The Stranglers

The Stranglers are an English rock band formed in Guildford in 1974, emerging alongside the first wave of British punk while always standing slightly apart from it thanks to their keyboard-driven sound and musicianship rooted in prog and pub rock. The classic lineup featured singer-guitarist Hugh Cornwell, bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel, keyboardist Dave Greenfield and drummer Jet Black, whose combination of Greenfield's swirling organ lines and Burnel's aggressive, melodic bass became the band's signature.

Their early records, including «No More Heroes» and «Peaches», were marked by dark, provocative and often controversial lyrics that set them apart from more straightforward punk contemporaries. As the band evolved through the late 1970s and 1980s, they moved toward more melodic and even psychedelic territory, producing one of their best-known songs, «Golden Brown», a hit built around an unusual waltz-time signature that became a defining moment of British new wave.

Despite numerous lineup changes over the decades, including Cornwell's departure in 1990, The Stranglers have continued to record and tour, leaving behind a catalogue that includes «Always the Sun», «Skin Deep» and «Hanging Around». They remain respected for bridging punk's raw energy with more sophisticated songwriting and instrumental ambition.