Venom, formed in the 70s in Newcastle, had a massive influence on the evolution of thrash and black metal. The were originally a five-piece group known as Oberon, but soon became a trio, consisting of Conrad “Cronos” Lant (guitar), Jeff “Mantas” Dunn and Tony “Abaddon” Kiss – now calling themselves Venom. Influencied by Motorhead, the band developed a dark, satanic sound, leading to their release of their 1981 release ‘Welcome to Hell’, followed by the LP ‘Black Metal’.

Venom's third album, ‘At War with Satan’, followed in 1983, and two years later they released ‘Possessed’. Lineup changes plagued the group in the years to follow, with Mantas exiting in 1985, with guitarists Matt Hickey and Jimmy Clare were as his replacements, making their debut on 1987's Calm Before the Storm. Cronos then quit, however, took both Hickey and Clare with him as he left. At that point Mantas rejoined Abaddon to form a new edition of Venom with onetime Atomkraft vocalist/bassist Tony "The Demolition Risk" Dolan and guitarist Al Barnes. Confusing? Very.

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The new lineup made its bow on 1989's Prime Evil; Tear Your Soul Apart appeared a year later.

After 1991's ‘Temples of Ice’, Barnes quit Venom, being replaced by guitarist Steve "War Maniac" White, who along with keyboardist V.X.S. was recruited in time for 1992's ‘The Waste Lands’ before both quickly exited.

The trio of Mantas, Abaddon, and Dolan continued touring throughout the middle years of the decade, although no more new studio recordings were forthcoming; finally, in 1996 Cronos returned to the Venom fold, making way for Dolan's departure. The original lineup's return to action was heralded by the release of the mini-album Venom '96, followed in 1997 by the full-length Made in Stone. After a world tour, Venom issued the two-disc New, Live & Rare in mid-1998. Buried Alive appeared a year later, and in the spring of 2000 the group returned with ‘The Court of Death’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’.

In 2006 they celebrated their 25th anniversary with ‘Metal Black’, followed two years later by ‘Hell’.

Albums:

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Motorhead

Black Sabbath

Kiss

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Derek and Alan Longmuir who went on to be an integral part of the Rollers had been together since 1965 performing as The Saxons. Tam Paton a shrewd manager took them under his wing in 1970 changed their name, got them a record contract which was followed by a minor hit Keep on Dancing. Seeing little follow up success he brought into the Band Les McKeown, Stuart Wood and Eric Faulkner. Paton devised the Tartan uniform, on and off stage wear which immediately set them apart and with a string of hits they quickly became a massive teenage sentsation., both in the UK and eventually USA.

The bands first hit was 'Keep On Dancing' which was released in 1971. It was a cover of the 1965 hit by The Gentrys. This was the first of many hits as they quickly found fame in the UK and across Europe. During 1973 however, they released four more singles after 'Keep on Dancing' and they did not scrape the charts. Original lead singer Gordon 'Nobby' Clarke became disillusioned due to the lack of success by the band and decided to leave. As Les McKeown took over the lead vocals, the Rollers popularity exploded. With their first top ten hit 'Remember (Sha La La)', they quickly became the next big thing. Other hits include 'Shang-A-Lang', 'Summerlove Sensation' and 'All Of Me Loves All Of You'. After they covered the Four Seasons classic 'Bye, Bye, Baby', they scored their first number one. They were quickly on on the tip of everyones lips, being tipped to be the next Beatles and to dominate the world.

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As they broke the US in 1976 with a number one song (Saturday Night) and a number one album (Bay City Rollers), they seemed to be on the top of the world. In the same year, they hit the charts again with 'Money Honey' and the Dusty Springfield cover 'I Only Want To Be With You'. However, that year was to be the height of their success in the US as it saw the decline of the Bay City Rollers.

Despite their seeming boy next door, clean living image they were in fact consuming vast amounts of drink, drugs and groupies! Disaster was just waiting to happen, McKeown killed a pensioner by dangerous driving, Faulkner overdosed on Seconal and Valium and attempted suicide along with Alan Longmuir, whilst Paton was jailed for indecent acts with underage boys. The band had also begun to believe they were musical geniuses and ditched the writers of their successful songs, and failed to have another hit. Despite line up changes and half hearted reunions the Band never recovered from the bad publicity and are now really just a footnote in a music archive.

Discography:

Rollin, 1974

Once Upon A Star, 1975

Wouldn’t You Like It?, 1975

Rock N’ Roll Love Letter, 1976

Dedication, 1976

It’s A Game. 1977

Greatest Hits, 1977

Strangers In The Wind, 1978

Elevator, 1979

Ricochet, 1981

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Wayne Fontana

Simon & Garfunkel

The Beach Boys

Dave Berry

The Foundations- (Build Me Up) Buttercup

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Originally known as Warsaw, this Manchester post-punk outfit is widely regarded as one of the most important bands of their era. Joy Division comprised of Ian Curtis (vocals), Bernard Sumner (guitar/vocals), Peter Hook (bass) and Stephen Morris (drums). Curtis, Sumner and Hook had formed Warsaw in April 1977, with Steve Brotherdale on drums. By the following March, with Morris already on board, they had emerged under their new title, borrowing their name from the prostitution wing of a Nazi concentration camp.

After recording a regionally available EP, 1977's ‘An Ideal For Living’, they were signed Factory Records and placed in the hands of producer Martin Hannett. Their 1979 debut, ‘Unknown Pleasures’, was a dark and disturbing affair, with Curtis at his most manically arresting on the insistent ‘She's Lost Control'.

By the time of the single ‘Transmission', the quartet had already established a strong cult following, which increased after each gig. Much of the attention centered on the charismatic Curtis, who was renowned for his neurotic stage presence. By the autumn of 1979, however, Curtis’ performances were drawing attention for a more serious reason, having suffered from blackouts onstage.

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On 18 May 1980, the eve of Joy Division's proposed visit to America, Ian Curtis was found hanged. The verdict was suicide. A note was allegedly found bearing the words: "At this moment I wish I were dead. I just can't cope anymore".

The UK Top 20 single, ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, was later released, probably the finest of the year, a haunting account of a fragmented relationship, sung by Curtis in a voice that few realized he possessed. The attendant album, ‘Closer’ followed shortly, showing a maturity in the bands work. The following year, a double album, ‘Still’, collected the remainder of the band's material, most of it in primitive form.

Within months of the Curtis tragedy, the remaining members sought a fresh start as New Order.

In 1995 Curtis' widow, Deborah, published a book on her former husband and the band, while a compilation album and a re-released version of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart' were back on the shelves on the 15th anniversary of his death.

Carly Page

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Sex Pistols

Buzzcocks

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One of America’s most popular hard-rock acts and arguably one of the biggest bands of all time, Aerosmith formed in the New England area of Boston, Massachusetts in 1970. Lead vocalist, Steven Tyler (originally named Steven Tallarico) joined guitarist Joe Perry in a Cream-styled rock combo. Together with Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer and Ray Tabano, the band’s original line-up was complete, however after a very short period of time, Brad Whitord replaced Tabano.

After their first gig at the Nipmuc Regional High School, the band took the name, Aerosmith (named after the book, “Arrow Smith by Sinclair Lewis). Their popularity grew, and a triumphant gig at Max’s Kansas City in 1973 led to a recording contract with Columbia Records.

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That year, Aerosmith secured a minor chart placing with their self-titled debt album. Its attendant single, ‘Dream On’, peaked at number 59 (it became a top 10 hit in 1976). Jack Douglas proved to become a great asset to the band with producing the highly successful album, ‘Toys in the Attic’, which sold in excess of six million copies worldwide. Tyler’s remarkable physical resemblance to Mick Jagger, and his foil like relationship with guitarist Joe Perry, also inspired comparisons with The Rolling Stones.

In 1978, tension between Tyler and Perry proved to be irreconcilable. The guitarist left the band and founded the Joe Perry Project, who was replaced by Jimmy Crespo in 1980. The following year Brad Whitford left to persue a new musical career. Rick Dufay debuted on ‘Rock In a Hard Place’, but this set failed to capture the fire of the band’s classic recordings.

Contact between the remaining band members and Perry and Whitford was re-established during a 1984 tour. Antagonisms were set aside and the following year the quintet’s most enduring line-up was performing together again. Tyler and Perry rid themselves of their notorious drug and alcohol dependencies. In 1986 they accompanied Run-DMC on ‘Walk this Way’, an Aerosmith song from ‘Toys in the Attic’ and a former US top 10 entry. The collaboration, which reached number 4, rekindled interest in Aerosmith’s career and helped push rap music into the mainstream.

‘Permanent Vacation’ became one of their best selling albums, and the first to make an impression in the UK. The following year they achieved a US number 1 with the infamous ‘I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing’. The song stayed at the top for four weeks and provided the band with their first top 5 UK single.

Aerosmith’s latest album, ‘Honkin’ On Bobo’ is dedicated to the blues roots of their music and the music they all grew up listening to. Aerosmith have even had a rollercoaster dedicated to them called the Rockin’ Rollercoaster at MGM studios Disney World, Florida. 

Sources: Mathew Jones; Joan Goldsworthy

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Thunder

Motley Crue

Lenny Kravitz

The Greatest Hard Rock Band Ever

Run DMC

Blondie was formed in 1974 by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein. The pair had met and struck up a relationship while with New York-based band The Stilettos a year earlier. After a few personnel changes and the renaming of the band from Angel and the Snake to Blondie in 1975, Blondie consisted of Harry, Stein, keyboardist Jimmy Destri, bassist Gary Valentine and drummer Clem Burke.

Blondie first real success came in 1977, mainly due to a mistake. The Australian music show Countdown was meant to show the video for Blondie’s first single from their self-titled debut album, “X-Offender”, but instead showed the B-side, “In The Flesh”. The song was received well by the Australian audience, and a positive article in Rolling Stone’s August issue helped Blondie gain some recognition. Their next album, Plastic Letters, reached #10 in the UK music charts.

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Blondie third album was their most successful. Parallel Lines reached #1 in the UK and #6 in the US, mostly due to the popularity of the singles, “Picture This”, “Hanging On The Telephone” and the disco-infused “Heart Of Glass”. Heart Of Glass, in particular, propelled the band to commercial success, reaching out from Blondie’s perceived underground status to the heights of pop accessibility. The result was a chart-topping single in eight countries, including the US, with over a million copies sold.

Blondie went on hiatus in 1981. The 1982 comeback album, “The Hunter” was something of a disappointment, reaching only #9 and #33 in the UK and US charts respectively. Following this decline in sales, and in part due to Stein being diagnosed with the potentially life-threatening illness pemphigus, Blondie disbanded. The band reformed between 1997 and 2004, releasing another two studio albums and again reaching top spot in the UK charts in 1999 with the single “Maria”.

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For The Record:

Members included Clem Burke (born November 24, 1955, in New York; joined group c. 1975), drums ; Jimmy Destri (born Aprill 3, 1954), keyboards ; Nigel Harrison (joined group 1978), bass; Deborah Harry (born July 1, c. 1945, in Miami, FL), vocals; Frank Infante (joined group 1977), guitar, bass; Billy O'Connor (left group 1975), drums; Fred Smith (left group 1975), bass;Chris Stein (born January 5, 1950, in Brooklyn, NY), guitar, vocals; Gary Valentine (band-member 1975-77), bass.

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Transvision Vamp

Def Leppard

New York Dolls

King Crimson

King Crimson By Roger Gibbens

The most commercially successful pop group of the 1970s, the origins of the Swedish superstars ABBA dated back to 1966, when keyboardist and vocalist Benny Andersson, a onetime member of the popular beat outfit the Hep Stars, first teamed with guitarist and vocalist Bjorn Ulvaeus, the leader of the folk-rock unit the Hootenanny Singers. The two performers began composing songs together and handling session and production work for Polar Music/Union Songs, a publishing company owned by Stig Anderson, himself a prolific songwriter throughout the 1950s and 1960s. At the same time, both Andersson and Ulvaeus worked on projects with their respective girlfriends: Ulvaeus had become involved with vocalist Agnetha Faltskog, a performer with a recent number one Swedish hit, "I Was So in Love," under her belt, while Andersson began seeing Anni-Frid Lyngstad, a one-time jazz singer who rose to fame by winning a national talent contest.

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In 1971, Faltskog ventured into theatrical work, accepting the role of Mary Magdalene in a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar; her cover of the musical's "Don't Know How to Love Him" became a significant hit. The following year, the duo of Andersson and Ulvaeus scored a massive international hit with "People Need Love," which featured Faltskog and Lyngstad on backing vocals. The record's success earned them an invitation to enter the Swedish leg of the 1973 Eurovision song contest, where, under the unwieldy name of Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida, they submitted "Ring Ring," which proved extremely popular with audiences but placed only third in the judges' ballots.

The next year, rechristened ABBA (a suggestion from Stig Anderson and an acronym of the members' first names), the quartet submitted the single "Waterloo," and became the first Swedish act to win the Eurovision competition. The record proved to be the first of many international hits, although the group hit a slump after their initial success as subsequent singles failed to chart. In 1975, however, ABBA issued "S.O.S.," a smash not only in America and Britain but also in non-English speaking countries such as Spain, Germany and the Benelux nations, where the group's success was fairly unprecedented. A string of hits followed, including "Mamma Mia," "Fernando," and "Dancing Queen" (ABBA's sole U.S. chart-topper), further honing their lush, buoyant sound; by the spring of 1976, they were already in position to issue their first Greatest Hits collection.

ABBA's popularity continued in 1977, when both "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and "The Name of the Game" dominated airwaves. The group also starred in the feature film ABBA - The Movie, which was released in 1978. That year Andersson and Lyngstad married, as had Ulvaeus and Faltskog in 1971, although the latter couple separated a few months later; in fact, romantic suffering was the subject of many songs on the quartet's next LP, 1979's Voulez-Vous. Shortly after the release of 1980s Super Trouper, Andersson and Lyngstad divorced as well, further straining the group dynamic; The Visitors, issued the following year, was the final LP of new ABBA material, and the foursome officially disbanded after the December 1982 release of their single "Under Attack."

Although all of the group's members soon embarked on new projects - both Lyngstad and Faltskog issued solo LPs, while Andersson and Ulvaeus collaborated with Tim Rice on the musical 'Chess' none proved as successful as the group's earlier work, largely because throughout much of the world, especially Europe and Australia, the ABBA phenomenon never went away. Repackaged hits compilations and live collections continued hitting the charts long after the group's demise, and new artists regularly pointed to the quartet's inspiration: while the British dance duo Erasure released a covers collection, ABBA-esque, an Australian group called Bjorn Again found success as ABBA impersonators. In 1993, "Dancing Queen" became a staple of U2's "Zoo TV" tour -- Andersson and Ulvaeus even joined the Irish superstars on-stage in Stockholm -- while the 1995 feature Muriel's Wedding, which won acclaim for its depiction of a lonely Australian girl who seeks refuge in ABBA's music, helped bring the group's work to the attention of a new generation of moviegoers and music fans.

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For The Record:

Members include Benny Andersson (born December 16, 1946, in Stockholm, Sweden); Agnetha Fältskog (born April 5, 1950, in Jankoping, Sweden); Anni-Frid Lyngstad (born November 15, 1945, in Narvik, Norway); Björn Ulvaeus (born April 15, 1945, in Gothenburg, Sweden). Ulvaeus and Fältskog married, 1972-78; had three children. Andersson and Lyngstad married, 1978 (divorced). 

Group formed in Stockholm, 1972; released internationally successful series of pop-rock recordings, 1974-83; recorded multiplatinum LP Arrival, 1976; group dissolved, 1983; Andersson and Ulvaeus co-authored musical Chess, 1986; revival of public interest in group, including release of retrospective reissues and cover recordings by other artists, early 1990s.

Awards: Winner, Eurovision song contest, 1974; named Sweden's fastest-growing corporation by Swedish publication Business World, 1978. 

Addresses: Record company—Polygram, 825 8th Ave., New York, NY 10019. 

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The Bee Gees were an English band formed of a trio of brothers – Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. The band are most famous for the work they did in the 1960s and 1970s initially as a harmonic soft rock group before becoming the foremost stars of the disco era. Their distinctive harmonies were instantly recognizable from Robin’s clear vibrato and Barry’s falsetto, during their disco days.

The majority of the Bee Gees hits were co-written by the brothers and they also wrote and produced hits for an array of other artists. They began their musical career in Australia where they achieved chart success before returning to the UK and gaining international fame under producer Roger Stigwood. It has been estimated that the band have sold in excess of 200 million records which makes them one of the best selling artists of all time. In 1997 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame where their citation reads, “Only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney have outsold the Bee Gees”.

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The second British single the Bee Gees released, “New York Mining Disaster 1941”, was issued to radio stations with a white label and just the song title. Many DJs assumed it was a new Beatles track and began playing it on heavy rotation. This helped the track climb into the Top 20 of the UK and US charts. Their next single, “To Love Somebody” was also a Top 20 hit and has been covered by Gram Parsons, Janis Joplin, Nina Simone, Michael Bolton, The Animals and Rod Stewart.

Their first album, “Bee Gees 1st” peaked at No. 7 in the US and No. 8 in the UK and the follow up, “Horizontal” produced No.1 single “Massachusetts”. They released their third album, “Idea” in 1968 which was another Top 20 hit on both sides of the pond. 1969 saw Robin leave the band as he felt Barry was being favoured as the frontman. The band continued without him and released, “Cucumber Castle” but after poor sales Barry and Maurice split and it seemed like the end for the Bee Gees.

The band reunited in 1970 and after success with singles, “Lonely Days” and, “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” the band faltered. They went to the US to work with soul music producer Arif Mardin who encouraged them to work with soul music and produced disco tracks, “Jive Talkin” and “Nights on Broadway” which featured Barry’s first attempts at singing falsetto.

Then came their work on the “Saturday Night Fever soundtrack” which came to be a major turning point in their career. They had worldwide No.1 singles with, “How Deep Is Your Love”, “Stayin’ Alive” and “Night Fever” and the album soundtrack became a best seller with over 40 million copies sold.

In 2003 Maurice died suddenly from a strangulated intestine and the remaining brothers decided to retire the name and have worked independently, releasing recordings with other artists, only sometimes coming together to record.

For The Record:

Group comprised of brothers Barry (given name, Douglas; born Isle of Man, England, September 1, 1947), and Robin and Maurice (twins; born Manchester, England, December 22, 1949) Gibb; sons of Hugh Gibb (a bandleader). Began performing in England in 1955 under various names, including the Rattlesnakes, the Bluecats, and Wee Johnny Hays and the Bluecats; family moved to Brisbane, Australia, 1958; began performing as the Bee Gees (for Brothers Gibb), 1958; signed first recording contract with Festival Records, 1962; hosted own TV show in Australia during 1960s; international recording artists, 1967—.

Awards: Grammy Award for best pop vocal performance by a group, for single "How Deep Is Your Love?," 1977, and for album of the year, best pop vocal performance by a group, best producer of the year, and best arrangement for voices, all 1978, all for album Saturday Night Fever.

Addresses: Office—Kragen, 1112 N. Sherbourne Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90069. Record company—Warner Bros. Records, 3300 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505.

Discography:

First, Atco, 1967.

Horizontal, Atco, 1968, Polydor, 1987.

Idea, Atco, 1968, Polydor, 1987.

Rare, Precious and Beautiful, Atco, 1968.

Best, Atco, 1969, RSO, 1987.

Odessa (double album), Atco, 1969.

Odessa (condensed), 1969.

Rare, Precious and Beautiful, Vol 2, Atco, 1970.

Cucumber Castle, Atco, 1970.

Two Years On, Atco, 1970, RSO, 1989.

Melody (soundtrack), Atco, 1971.

Trafalgar, Atco, 1971, RSO, 1989.

To Whom It May Concern, Atco, 1972.

Life in a Tin Can, RSO, 1973.

Best, Vol. 2, RSO, 1973, reissued, 1987.

Mister Natural, RSO, 1974.

Main Course, RSO, 1975, Polydor, 1988.

Children of the World, RSO, 1976, reissued, 1989.

Gold, Vol. 1, RSO, 1976.

Here at Last... Live (double album), RSO, 1977.

Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack), RSO, 1977.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (soundtrack; double album), RSO, 1978.

Spirits Having Flown, RSO, 1979, reissued, 1989.

Greatest Hits (double album), RSO, 1979.

Liviní Eyes, RSO, 1982.

E.S.P., Warner Bros., 1988.

One, Warner Bros., 1989.

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Elvis Presley

Rod Stewart

Tom Jones

Eddie Money

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The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by the original members Pete Townshend guitarist, Roger Daltrey on vocals, John Entwistle on bass and Keith Moon on drums. They were renowned for their energetic onstage performances, sold over 100 million records, according to New York Times and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

The Who first attracted attention through their amazing stage shows in United Kingdom, the release of the top ten hit singles including "My Generation" and five top albums in 1965 including "I Can't Explain". Success followed in the US with “I Can See for Miles” which was a top ten hit in 1967. The Who continued to have massive success in the US with a series of top five albums including Tommy (1969), Quadrophenia (1973) and Who Are You (1978). After Moon’s death in 1978, the band released another two studio albums Face Dances (1981) and It’s Hard (1982) before calling it a day.

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The band continued to perform together at events such as Live Aid and for their 25th Anniversary tour in 1989. Plans to record a new album were delayed with the death of Entwistle in 2002, however Townshend and Daltrey continue to perform as The Who and saw the release of the studio album Endless Wire in 2006.

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Paul McCartney

The Rolling Stones

Led Zeppelin

Rock Stars Dead Before Their Time

AC/DC was formed in 1973 in Sydney, Australia by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. The Young brothers quickly created a dynamic sound and developed a bold image. With Angus often wearing a school boy uniform on stage, he looked like he was more ready to pour over some middle school lesson plans instead of play lead guitar for a band. Yet the look complemented the band well and was a visual representation captured by a New York wedding photographer of the angst ridden youth that loved their music.The band have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide, and their 1980 album ‘Back In Black’ is the second-highest selling album of all time with 45 million copies sold to date, 22 million of which were bought in the US. MTV ranked AC/DC as the 7th “Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time” in 2004 and Rolling Stone magazine ranked the band 72nd in the list of “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. In the same year, VH1’s list ranked AC/DC 4th on its list of "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".

Between the band’s formation and the release of their first album, ‘High Voltage’, in 1975, AC/DC went through several line-up alterations, with original singer Dave Evans replaced by Bon Scott and a multitude of different bassists and drummers passing through. The band then remained unchanged until 1977, when bassist Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams, apparently due to conflict with Angus Young. Evans is quoted as saying at the time: “Both me and the band are better for it”. The seven-times-platinum album ‘Highway to Hell’ was recorded in 1979. A year later, singer Bon Scott died after a heavy drinking session at the Music Machine club in London. Brian Johnson was brought in to replace Scott, and the band completed their next album, ‘Back In Black’, using Johnson’s vocals. 

AC/DC next release, ‘For Those About to Rock We Salute You’, became a huge success, reaching top spot on the US charts. Drummer Phil Rudd was fired in 1983 after a fight with Angus Young, and the band’s popularity began to decline. Ex-Dio drummer Simon Wright filled the vacant drummer’s stool until he was replaced by Chris Slade in 1989. Phil Rudd returned in 1994 and contributed for the release of ‘Ballbreaker’ in 1995. With the early 80s line up back together, their popularity grew once again.

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They released 'Stiff Upper Lip' in 2000 and it was produced by Angus and Malcolm's brother George. The album was a commercial success and after a world wide tour, they got their rewards as they signed a long term, multi album deal with Sony in 2002. A year later they were inducted in the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame.

Their latest studio album, ‘Black Ice’, was released in October 2008. 'Black Ice' featured the singles 'Rock N Roll Train', 'Big Jack', 'Anything Goes' and 'Money Made'. At the beginning of 2010, it was announced that AC/DC would be releasing a compilation album featuring their greatest hits for the film Iron Man 2. They headlined Download Festival in June 2010 and incredibly performed on their own stage which was only to be used by them and no one else. If thats not rock n roll, I don't know what is.

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 For The Record:

Band formed 1973, in Sydney, Australia; original members included Angus Young (born March 31, 1951, in Glasgow, Scotland), guitar; Malcolm Young (born January 6, 1953, in Glasgow), guitar; Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott (born July 9, 1946, in Kirriemur, Scotland; died of acute alcohol poisoning February 19, 1980, in London, England), vocalist.

In 1974, Phillip Rudd (born May 19, 1946, in Melbourne, Australia) and Mark Evans (born 1957, in Melbourne) joined AC/DC on drums and bass. In 1977, Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams(born December 14, 1949, in Rumford, England). In 1980, Brian Johnson (born October 5, 1947, in North Shields, England) replaced deceased vocalist Scott. In 1982, Rudd was replaced bySimon Wright (born 1963). 

Source: Joan Goldsworthy

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Inxs

Iron Maiden

Alice Cooper

The 10 Unluckiest Rock Stars

Rock Stars Dead Before Their Time

Glam rock legends Kiss were formed in NYC in 1973 by school teacher/bass player Gene Simmons and guitarist/singer Paul Stanley. Recruiting drummer Peter Criss and axeman Ace Frehley through newspaper and magazine ads, Simmons and Stanley set out to do nothing less than conquer the known rock world.

Their self-titled debut album came out in early 1974 on Casablanca Records, followed later that year by ‘Hotter Than Hell’. Both albums were packed with hard rock tracks that would later become Kiss classics, including ‘Strutter’, and ‘Cold Gin'. Their first real commercial success, though, came with 1975's ‘Dressed To Kill’, which featured the timeless anthem "Rock And Roll All Nite".

1976's ‘Destroyer’ cemented the band's hard-won image as the greatest rock n' roll band in America. Kiss' next two albums, ‘Rock And Roll Over’ and ‘Love Gun’, also went platinum. In 1978, they issued ‘Kiss Alive II’, followed by solo records from each of the members. 1979's ‘Dynasty’ produced a couple of popular numbers, but a slight disco edge to the music and an obvious, strained relationship between the members saw their original fan base beginning to erode.

In 1980, original drummer Peter Criss left the group; Anton Fig filled in for the recording of ‘Kiss Unmasked’ later on that year. Official replacement Eric Carr joined the band in time to perform on their 1980 world tour. 1981's Music From The Elder received disappointing sales, and guitarist Ace Frehley was the next to leave. Vinnie Vincent took up axe duties for 1982's ‘Creatures Of The Night’.

By 1983, Kiss had dropped the make-up and revamped their sound for a new decade, resulting in the platinum-selling ‘Lick It Up’, their first for Mercury Records. Music videos and more touring followed, with Vincent replaced by first Mark St. John and then Bruce Kulick in 1984.

In 1991, drummer Eric Carr passed away from cancer at age 41. He was replaced by Eric Singer, who played on 1992's Revenge, an album that later went gold. ‘Kiss Alive! III’ was issued in 1993, but failed to achieve the success of the first two. 1996 saw the first official reunion of all four original members since 1980.

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In 1998, the reformed original Kiss released ‘Psycho Circus’ and once again wore make-up and outlandish costumes and undertook a highly successful tour. They continued through 2001, at which time Peter Criss again quit- reportedly due to financial issues. Frehley left in 2002, amid rumours of acrimony. In 2003, Polygram released 'Symphony: Kiss Alive IV'.

Kiss continue to tour.

This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com

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