National Rail to host surprise live gig with Ace Clvrk at Birmingham New Street Station to encourage commuters to shake up their playlists and discover new music for their journeys.

The rail industry has polled the nation’s commuters and discovered the top tracks that accompany our journeys into work, with 1982 rock anthem Eye of the Tiger by Survivor (36 percent) topping the list for commuters in Birmingham.

Work by Rihanna ft. Drake (28 percent), Happy by Pharrell Williams (25 percent), 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton (24 percent), and Queen’s I Want to Break Free (24 percent), feature in Birmingham commuters’ top 20, along with Manic Monday by The Bangles (24 percent), the iconic 1978 Gloria Gaynor hit I Will Survive (24 percent), and Lose Yourself by Eminem (23 percent).

Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter (23 percent) also made an appearance in the top 30 list, alongside Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black (24 percent).

In fact, the research, commissioned by the rail industry, found that the average Birmingham commuter listens to a staggering 360.5 hours of music over a year – the equivalent of travelling from Birmingham New Street Station to London Euston almost 197 times.

Pop (66 percent), rock (42 percent) and Hip Hop (33 percent) are the most popular genres to accompany Birmingham commuters on their way to work, according to the study, while on the way back, mellow genres like country (14 percent), reggae (17 percent) and classical (14 percent) are favourites for their journey.

More than one in three (35 percent) Birmingham commuters rely on the grooves to wake them up, with a further 29 percent turning to tunes to get them ready for the day ahead and improve their mental health (25 percent).

Music not only plays an important role in gearing the city up for the day ahead, but it also helps commuters face any challenges that might come their way in the workplace. Pop (45 percent) and rock (34 percent) are the top choices for psyching workers up for a presentation, while hip hop (18 percent) and R&B (14 percent) are go-tos when building up for difficult conversations.

Despite being a city of music-lovers and the birthplace of iconic acts Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and The Streets, almost three quarters (74 percent) admit they listen to the same music on repeat, with more than one in four (27 percent) confessing they NEVER listen to new artists on their commute. To bring the joy of live music to commuters and provide them with a unique opportunity to discover new and upcoming musical talent for their commuter playlist, the rail industry has launched a series of surprise live gigs at train stations across Britain.

Birmingham New Street Station will be host to a pop-up gig on 4 February 2025, featuring Ace Clvrk, an emerging singer-songwriter who's been making waves in the music industry, most recently reaching the live finals of Britain’s Got Talent. With his "hauntingly beautiful" vocals, Ace was hailed as a truly one-of-a-kind performer on the show, capturing the hearts of both the judges and audiences alike. Ace has amassed a large following on social media with almost 100,000 followers on TikTok alone, after a string of viral videos Busking on the streets of London, cementing him as one of the UK's most exciting new talents.

Further live gigs will be popping up over the coming weeks, introducing commuters travelling through key commuter hubs across the country to unique and up-and-coming musical talent.

To learn about the benefits of listening to different types of music on your train commute and to discover new musical talent for your commuter playlist – including an exclusive 30% discount to Sofar Sounds Shows - visit nationalrail.co.uk/topofthetracks. Nothing beats being there.