The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool that released twelve albums between 1963 and 1970. They had seventeen No. 1 hits on the UK Singles Chart and twenty No. 1’s on the US Billboard Hot 100. With global estimated sales of 600 million units, they are the biggest-selling musical act of all time. […]
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 by guitarist Brian Jones with singer Mick Jagger and rhythm guitarist Keith Richards. They emerged in London’s R&B–beat boom with bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts. In November 1963, they scored their first UK hit with The Beatles cover “I Wanna Be Your […]
Miles Davis (May 26, 1926 — September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter with a recording career that spanned nearly five decades. In the late 1940s, Davis collaborated with Gil Evans and Gerry Mulligan on the nonet sessions that became the Birth of the Cool LP (1957). He later formed his first great quintet […]
David Bowie (January 8, 1947 – January 10, 2016) was an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor with a career in music and the performing arts that spanned more than fifty years. He played in a sequence of mid-Sixties beat groups and released two self-titled albums, charting first with the 1969 opus “Space Oddity.” Between […]
Genesis was an English rock band that released fifteen studio albums between 1969 and 1997. They formed as a baroque-psych quintet at Charterhouse school and cut their debut album, From Genesis to Revelation, under the guidance of producer Jonathan King. The original lineup featured singer Peter Gabriel, keyboardist Tony Banks, guitarist Anthony Phillips, and bassist […]
Stevie Wonder is an American R&B musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer who began recording for Tamla/Motown in 1962 at age 12. He catapulted to fame with “Fingerprints Pt 2,” an exuberant chant followed by an upbeat run of mid-Sixties hits: “Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” “I Was Made to Love Her,” “For Once In My Life,” and […]
XTC was an English rock band that released ten albums on Virgin between 1978 and 1992, followed by two albums at century’s end on Cooking Vinyl. On their first five albums, XTC’s core consists of vocalist–guitarist Andy Partridge, bassist–vocalist Colin Moulding, and drummer Terry Chambers. During their first two years on Virgin, XTC featured future-Shriekback […]
Sly & The Family Stone were an American soul-funk band that released eight albums between 1967 and 1976 on Epic and charted with the generational anthems “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” “Hot Fun In the Summertime,” and “Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin.” Sly Stone’s polyrhythmic soul-psych arrangements sparked innovations in jazz-funk. After […]
King Crimson are an English rock band, active at multiple intervals since 1969. The original lineup of guitarist Robert Fripp, bassist–singer Greg Lake, reedist–keyboardist Ian McDonald, and drummer Michael Giles made one album, In the Court of the Crimson King, the catalyst for symphonic-rock. When Lake departed for Emerson Lake & Palmer and McDonald and […]
James Brown (May 3, 1933 — December 25, 2006) was an American soul singer who was active as a performer and recording artist for more than five decades, issuing his first singles on King Records-subsidiary Federal in 1956. For the ensuing twelve years, he was backed by the Georgian R&B instrumental group The Famous Flames. […]
Queen was an English rock band that released fourteen studio albums between 1973 and 1991. Their first two albums, Queen and Queen II, contain epic rockers by flamboyant frontman Freddie Mercury and guitarist Brian May, including their early anthem “Keep Yourself Alive.” They scored a transatlantic breakthrough with “Killer Queen,” a cabaret rocker from their […]
John Coltrane (September 23, 1926 — July 17, 1967) was an American post-bop/jazz saxophonist and composer who released more than fifty studio and live albums between 1957 and his death in 1967 at age 40. Coltrane first recorded under his own name in 1957 after apprenticeships with Dizzy Gillespie, Johnny Hodges, and Miles Davis. That […]
Cream was an English rock trio that was active for 28 months between July 1966 and November 1968. They released three proper albums — Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, and Wheels of Fire — and the leftovers roundup Goodbye. Their most recognized songs include the much-covered “Badge” and the FM evergreens “I Feel Free,” “Sunshine of […]
Japan was an English new wave band that released five albums between 1978 and 1981. They formed in 1974 when brothers David Sylvian and Steve Jansen teamed with their school friend Mick Karn, whose fretless basslines dominate the band’s later releases. Musically, Japan’s output falls into three distinct phases: the subterranean buzz of their guitar-based […]
Sparks is the musical partnership of American keyboardist–songwriter Ron Mael and his vocalist brother Russell Mael. They first recorded as Halfnelson, a quintet with drummer Harley Feinstein and another set of brothers, guitarist Earle Mankey and guitarist–bassist Jim Mankey. They signed to Bearsville for the 1971 release Halfnelson, produced by Todd Rundgren. Soon after, they […]
Camel are an English symphonic/jazz-rock band that released ten studio albums between 1973 and 1984. They formed as a quartet composed of guitarist Andrew Latimer, keyboardist Pete Bardens, bassist Doug Ferguson, and drummer Andy Ward. This lineup made the 1973–76 albums Camel, Mirage, The Snow Goose, and Moonmadness, which established their mix of subdued vocal […]
Electric Light Orchestra is an English rock band that released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986. Conceived by multi-instrumentalists Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, ELO started as an avant-garde spinoff of The Move with drummer Bev Bevan. After one album of psychedelic baroque rock, Wood departed for Wizzard, leaving Lynne to head a septet […]
The Jackson 5 was an American soul-pop group composed of brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael Jackson. They formed in 1964, aged between 6 and 13. After multiple talent wins and a local single, they signed to Motown in 1969 and cut ten albums through 1975. Their hits include “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” […]
Renaissance are an English rock band that released eleven studio albums between 1969 and 1983. The original concept behind the name — a fusion of multi-century folksiness and ivory-laden classicism — was expanded and modernized over the years, culminating with the neon-powered, precision-fueled trio lineup of the early 1980s. They formed from the ashes of […]
Chicago are an American band formed in 1967; noted as one of the first rock acts with an integrated three-piece brass section. Between 1969 and 1980, they released twelve studio albums on Columbia, followed by five albums on Warner. For eleven years, they maintained the same seven members: keyboardist–singer Robert Lamm, guitarist–singer Terry Kath, bassist–singer […]
The Who are an English rock band that released ten studio albums between 1965 and 1982, including the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia. They started during the early sixties beat boom when singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist–songwriter Pete Townshend, and bassist John Entwistle evolved from West London hopefuls The Detours. In 1964, drummer Keith Moon joined […]
Frank Zappa (December 21, 1940 — December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, producer, and bandleader with a career that spanned three decades. He emerged as the frontman of the Mothers of Invention, an LA-based avant-garde rock band that combined pop parody with psychedelia and free jazz on the 1966–69 albums Freak Out!, Absolutely […]
Marvin Gaye (April 2, 1939 — April 1, 1984) was an American R&B vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Washington, D.C., who was musically active for a quarter-century, achieving worldwide renown as one of Tamla/Motown’s leading performers. Gaye rose to fame with a string of duets, first with Kim Weston and then with Tammi Terrell, his […]
Gentle Giant was an English art-rock band that released eleven studio albums between 1970 and 1980. Their original lineup featured multi-instrumentalist brothers Phil, Derek, and Ray Shulman, plus guitarist Gary Green and composer–keyboardist Kerry Minnear. Derek, Phil, and Kerry traded lead vocals. In 1972, John Weathers joined as their permanent drummer. After the fourth album, […]
Herbie Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz and funk keyboardist active since the late 1950s. His 1962 Blue Note debut, Takin’ Off, includes his signature piece, “Watermelon Man.” In 1963, he joined Miles Davis‘s Second Great Quintet with Ron Carter and Tony Williams. Hancock’s profile rose with the 1964/65 albums Empyrean Isles […]
Talking Heads were an American art-rock band from New York City. They released eight studio albums between 1977 and 1988 and scored crossover hits with “Psycho Killer,” “Take Me to the River,” “Life During Wartime,” “Once In a Lifetime,” “Burning Down the House,” “And She Was,” and “Wild Wild Life.” They emerged from the new […]
Bob Marley (Feb. 6, 1945 — May 11, 1981) was a Jamaican vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter known internationally as the frontman of Kingston reggae legends The Wailers. He led the band through several iterations over an 18-year period, achieving global fame with a series of albums on Island Records between 1973 and 1978. Marley co-founded […]
The Cure are an English rock band that released eight albums and eighteen singles between 1978 and 1989 on Fiction Records. They emerged in the British post-punk movement and cultivated a goth-rock sound and image during the early 1980s. Their popular hits include “Boys Don’t Cry,” “A Forest,” “Let’s Go to Bed,” “The Love Cats,” […]
The Miracles were an American soul group from Detroit, best known for the Motown hits “Shop Around,” “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” “Going to a Go-Go,” “I Second That Emotion,” “Tracks of My Tears,” “Ooh Baby Baby,” and “Tears of a Clown.” During their 1960s heyday, Tamla billed them as Smokey Robinson & […]
Ultravox was an English new wave band, first fronted by John Foxx on the 1977–78 Island releases Ultravox!, Ha!-Ha!-Ha!, and Systems of Romance. Their early music encompasses ambient vocal numbers (“My Sex”), post-psych chamber rock (“I Want to Be a Machine”), punk (“Young Savage”), and pioneering examples of electro-pop (“Quiet Men”). Midge Ure headed the […]
Judas Priest are an English metal band from Birmingham. Between 1974 and 1990, they released twelve studio albums and scored rock radio hits with “Breaking the Law,” “Living After Midnight,” “Heading Out to the Highway,” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.” They spearheaded metal’s evolution from its blues-rock roots to the tightened Eighties approach embodied […]
Fleetwood Mac are an English–American rock band formed in 1967 by drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Peter Green. The first-recorded lineup stabilized with guitarist Jeremy Spencer and bassist John McVie. Green created the band’s name by combining the surnames of Mick (Fleetwood) and John (Mac). This lineup cut three singles and the 1968 albums Peter […]
Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) was an American rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer who made the 1967–68 Track/Reprise albums Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love, and Electric Ladyland with his London-based power trio The Experience. Months after his 1970 live release Band of Gypsys, Hendrix died at age 27. Lauded in his lifetime as a […]
Weather Report was a multinational jazz-funk/fusion ensemble that released fourteen studio albums between 1971 and 1986 on Columbia. Throughout its existence, the band was co-led by American saxophonist Wayne Shorter and Austrian keyboardist Joe Zawinul. Numerous rhythm players did stints with the band during its fifteen-year history, most notably drummers Alphonse Mouzon and Narada Michael […]
The Cars were an American new wave band that released six albums between 1978 and 1987 on Elektra. Their first two, The Cars and Candy-O, spawned the radio-rock evergreens “Just What I Needed,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Good Times Roll,” and “Let’s Go.” Singer/guitarist Ric Ocasek formed the band in Boston with bassist/singer Ben Orr. […]
Roxy Music was an English art-rock band led by singer Bryan Ferry. They emerged with the 1972/73 albums Roxy Music and For Your Pleasure and the hits “Virginia Plain,” “Do the Strand,” and “Editions of You.” Both albums feature keyboardist Brian Eno, who left for a solo career. Eddie Jobson joined on keyboard and violin […]
The Doors were an American rock band that released six studio albums between 1967 and 1971 on Elektra. They formed when keyboardist Ray Manzarek invited poet Jim Morrison to front his band with guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. The Doors emerged as the houseband at the Los Angeles hotspot Whisky A Go Go […]
Blondie is an American rock band from New York that released six albums between 1976 and 1982 and had four US No. 1 hits: “Heart of Glass,” “Call Me,” “The Tide Is High,” and “Rapture.” They sprung from the mid-Seventies new wave scene on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, formed by singer Debbie Harry and her […]
Deep Purple are an English hard-rock band formed in 1967. They emerged at the height of psychedelia and played a key role in the development of heavy metal during the early 1970s. Their most well-known songs include “Hush,” “Smoke On the Water,” and “Woman from Tokyo.” The first Deep Purple lineup released the 1968 albums […]
The Police were an English rock trio that released five albums between 1978 and 1983 on A&M. They were the most commercially successful British act of the new wave era with five UK No. 1 singles, including “Every Breath You Take,” the No. 1 song of 1983 on the US Billboard chart. Drummer Stewart Copeland […]
10cc are an English art-pop band that released two albums on UK Records in 1973/74, followed by seven albums and a live two-record set on Mercury between 1975 and 1983. In their initial four-piece lineup, 10cc recorded the choral-layered production landmark “I’m Not in Love.” Following the departure of co-founders Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, […]
Aretha Franklin (March 25, 1942 — August 16, 2018) was an American soul singer from Memphis. She began performing gospel in her father’s Detroit church before signing with Columbia Records in 1960. During her Columbia tenure, Franklin recorded jazz, pop, and R&B albums, including Aretha (1961) and The Electrifying Aretha Franklin (1962). Singles such as […]
Supertramp was an English rock band that released nine studio albums and a live double-LP on A&M between 1970 and 1987. Their radio evergreens include “School,” “Give a Little Bit,” “The Logical Song,” “Goodbye Stranger,” and “Take the Long Way Home.” Their sound ranges from rock, folk, and R&B to cabaret and orchestral pop. They […]
Prince — aka Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 — April 21, 2016) — was an American vocalist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, and producer from Minneapolis who was musically active for four decades. He released six albums on Warner Bros. between 1978 and 1984, followed by another round of titles on his own Paisley Park imprint […]
The Pretenders are an English rock band, formed in London in 1978 by American-expat Chrissie Hynde. They released seven studio albums between 1980 and 1999 and scored hits with “Brass In Pocket,” “Talk of the Town,” “Message of Love,” “Back On the Chain,” and “My City Was Gone.” The original lineup recorded two albums: The […]
The Stranglers are an English rock band, formed in 1974 by guitarist–singer Hugh Cornwell. They rose to prominence with the 1977 albums Rattus Norvegicus and No More Heroes and the UK hits “Peaches,” “Grip,” “Something Better Change,” and “No More Heroes.” Their early sound is characterized by grimy guitar tones, arpeggiated keyboard runs, and the […]
The Kinks were an English rock band that released twenty-four studio albums between 1964 and 1993. Singer–guitarist and songwriter Ray Davies formed the band with his guitarist–singer brother Dave Davies. The original lineup featured bassist Pete Quaife and drummer Mick Avory. They burst on the scene with the twin hits “You Really Got Me” and […]
The Moody Blues were an English rock band active from 1964 to 2018. The original lineup included singer–guitarist Denny Laine and three mainstays: keyboardist Mike Pinder, flutist–harpist Ray Thomas, and drummer Graeme Edge. Their second single, “Go Now!” (UK No. 1), made them part of the British Invasion. After the 1965 album The Magnificent Moodies […]
Pink Floyd was an English rock band that released twelve studio albums and two soundtracks between 1967 and 1994. They emerged in the psychedelic era with the album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, a showcase for the writing, singing, and guitar talents of original frontman Syd Barrett. His replacement, David Gilmour, headed the […]
Thin Lizzy was an Irish rock band that released twelve studio albums between 1971 and 1983. They started as a power trio fronted by bassist–singer Phil Lynott with guitarist Eric Bell and drummer Brian Downey, the one other constant member. This lineup released the 1971–73 albums Thin Lizzy, Shades of a Blue Orphanage, and Vagabonds […]
Ike & Tina Turner were the R&B/soul-rock duo of American guitarist/bandleader Ike Turner and his then-wife, singer Tina Turner. They came together in the late 1950s when Ike hired Tina as a backing vocalist for his band, the Kings of Rhythm. She first sang lead on the 1960 Sue Records single “A Fool In Love,” […]
Led Zeppelin was an English rock band, formed in 1968 and active till 1980. Guitarist Jimmy Page formed the band from the ashes of the Yardbirds. They emerged as standard bearers for a new generation of hard-rock performers, fronting a movement that soon included Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Nazareth, and Budgie. Across the […]
The Supremes were an American soul-pop trio from Detroit, formed in 1961. Their classic lineup featured singers Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and frontwoman Diana Ross, who all grew up on the city’s east side. Signed to Motown, The Supremes were part of that label’s classic roster of chart-topping sixties artists, along with the Four Tops, […]
Yes are an English rock band that released twenty-one studio albums between 1969 and 2014. Formed in London in 1968, their original lineup contained guitarist Peter Banks, keyboardist Tony Kaye, drummer Bill Bruford, and two constant members: bassist Chris Squire and singer Jon Anderson. Their early showpieces include “Looking Around,” “Survival,” “The Prophet,” and “Astral […]
Jethro Tull are an English rock band that released twenty studio albums between 1968 and 1999. They are best known for the classic rock evergreens “Aqualung,” “Bourée,” “Bungle In the Jungle,” “Living In the Past,” and “Locomotive Breath.” Their style encompasses blues, folk, hard rock, electronic and orchestral music. Singer Ian Anderson distinguished himself among […]
Elton John (born March 25, 1947) is an English vocalist, pianist, songwriter, and philanthropist with a career stretching back to the mid-1960s. He achieved global stardom with his self-titled second album in 1970. Since that time, he has recorded more than 30 albums and scored numerous hits that have gained evergreen status around the world. […]
Split Enz was a New Zealander art-rock band from Auckland, formed in late 1972 and active through several iterations over a 12-year period. In 1973, the band released a pair of singles on Vertigo and EMI, followed by nine albums on Mushroom between 1975 and 1984. Their first album, Mental Notes, includes the popular early […]
Van der Graaf Generator are an English rock band, formed at Manchester University in 1967 by singer–songwriter Peter Hammill. On their 1969 debut album, The Aerosol Grey Machine, they crossed psychedelia with darker, haunted sounds, which they codeified on the 1970 albums The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other and H to […]
Return to Forever was an American jazz-rock supergroup that evolved from a namesake 1972 solo album by bandleader Chick Corea. Members: Chick Corea (keyboards), Stanley Clarke (bass), Joe Farrell (reeds, 1971-73, 1977), Airto Moreira (percussion, 1971-73), Flora Purim (vocals, 1971-73), Bill Connors (guitar, 1973-74), Steve Gadd (drums, 1973), Mingo Lewis (percussion, 1973), Lenny White (drums, […]
Daryl Hall and John Oates — commonly known as Hall & Oates — were an American musical duo, active from the early 1970s to the 2000s. They first recorded as a singer/songwriter duo but soon embraced maximalist art-rock and lavish blue-eyed soul. Applying their signature vocal trade-offs to a range of musical styles, Hall & […]
Santana are an American Latin-rock jam band from San Francisco, formed in 1966 by guitarist Carlos Santana. Their self-titled debut, released after a breakout appearance at Woodstock, fused sustained electric solos with syncopated hand percussion and thick organ layers by Gregg Rolie. Abraxas (1970) added expanded textures, drawing from Afro-Cuban rhythms and modal frameworks. The […]
Todd Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, and producer, originally from Philadelphia. He first emerged in psych-rockers the Nazz, which released two proper albums in 1968–69. He initially recorded solo under the band moniker Runt, issuing the 1970/71 Bearsville albums Runt and The Ballad of Todd Rundgren. Under his […]
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic band established in 1969 by Edgar Froese (1944–2015). They emerged at the forefront of the Krautrock movement with the 1970 Ohr release Electronic Meditation, recorded by the original trio with Klaus Schulze and Conrad Schnitzler. Froese reconfigured the group with Christopher Franke and Steve Schroyder for their 1971 second […]
Funkadelic was an American soul-funk/psych band from Detroit that released eight albums on Westbound between 1970 and 1976, followed by four further albums on Warner Bros. over the subsequent five-year period. They combined psychedelic rock, soul, and funk with distorted guitars, driving basslines, and layered vocals to produce dense, high-energy compositions. Their Westbound albums, from […]
The Clash was an English rock band that released five albums between 1977 and 1982 on CBS. Their classic lineup featured singer, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer, who co-wrote most of their songs with lead guitarist, composer, and second vocalist Mick Jones. Bassist Paul Simonon completed the original lineup, which welcomed drummer Topper Headon […]
Henry Cow was an English avant-garde rock and free-jazz band that released four studio albums between 1973 and 1975 on Virgin: Legend, Unrest, Desperate Straights, and In Praise of Learning, the last two in partnership with the cabaret-pop trio Slapp Happy. In 1978, Henry Cow recorded the albums Western Culture and Hopes and Fears — […]
McCoy Tyner (1938–2020) was an American jazz pianist, active for six decades. He earned his earliest credits on 1960 albums by Curtis Fuller, Freddie Hubbard, and Art Farmer’s Jazztet. During his four-year stint with John Coltrane (1961–65), he cut six titles for Impulse! In 1967, he made his Blue Note debut with The Real McCoy. […]
The Animals were an English rock band that released three albums and nine singles between 1964 and 1966 on Columbia and Decca. They formed in Newcastle and conquered London just in time to play a key role in the 1964 British Invasion that swept the US. They topped charts in multiple territories with their second […]
Depeche Mode are an English electronic band that released seven studio albums and a live disc between 1981 and 1990 on Mute and Sire. They launched in 1980 when keyboardists Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher, and Vince Clarke found singer Dave Gahan and linked with Mute founder Daniel Miller, who produced their first five albums. Depeche […]
U2 is an Irish rock band that emerged in Dublin’s late-1970s new wave scene. As of 2023, the band contains its four founding members: singer Bono, guitarist the Edge, bassist Adam Clayton, and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. U2 released three short-players and signed with Island Records for their 1980 debut album Boy, a strident set […]
The Bee Gees were a pop trio comprised of three English-born/Aussie-raised brothers — Barry (born 1946) and twins Robin and Maurice Gibb (born 1949). They were active as a recording unit from 1963 to 2001. Performing together since childhood, the brothers first recorded for the Australian market during the mid-1960s. Returning to their nation of […]
Public Image Limited — commonly spelled Public Image Ltd. and known by the acronym PiL — are an English post-punk band led by singer John Lydon, who assembled the first lineup after his departure from the Sex Pistols. The original PiL with bassist Jah Wobble and guitarist Keith Levene debuted with a charting theme, “Public […]
Earth, Wind & Fire are an American soul-funk band from Chicago that released thirteen studio albums between 1971 and 1983. Their 1971 debut introduced a raw fusion of jazz, funk, and soul marked by complex rhythms and dynamic instrumental interplay, led by Maurice White and Verdine White. Later that year, The Need of Love continued […]
Kate Bush is an English singer–songwriter who released five albums between 1978 and 1985 on EMI. She rose to international prominence with her debut single “Wuthering Heights,” one of the biggest global hits of 1978. Background Kate was born Catherine Mary Bush on July 30, 1958, in Bexleyheath, Kent, into an artistic family. Her father, […]
Thelonious Monk (October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his improvisational style. His compositions “‘Round Midnight” and “Straight, No Chaser,” became jazz standards. Monk’s musical approach was a blend of percussive attack, dissonant chords, and sudden silences. His improvisations featured flat ninths, whole tone runs, and […]
Joni Mitchell is a Canadian singer–songwriter who released nineteen studio albums between 1968 and 2007. She emerged with the Sixties North American folk revival that included singers Tom Rush, Judy Collins, and Buffy Sainte-Marie, who recorded Joni’s songs in advance of her debut album, Song to a Seagull. Her 1969–70 albums Clouds and Ladies of […]
Soft Cell was an English electro-pop duo from Leeds, composed of singer–lyricist Marc Almond and keyboardist–programmer Dave Ball. They cut multiple singles in advance of their 1981 debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned the international hit “Tainted Love” and the club staples “Bedsitter” and “Sex Dwarf.” A visual accompaniment to the album, Non-Stop Exotic […]
Black Sabbath was an English hard-rock and heavy-metal band from Birmingham that formed in 1968. Their original lineup—guitarist Tony Iommi, vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward—defined the band’s early sound, releasing eight studio albums between 1970 and 1978, including Black Sabbath, Paranoid, and Master of Reality. Signature tracks such as “Iron […]
The Jam was an English rock trio that released six albums between 1977 and 1982 on Polydor. They scored eleven UK Top 20 hits, including the No. 1’s “Going Underground,” “Start!,” “Town Called Malice,” and “Beat Surrender.” Guitarist and songwriter Paul Weller led the group, anchored throughout its existence by bassist Bruce Foxton and drummer […]
The Specials were an English ska band that released the 1979–80 albums The Specials and More Specials on 2 Tone, a specialty imprint started by keyboardist Jerry Dammers in cooperation with Chrysalis. They scored hits with “Gangsters,” “A Message to You, Rudy,” “Too Much Too Young,” “Rat Race,” and the 1981 UK No. 1 “Ghost […]
Donna Summer (December 31, 1948 — May 17, 2012) was an American soul-funk singer. She began performing in the late 1960s with soul and R&B ensembles before relocating to Europe, where she joined the Munich-based musical Hair cast and recorded her early solo work. Her breakthrough came with the 1975 single “Love to Love You […]
