Jarrow singer-songwriter John Miles hit top three in the charts 50 years ago with the epic single ‘Music’
00:15, 26 Apr 2026
John Miles at Gateshead International Stadium where he was appearing as musical director and guitarist in Tina Turner’s band in July 1996
It was April 1976, and the UK’s unseasonably warm weather was a prelude to the scorching heatwave that would famously arrive in the summer.
Providing a soundtrack to everyday life 50 years ago, the pop charts featured the likes of Abba singing about ‘Fernando’, 10CC with ‘I’m Mandy, Fly Me’, and Silver Convention urging us to ‘Get Up And Boogie’.
If there was a prime example of the sheer stylistic variety that characterised 1970s pop music, the song sitting at number three provided it.
At nearly six minutes, ‘Music’ was a multi-section epic – part ballad, part odd-time prog, developing into full-on orchestral rock. The man behind the tour de force was Jarrow-born singer-songwriter John Miles.
Years later, he remembered: “When we had the finished version, we knew it was going to be big. It was different to anything else coming out at the time and it was just how I wanted it.”
Melody Maker magazine at the time described Miles as “the brightest, freshest force in British rock”.
With the single, as well as the debut album ‘Rebel’, rising up the charts, John was interviewed by the Evening Chronicle in late March 1976, following a show at Newcastle’s University Theatre.
John Miles in March 1976 around the time ‘Music’ was hitting the UK charts
This was no overnight success, we reported. The musician – real name John Errington – had paid his musical dues on the way up. He left Jarrow Grammar School at 16, taking his first job in a factory engraving name plates.
“I lasted out for a year,” he told our reporter, “and then began to play music professionally. We played all over the North East, in nightclubs and workingmen’s clubs in Newcastle and Sunderland.”
Gigging up to seven nights a week amid the booming live scene of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the talented young singer/guitarist learned his craft performing in bands such as The Influence, The Urge and the John Miles Set.
In 1973, John headed for the bright lights of London, landing a record deal with Decca and scoring his first hit ‘Highfly’, which reached number 17 in the charts in late 1975. Then came ‘Music’ and further hits, including ‘Slow Down’ and ‘Remember Yesterday’.
In the years following his UK chart success, he continued to perform annually at the Night Of The Proms – a celebration of pop and classical music – at venues across Europe and the United States.
Beyond his solo career, his most high-profile gig was with Tina Turner’s touring band between 1987 and 2009. The American superstar played huge outdoor shows, featuring Miles as musical director and guitarist, at Gateshead International Stadium during world tours in the 1990s.
John also toured and recorded with Led Zeppelin guitar legend Jimmy Page, as well as performing with the likes of Joe Cocker and Stevie Wonder. “I loved working with them. They are great performers,” he said.
John Miles with his family in the early 1980s visiting his parents’ Hebburn home in his Rolls-Royce(Image: Mirrorpix)
In December 2021, news broke that John Miles had died at the age of 72. In a statement, his family said: “We are devastated to have to announce that ‘Mr Music’ John Miles sadly passed away peacefully after a very short illness. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather and we will all miss him more than any words could ever express.”
Fellow Jarrow lad Paul Thompson had found fame and fortune as drummer with Roxy Music after playing with Miles in the early days. He said: “I have so many memories of John. Even then, he was a well-respected, top-class musician and it was a big learning curve for me. He was a very unassuming man – and even though he did achieve big success, I think he should have been an even bigger star.”
Fifty years on, John Miles is still remembered for the pop landmark that was ‘Music’ – and the song’s memorable introductory lyrics: “Music was my first love and it will be my last / Music of the future and music of the past.”
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