Electric Light Orchestra

Electric Light Orchestra, universally known as ELO, was formed in Birmingham, England in 1970 by Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan. The founding idea was to pick up where The Beatles left off on tracks like «I Am the Walrus», fusing rock instrumentation with orchestral strings and cellos to create a symphonic, futuristic strain of pop. After Wood departed in 1972, Lynne became the band's principal songwriter, producer and creative force, steering ELO toward the polished, string-drenched sound that defined its commercial peak.

Through the mid-to-late 1970s and into the 1980s, ELO became one of the most successful pop-rock acts in the world, filling arenas and topping charts with a run of hits including «Mr. Blue Sky», «Evil Woman», «Livin' Thing», «Don't Bring Me Down», «Telephone Line», «Turn to Stone», «Sweet Talkin' Woman» and «Strange Magic». Their sound, built on layered vocal harmonies, string arrangements, vocoder effects and Lynne's meticulous studio craft, made them instantly recognizable and hugely influential on later pop production.

The band went through numerous lineup changes and effectively disbanded in 1988. Bev Bevan later led a version called ELO Part II, while Jeff Lynne revived the name for a one-off Hyde Park concert in 2014, which led to a full-fledged reunion touring and recording as Jeff Lynne's ELO, releasing the albums «Alone in the Universe» (2015) and «From Out of Nowhere» (2019).