Simple Minds

With a career spanning several decades, Scotland's Simple Minds moved from underground post-punk to synth-laden New Romantic pop to outsized arena rock and beyond. The band first came together in Glasgow in 1977 under the name Johnny & The Self-Abusers, bearing a punky feel in tune with the times. They shifted their sound and lineup and changed their name to Simple Minds the following year. By the time they released their debut album, Life in a Day, in 1979, the lineup had solidified to include singer Jim Kerr, guitarist Charlie Burchill, keyboardist Michael McNeill, bassist Derek Forbes, and drummer Brian McGee. Released on their manager Bruce Findlay's Zoom label and distributed by Arista, the album featured an edgy, post-punk vibe. On their third album, 1980's Empires and Dance, they began employing more electronics and incorporating a Eurodisco influenced that placed them at the vanguard of the burgeoning New Romantic movement. The following year, Sons in Fascination/Sister Feelings Call moved even further in that direction. But it wasn't until 1982 that Simple Minds began incorporating some major pop moves and scoring hits, starting with "Promised You a Miracle" and "Glittering Prize." This period was documented on the 1983 album New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84), which earned the band a Platinum record and No. 3 chart placing in the U.K. In 1985, they recorded the Keith Forsey-penned "Don't You (Forget About Me)" for John Hughes' "The Breakfast Club" (1985), which went to No. 1 in the U.S. and became one of their best-known songs. Simple Minds' worldwide profile escalated with 1985's Once Upon a Time, a major success in Europe and America that marked a move toward a rockier, larger-than-life sound with the hits "Sanctify Yourself," "All the Things She Said," and "Alive and Kicking." Though that was pretty much the end of their chart life in America, the band continued cranking out hits in Europe throughout the '90s, and they remained a viable touring and recording outfit for decades to come. In fact, their 2018 album, Walk Between Worlds, hit No. 4 in the U.K., their biggest success in more than 20 years.