NORTHERN SOUL
Keep the Faith
Northern Soul is not a music genre — it is a scene and cultural phenomenon built around a specific type of record.
Northern Soul emerged in Northern England in the late 1960s from the remnants of the mod scene. It was built around a very specific type of record: obscure Black American soul music from the mid-1960s, largely from small, independent record labels that were commercial flops in their time and place.
Characterized by heavy syncopated beats, fast tempos, rarity, and an obsessive devotion to dancing, Northern Soul became an underground, working-class cultural phenomenon. It was anti-mainstream, anti-charts, and fiercely independent of London's cultural dominance. The scene was built by coal miners, factory workers, and young people seeking escapism from industrial decline.
For over five decades, Northern Soul has endured as a living scene — evolving through venue closures, international expansion, and cultural shifts. It has given rise to a global community of collectors, DJs, dancers, and historians united by the "Keep the Faith" motto and the iconic clenched fist logo.
Explore the Scene
Soul Music
Origins, foundations, and the sound that started it all
What Is Northern Soul
Definition, identity, and the story behind the movement
The Club Scene
Venues, all-nighters, and the relay race of dance floors
DJs & Figures
The tastemakers, collectors, and architects of the scene
The Music
Records, tracks, and the hunt for rare sounds
Culture
Dance, fashion, identity, and the social landscape
Record Collecting
Vinyl hunting, rarity economics, and the collector culture
Legacy & Modern Scene
Global expansion, evolution, and the scene today
Resources
Books, films, links, and further reading
1963
Year it began
1,000,000+
Through Wigan's doors
£25,742
Rarest record sold
50+
Years enduring
"Built from failures — music made by hundreds of singers copying the Detroit/Motown sound that were commercial flops in their time and place.