London's Roxy Music will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most influential art-rock bands in music history. The group, formed by vocalist/keyboardist Bryan Ferry, enjoyed a successful run through the '70s and early '80s, crafting a sound that was all their own.
The original line-up was rounded out by Phil Manzanera (guitars), Andy Mackay (oboe, saxophone), Paul Thompson (drums), and Brian Eno (synthesizer). Eno would leave the band after only two years, and go on to become one of the foremost producers and composers of ambient music.
They first exploded on to the scene with their 1972 self-titled debut album. The progressive debut was the sound of a group challenging the constraints of pop music. The LP was lauded by critics and popular among fans, peaking at No. 4 on the U.K. album charts and is peppered with Ferry's surrealistic lyrics and the group's constantly shifting music.
From there, they recorded 1973's For Your Pleasure—their last disc with Eno—at London's legendary AIR Studios. The album was another smashing success and it includes some of their best-loved songs, like "In Every Dream home a Heartache"—a sparse meditation by Ferry on the drawbacks of living in an excessive, materialistic world.
After Eno's departure, the group didn't miss a beat, continuing to release albums until their brief hiatus in 1976. In that time, they released three of the finest discs of their career, including the back-to-back classics 1974's Country Life and 1975's Siren, both of which have been included on many magazine's "Greatest of All-Time" lists.
After two years away, the group reformed, sans Eno, in 1978 to release three more albums, Manifesto (1979), Flesh and Blood (1980) and Avalon (1982), until they finally split up in 1983.
Thirty years after they formed, Ferry, Manzera, Macakay, and Thompson re-formed the group and continue to play concerts all over the world.