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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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,” […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 & […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Mahavishnu Orchestra was a multinational jazz-rock ensemble headed by English guitarist John McLaughlin, who led two lineups during their original six-album run. The first incarnation was a five-piece band with Czech keyboardist Jan Hammer, Irish bassist Rick Laird, and two Americans: violinist Jerry Goodman and drummer Billy Cobham. They released the 1971–73 Columbia albums […]
Siouxsie and the Banshees were an English rock band that released eleven studio albums and twenty-seven singles between 1978 and 1995 on Polydor. They charted with their debut single “Hong Kong Garden” and scored multiple UK hits, including the underground rock staples “Happy House,” “Spellbound,” “Arabian Knights,” “Cities In Dust,” “Peek-a-Boo,” and “Kiss Them for […]
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band that released eleven studio albums between 1979 and 1995. They first achieved fame in the UK, Europe, and Australia with the 1981–83 hits “Love Song,” “Promised You a Miracle,” “Glittering Prize,” and “Waterfront.” In 1985, they scored a global hit with “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” Simple Minds […]
Tears for Fears were an English New Wave/art-pop band that emerged with the 1983 Mercury album The Hurting, which spawned the hits “Pale Shelter,” “Mad World,” and “Change.” They achieved global success with their 1985 second album Songs From the Big Chair, topping charts with “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Shout,” “Head Over Heels,” […]
Billy Joel is an American pianist, singer, and songwriter from the Bronx who released the album Cold Spring Harbor on Family Productions Inc. in 1971, followed by eleven studio albums on Columbia between 1973 and 1993. Prior to his solo career, he recorded two albums with psych-rockers The Hassles, which splintered into the 1970 hard-rock […]
Squeeze is an English pop-rock band from London, formed in 1974 and active with multiple lineups in the decades since. Between 1978 and 1982, they released five albums on A&M Records. Their biggest hits include “Take Me I’m Yours,” “Cool for Cats,” “Up the Junction,” “Pulling Mussels (from the Shell),” “Tempted,” and “Hourglass.” The songwriting […]
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band from San Francisco that rose to fame during the countercultural explosion of the late 1960s. Formed in 1965 by singer Marty Balin and guitarist Paul Kantner, the group solidified its classic lineup with the arrival of vocalist Grace Slick and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, debuting nationally with Jefferson Airplane […]
Duran Duran are an English electro/art-pop band from Birmingham that released three albums on EMI between 1981 and 1983: Duran Duran, Rio, and Seven and the Ragged Tiger. They scored multiple transatlantic hits, including “Planet Earth,” “Girls on Film,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Save a Prayer,” “Is There Something I Should Know,” “New Moon on […]
Gary Numan is an English keyboardist, vocalist, composer, and pilot who has been musically active since the late-1970s. He emerged as the frontman of synth-punks Tubeway Army, which issued two standalone singles and a self-titled album in 1978. After placing his name in front on their 1979 breakthrough release Replicas, he became a solo artist […]
Patrice Rushen is an American keyboardist, composer, and singer who started as a sidewoman on mid-Seventies jazz albums by Alphonso Johnson, Azar Lawrence, Donald Byrd, Eddie Henderson, Harvey Mason, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Luis Gasca. As a solo artist, she made three post-bop/jazz-funk albums (1974–77) on Prestige, then transitioned to soul-funk for a five-album run (1978–84) […]
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English rock band that released five albums between 1980 and 1987 on Korova and Sire. They formed amid the post-punk explosion in Liverpool, where singer–guitarist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant, and bassist Les Pattinson performed as a trio with a drum machine dubbed “echo.” After one single, drummer Pete […]
Elvis Costello is an English musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Paddington who debuted with the album My Aim Is True on Stiff/Columbia in 1977. After assembling his backing band The Attractions, he issued the popular Radar titles This Year’s Model (1978) and Armed Forces (1979), followed by seven albums on F-Beat between 1980 and […]
Wire are an English post-punk band from London that released the 1977–79 albums Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, and 154 on Harvest. They disbanded in 1980 when singer–guitarist Colin Newman went solo (backed by drummer Robert Gotobed) and bassist Graham Lewis launched Dome with guitarist Bruce Gilbert. Wire reformed mid-decade and released four albums and two […]
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark — also known by the acronym OMD — are an English electronic band that released seven albums between 1980 and 1986 on DinDisc and Virgin. Singer–bassist Andy McCluskey and keyboardist–singer Paul Humphreys are the mainstays of the band; joined on successive releases by drummer Malcolm Holmes and saxophonist–keyboardist Martin Cooper. […]
Aztec Camera was a Scottish new wave band led by guitarist–singer and songwriter Roddy Frame. They released two 1981 Postcard singles and the 1983 Rough Trade album High Land, Hard Rain, an acclaimed set with the underground hits “Oblivious,” “Pillar to Post,” and “Walk Out to Winter.” Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler produced Aztec Camera’s […]
Mike Oldfield is an English composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist with a career in music dating back to the late 1960s. Musically, his output is comprised of lengthy (often side-length or album-length) instrumental works with the occasional vocal track. Stylistically, his music has evolved from the classical/Celt-tinged angle of his early recordings to the broadened, modernized […]
New Order are an English electro-pop band that made five albums and twenty singles between 1981 and 1990 on Factory Records. They formed in late 1980 when three/fourths of Joy Division — guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook, and drummer Stephen Morris — carried on after the death of singer Ian Curtis. With added keyboardist/guitarist […]
The Associates were the Scottish new wave duo of singer Billy MacKenzie and multi-instrumentalist Alan Rankine. They made the 1980 Fiction album The Affectionate Punch and scored 1981 indie hits with “Tell Me Easters On Friday,” “Q Quarters,” “Kitchen Person,” and “White Car In Germany,” compiled on the Situation Two release Fourth Drawer Down. In 1982, […]
The Housemartins were an English pop and rock band that released the 1986/87 albums London 0 Hull 4 and The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death. They scored UK hits with “Flag Day,” “Happy Hour,” “Think For a Minute,” and “Caravan of Love,” an a cappella Christmas No. 1. Their sound combined sophisti-pop and C86 […]
Metallica is an American metal band that spearheaded the US thrash scene with the 1983–84 albums Kill ‘Em All and Ride the Lightning. They shot to fame with their 1986 Elektra release Master of Puppets and its 1988 two-record followup …And Justice for All. Members: Lars Ulrich (drums), James Hetfield (guitar, vocals), Hugh Tanner (guitar, […]
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 1959 with songwriting partner John Lennon. Between 1963 and 1969, they recorded eleven proper studio albums and spearheaded the British beat and psychedelic booms. McCartney debuted […]
ABC are an English new wave and soul-pop band that co-headed the Second British Invasion with their 1982 album The Lexicon of Love and the singles “Poison Arrow” and “The Look of Love,” both staples of MTV’s golden age. In 1983, ABC took an edgier turn with Beauty Stab and the songs “That Was Then […]
Golden Earring was a Dutch rock band that started life in 1961 as The Tornadoes. The band released two Nederbeat albums on Polydor between 1965 and 1967 under variations of the pluralized “Golden Earrings” banner before the arrival of vocalist Barry Hay. Between 1968 and 1981, the band recorded 16 albums for the label before […]
Dexys Midnight Runners were an English new wave band that emerged from the Birmingham R&B–ska scene with the 1980 EMI–Parlophone album Searching for the Young Soul Rebels, which spawned the UK No. 1 “Geno.” They embraced Celtic folk-pop on the 1982 Mercury release Too-Rye-Ay and its transatlantic hit “Come On Eileen.” Bandleader Kevin Rowland revised […]
Emerson, Lake & Palmer — alternately known by the acronym ELP — were an English symphonic-rock trio that released three studio albums and a classical concert set between 1970 and 1972 on Island (UK) and Cotillion (US). Their 1971 release Tarkus contains a seven-part title suite that catalyzed the epic side-long format. In 1973, the […]
Rory Gallagher (March 2, 1948 — June 14, 1995) was an Irish blues-rock and hard-rock guitarist active from the late 1960s to the early ’90s. He first gained prominence as the frontman for the Cork power-trio Taste, which released two albums in 1969 and 1970. Launching his solo career in 1971, he issued four albums […]
Richard Thompson is an English singer, guitarist, and songwriter who formed the folk rock band Fairport Convention, which he co-headed on the 1968–70 albums Fairport Convention, What We Did on Our Holidays, Unhalfbricking, Liege & Lief, and Full House. Post-Fairport, he played on albums by Nick Drake, Gary Farr, Mick Softley, John Martyn, and former […]
Patti LaBelle is an American soul singer who fronted The Blue Belles during the 1960s. In 1970, they morphed into the soul-funk trio Labelle, which released seven albums between 1971 and 1976, scoring a hit with “Lady Marmalade.” After going solo, she released four albums on Epic, starting with her 1977 release Patti LaBelle. Between […]
Jean-Luc Ponty is a French violinist, active since the early 1960s and best known for his twelve-album run of jazz-rock titles on Atlantic Records. He began recording as a leader with Jazz Long Playing (1964) and Sunday Walk (1967), establishing a technically precise, rhythmically adventurous style that integrated violin into modern jazz ensembles. His early […]
Joe Jackson is an English pianist, songwriter, vocalist, author, and occasional bandleader, active since the late 1970s. Emerging on London’s New Wave scene, he achieved fame with the 1979/80 albums Look Sharp!, I’m the Man, and Beat Crazy. Over the years, his music has incorporated rock, reggae, salsa, jump blues, Tin Pan Alley, big-band vocal […]
The Psychedelic Furs are an English new wave band from London that released six albums between 1980 and 1989 on CBS and Columbia. Their popular songs include “Pretty In Pink,” “Heaven,” and the 1982 MTV hit “Love My Way,” a mainstay of Eighties new wave playlists. Singer Richard Butler formed the band with his bassist […]
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band that has been active since the late 1970s. In the early 1980s, the band were at the center of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) movement, which popularized the music among younger hoards of concert goers and record buyers. During its 1980–88 heyday, the band […]
Midnight Oil are an Australian rock band that released two 1978–79 albums on Powderworks, followed by five albums between 1981 and 1990 on CBS. Their 1982 fourth album 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 marked their debut in the Northern hemisphere, which they conquered with the 1984–87 albums Red Sails in […]
Rick James (February 1, 1948 — August 6, 2004) was an American soul-funk singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. James debuted with the 1978 Gordy release Come Get It!, which spawned the No. 1 R&B single “You and I” and its No. 3 followup “Mary Jane.” Bustin’ Out of L Seven and Fire It Up followed […]
Peter Gabriel is an English singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and activist with a career in music dating back to the late 1960s. He rose to prominence as the vocalist of Genesis, which he fronted for six albums between 1969 and 1974. As a solo artist, he issued four self-titled albums on Charisma between 1977 and 1982. […]
Rod Stewart (born Jan. 10, 1945) is an English rock vocalist from London who fronted several R&B/beat combos during the mid-1960s before rising to prominence as the frontman of the Jeff Beck Group on the 1968/69 albums Truth and Beck-Ola. In 1969, Stewart left the group along with bassist/guitarist Ron Wood to join the Small […]
Sun Ra — aka Herman Poole Blount (May 22, 1914 — May 30, 1993) — was an American jazz keyboardist, composer, and bandleader who released more than seventy albums across thirty-five years. He led successive Arkestra iterations: Jazz Arkestra, Myth Science Arkestra, Solar Arkestra, Astro Infinity Arkestra, and Astro Intergalactic Infinity Arkestra. His early Saturn […]
Neil Young is a Canadian singer, guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader whose 1968–89 album sequence runs from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After the Gold Rush, and Harvest through Tonight’s the Night, Zuma, Rust Never Sleeps, Trans, and Freedom. His key songs from this period include “Cinnamon Girl,” “Down by the River,” “Only Love Can Break […]
Chick Corea (June 12, 1941 – Feb. 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader with a six-decade career that spanned the early 1960s to the late 2010s. He emerged as a backing player for Mongo Santamaria, Sonny Stitt, Blue Mitchell, Herbie Mann, Hubert Laws, and Cal Tjader. As a solo artist, Corea […]
Kansas are an American symphonic/hard-rock band that released nine albums and a live double-LP on CBS-subsidiary Kirshner between 1974 and 1983, followed by a pair of late-’80s albums on MCA. Formed in Topeka by guitarist–keyboardist Kerry Livgren and drummer Phil Ehart, the band solidified with vocalist–keyboardist Steve Walsh, violinist–vocalist Robby Steinhardt, guitarist Rich Williams, bassist […]
Jean Carn is an American soul singer who cut three albums for the Black Jazz label (1971–73) with her then-husband, keyboardist Doug Carn. She debuted as a solo artist with a 1976 self-titled album on Philadelphia International, followed by the 1978–79 titles Happy to Be With You and When I Find You Love. In the […]
Alice Cooper is an American singer and performer, best known for the shock-rock antics and horror trappings of his 1970s live shows. He emerged as the frontman of namesake hard-rockers Alice Cooper, which charted with a string of 1971–73 Warner Bros. albums, including the hits “School’s Out,” “I’m Eighteen,” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” […]
The Alan Parsons Project (APP) was an English symphonic/art-pop band led by the production/multi-instrumental team of Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson. The project began with the album Tales of Mystery and Imagination on 20th Century in 1976, followed by nine albums on Arista between 1977 and 1987. Their catalogue includes concept albums like I Robot, […]
Gino Vannelli is an Italian-Canadian vocalist and songwriter who released ten albums between 1973 and 1990 and scored hits with “I Just Wanna Stop” and “Living Inside Myself.” He rose to prominence with his 1974 singles “Powerful People” and “People Gotta Move,” theatrical hybrids of lounge-jazz and blue-eyed soul. His lavish orchestration culminated with the […]
Hermeto Pascoal (June 22, 1936 – September 13, 2025) was a Brazilian composer, multi-instrumentalist, and bandleader who played with the 1960s samba-jazz combos Sambrasa Trio and Quarteto Nôvo. After a one-album stint with Brazilian Octopus, he made his first headlining album in 1970 on Cobblestone Records. He recorded twenty-five albums on assorted labels, including the […]
Jeff Beck (1944–2023) was an English rock guitarist who emerged as the lead soloist in the Yardbirds during the mid-1960s. In 1968, he formed the first edition of the Jeff Beck Group with vocalist Rod Stewart and bassist Ron Wood, releasing two albums on Columbia in 1968 and 1969. In 1971, Beck formed a second […]
Art Zoyd was a French chamber-rock band that self-pressed their 1976 debut album, Symphonie pour le jour où brûleront les cités. In 1978, they joined the Rock In Opposition network of Continental acts organized by Henry Cow. On Atem, Art Zoyd released the 1979/80 albums Musique pour l’Odyssée and Génération sans Futur, followed by the […]
Pat Metheny is an American jazz guitarist who released thirteen group and solo albums on ECM (1976–1984), followed by titles on Geffen. His best-known cuts include the 1978 fusion staple “Phase Dance,” the 1985 soundtrack ballad “This Is Not America” (a collaboration with David Bowie), and the 1989 smooth-jazz number “Slip Away.” Background He was […]
Pat Benatar is an American rock singer from Brooklyn who released nine studio albums between 1979 and 1993 on Chrysalis. She scored modern-rock radio hits with “Heartbreaker,” “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “You Better Run,” “Promises In the Dark,” “Fire and Ice,” “Precious Time,” “Shadows of the Night,” “Love Is a Battlefield,” “We Belong,” […]
