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Madness
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Madness is an English ska and pop band from Camden Town in north London. The core began in 1976 as the North London Invaders, with Mike Barson on keyboards, Chris Foreman on guitar and Lee Thompson on saxophone. In 1977 Graham McPherson, known as Suggs, took over the vocals. After a short spell under the name Morris and the Minors, the band was called Madness in 1979, after a song by Prince Buster, one of their great role models. With Chas Smash as the seventh member, for backing vocals and dance, the line-up was complete.
Music and breakthrough
Their first record, The Prince, came out on 2 Tone Records, the label of Jerry Dammers of The Specials. Madness toured with The Specials and The Selecter and released their debut album One Step Beyond... in 1979, with the singles One Step Beyond and My Girl. Baggy Trousers, Our House, House of Fun and It Must Be Love followed. From 1980 to 1986 was their most successful period; after that came albums such as Keep Moving, The Liberty of Norton Folgate from 2009 and Can't Touch Us Now from 2016. In 2000 they received the Ivor Novello Award for their entire songbook.
Influence
Their sound combines the rhythm of ska with British pop melodies and the humour of the streets of London. Madness turned the Two-Tone wave into a broad pop movement and continues to perform with six of the seven original members.
Listening
Discography
Studio albums
- 1979One Step Beyond…
- 1980Absolutely
- 19817
- 1982The Rise & Fall
- 1984Keep Moving
- 1985Mad Not Mad
- 1988The Madness
- 1999Wonderful
- 2009The Liberty of Norton Folgate
- 2012Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da
- 2013Take It or Leave It (soundtrack)
- 2016Can’t Touch Us Now
- 2022The Get Up! (soundtrack)
- 2023Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est La Vie