Quiz Monkey
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Quiz Monkey |
| Arts & Entertainment |
| Pop Music |
| Groups |
See also: Singers (and musicians), The Beatles, Backing Groups, Lead Singers, Duos.
| Formed in Sydney, 1973, by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young |
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AC/DC |
| Sweden's third most successful chart act (after Abba and Roxette): debut album Happy Nation (1993) and the first single from it, All That She Wants, both reached No. 1 in the UK |
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Ace of Base |
| Walk This Way: Run–DMC, backed by (its originators) |
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Aerosmith |
| Morten Harket is the lead singer of (Norwegian group) |
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A–ha |
| Sisters Natalie and Nicole Appleton, Melanie Blatt, Shaznay Lewis: five UK No. 1s, 1998–2000, the first and biggest being Never Ever (24 weeks on the chart, but only one at No. 1) |
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All Saints |
| German group, wrote and recorded Forever Young (covered by numerous artistes, and famously adapted by Jay–Z in 2009); but their only UK hit was Big in Japan (No. 8, 1984) |
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Alphaville |
| Named after a weekly disco session in Cardiff; same name as a series of holes on the US Masters golf course at Augusta, which is named after a poem written around 1900 by Thomas Chalmers Harbaugh, made into a "country gospel" song in 1960 by Archie Campbell – covers include Jim Reeves |
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Amen Corner |
| A Horse With No Name (1971) was a US No. 1, and No. 3 in the UK (their only UK Top 10 hit), for |
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America |
| Eric Burdon (vocals), Alan Price (keyboards), Hilton Valentine (guitar), Chas Chandler (bass), John Steel (drums); formed in Newcastle–upon–Tyne in 1962–3 |
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Animals |
| Progressive rock band, formed in Greece in 1967: featured Vangelis (Papathanassiou – keyboards) and Demis Roussos (bass guitar and vocals) |
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Aphrodite's Child |
| Danish–Norwegian dance–pop band: three consecutive UK No. 1s, 1997–8, starting with Barbie Girl |
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Aqua |
| Fictional (cartoon) band, whose third single (Sugar Sugar, 1969 – performed by session musicians) went to No. 1 in the UK, USA and Canada |
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Archies |
| Formed in Sheffield in 2002; 2006 debut album was the fastest–selling debut album in UK chart history |
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Arctic Monkeys |
| Had hits with Duane Eddy, Max Headroom and Tom Jones |
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Art of Noise |
| Elizabeth McClarnon, Natasha Hamilton, Kerry Katona (Jennifer Frost replaced Katona from 2001 until the split in 2004, but the founders reformed in 2012 for ITV's The Big Reunion and have stayted together to tour with existing material) |
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Atomic Kitten |
| Formed in 1980 by 16–year–old Roddy Frame, who was the only constant member; Somewhere In My Heart (No. 3 in 1988) and Love, the album that it came from, were their only Top Ten hit single and album |
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Aztec Camera |
| Named after a hairstyle that was named after an aeroplane |
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B–52s |
| Irish male vocal group: had eight UK Top Ten hits between 1962 and 1966, including Charmaine, Ramona, Diane and Marie |
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Bachelors |
| Paul Rodgers (formerly of Free – vocals), Mick Ralphs (formerly of Mott the Hoople – guitar), Boz Burrell (formerly of King Crimson – bass), Simon Kirke (formerly of Free – drums); name inspired by a 1972 Jeff Bridges film; managed by Peter Grant, who went on to manage Led Zeppelin |
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Bad Company |
| British pop–rock band, signed to the Beatles' Apple label. Singer, songwriter and guitarist Pete Ham, co–writer of Nilsson's smash hit Without You, committed suicide by hanging in 1975, leaving a note that included damning comments about the band's American commercial manager, Stan Polley |
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Badfinger |
| Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward, Sarah Dallin; name inspired by the titles of a children's TV programme (Banana Splits) and a Roxy Music song (Pyjamarama); first recorded the song Young at Heart, which was a UK No. 1 for the Bluebells |
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Bananarama |
| The only act to appear on the first two versions of Do They Know It's Christmas? (1984 and 1989) | ||
| Originally known as The Hawks; Martin Scorsese directed a film (The Last Waltz) of their farewell concert, on Thanksgiving Day (25 November) 1976 |
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The Band |
| Jimi Hendrix, Billy Cox (bass), Buddy Miles (drums): ill–fated contractual obligation band formed following the break–up of the Experience; dolls of Brian Jones, John Peel and Bob Dylan were depicted on the UK album sleeve |
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Band of Gypsys |
| Named after a town in Michigan, chosen by throwing a dart at a map |
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Bay City Rollers |
| Originally called Carl and the Passions; founder members included brothers Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson |
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Beach Boys |
| Formed in 2009 by Liam Gallagher and other members of Oasis, after Noel Gallagher left; disbanded in 2014 |
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Beady Eye |
Michael Diamond, Adam Yauch (yowk), Adam Horovitz – a.k.a. Mike D, MCA, and Ad–Rock (respectively)
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Beastie Boys |
| Formed in 1988 by former Housemartins Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway; Briana Corrigan (first), Jacqui Abbott (later) and Alison Wheeler (even later) also sang; split in 2007, citing "musical similarities" |
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Beautiful South |
| Started out as children in Manchester, as The Rattlesnakes |
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Bee Gees |
| Famously walked out on an interview on Clive Anderson's BBC television chat show, in 1997
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| Dion's backing group on Teenager in Love |
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Belmonts |
| Formed by Mick Jones after The Clash split up |
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Big Audio Dynamite |
| Australian Abba tribute band |
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Bjorn Again |
| US R&B group: William Adams (will.i.am, pronounced "Will I Am"), Allan Pineda Lindo (apl.de.ap, pronounced "Apple Dee App"), Stacey Ann Ferguson (Fergie) and Jaime Luis Gomez (Taboo); named after the seed of the Vigna sinensis plant |
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Black Eyed Peas |
| John "Ozzy" Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Terence "Geezer" Butler (bass), Bill Ward (drums) |
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Black Sabbath |
| Short–lived British "supergroup" (Feb–Oct 1969): Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton (both formerly of Cream), Steve Winwood (Traffic) and Ric Grech (Family – pronounced gretch) |
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Blind Faith |
| Chris Stein (guitar), Jimmy Destri (keyboards), Gary Valentine (bass) and Clem Burke (drums) are the four original instrumentalists in |
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Blondie |
| Vivian Stanshall and Neil Innes were leading members of; made their television debut on Blue Peter in 1966, performing Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey; also appeared in every edition of Do Not Adjust Your Set (1967–9) |
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Bonzo Dog (Doo–Dah) Band |
| The American alt–rock band Death Cab for Cutie, formed in 1997, took their name from a 1967 album track by | ||
| House band of Stax Records – best known for their instrumental hit, Green Onions
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Booker T & the MGs |
| Named after the boyhood gang of folk singer and songwriter Woody Guthrie, as described in his 1943 autobiography Bound for Glory |
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Boomtown Rats |
| 1990s pop–rock band, named after a neighbour of the Finches in To Kill a Mocking Bird (by Harper Lee) |
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Boo Radleys |
| US rock band, led by Tom Scholz: their 1976 single More than a Feeling is perhaps the archetypal AOR anthem, although it wasn't a big hit on release |
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Boston |
| Ronan (Keating), Shane, Stephen (Gateley), Mikey, Keith |
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Boyzone |
| David Gates and Jimmy Griffin were "co–lead singers" and songwriters with (1970s American soft–rock group) |
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Bread |
| Yorkshire–based brass band, reached No. 2 with the traditional tune The Floral Dance (1977) |
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Brighouse & Raistrick |
| Craig Logan played bass guitar in the early (and most successful) days of |
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Bros |
| Ensemble formed in 1996 to revive the music of pre–revolutionary Cuba, and named after a popular Havana music venue from the 1940s: an eponymous album was released in 1997, and a 1998 film by Wim Wenders, based around a live performance, won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature |
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Buena Vista Social Club |
| Formed in Los Angeles in 1966: Stephen Stills and Neil Young were founder members |
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Buffalo Springfield |
| Formed in 2000 in Southend–on–Sea, Essex, by James Bourne (rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals), Matt Willis (bass guitar, vocals) and Charlie Simpson (lead guitar, occasionally drums, vocals) |
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Busted |
| Formed in 1976 at Bolton Institute of Technology (now Bolton University) by Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley (real names Howard Trafford and Peter McNeish); their legendary first EP was entitled Spiral Scratch |
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Buzzcocks |
| American funk group, formed 1974: front man Larry Blackmon, greatest hit Word Up! (UK No. 3, 1986–7) |
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Cameo |
| Electronic dance trio – name is slang for taking ecstasy and LSD at the same time – reached No. 3 in 1990 with a cover of Strawberry Fields Forever – now a 'rave classic' |
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Candy Flip |
| Before achieving mainstream renown as a broadcaster, Cerys Matthews was a founder member and lead singer with (indy–rock group) |
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Catatonia |
| Peter Cetera (bass), Terry Kath (guitar) and Robert Lamm (keyboards) were founder members of, and shared lead vocals
in |
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Chicago |
| British blues revival band, label mates of Fleetwood Mac at Blue Horizon in the mid–1960s: founder Stan Webb is the only constant member, but Christine Perfect (later to marry John McVie and join Fleetwood Mac) played keyboards and sang 1968–9 |
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Chicken Shack |
| Traditional Irish folk band, formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney (died 2021) and others; awarded the honorary title of 'Ireland's Musical Ambassadors' by the Irish government in 1989 |
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The Chieftains |
| Before going solo, Enya was a member of |
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Clannad |
| Hits with Yakkety Yak and Charlie Brown (both 1959) |
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Coasters |
| Founded 1996 at University College London by Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland; early names included Pectoralz and Starfish. Debut album and single 2000 |
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Coldplay |
| Also includes Guy Berryman (bass) and Will Champion (drums); "creative director" Phil Harvey is "officially recognised" as the "fifth member" | ||
| Four Irish siblings (Jim, Andrea, Caroline, Sharon) – awarded honorary MBEs 2005 |
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Corrs |
| Formed in Berkeley, California in 1965, later becoming part of the San Francisco counter–culture scene: most famous for their anti–Vietnam–war protest song I–Feel–Like–I'm–Fixin'–to–Die Rag, usually preceded by their trademark 'Cheer' ("Give me an F ... ") – as featured on the Woodstock film and album (in its less polite adaptation) |
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Country Joe and the Fish |
| Eric Clapton (guitar), Jack Bruce (bass guitar and vocals), Ginger Baker (drums) – formed 1966; the first supergroup, according to Rolling Stone (1969) |
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Cream |
| John Fogerty was the leader of, and his brother Tom was rhythm guitarist in |
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Creedence Clearwater Revival |
| Dave Vanian (vocals), Brian James (guitar), Captain Sensible (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Rat Scabies (drums): original line–up of |
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The Damned |
| Named after the manager of the football team they support |
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Dario G(radi) |
| Brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins were vocalists and guitarists in |
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The Darkness |
| David Harman, Trevor Ward–Davies, John Dymond, Michael Wilson, Ian Amey |
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Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich |
| Formed in Glasgow in 1985; named after a Steely Dan song; twin vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh
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Deacon Blue |
| Pete Burns was the singer, songwriter and frontman of |
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Dead or Alive |
| Ian Gillan (vocals), Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Jon Lord |(keyboards), Roger Glover (bass), Ian Paice (drums): most successful line–up of |
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Deep Purple |
| Formed Sheffield 1977; drummer Rick Allen lost an arm in a car crash on the Snake Pass, New Year's Eve 1984 |
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Def Leppard |
| 'Alternative rock' band, formed in Glasgow in 1980: Justin Currie is the singer and principal songwriter; biggest hit Nothing Ever Happens (No. 11, 1990) |
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Del Amitri |
| Formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex, and named after a French fashion magazine; original line–up Dave Gahan
(vocals), Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar), Andy Fletcher (keyboards), Vince Clarke (keyboards); greatest hits include Precious,
People are People, Barrel of a Gun
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Depeche Mode |
| Members included Eric Clapton and Gregg Allman |
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Derek & the Dominoes |
| Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams (1990–2005) |
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Destiny's Child |
| Derry–born Neil Hannon is the creator, front man, singer, songwriter, multi–instrumentalist, and only
constant member of |
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The Divine Comedy |
| Texas country group, founded 1989 by sisters Martie and Emily Irwin – now known by their respective married names, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison; Natalie Maines joined 1995 and became lead singer; caused controversy in 2003 by criticising George W. Bush on the eve of the invasion of Iraq |
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Dixie Chicks |
| Named after a 1954 book by Aldous Huxley (which itself took its title from a poem by William Blake)
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Doors |
| Formed at Wilmslow High School in 1985; had a No. 1 album in 2002 with The Last Broadcast |
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Doves |
| Formed in 1992 in Derry (Londonderry); biggest hit Things can Only Get Better (released in 1993, reached No. 1 in 1994 after they supported Take That; used by the Labour party as their "theme song" for the 1997 general election); included Brian Cox, later to find greater fame as a TV presenter after gaining his PhD in high energy particle physics at Manchester University; split in 1997 |
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D:Ream |
| Formed in 1971 in Canvey Island, Essex, by Wilko Johnson (guitar), Lee Brilleaux (vocals) and John 'Sparko' Sparks (bass); soon added John Martin (drums); took their name from a 1962 record by the US blues pianist and singer Willie Perryman (also known as 'Piano Red'); known for their distinctively British 'pub rock' R&B sound, centred on Johnson's choppy guitar style |
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Dr. Feelgood |
| Formed in New Jersey, in 1967, by three 'Southerners': George Cummings (guitar), Ray Sawyer (vocals) and Billy Francis (keyboards); then added Dennis Locorriere on lead vocals; dropped the second part of their name in 1975 |
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Dr. Hook (& the Medicine Show) |
| Echo and the Bunnymen: Echo was a |
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Drum machine |
| Founded in 1962 as the Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, but soon renamed after a book of short stories (by James Joyce) which fellow founder member Luke Kelly was reading |
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Dubliners |
| Formed in Birmingham, 1978; named after a character in the 1968 film Barbarella |
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Duran Duran |
| Founded in 1971 after Glen Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner backed Linda Ronstadt (on an album
and at one concert); eponymous debut album released in June 1972; Leadon left in 1975 and was replaced by Joe Walsh, who first featured on
their fifth and most successful studio album |
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Eagles |
| Founded in Chicago by Maurice White in 1971; also included Philip Bailey on vocals |
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Earth, Wind and Fire |
| Named after the London postcode area that its members come from (Walthamstow) |
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East 17 (E17) |
| Named after a Roland drum machine |
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808 State |
| Took their name from a line in the TV drama The Singing Detective, when a character calls it the most sensuous word in the English language; it's also the name of the Duke's constable in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure |
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Elbow |
| Brothers Danny and Richard McNamara are founder–members of (Yorkshire–based Indy Rock band) |
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Embrace |
| Formed in 1970 by former members of The Nice, King Crimson and Atomic Rooster (the last having previously played in the Crazy World of Arthur Brown) |
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Emerson, Lake & Palmer |
| Formed in 1992; Louise Nurding (later Redknapp – first album only); Kéllé Bryan (sacked 1998); sisters Easther (sic) and Vernie Bennett; split in 1999 |
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Eternal |
| Swedish rock band, formed in 1979: best known for The Final Countdown, the title track from their 3rd studio album, which was a No.1 hit in 25 countries (including the UK) in 1986 |
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Europe |
| Dave Stewart, Annie Lennox; evolved from The Tourists; named after a method of teaching music and dance devised by Emile Jacques–Delcroze (possibly two separate methods – Eurythmy and Eurhythmics) |
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Eurythmics |
| Before joining the Rolling Stones, Ron (Ronnie) Wood was a member of |
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Faces |
| Seminal British folk–rock group, formed in London in 1967 by Ashley Hutchings and Simon Nicol,
with Richard Thompson on lead guitar |
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Fairport Convention |
| Described by NME as "John Peel's favourite band: recorded 32 Peel Sessions – more than any other act |
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The Fall |
| Originally included James Brown; later often regarded as his backing band, although this is an over–simplification |
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Famous Flames |
| Vindaloo was recorded for the 1998 FIFA World Cup by Keith Allen, Alex James and Damien Hirst, calling themselves |
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Fat Les |
| British trio, formed in 1984: named after a 1960 film starring Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood |
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Fine Young Cannibals |
| Commonly–used abbreviation of a well–known British expletive, adopted by the Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand and the quirky American pop–rock band Sparks as the name of the 'supergroup' that they formed in 2014 |
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FFS |
| UK vocal group: siblings Deniece, Doris, Lorraine, Stedman and Delroy Pearson; 6 Top Ten hits, 1986–7, and 21 UK Top 40 hits altogether between 1985 and 1990; also a million–selling No. 1 album, Silk & Steel (1986) |
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Five Star |
| Leader quit the music business, leaving the drummer and bass guitarist (after whom the group was now named); the latter married Christine Perfect in 1968, and she joined the band (on keyboards) in 1970; Lindsey Buckingham (guitar & vocals) and Stevie Nicks (lead vocals) joined in 1975 |
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Fleetwood Mac |
| New Wave band, formed in Liverpool in 1979 by brothers Mike and Alistair Score (keyboards & vocals, and drums, respectively); famous for Mike's sculpted hairstyle – biggest hit Wishing (If I had a photograph of you), 1982 |
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A Flock of Seagulls |
| The Ivy League (Tossing and Turning, 1965) changed their name in 1967, for one single and one album, to |
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Flower Pot Men |
| Top Ten hit with Money, previously most famous as a Beatles LP track, in 1979 |
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Flying Lizards |
| Dutch group, featuring Thijs van Leer on flute and keyboards and Jan Akkerman on guitar: had instrumental hits in 1973 with Sylvia and Hocus Pocus |
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Focus |
| Formed in 1994 by Dave Grohl, drummer of Nirvana (who sings, plays guitar and writes); name is a term used by Allied pilots during World War II to refer to UFOs |
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Foo Fighters |
| Formed in Glasgow, 2002; front man Alex Kapranos; named after a historical figure most famous for the consequences of his assassination |
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Franz Ferdinand |
| Formed in Glasgow, 2005; named after the criminal family in the 1985 adventure comedy film The Goonies |
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Fratellis |
| Paul Rodgers (vocals), Paul Kossoff (guitar), Andy Fraser (bass), Simon Kirke (drums) |
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Free |
| Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean (wye–clef – "Jean" as in the French boy's name) and Pras Michel |
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Fugees |
| Early 1980s vocal group formed by Terry Hall, Neville Staple and Lynval Golding, as a "spin–off" from the Specials |
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Fun Boy Three |
| Formed at Charterhouse School in 1967; first successful line–up was Peter Gabriel (vocals), Mike Rutherford (bass and guitar), Steve Hackett (guitar), Tony Banks (keyboards), Phil Collins (drums) |
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Genesis |
| Cheryl Cole (nee Tweedy), Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh |
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Girls Aloud |
| 2Hats, Maggot, Billy Webb, Eggsy, Mystikal, Mike Balls, Adam Hussain (satirical/comedy rap group from Newport, Monmouthshire) |
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Goldie Lookin Chain |
| Stuart '2–D' Pot, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs |
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Gorillaz |
| (being a group of cartoon characters set to music by Damon Albarn) | ||
| Jerry Garcia was the lead guitarist and front man of |
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Grateful Dead |
| Formed in California, 1987, as a punk band, by Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt; name is local slang referring to a period of time spent doing nothing but smoking marijuana |
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Green Day |
| Jesus of Suburbia (UK No. 17, 2005) holds the record for the longest performance on Top of the Pops (9 minutes 10 seconds) | ||
| Nick Heyward started in |
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Haircut 100 |
| Formed in 1969 by Dave Brock, who remains the only constant member; Lemmy played bass 1972–5 |
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Hawkwind |
| Danny Foster, Myleene Klass, Suzanne Shaw, Noel Sullivan, Kym Marsh (replaced by Johnny Shentall February 2002) |
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Hear'say |
| Members originally belonged to an early incarnation of Human League; named after a fictional group in A Clockwork Orange |
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Heaven 17 |
| Country supergroup, 1985–95: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson |
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Highwaymen |
| Before joining Crosby and Stills, Graham Nash sang and played rhythm guitar in |
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Hollies |
| Name was a pun on the drummer's name (nickname?) and one of the tools of their former trade (hairdressing) |
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Honeycombs |
| Founded in 1983 by Paul Heaton (later of The Beautiful South); Norman Cook (Fat Boy Slim) joined in 1985 on bass; often referred to themselves as "the fourth best band in Hull" |
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Housemartins |
| Formed in 1977 in Sheffield, since when Phil Oakey (vocals, songwriting) has been the only constant member; Martyn Ware and Ian Craig (both keyboards) left in 1980 to form Heaven 17, after which Oakey recruited Susan Ann Sulley (17) and Joanne Catherall (18) as singers and dancers; third album Dare (1981) became one of the defining albums of synthpop |
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Human League |
| Founded in 1965 by Billy Connolly and guitarist Tam Harvey; Gerry Rafferty joined in 1969, after which Harvey left; split up in 1971 |
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Humblebums |
| Formed by Steve Marriott after the Small Faces broke up |
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Humble Pie |
| British heavy metal band, named after a presumed, though probably fictional, mediaeval torture device with a hinged front and spikes inside, into which the victim could be inserted); has a grotesque mascot called Eddie the Head |
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Iron Maiden |
| US vocal group, had the original hit with This Old Heart of Mine |
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Isley Brothers |
| Female vocal group formed in 1974 to back Bob Marley & the Wailers, after Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left – included Marley's wife Rita |
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I Threes |
| Jackie (born 1951), Tito (1953), Jermaine (1954), Marlon (1957), Michael (1958); Randy (1961) joined from 1975; first hit was I Want You Back in 1969 |
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Jackson 5 |
| Paul Weller (guitar, vocals, songwriting); Bruce Foxton (bass), Rick Buckler (drums); formed in Woking (Surrey) in 1972, split in 1982 |
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The Jam |
| London–based funk and acid jazz band, formed in 1992: fronted by Jay Kay (real name Jason Cheetham) |
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Jamiroquai |
| Name is also used for a broken match used to hold a joint that has become too hot to hold in the fingers; this may or may not be where the band got the name from |
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Jefferson Airplane |
| Alternative rock band: formed in 1983, in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, by brothers Jim and William Reid |
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Jesus and Mary Chain |
| Named after the inventor of the seed drill (a leading light of the Agricultural Revolution, 1674–1741) |
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Jethro Tull |
| Included Noel Redding (bass guitar) and Mitch Mitchell (drums) |
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Jimi Hendrix Experience |
| Formed in Salford in 1976; originally known as Warsaw (changed in early 1978, to avoid confusion with the short–lived London punk band Warsaw Pakt); achieved success under a name that came from the 1955 novel House of Dolls by Karol Cetensky, where it refers to the deported women who serve as prostitutes for German troops; became New Order after lead singer (Ian Curtis) hanged himself in the kitchen of his Macclesfield home |
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Joy Division |
| Named after a Soweto football club (group members are Leeds United fans; this is the club from which Lucas Radebe joined Leeds in 1994 – note minor spelling change) |
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Kaiser Chiefs |
| Formed in Leicester in 1997 by Tom Meighan, Sergio Pizzorno, Chris Karloff and Chris Edwards, joined in 2004 by drummer Ian Matthews; named after Charles Manson's getaway driver (first name Linda) |
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Kasabian |
| TV spin–off group: had three Top Ten albums (including a No. 1), 1982–3, and Top Ten hits with Hi–Fidelity and Starmaker in 1982 |
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Kids from 'Fame' |
| Formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar); named after a fictitious band that appears in the video for the New Order single Crystal (2001) |
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Killers |
| Official fan club is called The Victims | ||
| Robert Fripp (guitar), Greg Lake (bass, vocals), Michael Giles (drums), Ian McDonald (saxophone, clarinet, flute), Pete Sinfield (synthesiser): original line–up of |
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King Crimson |
| American "garage rock" group, best known for their 1963 recording of Louie Louie (written in 1955 by the African–American singer Richard Berry), which reached No. 2 in the USA and No. 26 in the UK – probably the definitive version of what would become an R'n'B standard |
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Kingsmen |
| Formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1999: brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill (rhythm guitar, drums, bass) and their cousin Matthew (lead guitar); Caleb sings lead vocals, the other three backing vocals |
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Kings of Leon |
| Brothers Ray and Dave Davies, Pete Quaife, Mick Avory |
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Kinks |
| Known for using face paint and stage outfits, members took on the personae of comic book–style characters: the Starchild (rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist Paul Stanley), the Demon (bass guitarist and vocalist Gene Simmons), the Spaceman or Space Ace (lead guitarist Paul 'Ace' Frehley), and the Catman (drummer Peter Criss) |
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Kiss |
| Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cautey – they later formed the K Foundation, which burnt £1 million in the name of art |
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The KLF |
| Brothers Robert and Ronald Bell, and saxophonist Dennis 'DT' Thomas, were founder–members of (US
R&B, funk and disco band) |
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Kool & the Gang |
| Name is German for 'power plant' |
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Kraftwerk |
| Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid (she sings and plays keyboards; both write and produce) are |
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La Roux |
| Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitars), John Paul Jones (bass guitar), John Bonham (drums) |
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Led Zeppelin |
| Toured Scandinavia in 1968 as The New Yardbirds – but were rescued by Keith Moon, who suggested that the band would go down like a ... | ||
| 2007 reunion concert attracted more than 20 million ticket applications – still a Guinness World Record in
2024 | ||
| Formed by the five losing finalists from ITV's original Popstars series (2001); split 2007 |
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Liberty X |
| The only group with a mother and son to have a UK chart hit |
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Lieutenant Pigeon |
| Formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1968; nmamed after an island in the North Sea, off the coast of Northumberland |
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Lindisfarne |
| Formed in 1969 in Los Angeles by singer–songwriter and guitarist Lowell George (formerly of the Mothers of Invention – died in 1979 of a heroin overdose); named by Jimmy Page in 1975 as his "favourite American band" |
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Little Feat |
| First group (as opposed to solo artistes) to win The X Factor (2011); original line–up Leigh–Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards and Jesy Nelson (Nelson left in 2020) |
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Little Mix |
| Named after a PE teacher at their High School (Robert E. Lee, in Jacksonville, Florida), who was notorious for strictly
enforcing the school's policy against boys having long hair; a character of the same name is mentioned in Allan Sherman's 1963 comedy song
Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh |
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Lynyrd Skynyrd |
| Chris Foreman, Lee Thompson and Chas Smash are (or were) members of |
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Madness |
| Formed by Howard DeVoto after leaving the Buzzcocks, 1977; also included critically–acclaimed Scottish guitarist John McGeoch |
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Magazine |
| Paul Jones and Mike d'Abo were lead singers for; Klaus Voormann, who designed the cover of the Beatles' Revolver album, was the bass player in |
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Manfred Mann |
| Formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979; name inspired by the title of a book published in 1977, four years after its author's death |
|
Marillion |
| Seminal 'trip hop' collective, formed in 1988 in Bristol by Robert Del Naja, Adrian Thaws, Andrew Vowles and Grant Marshall (nicknames, respectively: 3D, Tricky, Mushroom and Daddy G) |
|
Massive Attack |
| Formed in 1964 in Lincoln Park, Michigan, split up in 1972: once said to "[crystallize] the counterculture movement at its most volatile and threatening" – their best–known song is Kick Out the Jams; the group's name reflects their Detroit roots and the original number of members |
|
MC5 |
| Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter, Tom Fletcher, Harry Judd; named after Michael J. Fox's character in the Back to the Future films |
|
McFly |
| Australian band, best known for Down Under (1983) |
|
Men At Work |
| Alesha Dixon, Su–Elise Nash, Sabrina Washington (1999–2005); also Zena McNally (1999–2001) |
|
Mis–Teeq |
| Scottish 'post–rock' band: name is from the film Gremlins
|
|
Mogwai |
| Sheffield–based dance–pop duo, 1995–2004; name taken from A Clockwork Orange, originally Russian for 'milk' |
|
Moloko |
| Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork |
|
Monkees |
| Justin Hayward (guitar, vocals), Denny Laine (guitar, vocals), Mike Pinder (keyboards), John Lodge (bass), Graeme Edge (drums) |
|
Moody Blues |
| Vince Neil (vocals), Tommy Lee (drums), Nikki Sixx (bass), Mick Mars (guitar): most successful line–up of |
|
Mötley Crüe |
| Formed by Ian "Lemmy" Kilminster 1975, after he was fired from Hawkwind "for taking the wrong drugs". He wanted to call it Bastard, but settled on the title of the last song he wrote for Hawkwind – an alternative slang term for "speed freak" (someone addicted to amphetamines). Classic line–up (1976–82): Lemmy (bass, vocals), "Fast" Eddie Clarke (guitar), Phil Taylor (drums) |
|
Motörhead |
| Took their name from a 1966 novel by Los Angeles–based Willard Manus, about a dropout who works in a circus freak show |
|
Mott the Hoople |
| Sued by prime minister Harold Wilson for depicting him naked on an album cover |
|
The Move |
| Short–lived band that that launched the careers of Denny Doherty and Cass Elliot, before they joined with
John and Michelle Phillips to form the Mamas & the Papas – mentioned in the lyrics of Creeque Alley
|
|
Mugwumps |
| Named after one of the cats from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (T. S. Eliot); fronted by Ray Dorset; first two singles (In the Summertime 1970, Baby Jump 1971) went to No. 1 in the UK |
|
Mungo Jerry |
| Formed in Teignmouth, Devon, in 1994: Matthew Bellamy (guitar, vocals), Christopher Wolstenholme (bass), Dominic Howard (drums) |
|
Muse |
| Formed in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in 1987: named after an episode of The Goon Show; unusually features two bass guitarists |
|
Ned's Atomic Dustbin |
| Brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight were founder members of |
|
New Kids on the Block |
| Manchester–based group, formed in 1980 by the remaining members of Joy Division after the suicide of singer Ian Curtis; collaborated with England's 1990 World Cup squad on World in Motion |
|
New Order |
| Started as backing group to P. P. Arnold |
|
The Nice |
| Trent Reznor is the only permanent member; he wrote (and recorded under the band's name) Hurt, which was made famous by Johnny Cash, who recorded it shortly before his death in 2003 |
|
Nine Inch Nails |
| Matthew Healy, son of actors Tim Healy and Denise Welch, is the front man of (indie rock band) |
|
The 1975 |
| Justin Timberlake was the lead singer of (1995–2002 – they announced a "temporary hiatus" in 2002 but by 2007 it was looking pretty final) |
|
'N Sync (*NSYNC) |
| Led by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher; other founder members were Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs (guitar), Paul 'Guigsy' McGuigan (bass guitar), and Tony McCarroll (drums); named after a leisure centre in Swindon (from an Inspiral Carpets tour poster that the Gallaghers had on their bedroom wall); Noel was a roadie for the Inspiral Carpets |
|
Oasis |
| Had hits with Back Stabbers (1972) and Love Train (1973) |
|
O'Jays |
| Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson: all auditioned for The X Factor in 2010; all failed to progress at the bootcamp stage, but were put together by Simon Cowell to form a five–piece boy band, and qualified in the Groups category. Ranked by Forbes as the world's fourth highest–earning celebrities in 20155, but announced an indefinite "hiatus" in 2016 (Zayn Malik left in 2015) |
|
One Direction |
| Took what they later described as "this stupid name" from a list of song ideas and unused lyrics that Andy McCluskey, one of their founder members, had written on his bedroom wall |
|
Orchestral Mano–euvres in the Dark |
| Indie rock band, formed in Worthing in 2002: named after a Smiths song |
|
Ordinary Boys |
| Alan (born 1949, rhythm guitar), Wayne (1951, lead guitar), Merrill (1953, bass), Jay (1955, drums), Donny (1957, keyboards); first hit 1971 (1972 in UK) |
|
Osmonds |
| One of several "projects" created by singer, songwriter and multi–instrumentalist Adam Young: UK No. 1 in 2010 with Fireflies |
|
Owl City |
| 1968–73: Bert Jansch (guitar, d. 2011), John Renbourn (guitar, d. 2015), Danny Thompson (double bass), Terry Cox (drums), Jacqui McShee (vocals): with folk, jazz, blues, early music and contemporary influences |
|
Pentangle |
| Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe – met in a hi–fi shop on King's Road, Chelsea, 1981 |
|
Pet Shop Boys |
| Roger Waters (bass guitar), Rick Wright (keyboards), Nick Mason (drums); Syd Barrett (guitar) was replaced by David Gilmour |
|
Pink Floyd |
| Featured in a seminal 1972 concert documentary film, performing live (but with no audience) at the ancient Roman amphitheatre in Pompeii | ||
| The Great Pretender, Only You, and Smoke Gets in your Eyes |
|
Platters |
| Name derived from the Gaelic for 'kiss my arse' |
|
Pogues |
| Single Slow Hand – UK top 10 1981 (Eric Clapton had a similar album title) |
|
Pointer Sisters |
| Andy Summers (bass) and Stewart Copeland (drums) were members of |
|
The Police |
| Formed in Bristol in 1991 by Geoff Barrow, Adrian Utley and Beth Gibbons, and named after a nearby town: regarded as pioneers of trip–hop |
|
Portishead |
| Formed by Andy Taylor and John Taylor of Duran Duran in 1985 |
|
Power Station |
| Named after a Platters hit |
|
Pretenders |
| Twins Craig and Charlie Reid are |
|
Proclaimers |
| Named after a cat that belonged to a friend of their manager; name is "almost" Latin for 'beyond these things' |
|
Procol Harum |
| Formed by keyboard player and programmer Liam Howlett; featured the charismatic dancer and singer Keith Flint (until his suicide in 2019); UK No. 1s with Firestarter and Breathe (both 1996); also No. 8 (1997) with the controversial Smack My Bitch Up – voted the third best dance track of all time by Mixmag readers (2013) |
|
The Prodigy |
| Nicole Scherzinger (lead singer), Melody Thornton, Jessica Sutta, Ashley Roberts, Kimberley Wyatt, Carmit Bachar |
|
Pussycat Dolls |
| Russian feminist punk–rock protest group: three of its members were imprisoned in 2012, after being convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred", after staging a performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior in protest at the Orthodox Church leaders' support for Vladimir Putin during his election campaign |
|
Pussy Riot |
| Band that Paul Young left to go solo in 1982: named after a well–known brand of cotton buds (or swabs)
|
|
Q–Tips |
| Freddie Mercury (vocals), Brian May (lead guitar), John Deacon (bass guitar), Roger Taylor (drums); originally called Smile; music featured in the stage show We Will Rock You |
|
Queen |
| Founded 1934 by Django Reinhardt (guitar) and Stephane Grappelli (violin) |
|
Quintette du Hot Club de France |
| Founded in Abingdon, Oxfordhire in 1985; former name On a Friday; Thom Yorke (vocals), brothers Jonny and Colin Greenwood (guitars – lead and bass respectively), Ed O'Brien (also guitars), Phil Selway (drums) |
|
Radiohead |
| Nominated for the Mercury Prize a record five times, up to and including 2019 – most recently in 2016 for A Moon shaped Pool – but have never won it | ||
| Liverpool–based group, appeared on Opportunity Knocks 1975; biggest hit You to Me are Everything (1976); follow–up Can't Get By Without You reached no. 2 |
|
The Real Thing |
| Michael Stipe (vocals), Bill Berry (drums – left 1997), Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass): named after a physiological sign that someone is dreaming |
|
R.E.M. |
| Formed in 1969 by ex–Yardbirds Keith Relf (guitar, vocals) and Jim McCarty (drums); original line–up included Relf's sister Jane on lead vocals |
|
Renaissance |
| Named after a 1911 fire engine designed by Ransom Eli Olds |
|
REO Speedwagon |
| Secretive avant–garde band, formed in 1974 in Shreveport, Louisiana |
|
Residents |
| Bill Medley, Bobby Hatfield |
|
Righteous Brothers |
| Founded by the Fairbrass brothers (Richard and Fred), and Mark Hollins |
|
Right Said Fred |
| Fronted by Rose Norwalt (real name Gwen Dickey); biggest hits Car Wash (US No. 1 and UK No. 9, 1976), Wishing on a Star (No. 3, 1978), Love Don't Live Here Anymore (No. 2, 1978) |
|
Rose Royce |
| Phil Manzanera (guitars), Brian Eno (synthesisers), Andy Mackay (various) and Paul Thompson (drums) were the musicians in the most successful line–up of |
|
Roxy Music |
| Rap group, covered Aerosmith's Walk This Way in 1986, with Steve Tyler and Joe Perry (of Aerosmith) guesting on vocals and guitar respectively |
|
Run–DMC |
| Rock band, formed in 1973 on the Isle of Skye (as a ceilidh band); named after a system of land tenure, practised in Scotland from late Mediaeval times until around 1800; their repertoire was steeped in Scottish history and culture, often with Gaelic lyrics; principal songwriters were brothers Rory and Calum MacDonald; split after a farewell tour in 2018 |
|
Runrig |
| Ron Nasty, Dirk McQuickly, Stig O'Hara, Barry Wom (spoof group) |
|
Rutles |
| Australian band, named after a novel by Anne Rice |
|
Savage Garden |
| Mike McGear (real name Peter Michael McCartney), Roger McGough, John Gorman |
|
The Scaffold |
| Jake Shears, Babydaddy, Ana Matronic, Del Marquis, Paddy Boom |
|
Scissor Sisters |
| Formed in 1998 by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller; starred in their own 13–part CBBC television series in 1999 |
|
S Club 7 |
| German rock band, formed in Hanover in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker: best known for their 1991 hit Wind of Change (No. 2 in the UK) |
|
Scorpions |
| Formed in 1978 at Leeds College of Art and Design; front man (and only constant member) is Green Gartside; name is "faux Italian" for "political writing" |
|
Scritti Politti |
| Named after a 1956 John Ford / John Wayne film |
|
Searchers |
| Johnny Rotten (John Lydon – vocals), Steve Jones (guitar), Glen Matlock, later Sid Vicious (bass), Paul Cook (drums); career documented in the film The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle |
|
Sex Pistols |
| Originally known as the Drifters – renamed in 1959 to avoid legal complications with the US vocal group of the same name; most famous line–up was Bruce Welch, Tony Meehan, Jet Harris (and Hank Marvin) – none of them (including Marvin) original members |
|
Shadows |
| Formed by Siobhan Fahey, post–Bananarama, as a solo act; Marcella Detroit (Marcy Levy) joined one year later to make it a duo, and sang lead vocals on their 1992 No. 1 hit Stay; split acrimoniously in 1994; named after a single by The Smiths, which was inspired by the writing of Virginia Woolf |
|
Shakespears (sic) Sister |
| Stars of Woodstock festival, performed as Johnny Casino and the Gamblers in the film version of Grease |
|
Sha Na Na |
| Led by Jim Kerr; originally called Johnny and the Self–Abusers |
|
Simple Minds |
| Started as a punk band called the Frantic Elevators |
|
Simply Red |
| Name shared by the Irish group that launched the careers of Phil Lynott and Gary Moore, and an American group formed in 1986 (with two UK Top 10 albums, 1991 and 1995) |
|
Skid Row |
| Started in 1966 as The N'Betweens; Noddy Holder (lead vocals & guitar), Dave Hill (lead guitar), Jim Lea (bass), Don Powell (drums); first chart success 1971 |
|
Slade |
| Formed in 1976 by Spanish–born drummer Paloma Romero (stage name Palmolive), after meeting German singer
Ariane Forster (stage name Ari Up) at a Patti Smith concert; also included Viv Albertine (guitar) and Tessa Pollitt (bass)
|
|
Slits |
| Steve Marriott (vocals), Ronnie Wood (guitar), Ronnie Lane (bass), Kenny Jones (drums) |
|
Small Faces |
| Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass guitar) and Mike Joyce (drums) were the three musicians in |
|
Smiths |
| Marc Almond and David Ball |
|
Soft Cell |
| Formed in Canterbury, 1966; named after a novel by William S. Burroughs; founding line–up was Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals), Kevin Ayers (bass, guitar, vocals), Daevid Allen (guitar) and Mike Ratledge (organ); Ayers was replaced by Hugh Hopper (previously their roadie) after their first album |
|
Soft Machine |
| Megaman, MC Romeo, Oxide & Neutrino, Michael Harvey, Lisa Maffia (not necessarily all at the same time) and others: London–based "collective", 1998– |
|
So Solid Crew |
| Featured the Kemp brothers, Gary (songwriter and lead guitar) and Martin (bass); both later became actors, with mixed success |
|
Spandau Ballet |
| Formed in Los Angeles 1971 by brothers Ron and Russell Mael; known for their intelligent, acerbic lyrics, and the contrast between Russell's wide–eyed hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's undemonstrative scowl |
|
Sparks |
| Originally named Halfnelson, but renamed at the suggestion of their record label to one inspired by the Marx Brothers | ||
| 2 tone and ska revival band: formed in Coventry, in 1977; Jerry Dammers (principal songwriter and keyboards) and Terry Hall (vocals) were founder members |
|
Specials |
| Spice Girls | Baby (youngest – born Finchley, north London, 21 January 1976) |
|
Emma Bunton |
| Ginger (oldest – born Watford, 6 August 1972) |
|
Geri Halliwell | |
| Posh (born Harlow, Essex, 17 April 1974) |
|
Victoria Adams | |
| Scary (born Leeds, 29 May 1975) |
|
Melanie Brown | |
| Sporty (born Whiston, Merseyside, 12 January 1974) |
|
Melanie Chisholm |
| Fictional heavy metal band, featured in a 1984 spoof documentary ("if you will, rockumentary") film: David St. Hubbins (guitar and vocals), Nigel Tufnel (guitar), Derek Smalls (bass) |
|
Spinal Tap |
| Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please (1980); also Two little Boys |
|
Splodgenessabounds |
| Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook were the singers and songwriters for |
|
Squeeze |
| Evolved from a group called The Spectres, formed 1962 in a London comprehensive school; appeared 106 times on BBC TV's Top of the Pops – more than any other group (Cliff Richard holds the overall record with 160) |
|
Status Quo |
| Also appeared (as themselves) on Coronation Street in 2005, playing at Les Battersby's wedding
| ||
| Named after a dildo in William Burroughs's Naked Lunch; Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were mainstays |
|
Steely Dan |
| Formed in Toronto, 1967: named after a Herman Hesse novel |
|
Steppenwolf |
| H (Ian Watkins), Lisa Scott–Lee, Lee Latchford–Evans, Claire Richards, Faye Tozer: 13 consecutive Top 5 singles, 1998–2001; No. 1s Heartbeat / Tragedy (Bee Gees cover) 1998, Stomp (2000); broke up on Boxing Day 2001 |
|
Steps |
| Formed in Manchester in 1983; self–titled debut album released on Silvertone in 1989; second album released in 1994 on Geffen, but disbanded in 1996 after several changes of line–up; reformed in 2011, played a final gig at Hampden Park, Glasgow in 2017; final dissolution confirmed in September 2019 |
|
Stone Roses |
| Ian Brown (vocals), John Squire (guitar), Gary 'Mani' Mounfield (bass), Alan 'Reni' Wren (drums) | ||
| Paul Weller's band, 1983–9 (after The Jam and before going solo) |
|
Style Council |
| Philadelphia soul group: same name as a branch of linguistics |
|
Stylistics |
| Rock band, formed in London in 1989: Brett Anderson (vocals), Justine Frischmann (guitar), and Mat Osman (bass – brother of ubiquitous television personality Richard) were founder members (and still are members, over 30 years later); also included Bernard Butler (guitars, also songwriting with Anderson) from 1992 to 1994 |
|
Suede |
| Amelle Berrabah replaced Mutya Buena, 2005, in |
|
Sugababes |
| Band that Bjork left to pursue a solo career |
|
Sugar Cubes |
| Formed in Detroit 1959 as the Primettes; signed with Motown 1960 as …; original members Diana Ross (replaced in 1970 by Jean Terrell), Florence Ballard (replaced in 1967 by Cindy Birdsong; died in 1976) and Mary Wilson |
|
Supremes |
| Jerry Harrison (keyboards, guitar), Tina Weymouth (bass), and Chris Frantz (drums) were three of the four members
of (critically–acclaimed 1980s 'new wave' band)
|
|
Talking Heads |
| English "pop and post–rock" band, formed in 1981: lead singer Mark Hollis died in 2019, aged 64, following a short illness |
|
Talk Talk |
| Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen, Jason Orange (left 2014), Robbie Williams (left 1995). Formed in 1990, split in 1996, reformed in 2005 |
|
Take That |
| Originally called The Elgins |
|
Temptations |
| Had a hit with Neanderthal Man as Hotlegs, then decided they preferred a name based on the average amount of semen ejaculated by a man |
|
10cc |
| Scottish alternative rock band: formed in 1986 by Johnny McElhone (guitar – formerly of Altered Images and Hipsway) and Charlene Spiteri (vocals); name inspired by a 1984 Wim Wenders film |
|
Texas |
| Matt Johnson is |
|
The The |
| Formed in Dublin in 1970: three of the four founder members were Eric Bell (guitar), Eric Wrixon (keyboards) – both formerly of Them – and Brian Downey (drums); Bell left in 1973 and was replaced (briefly) by Gary Moore |
|
Thin Lizzy |
| Named after two characters in Herge's Adventures of Tintin (sort of – the characters were actually called Thomson and Thompson – Dupont et Dupond on French) |
|
Thompson Twins |
| Tionne 'T–Boz' Watkins, Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes (died in a road accident 2002, aged 30), Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas |
|
TLC |
| Dance group formed in 1981 by husband and wife Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads, as David Byrne experimented with world music and extra percussionists |
|
Tom Tom Club |
| Formed in 1961 as a session band for record producer Joe Meek; backed Billy Fury, 1962–3, but made records in
their own right at the same time; first British group to have a No. 1 hit in the USA (1962); effectively disbanded after Meek persuaded bass
guitarist Heinz Burt to go solo
|
|
Tornados |
| Before Eurythmics, Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox (with Peet Coombes) were |
|
Tourists |
| Named after a Vulcan priestess (in Star Trek) |
|
T'Pau |
| Formed in 1988 by Bob Dylan (Lucky/Boo), Roy Orbison (Lefty), George Harrison (Nelson/Spike), Jeff Lynne (Otis/Clayton), Tom Petty (Charlie/Muddy) (Names as used on Vol 1 / Vol 3) |
|
Traveling Wilburys |
| Named after Harry Dean Stanton's character in the film Paris, Texas |
|
Travis |
| Brian Poole's backing group – later had seven UK Top Ten hits (and one No. 1) in their own right |
|
Tremeloes |
| Once described as "the eighth best British group of the 1960s": their only UK No. 1 single was With A Girl Like You (1966) |
|
Troggs |
| Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels (1980s Dutch Eurodance duo) |
|
2 Unlimited |
| Bono (Paul Hewson, vocals & guitar), The Edge (Dave Evans, guitar), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), Larry Mullen Jr. (drums) |
|
U2 |
| Chose a name that echoes that of a US surveillance aircraft (although the latter is hyphenated, and the band was not actually named after the aircraft – they claim to have chosen it from a list suggested by a friend, as the one they disliked least) | ||
| Attracted criticism in September 2014 when they made an album available free of charge to all iTunes users | ||
| Named after an unemployment benefit form |
|
UB40 |
| Tony Blair fronted, while at Oxford |
|
Ugly Rumours |
| Named after a character in Dickens' David Copperfield; first album entitled Very 'eavy, very 'umble in a reference to that character's description of himself |
|
Uriah Heep |
| Lou Reed (vocals, guitar); John Cale (vocals, guitar); Sterling Morrison (vocals, guitar), Maureen Tucker (drums): classic line–up of |
|
Velvet Underground |
| Formed in Wigan in 1990 by Richard Ashcroft (vocals), Nick McCabe (guitar), Simon Jones (bass guitar) and Peter Salisbury (drums); split for the third time in 2009 |
|
The Verve |
| British R 'n' B band, 1971–4: launched the careers of both Elkie Brooks and Robert Palmer; its name was the nickname of a WWII US army general (Joseph Stilwell) |
|
Vinegar Joe |
| Indie rock group from Warrington; all four members, and their manager, died when their car fell through a gap in a bridge in Sweden in February 2016; their self–titled debut album reached No. 1 in August 2016, one week after release; their debut single, Swings & Waterslides, had reached No. 11 in 2015 |
|
Viola Beach |
| Originally formed in Co. Sligo; reformed in Dublin, 1998, when Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh became involved. Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, Brian McFadden (left 2004) |
|
Westlife |
| First Western pop group to tour China (1985) |
|
Wham! |
| Husband and wife Jack White (born John Gillis) and Megan White are |
|
White Stripes |
| Roger Daltrey (vocals), Pete Townshend (lead guitar and principal songwriter), John Entwistle (bass), Keith Moon (drums) |
|
The Who |
| Formed in 1959 as the Detours; later known as the High Numbers, but only after adopting the name by which they eventually achieved fame (to which they reverted after their first single failed to make the charts) | ||
| Kenney Jones, Zak Starkey (both drums) and Cardiff-born session bassist Pino Palladino, all joined after the deaths of two original members | ||
| Glam Rock group led by Roy Wood – formed after he left Electric Light Orchestra over musical differences with Jeff Lynne |
|
Wizzard |
| Took their name from the nickname of jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker |
|
Yardbirds |
| Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page were all members (at different times) of | ||
| Vince Clarke (formerly of Depeche Mode) and Alison Moyet |
|
Yazoo |
| Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Tony Banks (keyboards), Chris Squire (bass), Bill Bruford (drums): original line–up of |
|
Yes |
| "Acid jazz" group whose only hit was Apparently Nothing (1991) |
|
Young Disciples |
| Top 20 hits with She's Not There in 1964 and Time of the Season in 1969; Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone were both members of |
|
Zombies |
| Billy Gibbons (vocals, guitar); Dusty Hill (vocals, bass guitar); Frank Beard (drums); Beard was the only one without a spectacular beard |
|
ZZ Top |
© Haydn Thompson 2017–24