PLACEBO

Placebo

Placebo are an English alternative rock band from London. They were formed in 1994 by singer-guitarist Brian Molko and guitarist/bassist Stefan Olsdal. The band was soon joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and was replaced by Steve Forrest in 2008. They are known for their androgynous image and angst-fueled musical content. To date, they have released six studio albums, all of which have reached the top 20 in the UK, and have sold over ten million records worldwide.

Also known as: Ashtray Heart

Origin: London, England

Genres: Alternative rock, post-punk revival, glam rock

Years active: 1994–present

Labels: PIAS, Vagrant, EMI, Virgin, Hut, Caroline, Deceptive

Members: Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal, Steve Forrest

Past members: Robert Schultzberg, Steve Hewitt.

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Placebo - Area 4 Festival Germany 2010 full show

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Placebo-Once More With Feeling 1996-2004 Full Album

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ABBA

ABBA

ABBA (often stylized as AᗺBA) was a Swedish pop/rock group formed in Stockholm in 1972, comprising Agnetha Fältskog, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of pop music, topping the charts worldwide from 1972 to 1982. They are also known for winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, giving Sweden its first victory in the history of the contest and being the most successful group ever to take part in the contest.

ABBA has sold over 370 million records worldwide and still sell millions of records a year,[1][2] which makes them one of the best-selling music artists. ABBA was the first pop group to come from a non-English-speaking country that enjoyed consistent success in the charts of English-speaking countries, including the UK, Ireland, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the Philippines. The group also enjoyed significant success in Latin American markets, and recorded a collection of their hit songs in Spanish.

During the band's active years, Fältskog and Ulvaeus were a married couple, as were Lyngstad and Andersson–although both couples later divorced. At the height of their popularity, both relationships were suffering strain which ultimately resulted in the collapse of the Ulvaeus-Fältskog marriage in 1979 and the Andersson-Lyngstad marriage in 1981. As a result, these relationship changes began appearing in the group's music, and later compositions produced more introspective lyrics.

After ABBA broke up in early 1983, Andersson and Ulvaeus achieved success writing music for the stage while Lyngstad and Fältskog pursued individual solo careers with mixed success. ABBA's music declined in popularity until several films, notably Muriel's Wedding and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, revived interest in the group, spawning several tribute bands. In 1999, ABBA's music was adapted into the successful musical Mamma Mia! that toured worldwide. A film of the same name released in 2008 became the highest-grossing film in the United Kingdom that year. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 15 March 2010.

Also known as: Agnetha, Benny, Björn, Anni-Frid

Origin: Stockholm, Sweden

Genres: Pop rock, Euro disco, Europop, Schlager, Dance, Glam rock

Years active: 1972–1983

Labels: Polar, Polydor, Atlantic, Universal, Epic, Vogue, RCA, PolyGram, Sunshine (Rhodesia-Zimbabwe), Ariston/Dig It (Italy)

Associated acts: Hep Stars, Hootenanny Singers, Benny Anderssons Orkester.

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ABBA - Live Concert in USA, World Tour 1980 

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ABBA - Super Trouper 1980 Full Album 

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IGGY POP

Iggy Pop

Iggy Pop (born James Newell "Jim" Osterberg, Jr.; April 21, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues. Pop became known as 'Iggy' in high school, during which time he served as drummer for local blues band The Iguanas. He is vocalist of influential protopunk band The Stooges (Pop and the other surviving members of the group reunited in 2003), having become known, since the late 1960s, for his outrageous and unpredictable stage antics.

Though the singer's popularity has waned and waxed throughout his career, Pop has recorded a number of well-known songs, including "Lust for Life", "Real Wild Child", "Candy" (a duet with Kate Pierson of The B-52's),"China Girl", "Nightclubbing", "Search and Destroy", and "The Passenger".

Birth name: James Newell Osterberg, Jr.

Born: April 21, 1947 (age 64)

Muskegon, Michigan, U.S.

Genres: Punk rock, protopunk, garage rock, glam punk, shock rock, glam rock, hard rock

Occupations: Singer-songwriter, musician, producer, actor

Instruments: Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums

Years active: 1960–present

Labels: Virgin, RCA, Elektra

Associated acts: The Stooges, The Trolls, The Nymphs, The Iguanas, Slash, David Bowie, Deborah Harry, Blondie, Sum 41.

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LOU REED

Lou Reed

Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed (born on March 2, 1942) is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades. Though the Velvet Underground were a commercial failure in the late 1960s, the group has gained a considerable cult following in the years since its demise and has gone on to become one of the most widely cited and influential bands of the era. As the Velvet Underground's principal songwriter, Reed wrote about subjects of personal experience that rarely had been examined so openly in rock and roll, including sexuality and drug culture.

After his departure from the group, Reed began a solo career in 1971. He had a hit the following year with "Walk on the Wild Side", although he subsequently lacked the mainstream commercial success its chart status seemed to indicate. Reed's work as a solo artist frustrated critics wishing for a return of the Velvet Underground. In 1975 Reed released a double album of feedback loops, Metal Machine Music, upon which he later commented: "No one is supposed to be able to do a thing like that and survive."

In 2008, Reed married performance artist Laurie Anderson.

Birth name: Lewis Allan Reed

Born: March 2, 1942 (age 69), Brooklyn, New York, United States

Genres: Rock, experimental rock, art rock, protopunk, noise music, drone music, psychedelic rock, folk rock, glam rock, blue-eyed soul, spoken word

Occupations: Musician, songwriter, producer, photographer

Instruments: Vocals, guitar, ostrich guitar, bass, synthesizer, keyboards, piano, harmonica, drums, percussion

Years active: 1964–present

Labels: Matador, MGM, RCA, Sire, Reprise, Warner Bros.

Associated acts: The Velvet Underground, John Cale, Nico, David Bowie, The Killers, Mick Ronson, Gorillaz, Laurie Anderson, Peter Gabriel, Metallica.

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