Madness

Madness News
Credits: Far Out / Stiff Records
Members
Suggs (Graham McPherson), Mike Barson, Chris Foreman, Lee Thompson, Mark Bedford, Daniel Woodgate, Chas Smash (Cathal Smyth; departed as a full-time member in 2014, later returning for guest appearances)
Genre
Ska, pop, 2 Tone, new wave
Formed
1976
Hometown
Camden Town, London, England
Top Tracks
'Our House', 'Baggy Trousers', 'One Step Beyond', 'House of Fun', 'It Must Be Love'
Top Albums
One Step Beyond..., Absolutely, The Rise & Fall, The Liberty of Norton Folgate, 7
Records Sold
More than 20 million
Fun Facts
Madness spent more than 200 weeks on the UK Singles Chart during the 1980s, making them one of the decade's most successful British bands. Their signature hit 'Our House' became an international success and won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically in 1983. Unlike many of their 2 Tone contemporaries, Madness continued to enjoy major commercial success beyond the ska revival, incorporating elements of pop, music hall and British storytelling into their music.
Related Artists
The Specials, Bad Manners, The Beat, The Selecter, Dexys Midnight Runners

Madness are an English ska and pop band formed in Camden Town, London, in 1976. Emerging from the British 2 Tone movement alongside bands such as The Specials and The Selecter, Madness blended ska, reggae, pop and music hall influences with witty songwriting and a distinctly British sense of humour.

Fronted by Graham “Suggs” McPherson, the group became one of the UK’s most successful singles bands during the late 1970s and 1980s with hits including ‘One Step Beyond’, ‘Baggy Trousers’, ‘Our House’, ‘It Must Be Love’ and ‘House of Fun’.

Known for their energetic performances and enduring popularity, Madness have remained a fixture of British music through critically acclaimed later albums including The Liberty of Norton Folgate, Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da and Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est la Vie.

Madness News

More About Madness

Madness are an English ska and pop band formed in London in 1976, best known for songs including 'Our House', 'Baggy Trousers', 'One Step Beyond', 'House of Fun' and 'It Must Be Love'.
'Our House' is Madness' most internationally recognised song, while 'Baggy Trousers', 'One Step Beyond', 'House of Fun', 'It Must Be Love' and 'Embarrassment' are also among their best-known hits.
Madness helped popularise ska and 2 Tone music in Britain while creating a uniquely British style of pop that blended humour, social observation and memorable melodies. Their influence extends across ska, pop and alternative music, and they remain one of the UK's most beloved live acts.
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