The Thompson Twins had everything that the programmers at MTV were looking for: outrageous looks; catchy, modern-sounding pop songs; and a passion to embrace the most striking fashion concepts of them time. They were neither a duo or related, but the Thompson Twins made a considerable impact on the MTV generation when they broke out in the UK in 1982 with their sassy blend of electronic dance music and edgy pop songs. Formed by guitarist-keyboardist Tom Bailey in the late-'70s, the Thompson Twins embodied everything that the MTV era stood for: over-the-top alternative fashion and hair, wildly dramatic performances, and a heavy reliance on programmed sounds and synthesizers.
The band released nine studio albums during their 16-year run. Of those discs, they found greatest success with their 1983-'85 triumvirate. 1983's Quick Step and Side Kick sold over a million in the UK, and it's successor Into The Gap (1984) sold 2 million across the pond and one million stateside. Their last taste of success came with 1985's Here's To Future Days, which sold a million worldwide. Bailey toyed with a number of lineups, getting the group up to six members at one point. In the end, they worked as a trio consisting of Bailey, girlfriend Alannah Currie, and singer Joe Leeway. Their rise coincided with the growth of MTV, and since they were so visual, they were instant stars on the youth-driven network.
By 1985, however, the band's popularity waned. Bailey and Currie formed a whole new group called Babble later in the decade, but they divorced and the band went bust after two albums.