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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Steely Dan was an American jazz-rock/pop band that released six studio albums on ABC between 1972 and 1977, followed by an eighth on MCA in 1980. After a 20-year break in recording, they issued two discs of new material during the early 2000s. Debuting as a six-piece, the lineup trimmed by 1975 to the duo […]
Atlas was a Swedish symphonic-rock band that issued the album Blå Vardag on Bellatrix in 1979. Four-fifths of the band released a second album as Mosaik. Members: Björn Ekborn (organ, piano, clavinet, synthesizer, Mellotron), Erik Björn Nielsen (organ, piano, synthesizer, Mellotron, electric piano), Janne Persson (guitar, percussion), Micke Pinotti (drums), Ulf Hedlund (bass, bass pedals) […]
Chameleon were a German jazz-rock band that released a self-titled album on Blubber Lips in 1979. Members: Knut Rössler (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, lyricon), Joachim Essig (piano, synthesizer, ARP Solina string ensemble), Roland Herbe (bass, piccolo), Ralph Dietze (drums) Chameleon assembled near Mannheim in the late 1970s. Saxophonist Knut Rössler hailed from Night Sun. […]
Fay Ray was a Welsh post-punk band that released the album Contact You on WEA in 1982. Members: Sheila McCartney [Sheila Brook] (vocals, guitar), John Lovering (guitar), Owen Hughes (drums), Tony Travis (bass, backing vocals), Jeff Taylor (saxophone, accordion, flute, backing vocals) Hot Water, early singles Fay Ray’s roots trace to the Bangor post-punk combo […]
Fun Boy Three was an English new wave trio that released the 1982–83 albums The Fun Boy Three and Waiting on Chrysalis. They formed as a breakaway act from two-tone ska pioneers The Specials. Fun Boy Three collaborated with Bananarama on the UK Top 5 singles “It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way That […]
The Pale Fountains were an English sophisti-pop band that released three standalone singles and two albums on Virgin between 1982 and 1985. Members: Michael Head (guitar, vocals), John Head (guitar), Chris McCaffery (bass), Thomas Whelan (drums), Andy Diagram (trumpet) Background Formed in 1980 Liverpool, The Pale Fountains were part of that city’s post-Deaf School musical […]
Hambi & the Dance were an English New Wave band from Liverpool that released the album Heartache with accompanying singles on Virgin in 1982. Alongside A Flock of Seagulls, the band were the second significant spinoff to emerge from the 1979 Merseyside shortplayer act Tontrix. Namesake vocalist/guitarist Hambi Harolambous released further singles and the album […]
Ariel was a Danish jazz-rock band that released a self-titled album in early 1980. Later that same year, they released Solens Børn with an expanded, multi-national lineup. Both albums appeared on the specialty label Pick Up Records. Members: Lei Moe (vocals), Klavs Hovman (bass), Per Goldschmidt (vocals, tenor saxophone), Anders Müller (keyboards), Atilla Engin (percussion), […]
