Although Scotland is famous for its consistent appreciation for traditional Scottish music, whisky and fashion, they have plenty of Scottish bands making Scotland a contender in popular music worldwide. We present our top 10 Scottish bands.

[Iain Mullan]

1. Franz Ferdinand

The band got their start right at Glasgow and rose to fame in the UK rapidly, and continued to become a hit band in America. Their hit single “Take Me Out” hit the UK charts and topped at number 3, and paved the way for their debut album, titled Franz Ferdinand.

2. Frightened Rabbit

Formed in 2003, this indie rock band sounds off from Selkirk, Scotland. Front man Scott Hutchison began as a solo act until he was joined by his brother Grant. The band has done tons of charity with Invisible Children music coalition project. In 2009 they even recorded a Christmas song called “It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop”.

3. Travis

Glasgow was also responsible for the creation of the post-Britpop sensation Travis. In 1997 the band released their debut album Good Feeling on Independiente Records. Their rise to fame came with their second album, The Man Who, in 1999. They recorded it at Abbey Road Studios in London.

4. Texas

Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, takes credit for this band. Their hit album White on Blond topped charts in the UK at number 1. In 2001, the band was ready to release their Greatest Hits album. It sold well, certified six times platinum and Texas continues to grow in popularity. By 2003, they had already sold more than 20 million records.

5. Wet Wet Wet

The 1800s saw the birth of Wet Wet Wet, a pop rock band from Clydebank, Scotland. In 1985, they scored a record deal with PolyGram. Two years later their debut single “Wishing I Was Lucky” became a smash hit and reached number 6 on the UK charts. In 1988, they recorded the Beatles hit “With a Little Help from My Friends”, and got their first number 1 hit.

6. Glasvegas

From Glasgow, their self-titled debut album saw platinum success in the UK in 2009. Their rise to fame didn’t stop there, and they quickly made a name for themselves overseas in the States. Glasvegas toured the US and Canada six times, which was a shocking effort that certainly paid off for the band, until they were dropped from Columbia Records in 2010.

[rchappo2002]

7. Eurythmics

From Aberdeen, the Eurythmics formed in the 1980s. The second album brought them worldwide success with their hit single Sweet Dreams Are Made of This. The track topped charts in multiple countries, and is still played in pubs today. The song is one of the Greatest pop-synth hits of the decade.

8. The Proclaimers

Twin brothers Charlie and Craig Reid formed the Proclaimers in Auchtermuchty, Fife, Scotland, in 1983. Two of their hit records, “I’m Gonna (500 miles)”, and “Sunshine on Leith” were featured on Scotland’s Greatest Album in 2011, a historic achievement for the band.

9. Biffy Clyro

In 1995, the Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro formed in Kilmarnock, Scotland. Two of their five albums have topped charts in the UK. In 2009 they released their latest album, Only Revolutions, which hit number 3 on the UK chart and platinum only a year later. The feat wasn’t a surprise after the album hit gold days after its release.

10. The Fratellis

The Fratellis got their start in 2005 and were active four years before a hiatus. Their first single “Herietta” was released in 2006 and made it to number 19 on the UK charts. Now they’re back in 2012 with more high energy music and shows planned.

Kilts won’t be the memorable thing out of Scotland, even if they are pretty awesome.

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