chair of the Mercury Prize judging panel.
He said: “We have absolutely loved seeing the Radio 2 listeners cast hundreds of thousands of votes for their ultimate British group, and this top 30 chart reflects some of music’s biggest-selling, most loved and established British artists who have achieved incredible success globally across the decades.”
Goodier added: “Radio 2 listeners have chosen their best of the best British world-beating groups. I can’t wait to count down this chart. It promises to be quite a listen.”
The top 10 in BBC Radio 2’s ‘Your Ultimate British Group’ chart:
1. The Beatles
2. Queen
3. The Rolling Stones
4. Pink Floyd
5. Fleetwood Mac
6. Led Zeppelin
7. Take That
8. Coldplay
9. Oasis
10. Electric Light Orchestra
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