Golden Earring

Golden Earring are a Dutch rock band founded in 1961 in The Hague, making them one of the longest-running acts in rock history, active continuously for decades under essentially the same core lineup. Originally called The Golden Earrings, the group started out playing beat and pop before moving through psychedelic and progressive phases in the late 1960s and early 1970s and eventually settling into a muscular, riff-driven hard rock sound.

Their biggest breakthrough came with «Radar Love» in 1973, a driving, hypnotic road song built around a relentless bassline that became a worldwide hit and remains a staple of classic rock radio. The band found renewed international success in the 1980s with «Twilight Zone», a moody, synth-tinged single accompanied by a striking music video, and «When the Lady Smiles», which further cemented their reputation as skilled, versatile songwriters.

Centered around guitarist George Kooymans and singer Barry Hay, Golden Earring released roughly 25 studio albums and racked up nearly 30 top-ten singles on the Dutch charts over their career, making them a defining institution of Dutch popular music and one of the few European rock acts to achieve lasting American radio recognition.