London Landmarks: A Guide for Pop Music Lovers

Camden Market: This large shopping area is name-dropped in Taylor Swift’s song “London Boy” off her album “Lover.” It’s easy to get lost in its multiple buildings and floors of vendors selling clothes, accessories, artwork and other home goods. If you’re looking for a unique souvenir to bring home, this is the place! You can even snag some fan-made Taylor Swift or Harry Styles merch!

One Direction’s “Take Me Home” phone booth: The cover of One Direction’s second album “Take Me Home” shows Harry, Louis, Liam, Niall and Zayn surrounding one of London’s iconic red phone booths. You can see it for yourself at the Hard Rock Cafe in Piccadilly Circus. While you’re in the area, take in the bright lights and signs! Piccadilly Circus is known as “The Times Square of London.”

Tower Bridge: This famous London landmark is featured in One Direction’s music video for “Midnight Memories.” You can get a great photo on either side of the River Thames. If you’re not afraid of heights, go up the lifts (elevators) to see beautiful views of London and stroll the walkways with glass floors! You can pay for a general admission ticket or a 90-minute tour.

The Barbican Centre: This performing arts theater is the setting for Harry Styles’ “As It Was” music video. It’s also close to many of my favorite London sites: Sky Garden, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Spitalfields Market.

Abbey Road: Before One Direction, NSYNC or the Backstreet Boys, the girls went crazy over The Beatles. Their 1969 album “Abbey Road” is a real street you can visit and is a few steps away from the famous Abbey Road Studios. Be careful taking your photo at the crosswalk as this is a very busy road! Unfortunately, you can only see Abbey Road Studios from the sidewalk because it is a place of business. Musicians like Harry Styles, Adele and Sam Smith have all popped in to record. Nextdoor is the Abbey Road Shop, where you can check out music memorabilia and shop for Abbey Road and The Beatles merchandise.

Wembley Stadium: If you need a reason to travel to London, buy a ticket for a concert at Wembley Stadium for an electric experience! It’s the largest stadium in the United Kingdom and the second-largest in Europe, with a capacity of 90,000 people. I attended Harry Styles’ Love on Tour here and I can say the crowd energy was incredible! The stadium is easily accessible via London’s Underground. Other great London venues include The O2 and Royal Albert Hall.

The Black Dog: Some may recognize this name as a song title from Taylor Swift’s album “The Tortured Poets Department,” but it’s actually a real pub in the Vauxhall area. In her song, Swift describes her ex-lover forgetting to turn his location off, so while she’s handling heartbreak, she’s curious about what he’s doing at The Black Dog. The pub has fully embraced this song and has added artwork related to the song to its walls. Snap a photo to show off to your swiftie friends and make a reservation to try The Black Dog’s delicious food!

Nando’s: If you’re a One Direction fan, you likely know about Nando’s. This South African chicken chain can be found everywhere in London and is growing its presence in the United States. You’ll have to make several visits to try all of their sauces with the peri-peri grilled chicken. The medium sauce is my favorite!