The The is an English group that was formed in 1979 and originally consisted of Matt Johnson and Keith Laws. Who will be joined shortly after by Peter Ashworth and Tom Johnston.
The beginnings remain fairly confidential with the release of 2 titles which will go somewhat unnoticed : "Contoversial subject" in 1980 and "Cold spell ahead" in 1981.
They will have to wait for 1982 and the release of the Single "Uncertain smile" to finally see their efforts rewarded. A title which is in truth a reworked version of “Cold spell ahead". A year 1982 which also saw the recording of a first album called "The pornography of despair", album which unfortunately never saw the light of day.
This was not the case with the next album, "Soul mining," which was released a year later in 1983 and officially became the band's first album. Album with more than certain success, in particular in the whole Anglo-Saxon sphere, and carried at arm's length by the Single "Uncertain smile" but also by "This is the day", Single which remains to this day one of their more emblematic.
Three years passed before the next album called "Infected" was released in 1986. Album which will be even stronger than its predecessor and strengthen the status of sure value of the group. In particular thanks to titles like "Infected" and "Slow train to dawn" but also, and above all, "Heartland".
But the real consecration came in 1989 with the release of the album "Mind bomb". Album which sees them achieve the same year their biggest Singles success with the enormous "The beat (en) generation". As well as "Gravitate to me" which will also carry out a most honorable course.
At the rate of an album every 3, 4 years, it is the turn of the album "Dusk" to be released in turn in 1993. And the least we can say is that the move to the 90s in no way altered the level of inspiration of the group which obtained with this album the biggest global success of all its discography on the album side. Flagship album whose biggest success will undoubtedly remain the title "Dogs of lust".
The great adventure continued in 1995 with the release of the album "Hanky Panky", an album which once again confirms that the group has not lost any of its splendor. The level of success is lower than its predecessor, admittedly, but still high enough to keep the group in the lead. In particular thanks to the title "I saw the light".
A major success which will unfortunately be the last because everything that will be released afterwards will not have the same level of success as that achieved on the previous opus.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
80s Decade :
Controversial subject 1980
Cold spell ahead 1981
Uncertain smile 1982
Perfect 1983
This is the day 1983
Sweet bird of truth 1986
Heartland 1986
Infected 1986
Slow train to dawn 1987
The beat(e) generation 1989
Gravitate to me 1989
Kingdom of rain 1989
90s Decade :
Jealous of youth 1990
Dogs of lust 1993
Slow emotion replay 1993
Love is stronger than death 1993
I saw the light 1995
My heart would know 1995
Your cheatin' heart 1995
2000s Decade :
Shrunken man 2000
The whisperers 2000
Phantomwalls 2000
December sunlight 2002
Mrs Mac 2007
2010s Decade :
The lust for unsung dreams 2010
Ultra violation 2010
Coming home 2012
Everybody wants to go to heaven (But nobody wants to die) 2015
We can't stop what coming 2017
2020s Decade :
I want 2 B U 2020
Sentimental journey 2020
Tracks :
1980 ... a first title that is obscure to say the least. The sound, like the style, borders on the experimental. Difficult to get an idea of the rest with a song like this ...
1981 ... it's a little better but it is clear that they still have work to do before they can hope to join the big leagues ...
1982 ... the metamorphosis. The style, like the sound, has nothing to do with the 2 songs that came before. The sky is finally clearing ...!
1983 ... the rise in power is slow but certain. The group has finally found the style that goes well and begins to unroll quietly ...
1983 ... then THIS title comes ! The title which finally allows them to enter the big leagues through the front door and which will above all allow them to now compete with the best. HU-GE !
1986 ... after 3 surprisingly empty years, here they are again in this year 1986 in relative form. One would almost have the impression of having returned to their beginnings ...
1986 ... the pieces follow each other but do not necessarily resemble each other. The proof with this title which has absolutely nothing to do with its predecessor. Astonishing ...
1986 ... surely the most inspired song of this year 1986. The group finally finds a level of inspiration worthy of him and that can be heard !
1987 ... you can take the one that will tear everything apart in the years to come, the mayonnaise does not necessarily take. The proof with this title certainly nice but which will not remain as the most famous title of the year ...
1989 ... new break in 1988 and return this time in Olympic form in 1989. The proof with this title which will remain as their biggest record success. It took them almost 10 years to see them explode internationally but better late than never !
1989 ... a BIG year 1989 with a second planetary top hit in the wake. Certainly with a lower level of success than its predecessor, but more than enough to keep them in the leading pack !
1989 ... a year 1989 which ended much worse than it started. The level of success is in free fall and only the United States will save this title. And yet this title is far from unworthy ...
1990 ... this title will suffer the same fate as its predecessor. The group can no longer even float and we can fear the worst for the rest of the events ...
1993 ... but it was very bad to know them. The group is reborn from its ashes in a spectacular way with this title which will bring them a new global success, to say the least unexpected. Like what, nothing is ever finished !
1993 ... once again the titles follow one another but hardly resemble each other. This title is far from unworthy but will not experience the enormous success of the previous title ...
1993 ... plethora of titles in this year 1993 but with very diverse fortunes. Only the first title will have known its hour of glory. For others, it's another story ...
1995 ... the last hit. And again, of low magnitude. The adventure draws to a close and the group has more and more difficulty in finding himself in the middle of a competition which does not give it any gifts ...
1995...the adventure is coming to an end, especially on the Charts side, but the adventure is far, far from over. We may continue to find them in the years, but also in the decades to come...
1995...the group still has things to offer and above all things to sing about and surely doesn't intend to stop there...
2000...we will lose sight of them for almost 5 years but here they are again anyway. The will to move forward is still as intact at first sight...
2000... what they are now offering is certainly demerit, but it is above all the style and the sound that no longer really stick to the times...
2000...even if none of the Singles from this opus will be classified, the album will be. Which gives reason to the group on the fact of continuing to believe in it...
2002...an adventure that has lasted for almost 20 years, which is not nothing. And that will last a few more years, that's for sure..
2007...once again the group does not want to stick to the latest musical developments of the moment which strongly penalizes its visibility with the general public necessarily...
2010...afterwards, everyone pursues their career as they see fit. Here they are at the dawn of the 2010 decade, a 2010 decade where we will mainly find them in film soundtracks...
2010... what is certain in any case is that they are still there, which is not the case for a lot of bands who started their career at the same time as them...
2012...it will therefore be mainly a story without words during this decade of 2010. Afterwards, as long as they continue to produce titles...
2015...especially since they are not bad in film soundtracks, it is clear. Anyway, we'll be happy with that...
2017...the lyrics came back to this new title. A title full of finesse and lightness which shows that the group has lost none of its talent...
2020...they will have gone through the 80s, then the 90s, then the 2000s, then the 2010s and here they are at the dawn of the 2020s. Who would have thought that possible...?
2020... they still don't stick more to the times but they are still there. And not alone because other bands from the 80s have also returned to the front of the stage for a few years...
Top Bonus : the story of a lifetime I
Top Bonus : the story of a lifetime II
Top Bonus : the story of a lifetime III
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :