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| The Stranglers | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Stranglers |
| Background | group_or_band |
| Origin | Guildford, Surrey, England |
| Genres | Punk rock, New wave, Post-punk, Gothic rock |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Labels | United Artists Records, Liberty Records, Epic Records, Chrysalis Records, Cooking Vinyl |
| Associated acts | The Damned, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Buzzcocks, Joy Division, The Clash |
The Stranglers are an English rock band formed in Guildford, Surrey in 1974. Emerging during the mid-1970s alongside Sex Pistols, The Clash, and The Damned, they combined aggressive punk rock energy with melodic new wave and baroque keyboard lines. The group achieved commercial success with singles such as "Golden Brown" and albums like Rattus Norvegicus and No More Heroes while enduring lineup changes, controversies, and long-term influence on post-punk and alternative rock.
The band's origins trace to local Guildford pub circuits and college scenes where founding members connected with scenes in London, Brighton, and Canterbury. Early years saw releases on United Artists Records and performances at venues popular with contemporaries such as 100 Club, Hope and Anchor, and festivals like Reading Festival. Rattus Norvegicus (1977) and Black and White (1978) were recorded amid rising tensions with the British press and confrontations with groups like the National Front during touring in the late 1970s. Lineup change in 1990 followed the dismissal of a founding member and subsequent recruitment from acts including Tygers of Pan Tang and collaborations with artists from The Jam and Squeeze. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the band worked with producers associated with EMI, Chrysalis Records, and session musicians who had played with The Who, Roxy Music, and David Bowie‑era collaborators. They continued to tour internationally across Europe, North America, Australia, and Japan, appearing at events such as Glastonbury Festival and Montreux Jazz Festival.
Their sound fused elements of punk rock, new wave, and baroque pop with prominent keyboards and basslines influenced by players from Progressive rock scenes; influences cited include The Doors, The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and Lou Reed. Keyboard textures drew comparisons to Rick Wakeman and Brian Eno, while bass patterns echoed innovators like John Entwistle and Paul McCartney. Rhythmic aggression reflected affinities with MC5, The Stooges, and The Jam, whereas melodic experimentation aligned them with David Bowie, Roxy Music, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The band incorporated European baroque motifs and jazz inflections, connecting to composers such as Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel in arranging choices. Lyrically they addressed urban life, crime, and social unrest with references resonant with writers like George Orwell, William Burroughs, and J. G. Ballard.
Principal founding and long-term members included a distinctive bassist, a keyboardist/lead vocalist, a guitarist, and a drummer who recorded landmark albums together. Subsequent personnel changes featured musicians from Tygers of Pan Tang, Squeeze, Eurythmics, Public Image Ltd, The Pretenders, and Siouxsie and the Banshees touring rosters. Touring lineups have included players who formerly performed with The Who, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, UFO, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, Nazareth, and Status Quo. Guest collaborators on studio and stage have included artists associated with Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Paul Weller, Elvis Costello, Sting, Robert Fripp, Andy Summers, John Lydon, Johnny Marr, Hugh Cornwell, Jean-Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield, and Jet Black.
Key studio albums span early classics and later releases: Rattus Norvegicus (1977), No More Heroes (1977), Black and White (1978), The Raven (1979), La Folie (1981), Feline (1983), Aural Sculpture (1984), Dreamtime (1986), 10 (1990), Norfolk Coast (2004), Suite XVI (2006), Giants (2012), and Dark Matters (2021). Singles with high chart impact included "Peaches", "Something Better Change", "No More Heroes", "Duchess", "Golden Brown", "Strange Little Girl", and "Always the Sun". Releases appeared on labels such as United Artists Records, Liberty, Epic Records, Chrysalis Records, Mercury Records, and Cooking Vinyl. Compilation albums, live records, and box sets documented sessions at Abbey Road Studios, Trident Studios, Olympic Studios, and live recordings from Hammersmith Odeon, Shepherd's Bush Empire, and festival appearances.
Their touring history includes headline runs across United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, and festival slots at Reading Festival, Glastonbury Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, and Isle of Wight Festival. The band performed at iconic venues such as Royal Albert Hall, Madison Square Garden, Wembley Arena, Royal Festival Hall, The Marquee Club, and CBGB. They toured with peers including The Police, The Jam, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Clash, The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Human League, and supported acts from David Bowie to Iggy Pop.
Critical reception ranged from praise in publications like NME, Melody Maker, Rolling Stone, Q and Kerrang! to controversy in tabloids such as The Sun and Daily Mirror. The Stranglers influenced artists across punk rock, post-punk, new wave, and alternative rock scenes, cited by bands including Interpol, The Killers, Noel Gallagher, Metallica, Foo Fighters, Muse, Placebo, Arctic Monkeys, Blur, and Radiohead. Academic studies in musicology and cultural analysis referenced them alongside movements involving 1970s punk and 1980s new wave; their songs have been sampled and covered by acts from Green Day to Sonic Youth and featured in retrospectives at institutions like Victoria and Albert Museum and British Library exhibitions.
Their music has appeared in films, television, and videogames including soundtracks for productions linked to Guy Ritchie, Martin Scorsese, and series on BBC Television, Channel 4, and HBO. Several tracks were used in advertising campaigns across Europe and incorporated into documentary films about punk rock and British music history. The band's imagery and album art have been discussed in books on design alongside works featuring Peter Saville, Jamie Reid, and Storm Thorgerson. Biographical and oral histories have been published by imprints associated with HarperCollins, Faber and Faber, and Omnibus Press. Archive footage and interviews are held by broadcasters including BBC Radio 1, BBC Two, ITV, NPR, and MTV. Category:English rock music groups