Chris Rea (born March 4, 1951) is an English singer, guitarist, and songwriter who released nine albums on Magnet between 1978 and 1987, followed by further titles on WEA, EastWest, and Jazzee Blue over the subsequent three decades. In the UK, Rea had two number-one albums with The Road to Hell (1989) and Auberge (1991), […]
The Cardiacs were an English art-rock band from Kingston upon Thames that began life as Cardiac Arrest in 1977, recording numerous demos and releasing two cassettes circa 1980/81. Under the truncated nameplate, the band issued a string of albums, EPs, and live discs on self-press Alphabet Business Concern between 1984 and 1999. Members: Tim Smith […]
Robert Wyatt (born Jan. 28, 1945) is an English vocalist and songwriter from Bristol who rose to prominence as the singer and drummer in Soft Machine. After recording four albums with the band between 1968 and 1971, he left to form Matching Mole, which cut two albums for CBS in 1972. The following year, he […]
Robert Palmer (Jan. 19, 1949 — Sept. 26, 2003) was an English soul-rock singer from Batley, West Yorkshire, who first emerged as the second vocalist for the Alan Bown Set, appearing on their 1969 self-titled sophomore album. In late 1970, Palmer joined soul-rockers Dada, prompting the band’s metamorphosis into Vinegar Joe, which cut three albums […]
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 […]
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 […]
Blitzkrieg were an English metal band from Leicester that released the album A Time of Changes on Neat in 1985. Members: Brian Ross (vocals), Jim Sirotto (guitar, 1980-81, 1984-86), Ian Jones (guitar, 1980-81), Steve English (bass, 1980-81), Steve Abbey (drums, 1980-81), Mick Moore (bass, 1981, 1984-86, 1991), John Antcliffe (guitar, 1981), Sean Taylor (drums, 1984-86, […]
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. […]
Fleetwood Mac are an English–American rock institution established in 1967. The nameplate is derived from the surname’s of its rhythm section, founders Mick Fleetwood (drums) and John McVie (bass), the two constant members throughout numerous changes in personnel during the past half-century. The band was initially a blues-rock combo with three guitarists: Peter Green, Jeremy […]
Bob Geldof — aka Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof (born Oct. 5, 1951) — is an Irish singer, songwriter, bandleader, and philanthropist from Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, who rose to prominence as the frontman of New Wave rockers The Boomtown Rats, which released six albums between 1977 and 1984. As an actor, he starred as Pink in […]
Praying Mantis were an English hard-rock/metal band from London that released the album Time Tells No Lies on Arista in 1981, followed by a standalone single on Jet in 1982. The band was originally active between 1978 and 1983, having evolved from Junction, the earlier act of brothers Chris and Tino Troy. In 1990, the […]
Pet Shop Boys are an English electro-pop duo that released four proper albums on Parlophone between 1986 and 1990, followed by more than a dozen further titles on the label over the subsequent quarter-century. Members: Neil Tennant (vocals), Chris Lowe (keyboards, vocals) Discography: Please (1986) Disco (remixes, 1986) Actually (1987) Introspective (1988) Behaviour (1990)
Paul McCartney (born June 18, 1942) is an English pop-rock singer, bassist, and songwriter from Liverpool who rose to fame as one-fourth of The Beatles, which he co-founded in the late 1950s and played with until their disbandment in 1970. Between 1963 and 1969, the band recorded 11 proper studio albums and numerous non-album sides […]
Asia were an English symphonic/hard-rock supergroup that released three albums on Geffen between 1982 and 1985, followed by another round of discs on Intercord/Bullet Proof during the 1990s. Members: Geoffrey Downes (keyboards, vocals), Carl Palmer (drums, percussion, 1981-92, 2006-present), John Wetton (vocals, bass, 1981-83, 1984-91, 2006-17), Steve Howe (guitar, vocals, 1981-83, 1992, 2006-2013), Greg Lake […]
Flotsam and Jetsam are an American metal band from Scottsdale, Ariz., that released the album Doomsday for the Deceiver on Metal Blade in 1986, followed by No Place for Disgrace on Elektra in 1988 and a round of titles on MGM during the following decade. Members: Kelly David-Smith (drums, 1982-97), Jason Newsted (bass, 1982-86), Eric […]
All About Eve were an English art-pop band that released four singles on self-press Eden between 1985 and 1987, followed by a self-titled album in 1988 and the sophomoric Scarlet and Other Stories in 1989, both on Mercury. Members: Julianne Regan (vocals), Tim Bricheno (guitar), Andy Cousin (bass), Mark Price (drums), Marty Willson-Piper (guitar), Toni […]
The Work were an English avant/art-punk band that issued the single “I Hate America” on self-press Woof Records in 1981, followed by the album Slow Crimes in 1982. A later round of activity yielded the discs Rubber Cage (1989) and See (1992), both again on Woof. Multi-instrumentalist Tim Hodgkinson hailed from 1970s avant/chamber-rockers Henry Cow. […]
The Pyramids are an American spiritual-jazz ensemble from Yellow Springs, Ohio, that released three albums on namesake self-press Pyramid Records between 1973 and 1976. The nameplate was reactivated in the 2010s for a further round of titles on Cultural Odyssey, Strut, and Philophon. Members: Idris Ackamoor [Bruce Baker] (saxophone), Margo Simmons (flute), Kimathi Asante (bass, […]
Racer X were an American metal band from Los Angeles that released three studio albums and two live discs on Shrapnel between 1986 and 1999, followed by four titles on Universal during the early 2000s. Members: John Alderete (bass), Jeff Martin (vocals), Paul Gilbert (guitar, 1985-88, 1999-2002), Harry Gschoesser (drums, 1985-86), Bruce Bouillet (guitar, 1986-89), […]
