TURNING MUSIC, FILM, AND POLITICS INTO TUBE MAP TIMELINES

How Mike Bell Turns Discographies into Tube Map Art Prints

I recently sat down with Sam Knowles on The Data Malarkey Podcast to talk about how I build Mike Bell Maps: tube map-style artworks that turn complicated cultural history into something you can actually read, follow, and enjoy.

If you have ever looked at a band’s discography and thought, “There’s a story here, but it’s scattered across decades, line-ups, sessions, and side projects”, that is exactly the problem my maps are designed to solve.

The interview is a delve into why I make these maps, how I research them, and what happens when you treat albums, scenes, and events as stations on a network.  A summary of the chat sits below:

What we covered in the interview

1) From live tours and events to data-led art

Before Mike Bell Maps, my working life revolved around complex production. Tour logistics, corporate events, exhibitions, and the constant need to make moving parts behave. That background trained my brain to think in systems, timelines, and dependencies. The podcast touches on how that practical mindset became the foundation for the way I now visualise music and culture.

2) Why the London Underground style works

The Tube map is a familiar visual language. It is built for navigation, not decoration. Once you borrow that visual grammar, you can turn messy human history into a readable network:

• Albums become stations
• Musicians become connecting lines
• Bands and eras become branches, interchanges, and termini
• Your own listening becomes a route you can take, not a list you forget

That is why these are not posters. They are navigable timelines.

3) The research process: verifying before I draw

In the interview, I talk about the part people do not see: the verification. I cross-check the credits, line-ups, and sources before anything becomes “real” on the map, because once it is on the artwork, it needs to stand up to fan scrutiny. My first big test case was The Fall, and their fanbase kept me honest while I learned what “accurate enough” really means.

Why mapping an album is harder than mapping a band

One of the most useful ideas in the conversation is the difference between:

• Band history maps (who is in the band, and when)
• Album and track-level maps (who played what, on which track, and how roles change)

In a trailer snippet, I explain how mapping a studio album forces you to track contributions at the track level, not just the “band member” level, using The Rolling Stones’ Goats Head Soup as an example of how complicated the real story can get.

That is also why my maps can change how you listen. They show that “the band” is often a much bigger cast than the front cover suggests.

Beyond music: film and political timelines

Once the method worked for bands, it naturally expanded.

In the episode, we talk about applying the same approach to:

• Films and film genres, where characters, scenes, and timelines need to be readable at a glance
• Politics, where careers and scandals unfold like branching storylines

Sam mentions one of his favourite examples: a tube map of Boris Johnson’s political career, including a dedicated line for lockdown-breaking parties.

Parkinson’s, resilience, and the role of daily creativity

The interview also covers something more personal.

I talk about how a Parkinson’s diagnosis pushed me toward a simple rule: keep the brain working. The podcast description references that “use it or lose it” mindset, and how staying mentally active has been part of how I have approached the condition.

This is not presented as medical advice. It is simply my lived experience of what creative work can do when you commit to it daily.

The spreadsheet mindset, and why it matters

Near the end, we get into the real engine behind the maps: spreadsheets.

Sam quotes my attempt to describe spreadsheets to my grandmother, using an image of “boxes floating” that you can connect with “data strings”. That is basically the whole Mike Bell Maps process in one metaphor: structured containers, connected relationships, and the relief of making something finally make sense.

If you are new here, start like this

If you are landing on MikeBellMaps.com because of the interview, here is the simplest way to enjoy the work:

• Pick a subject you already love
• Start at one album station you know well
• Follow one musician's line outward until you hit a name you do not recognise
• Let that become your next listen, your next film, your next rabbit hole

That is the point of the maps. They turn fandom into discovery.

 

FAQ

What is The Data Malarkey Podcast episode about?

It is a conversation with Sam Knowles about how Mike Bell Maps turns cultural history into London Underground-style map visualisations, plus the personal story behind why I started.

Who is Mike Bell Maps for?

Fans who care about detail. If you love credits, line-ups, timelines, and the hidden connections behind the work, these prints are designed for you.

Are the maps accurate?

They are research-led and built from verified sources before anything is drawn, because the map has to hold up when the most knowledgeable fans look closely.