The Stranglers

Almost uniquely among those who emerged in the 1970s punk era, The Stranglers have endured for five decades, notching up 17 Top 40 albums and 23 UK Top 40 singles, including the classics Golden Brown, No More Heroes and Peaches. Originally calling themselves the Guildford Stranglers they were far from a typical punk outfit - they used keyboards, wrote strong melodies and were more technically adept than most bands of the genre - but moulding a menacing image, they built a strong following after support tours with The Ramones and Patti Smith. They had a series of pop hits and outgrew punk with ambitious works like The Gospel According To The Meninblack, a concept album exploring both religion and extra-terrestrial activity. Hugh Cornwell left the band in 1990 to concentrate on his solo career with Paul Roberts and John Ellis joining. Ellis left in 2000 to be replaced by Baz Warne and Roberts quit in 2006, though they continued as a four-piece playing to a devoted fan base for the rest of the decade.