Biography
Along with the Specials, Madness were one of the leading bands of the ska revival of the late '70s and early '80s. As their career progressed, Madness branched away from their trademark "nutty sound" and incorporated large elements of Motown, soul, and British pop. Although the band managed one crossover American hit in 1983, the band remained a British phenomenon, influencing several successive generations of musicians and becoming one of the most beloved groups the country produced during the '80s.
The origins of Madness lie in a ska group known as the Invaders, which was formed by Mike Barson, » Read more
![The Madness [1988]](http://web.archive.org/web/20101210015508im_/http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov75/drf500/f556/f55688pvo5g.jpg "The Madness [1988]")
Group Members
- Mike Barson
- Mark Bedford
- Chris Foreman
- Graham "Suggs" McPherson
- Chas Smash
- Lee Thompson
- Dan Woodgate
- Steve Nieve
- Jerry Dammers
- Bruce Thomas
Similar Artists
- The Specials
- The English Beat
- The Selecter
- XTC
- Ian Dury
- Bad Manners
- The Clash
- Elvis Costello
- Fun Boy Three
- General Public
- The Jam
- The Police
- Squeeze
- UB40
- Blur
- The Lambrettas
- The Merton Parkas
- The Vapors
- Ranking Roger
- Nick Lowe
See Also
Influenced By
- The Beatles
- The Kinks
- Kilburn & the High Roads
- Prince Buster
- Desmond Dekker
- Toots & the Maytals
- Justin Hinds
- The Skatalites
- Don Drummond
- Roland Alphonso
- Laurel Aitken
- Ernest Ranglin
- The Wailers
Followed
- Bim Skala Bim
- The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
- Operation Ivy
- Rancid
- Bop (Harvey)
- The Toasters
- Monique Powell
- Blur
- No Torso
- No Doubt
- Monkey
- The Pietasters
- The Sterns
- Streetlight Manifesto
- Wombats
- Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
- Nom de Guerre
- Sin Sospechas
- Chase Long Beach
- Rimozionekoatta
