Bruce Springsteen and Jessie Buckley among names announced for Shane Macgowan tribute album

A major new tribute album celebrating the legacy of Shane MacGowan will bring together some of the biggest names in Irish and international music, from Bruce Springsteen to Hozier, to reinterpret the songs of the legendary Pogues frontman.

The project, titled '20th Century Paddy – The Songs of Shane MacGowan', is due for release on November 13 and features dozens of artists performing new versions of MacGowan’s iconic catalogue.

Among those taking part are Jessie Buckley, Tom Waits, Primal Scream, The Libertines, Johnny Depp and Imelda May, alongside several Irish musicians and the surviving members of The Pogues.

The first preview of the record has already arrived, with Springsteen releasing a cover of the Pogues classic “A Rainy Night in Soho.”

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Springsteen also paid tribute to MacGowan’s songwriting in an accompanying essay, praising the raw honesty and emotional depth of his work.

MacGowan, who died in 2023 aged 65, was widely regarded as one of the most distinctive songwriters in Irish music, blending traditional Irish influences with punk energy in songs that captured both humour and heartbreak.

The album will include a number of collaborations between artists. One of the most anticipated is a duet between Hozier and Jessie Buckley, while Depp teams up with Imelda May for another track.

The project also brings together artists from across different generations and genres, reflecting MacGowan’s wide influence on folk, rock and alternative music.

The album has been organised with the involvement of MacGowan’s widow, Victoria Mary Clarke, who said the contributions from so many artists felt like a heartfelt tribute to his legacy.

Half of the royalties from the release will be donated to the Dublin Simon Community, a charity supporting people experiencing homelessness.

MacGowan’s songwriting produced some of the most enduring songs in Irish music, including “Fairytale of New York”, “A Pair of Brown Eyes” and “If I Should Fall from Grace with God.”

With artists from across the world now revisiting those songs, 20th Century Paddy aims to underline the lasting impact of a musician whose work continues to resonate decades after it was written.