Music Museums Across the Globe: Could Northern Ireland Become One of the Greats?

By Elizabeth Wisoner

Music is celebrated across the globe, in various music scenes, styles, and languages, however, it can be difficult to understand the true influences, cultures and history behind the music.

The Answer? Music Exhibitions!

Music exhibitions captivate audiences with visuals and sound to explore the rich histories of music; from the pioneers that shaped their genres to modern influences of music. They educate, preserve, and inspire future generations.

In Northern Ireland, the Oh Yeah centre is the heart of Belfast’s music community. They document the country’s rich music past from folk to Rock n’ roll, to jazz and indie alternative music. With excusive memorabilia and audio-visual displays, the exhibit has great potential to be further expanded and developed. With the right support, the Oh Yeah Music Centre can become a world-class facility, and join other facilities across the globe, that document their countries’ rich historical past and their influences on the global music scene:

Let's take a look at some other exhibits around the world:

British Music Experience, Liverpool, United Kingdom:

The British Music experience is the largest exhibit of British music and pays homage to the diverse array of genres and artists that have left a mark on the global music scene. From the swinging sixties to the punk revolution, and the birth of Britpop, visitors can experience interactive displays, galleries with rare memorabilia, audio visual experiences and hologram performances. Interested in playing music? Then ‘The Gibson Brands interactive studio experience’ allows you to learn and play a variety of instruments from electric, acoustic, and bass guitars to Roland drums and synthesisers. Or If you are ready to put your dancing shoes on, then the ‘Dance The Decades’ booth allows you to learn 12 iconic dance styles from the last 70 years. The exhibit offers various opportunities to advance the appreciation and education of the science, history, and art of music.

Australian Music Vault, Melbourne, Australia

Across the globe, the Australian Music Vault lies within the Arts Centre Melbourne, and is a place of storytelling by First Nations people. The exhibit first launched in 2017, after receiving $8.3 million in funding from the Victorian government, and attracted 100,000 people in just its opening six weeks! With over 30,000 contemporary music objects, posters, personal memorabilia, archival footage, and there is so much to explore! They also have immersive digital experiences, including a mixtape experience, where you can create your own playlist throughout the exhibit to take home, thanks to their partnership with Spotify. With over 250 artists on display, there is truly something for everyone!

Musical Crossroads, Washington, USA:

Located within the National Museum of African American History and Cultures, Musical Crossroads explores the intertwining styles and music of African American culture. The exhibit highlights how African American music provides a voice for liberty, justice and social change, and new modes of American expression brought forth new traditions, styles, and beliefs. Established by an Act of Congress in 2003, they aim to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans, through contextual themes and genres, that have been silenced through time. 

Every genre of music has a story to tell, and there are various museums dedicated to specific genres:

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Nashville, USA:

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is the epicentre of country music. The museum celebrates iconic country artists, such as Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, and Dolly Parton, and holds over 2.5 million artefacts, including instruments, stage costumes, gold, platinum and diamond records from the stars and Elvis Presley's Gold Cadillac! In 2019, they saw over 114,400 museum visitors: now that's a busy museum! The Hall of Fame also sees the celebration of country music by the Country Music Association, where each year three new members are selected to join the greats, inducted since 1961.

National Blues Museum, St Louis, Missouri, USA:

The National Blues Museum preserves the legacy of blues music and honours the roots of the early days of blues in the1900s, to its mainstream success from the 1960s to 1980s, through storyboards, artefacts, and photographs. If you want to get involved in the blues scene, you can compose your own song, or join in their blues jams every Thursday from 6 to 9 pm. The museum provides a leading source of blues-based American music education and entertainment for all.

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio, USA:

Come and explore the evolution of rock in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. From the pioneers of the genre, to the newly emerging musicians of today, Rock Hall has it all. Learn about the history of the genre in different cities, their sub-genres, and the chronological storytelling. With frequently rotating exhibits to display, there is always something new and interesting to explore.

On level 3, the hall of fame is the highest honour of the rock, which sees new inductees each year, including artists and non-performing industry professionals who hold major influence in developing the growth of rock & roll. With frequent updates to accommodate the ever-changing nature of rock-and-roll, the museum celebrates the journey of the rock and roll industry.

There are also entire museums dedicated to singular groups and artists:

Bob Marley Museum, Kingston, Jamaica

In Bob Marley’s former place of residence, you will find the Bob Marley Museum. The guided tour takes you round his house, the exhibition hall, theatre, gift shop, and the One Love Café, and is filled with treasured memorabilia of a reggae legend, including a life size 3-dimensional hologram of Bob Marley from the One Love Peace Concert in 1978, and an array of gold and platinum records he received from around the world. 

Abba The Museum, Stockholm, Sweden

The Abba Museum is dedicated entirely to the internationally acclaimed Swedish pop group, Abba. Their dynamic stage presence and catchy harmonies make them beloved by all ages, from their Eurovision win in 1974 to successful jukebox musical and film, Mamma Mia. In the museum, you can learn about the lives and careers of Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Frida through original clothing, fan letters, furniture pieces and photographs. If you are interested in becoming a fifth member of Abba, you can join them on their hologram stage experience!

The exhibit also currently features, their temporary Voyage exhibition has been open since 2023, including the creation of the album. With consistently updating the exhibits, the museum aims to preserve and publicly display objects of all kinds, related to the music group ABBA and to Swedish music life.

No matter where you are in the world, music is important to everyone. 

Here in Northern Ireland, opportunities in the music scene can only be expanded. The Oh Yeah Music Centre contains many artefacts through the decades-long Irish music scene. The centre currently holds a series of storyboards documenting the great achievers of Northern Irish music, and exclusive rock n’ roll memorabilia, such as Gary Lightbody’s Fender guitar that he used to write Run and Chasing Cars. With more funding, the venue could only be improved, and create a world-class facility.

So, what else is in store for the future of Belfast’s Oh Yeah Music Centre?

Elizabeth Wisoner is recent Journalism Placement at Oh Yeah from University of Ulster, “I really enjoyed working at Oh Yeah over the past 6 weeks and I feel like I've taken away really great knowledge on the music industry, and writing in depth.”