Styx and Cheap Trick

Styx is known for their unusual musical style: they meld pop rock with the extreme power of hard-rock guitar and elements of musical theatre. Their style of rock has been described as anything from progressive to soft rock.

The current line-up of the band consists of Chuck Panozzo, James "J.Y." Young, Tommy Shaw, Todd Sucherman, Lawrence Gowan and Ricky Phillips. The band was started by Chuck Panozzo and his twin brother, John, in 1961 whilst the brothers were still in adolescence. The original name of the band was ‘The Tradewinds.’ In 1972 the band signed with Wooden nickel Records and became Styx, producing their first, self-entitled, album which was followed by many more.

The band’s big breakthrough in to the mainstream market, however, did not come until the release of their seventh album, ‘The Grand Illusion’ on 7 July 1977. It reached triple platinum certification. The band then went on to achieve great success from the late 70s and moving on to the 80s.

Following their sudden success, the band suffered a number of splits and reformations, especially throughout the 90s. Various band members were lost and subsequently replaced throughout this period.

To date, Styx are best known for their hit rock songs "Lady" "Come Sail Away" "Babe" , "The Best of Times" , "Too Much Time on My Hands" and "Mr. Roboto", amongst many others.

Green Day, Motley Crue, Guns n’ Roses and Pearl Jam are just a few of the bands inspired by the seminal and influential band who came to be known as Cheap Trick. Back in 1961 teenage music enthusiast Rick Nelson found his passion in playing guitars and began playing locally in his hometown of Illinois, US. In 1967 he met bassist Tom Petersson and together they created the band Fuse who released their debut self-titled album in 1970 through Epic Records. When the album was virtually was ignored by audiences and the media and touring the Midwest, the band moved to Philadelphia, US with every intention of a fresh start.

What’s in a name? Clearly everything as the band took inspiration from Slade lyrics and began calling themselves Cheap Trick and were joined by Robin Zander who took on lead vocal duty in 1973. With Bun E Carlos on drums, the line-up was solidified and the band began recording demos in 1975 using any available space. Between the early formation of this band and their first release and popular hit “I Want You To Want Me” released in 1975, the band not only discovered their sound but developed and perfected their iconic live performances.

Through Epic Records, the band released their debut self-titled album in early 1977 which was highly praised by critics but lacked the financial success in America. However in the meantime, Japan began warming to the band as their fan base overseas was developing. By the time they released their second album “In Color” later that year with a more pop orientated sound, Japan had embraced them with open arms as the singles “Clock Strikes Ten” and “I Want You To Want Me” were smash hits there. With hysteria similar to Beatlesmania, the band toured relentlessly to thousands of adoring Japanese fans during 1979.

Upon their return to US soil, Cheap Trick released their fourth album “Dream Police” in late 1979 and experienced their first successes in their homeland as the album went to number six in the US album charts and went platinum. With their relentless touring schedule, the band won over audiences as they opened for legendary bands such as: Kiss, The Kinks and Santana.

With a career spanning over four decades, amassing a collection of admirable accolades and producing monumental musical masterpieces, Cheap Trick have solidified themselves as an American musical treasure who remain timeless throughout the years.