The struggle to create fresh rock and pop headliners for the UK’s six longest-running mainstream music festivals has been laid bare by a new Music Week study.

Just six acts who released their debut studio album in the past decade - Adele (whose first LP came out in 2008), Mumford & Sons (2009), Florence + The Machine (2009), Justin Bieber (2010), Ed Sheeran and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds (both 2011) - have gone on to top the bill at ...