What Is a Music Map?

March 15, 2025 Mike Bell

Each Music Map is an innovative tool that reveals the music world’s relationships, histories, and connections. I have taken that concept in another direction by using the transit map format to show the interconnections between band members, session musicians, guests, and other artists across the creation of band and solo musician studio albums.

Framed print showcasing Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' album and lineup history.

Turning complex data into engaging visuals, they help users explore genres, artists, and movements.

Whether you’re a casual listener or a die-hard enthusiast, these creations offer a fresh perspective on music’s evolution.

Music Map Types

These visual aids come in various styles, each providing a unique lens on musical history. Here are the main types:

Genre Evolution Maps
These trace how jazz, rock, and hip-hop styles developed and influenced one another over time.
Artist Connection Maps
Focused on musicians, they highlight collaborations, shared band members, and producer ties linking artists.
Geographical Music Maps
Pinpointing music scenes, these show origins like the Mississippi Delta for blues or London for punk.
Lyric or Song-Themed Maps
These tie songs or albums to specific places, themes, or historical events mentioned in the lyrics.
The Underground-Style Music Map
Inspired by transit systems like the London Tube, these artistic diagrams connect bands, albums, and line-ups. I craft tube-style designs that blend research with stunning visuals.

Why Data Maps Are So Captivating

Their versatility and depth make them appealing to many:

Music Fans: Discover hidden links between favourite artists.
Educators: Use them as interactive aids for teaching music history.
Collectors & Art Lovers: Enjoy these as unique, collectable pieces.
Data Enthusiasts: Appreciate the clear display of intricate relationships.

Maps as Collectable Art

At Mike Bell Maps, I create underground-style designs that turn musical narratives into eye-catching art. Available as prints, puzzles, and cards, they’re perfect gifts or collector’s items. Each piece tells a story—be it a band’s recording journey or a genre’s evolution.

Where to Find Any Music Map

You can find these creations through independent artists, online platforms, and speciality galleries. For my original tube-style work, check out my Manchester Bands collection, or let me know some new subjects—I’ll try to match you to the perfect piece!

Ready to Explore A Music Map?

These visual tools offer a creative way to connect with the sounds and stories you love. Whether tracing genre origins or collecting art celebrating musical history, there’s something for everyone. Need personalised recommendations? Just ask!

Back to Mike Bell Maps - Various Posts

ABOUT MIKE BELL - TUBE MAP DESIGNER

Mike Bell Maps is my growing collection of tube map art prints that reimagine music, movies, and history through the visual language of underground maps.

Each detailed design presents albums in order, film plots, and complex creative histories as clear, engaging tube-style timelines created for fans who value depth and research in their favourite subjects.

RESEARCH-LED DESIGN

Every artwork is built on original research and careful verification. Albums become stations. Musicians, characters, and ideas form connecting lines. This approach turns detailed information into visual storytelling, creating art prints that bring clarity and meaning to subjects people already care about.

George Harrison unique art print gift for fans: Mike Bell transit map style of albums and musicians.

MY STORY

My background is rooted in live sound and large-scale show design, working across music and cultural events for many years. That experience shaped how I understand collaboration, creative evolution, and structure. During lockdown, I applied that knowledge to mapping music and films, developing underground maps that balance accuracy, design, and narrative.

THE ARTWORK

Each print is produced to archival standards and designed to last. These are not novelty posters. They are considered art prints created for people who value music history, film structure, and informed design. They make thoughtful gifts for fans who want something personal, researched, and meaningful.

The Shining film plot lines and character tube map art print, showing every scene as a station and every character as a tube line.

Mike Bell Maps is where research-led tube maps become art prints, and where stories worth knowing are mapped clearly, carefully, and beautifully.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: What are Mike Bell’s tube map art prints?

A: My prints utilise an advanced visual language based on the logic of underground maps to organise complex histories. By moving beyond basic cartography, I transform albums into "stations" and musicians or themes into "connecting lines." This allows fans to explore hundreds of data points - from session musician credits to chronological collaborations - within a single, intuitive visual system.

Q: How do these maps differ from standard music or tube posters?

A: The primary difference is information density and quality. While standard posters are often low-resolution decorative pieces on thin paper (135-170gsm), my prints are research-led discographies printed on archival-grade, 305gsm+ heavyweight giclée paper. They are designed to be "read" like a book, rewarding deep curiosity with discoveries not found in mass-produced merchandise.

Q: How is the accuracy of the research verified?

A: Accuracy is the core of my design process. Every map is synthesised from primary sources, including official liner notes, session archives, musician interviews, and verified fan databases. By incorporating musician inputs and fact-checking against trusted archives, I ensure that each map is a historically accurate record of the subject’s career.

Q: What subjects are available in the collection?

A: The collection spans a wide range of cultural histories, including music discographies, film plots, politics, and Formula One. Each map focuses on a single narrative, presenting the whole "story" of a subject - such as the evolution of a band or the timeline of a sport- in a clear, high-density visual format.

Q: Are these prints produced sustainably?

A: Yes. I prioritise a carbon-neutral workflow by producing prints locally to the buyer to reduce the shipping footprint. I use sustainable wood frames and archival materials designed for 100+ years of colour stability, ensuring the art is a lasting investment rather than disposable décor.

Q: Why do these maps make the best gifts for music and film fans?

A: Unlike generic posters, these are bespoke cultural maps that celebrate a fan's deep knowledge. Because they are research-led and visually unique (featuring narratives not seen elsewhere), they offer a sophisticated, gallery-quality alternative for those who value the "deep dive" into their favourite artist or film.