Artist News Business News Industry People

Influential music Twitterers named by The Independent

By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 2 March 2012

The Independent yesterday published its annual list of the top 100 most influential Twitter users, which shows a shift in the ‘balance of power’ in music. Or something like that. Whatever, Tinchy Stryder, Lily Allen, Mark Ronson and Marina And The Diamonds aren’t on the overall influencer list any more, but Olly Murs and Harry Styles are. Hang your head in shame, Twitter.

Murs is in at 20, while One Direction’s Styles is close behind at 22. Gary Barlow and Elbow frontman Guy Garvey meanwhile sit together in joint 43rd place. The top ten is also full of, erm, more music people. Former Xfm presenter Ricky Gervais and Radio 1’s Chris Moyles are joint fourth, and BRITs host James Corden is joint tenth. What? Yeah, I know we don’t like any of them, but they all have a vague connection to music so I’m claiming them as ‘ours’. You’ve got to take what you can get.

Independent Editor Chris Blackhurst said of the list: “This year’s 100 shows Twitter’s massive growth to become a major source of news content. The influx of populist names further shows the speed at which Twitter can break mainstream stories directly through individuals themselves”.

So, there you go. The list was compiled in conjunction with online influence measurer PeerIndex, which is mildly better than doing it with its rival Klout, which currently claims I’m particularly influential about ‘postcard’.

Here’s the top ten:

1 Richard Branson
2= Sarah Brown
2= Alan Carr
4= Ricky Gervais
4= Rob Brydon
4= Chris Moyles
4= Jamie Oliver
8 Eddie Izzard
9 Derren Brown
10 Jack Wilshere
10= James Corden
10= Stephen Fry