For generations of Liverpool rock fans, a trip to the Swan Inn has meant two things: a good pint and a few quid in the jukebox. The famous city centre pub, which recently reopened under new owners after a refurbishment, is home to one of Liverpool's most iconic jukeboxes. Packed with more than 1,000 songs across 100 CDs, it remains at the heart of the venue's identity, drawing queues of customers eager to soundtrack their night with everything from heavy metal classics to rock anthems.
General Manager Reveals Top Tracks
General manager Fran Harvey, 30, from Wallasey, has revealed the tracks that Swan regulars return to time and time again. According to Fran, the jukebox is one of the pub's defining features and something customers were keen to see preserved when the venue reopened.
"It's the Swan, I suppose, isn't it? The jukebox is iconic," he told the ECHO. "I remember going there when I was younger, when I was in university. We'd go drink in the Swan and put some quids in the jukebox and listen to the tracks you wanted to choose. I think maybe that's the thing about it, choosing your tracks. You get to listen to what you want to put on. It's got a decent variety as well, so there's bits for everyone."
New Owners Keep Rock Bar Vibe
The Swan reopened around two months ago after being taken over by Dominic and Fiona Hornsby, who also own other Liverpool pubs, including the Bridewell, the Pen Factory, and the Denbigh Castle. According to Fran, the venue's loyal customer base has welcomed the new era because the pub has stayed true to its roots.
"We've not made it an Irish bar or a wine bar or anything like that. It's still a rock bar, essentially at its core," he said. "All the customers have been fantastic, they're massively supportive. I think they're happy that the pub has kept its vibe and stayed open."
Top 5 Most-Played Jukebox Songs
Asked which tracks get played more than any others, Fran said one song stands above the rest.
1. War Pigs - Black Sabbath
Fran said: "That is definitely number one. You hear that every day." The manager added that "plenty" of Black Sabbath tracks get selected, but War Pigs is the song he hears more than any other.
2. Thunderstruck - AC/DC
Another staple of the Swan's jukebox, Fran said Thunderstruck is played "all the time" by customers.
3. Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
The classic Led Zeppelin track remains a firm favourite among the pub's regulars.
4. No One Knows – Queens of the Stone Age
Representing a slightly newer generation of rock music, the Queens of the Stone Age hit regularly finds its way into the queue.
5. Master of Puppets - Metallica
Fran said Metallica's legendary track is played "a hell of a lot" and comfortably earns its place among the pub's most popular songs.
Diverse Crowd, Diverse Playlist
While those tracks stand out, Fran said narrowing the list down was difficult because of the pub's diverse crowd. "You've got your really heavy metal, like Death and Machine Head, then you've got like thrash metal with Metallica, classic metal with the likes of Led Zeppelin and Sabbath, then you've got newer stuff, like hardcore with Turnstile and Malevolence, and then classic rock, like Guns N' Roses, Fleetwood Mac, Prince, and then even softer stuff, like Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen. So it does like cover everything."
Other songs regularly heard ringing around the pub include Rain by The Cult, Paradise City by Guns N Roses, and Deftones tracks Be Quiet and Drive and Change (In the House of Flies).
One Song Removed After Overplay
A big Metallica fan, Fran said his favourite songs are Fade to Black and Sanitarium, but his choice on the jukebox is The Gift of Guilt by Gojira. But when asked whether he ever gets tired of listening to the same tracks, he said one song stands out. "The first weekend that we took over, I heard Let the Bodies Hit the Floor by Drowning Pool at least 20 times in one day, so I just took it out of the jukebox. I can't hear it anymore. It ruined the song for me immediately. We'll put it back in eventually. But I think that's the good thing about it being CD-based is that you can just rotate."
Queues and Leftover Tunes
The popularity of the jukebox means customers can be left fighting to hear their song choice. Fran said: "There's always a queue. The funny thing is, on a Saturday night when you're absolutely rammed, you'll turn the jukebox off and lock up, then come back the next morning and there'll still be two or three hours of leftover tunes just playing the next morning, where people sadly didn't get to hear their tunes that night."
The machine itself has become something of a rarity. Unlike modern digital systems, the Swan's jukebox remains CD-based, with Fran saying there is reportedly only one specialist repairer capable of fixing it if it breaks down. "It's the unique selling point, I suppose, as well as good ale. You can't take the jukebox out of the Swan or the Karl Marx photo."
For Fran, the machine's enduring popularity sums up exactly what has made the pub a Liverpool institution for so long. "Everyone just enjoys listening to their niche music in a pub and enjoying a good pint. I think that's the essence of the Swan."
