It helped shape the careers of famous sons and daughters like Dylan Thomas and Catherine Zeta Jones, but Swansea has also has played a role in some of the rock and pop's most famous names.
On their rise to to the top, several platinum selling megastars and rock legends of the future have taken to the stage in the city - which makes an impressive list (and would also make one hell of a festival bill).
Here's some of notable gigs in the city that went under the radar at the time
The Sex Pistols
Just weeks before their expletive laden stint on Bill Grundy's TV show propelled them to nationwide notoriety, The Pistols played to one man and his dog in Bubbles in Swansea, in September 1976. Much like their gig at the Manchester Free Trade Hall months earlier, many more would later claim to have been there.
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The Faces
The group which launched the careers of Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood were known for their partying and good time rock n roll - and often performed with a bar on stage. The brought the booze and the tunes to the Kingsway's The Top Rank in 1970.
Genesis
The prog-rock band have sold upwards of 100 million albums, and won a lorry load of awards, as well as having been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Back in 1972, the band featuring Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins found themselves on stage at The Top Rank.
Iron Maiden
They've played almost every corner of the globe, packed out arenas and headlined massive festivals like Monsters of Rock and Rock in Rio more time than Lemmy has drunk Jack Daniels. But back in 1979, the "Irons" - then fronted by Paul Di'Anno - played at the Circles club in 1979.
Wham!
Before he became an international songwriting giant, George Michael made his name in pop duo Wham!, alongside partner Andrew Ridgeley. Their second studio album Make It Big was released in 1984, and made number one both sides of the Atlantic, including hits Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go and Careless Whisper. The October before they also are another famous act who performed at The Top Rank - in a concert seemingly attended by every woman from Swansea of a certain age.
Thin Lizzy
The Irish hard rock band, fronted by bassist and lead vocalist Phil Lynott, released their breakthrough hit Whiskey in the Jar in 1972 - the same year they trod the boards at Swansea University. They would return to the same venue three years later.
Muse
The arena-filling band from Devon have Grammys, Brits, NME and MTV awards coming out their ears . And if that's not enough, they have sold more than 20 million albums. On their debut album track Muscle Museum Matt Bellamy sang the lyric "I have played in every toilet" - perhaps a reference to their pit stop at club Rockit in Swansea.
The Clash
Before Shea Stadium and the triple album, The Clash dropped by Swansea University in 1977. Purists argue it was already going the wrong way for punk by then, but try telling that to those who lucky enough to see Joe Strummer and the boys.
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The Police
The band which went on to dominate the early 80s, becoming one of the biggest bands in the world, picking up Grammy and Brit awards, and since inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, stopped by in Swansea in 1979, at the time of their second album Reggatta de Blanc, when they played the Top Rank club on The Kingsway.
Blur
Before Britpop broke proper, Blur visited the university in 1991, where they played the Mandela Bar for the Valentines Ball. Three years later Girls & Boys blasted out of every radio and Damon Albarn and co were about to start a Britpop war with Oasis.
Kylie Minogue
You should be so lucky? You would have been if you when Kylie at Ritzy's nightclub in Swansea in 1989. She was still establishing her then fledgling singing career, having first made a name for herself acting in soap opera Neighbours. Kylie sang (or should that be mimed?) to early hits including The Loco-Motion and Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi.
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Manic Street Preachers
Perhaps not unsurprising the Welsh favourites played in Swansea, with bassist Nicky Wire and Richey Edwards both having gone to uni here. They have performed in the city on a number of occasions, including at the university in 1991, before returning for the free Heineken festival held in Singleton Park in 1993. They've since performed at the Brangwyn Hall, the Liberty Stadium ...and an acoustic set at The Bay View pub.
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Stereophonics
The Welsh megastars return to Swansea later this year, when they perform in Singleton Park - 20 years after their legendary Cool Cymru era performance at the former Morfa Stadium. But before their gargantuan gigs and number 1 albums, their gig at Swansea University passed most people by.
Eurythmics
Music fans have a lot to thank the university for, with Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart just one of the many musicians to perform there. They performed in March 1983, just two months after the release of single Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This). They went on to become one of the bands of the eighties.
Paul Simon
Simon and Garfunkel's hits such as The Sound of Silence, Mrs Robinson, The Boxer and Bridge over Trouble Water, became era-defining, and they became one of the best-selling music artists of all time. And if you were lucky enough to visit the university's folk club some time in the early sixties, you would have have had the chance to see Paul Simon.
Primal Scream
Funny as it might seem now, before they became hard-living self-medicating scuzz rockers, Primal Scream were a slightly fey indie outfit, who found their way to Swansea's university in 1989.
The Prodigy
After emerging from the rave scene of the early 1990s, The Prodigy went on to sell around 25 million records, and win a host of awards - with success in both the UK and the US. On their way they included a date at Swansea's Ritzy nightclub in 1993.
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Kasabian
The Leicester rockers played the city's Escape club in 2004 - just as their eponymous debut album was released. They went on to win a host of awards, including Brit award for Best British Group in 2010.
Wings
Ok. Any group containing P. McCartney Esq can never be called 'small'. But post-Beatles, Macca was keen to get back on the road, and famously got his band in the back of a van for an unannounced tour of universities in 1972 - including Swansea, to the incredulity of everyone who was lucky enough to see the set.
Ed Sheeran
Difficult to think of many bigger currently than the ginger songsmith. He famously did the hard graft in his early years, playing virtually every live venue who would have him across the UK. That included Sin City, where he appeared in 2011. Ed resurfaced in the city last year - playing to a sold out crowd at Radio 1's Biggest Weekend .
Crass
Who you might ask? You might not know the name but chances are you've seen their logo - as worn on t-shirts by the likes of David Beckham and Angelina Jolie. And as well as being huge influences to the likes of Dave Grohl and Metallica, their "obscene" lyrics were once the subject of a debate in Parliament. In 1981 they played the city's St Phillips Centre in Clarence Terrace.
