Biography of The Stranglers

The Stranglers -- Hugh Cornwell (b.Aug 28, 1949), guitarist/vocalist; Jean Jacques Burnel, bassist/vocalist; Dave Greenfield, keyboard player; and Jet Black, drummer -- are one of the longest-lived bands associated with the British punk explosion of the '70s, but they were never really a punk group. Formed in Guildford in 1975, the group adopted a spare sound reminiscent of The Doors. They were categorized as punk because they came up at the same time as the punk originators and because their demeanor was angry and threatening.The Stranglers broke through in 1977, scoring three Top Ten hits, "Peaches," "Something Better Change," and "No More Heroes," and two Top Ten albums, IV Rattus Norvegicus and No More Heroes. The group never achieved commercial success in the U.S. but did well consistently in the U.K. They gradually evolved from the hard-edged style of their early hits to a more mainstream rock sound. ~ William Ruhlmann