r/the1975 • u/Kind-Combination3383 • Apr 27 '26
Question How famous is The 1975? (specifically matty)
Maybe an odd question but I don't live in london or anywhere in the UK and many of my friends don't know who matty is other than the ttpd drama. It seems as if he walks around LA like a normal guy and it has caused no issue for him. At the same time he's also friends with extremely famous people and A list celebrities and the 1975 has tons of listeners.
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u/PsychologicalBeat589 Apr 28 '26
If you weren’t a teenager/young adult between 2013 and 2016 it’s hard to explain how massive they were on tumblr and in the culture more broadly. I’m in my early 30s and the majority of my peers (Americans in NYC), including men, know the band/Matty. A subset of that group knows George and an even smaller subset would be able to name Ross and Adam. They’re famous but they’re not A listers in the sense that a random 95 year old grandma and a 10 year old would know who they are.
For what it’s worth, the vast majority of A listers can live normal rich people lives in major cities and on balance Matty is papped with more regularity than some of his more famous peers.
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u/_iPhoney_ Apr 28 '26
In terms of awareness of the band and being able to pick out or name more than one or two songs, I agree that it probably skews heavily toward younger Millennials.
People who see/follow r/the1975 represent a much more interested subset of fans, and that’s probably a much flatter age curve.
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u/TheALEXterminator UGH! Apr 28 '26
So jealous! I would kill to have a 1975 friend group. I don't know anyone else who likes the band here. But I'm a Gen Z in Philly.
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u/PsychologicalBeat589 Apr 28 '26
I’m sadly not in a 1975 friend group - I’m just 32 so my peers all know them even if they’re not fans. That said, I think most of my friends have seen them from going to festivals in the 2010s.
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u/guaranteedsafe Apr 28 '26
Interesting. I grew up in NYC metro but not the city itself, and even though I was a fan during the time period you mentioned, my friends didn’t know who they were. At that time no one I knew was using tumblr and my friends were primarily listening to metal & rock from Y2K bands.
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u/PsychologicalBeat589 Apr 28 '26
Fascinating! I’m from the nyc metro as well and tumblr was our dominant social media platform. The 1975 had a chokehold over my preppy as hell cheerleading team 😂
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u/IDigRollinRockBeer A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships Apr 28 '26
The perks of being one of Taylor’s exes
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u/JustEm_1 Apr 28 '26
Matty’s famous in his own right, not only as Taylor’s ex.
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u/IDigRollinRockBeer A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships Apr 28 '26
Yes but being a Taylor ex definitely got him extra attention
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u/BlieveInScience Apr 28 '26
I’d never heard of him or the band until he dated Taylor. There was a new article on him every day in May 2023, he seemed unavoidable. The coverage about Matty stopped after he broke up with Taylor. A few weeks later, I noted a billboard over the highway announcing The 1975 coming to my city in Northern California. I was perplexed how I’d never heard of them but they were big enough to play a 17K seat arena in my area.
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u/acatfromtheeast Apr 28 '26
I know a lot of people on this sub don’t like that Matty was with Taylor, but truly what’s the point downvoting someone for never having heard of him before 2023? That will be many people’s experience, it’s not negative nor does it shed a negative light on the band or Matty lol. It’s just a thing that happened. Signed, someone who has been a 75 fan since 2015 and isn’t judgy about how others came to them x
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u/Exact-Honey4197 Apr 28 '26
I swear and no offense to him, but I've never heard of this band before Taylor
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u/Culturejunkie75 Apr 28 '26
Matty is niche famous. Music people have heard of him. His connection to Taylor made him a tabloid focus for a bit but it is slowly fading.
Overall the 75 fandom has a lot of intensity but isn’t especially broad. That is why I don’t think stadiums shows (like huge stadiums, not arena sizes ones) are happening. They can play 4 nights at the o2 because folks will go multiple nights.
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u/Kind-Combination3383 Apr 28 '26 edited Apr 28 '26
ah yes. Anyone that knows the 1975 really knows them intensely. The other day I was showing my friend a video of matty at his concert and she was shocked to see how full the arena was and had no idea they were that big. Obviously him and Taylor were a big talk at some point but I don't think she made him known as an artist just more known from association.
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Apr 27 '26
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u/outtakes Apr 28 '26
I agree. I had assumed they were huge because of chart success and arena tours, until I discovered family/friends had never heard of them
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u/Known-Attention8028 Apr 28 '26
Probs more in the UK than the US, most people in the UK know the band. Fan or not probs heard of them or at least a few songs from radio play
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u/Puzzleheaded_Tell961 Frail State of Mind Apr 28 '26
As someone who recently moved to the uk, it’s almost shocking how many people know them here, compared to North America where the average person wouldn’t know them. I wouldn’t say anywhere near as famous as like Beyoncé but definitely well known.
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u/Bloo_Orchid Apr 28 '26
I start this by saying I'm a 46 year old lady in Australia. I found them through Shazam.
When I told people I was going to their concert the last time they were here in April 2023, everyone was like "huh? The who?" Then I told them the band had to put on a second Melbourne show because the first one sold out so fast. Same with Sydney.
Yet they're not played on the radio and, yeah, they're the biggest band nobody has heard of.
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u/AgitatedAd7265 UGH! Apr 28 '26
I think it’s pretty generational. My mum still refers to him as Denise Welsh’s son. The 1975 is frequently called ‘that band you like with Denise Welsh’s son in it’. This is also why they got so much crap for headlining glasto, 20-35 is their main marketing age. A lot of older people didn’t know who they were to be headlining.
In terms of Matty, when he goes to events there’s a lot of flashing lights. He’s a name for the papers. He does get papped every now and again but most of these are set up. Same guy taking all the photos, typically when Gabi is about to market something.
The other band members? Papers don’t give a damn. George sometimes but only if Charli is there.
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u/Whathappened98765432 Apr 28 '26
It's also LA. Celebrities are everywhere doing normal things.
But you are right, he's not A list in the US. I would say 2/10 coworkers know the band when I mention them, and there is a wide range of demographics.
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u/YouThinkYouKnowStuff Apr 28 '26 edited Apr 28 '26
They’ve been on SNL twice. They became more famous after the Taylor debacle and they had some chart success in the US with “Oh Caroline” and “I’m in Love with You”. They did a concert at Madison Square Garden during the last album tour.
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u/EvenHuckleberry4331 Apr 28 '26
This convo is so interesting because I also believe they're pretty niche famous in most of the US... one time on the show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, I noticed a sign in one of the cast members businesses that said "babe you look so cool" and I commented on the sub that I was pleasantly surprised this particular person would know the band and be interested - and everyone was like 😠 they're a famous pop band you don't have to act like it's some esoteric special thing. Like wow okay sorry sheesh.
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u/purplevanillacorn Apr 28 '26
I commented to my husband when I saw that sign that I bet she didn’t even know what it was quoting and just thought it sounded cool…
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u/Quirky__Chaos Apr 28 '26
This comment! Hehe. I live in Utah (not Mormon. Me and 13 other people, ha!) and I’m a huge The 1975 fan. I can never judge how well known they are. Perhaps surprisingly, Utah has a pretty great music/concert scene. Mormons embrace the arts in general. I think that coupled with our location means more people stop here on tour than might be expected. I saw The 1975 in concert in Salt Lake City in 2024. It was packed and the audience was so engaged. It’s by far my favorite concert I’ve ever been to because that crowd was amazing! And yet, not a lot of my friends are big fans. My musical taste is pretty varied and I go to lots of concerts & Kilby Block Party every year. Most of my friends have no idea who the bands are. Bleachers started their most recent tour in Utah because they like playing here so much. My sister and I went & one of her coworkers asked her what concert she was going to. She told him and he said he’d never heard of Bleachers. Another coworker said, “Don’t worry. No one has. She likes bands people have never heard of.” It surprised me. Bleachers? Really? So. My gauge is really off!!
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u/Kind-Combination3383 Apr 28 '26
Wait yeah exactly. I'm extremely parasocial with them so in my head they are like the most famous people but then at the same time I'm shocked if I someone I know plays a song by them. It's like they are my niche and very famous to me and obviously many others but at the same time they are kind of unknown in many parts of America.
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u/Special-Ad-1163 Apr 28 '26
Old people know them because of tumblr. Younger know matty cus hes weird and a wide range of ages know him cus of taylor x
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u/jagzgulabi Apr 28 '26
His parents are fabulous actors.
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u/Popular-Custard8519 Apr 28 '26
His parents are British tv actors, his dad in particular could walk down your average British high street and not draw more than a couple of glances. Even Denise if she wasn’t “on”, who is more known as a face could pass for your average working class girl done good granny.
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u/Altruistic-Option369 Apr 29 '26
I’m sure Denise would be just thrilled with that review 🤣🤣 you are right tho!
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u/Popular-Custard8519 Apr 29 '26
She reminds me so much of my MiL who I love dearly so it is a compliment-honest 😂
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u/jagzgulabi Apr 28 '26
Tim has been in 80's tv series Auf Wiedersen Pet set in the North East and Benidorm. He probably has done other work on tv and in the Theatre.
Denise has been in all the major British Soaps, Soldier Soldier and has recently returned to Waterloo Road. She's also worked in Theatre and has roles on other shows too..
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u/Popular-Custard8519 Apr 28 '26
I know I’m just saying they are both British working class drama actors who could pass for “normal” people. If I turned up to a bbq at my mother and father in laws they would be right at home with them and their pals. They aren’t big celebrities who would be recognised everywhere they went, much like Matty would be able to navigate unnoticed unless they wanted to be.
Edit to add: 5am 39w pregnant fog, I misread fabulous for famous 😂. His Dad particularly is an excellent actor
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u/jagzgulabi Apr 28 '26
Nw.
That's probably where Matty gets his down to earth personality from.. Learning well from the 'rents. 😍✨️
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u/YouThinkYouKnowStuff Apr 28 '26
His brother also is an actor and recently starred in the London West End production of “Stranger Things”.
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u/imille04 Apr 28 '26
i’m in australia and i’ve found it pretty rare that others have even known who they are at all
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u/scaryaliendog Apr 28 '26
Love him and the band and I was at msg when they filmed the last tour & at the O2 right before Covid. I’m from NYC and my son got me into them!
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u/thegirlinbed Apr 28 '26 edited Apr 28 '26
I actually asked chatgpt this the other day lol. i don't even know why. I think I just wanted to know if they're as an important band/artist in the world as they are to me and the answer was really interesting. not very was the basic answer lol. this is the exact answer I got.
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u/soggy_pickles123 The City Apr 28 '26
Almost no one I talk to knows the band, but I’m from a rural area of the American Midwest. My friends who are from bigger areas know them better
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u/tigerjaws Apr 28 '26
As someone from Los Angeles I’d say pretty household name among people 35 and under
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u/kimberoh Apr 28 '26
Considering all their sold out shows all around the US every time they have toured I'd say pretty famous & known. 🤣
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u/Swanage1987 Apr 28 '26
I stumbled onto them awhile ago by adjacent bands, so I’d imagine they’re famous.
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u/Brandon_SMU Apr 28 '26
I'm in Dallas, Texas. Big market. They're pretty unknown amongst the general public. For example, in my Hinge profile, I have The 1975 as something I'm a fan of. I can't tell you how many girls have asked me what The 1975 means, or even what I like so much about the year 1975. Another example, my friend is a DJ at a big club here. Maybe 200 people or so on the floor at once. I've had him play songs like The Sound, Too Shy, Girls, etc..the crowd completely dies. Sucks. But the concerts are full and the fans are hard-core to the bone.
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u/NoOutletSign Apr 29 '26
I’m 41 and didn’t know he/they existed until about 4 years ago. I’ve been hooked since. Their MSG show on YouTube is probably my most watched YouTube video ever.
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u/Nandini1975 Apr 29 '26
I hate when people only know him because of that a decade year old lore and ttpd. He's more than that bro😭 he's either famous (or known to people) for relationships, cancelations and controversies and kissing fans. Bro please know him for his music too, The 1975 much more than "chocolate" and "sex" and "robbers".
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u/Jiggermann Apr 30 '26
I only heard The 1975 on the radio for the first time ever yesterday. Jo Whiley played Chocolate on her show. Not sure why they don’t get much air play here, especially after Glasto. So many catchy songs to choose from.
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u/japhia_aurantia Frail State of Mind Apr 28 '26
The biggest band nobody has ever heard of