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The Stranglers
The Stranglers (band).JPG
The Stranglers performing in Chicago in 2013
Background information
Origin Guildford, Surrey, England
Genres Punk rock, pub rock, new wave, post-punk
Years active 1974–present
Labels United Artists, A&M, Liberty, EMI, Epic, Stiff, Castle Communications
Members Jean-Jacques Burnel
Baz Warne
Jim Macaulay
Past members Jet Black
Hugh Cornwell
Hans Wärmling
Dave Greenfield
Paul Roberts
John Ellis
Ian Barnard
Jim MacAulay
Jim Macaulay, the touring drummer

The Stranglers are an English rock band who emerged via the punk rock scene. Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning four decades, the Stranglers are one of the longest-surviving and most "continuously successful" bands to have originated in the UK punk scene.

Formed as the Guildford Stranglers on 11 September 1974 in Guildford, Surrey, they originally built a following within the mid-1970s pub rock scene. While their aggressive, no-compromise attitude had them identified by the media with the emerging UK punk rock scene that followed, their idiosyncratic approach rarely followed any single musical genre, and the group went on to explore a variety of musical styles, from new wave, art rock and gothic rock through the sophisti-pop of some of their 1980s output.

They had major mainstream success with their 1982 single "Golden Brown". Their other hits include "No More Heroes", "Peaches", "Always the Sun" and "Skin Deep" and the 2003 Top 40 hit "Big Thing Coming", which was seen as a return to form.

The Stranglers' early sound was driven by Jean-Jacques Burnel's melodic bass, but also gave prominence to Dave Greenfield's keyboards. Their early music was also characterised by the growling vocals and sometimes misanthropic lyrics of both Burnel and Hugh Cornwell. Over time, their output gradually grew more refined and sophisticated. Summing up their contribution to popular music, critic Dave Thompson later wrote: "From bad-mannered yobs to purveyors of supreme pop delicacies, the group was responsible for music that may have been ugly and might have been crude – but it was never, ever boring."

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: The Stranglers para niños

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