Supertramp

Supertramp were a British rock band that formed in London in 1970. They experienced their greatest global success in 1979 with their sixth album Breakfast in America. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), the group were distinguished for blending progressive rock and pop styles as well as for a sound that relied heavily on Wurlitzer electric piano. The group’s lineup changed numerous times throughout their career, with Davies being the only constant member throughout its history. The classic lineup, which lasted ten years from 1973 to 1983, comprised Davies, Hodgson, Dougie Thomson (bass), Bob Siebenberg (drums) and John Helliwell (saxophone).

Initially a prog-rock group, they began moving towards a more pop-oriented sound with their third album, Crime of the Century (1974), the first album with the classic lineup. The band reached their commercial peak with 1979’s Breakfast in America, which yielded the international top 10 singles “The Logical Song”, “Breakfast in America”, “Goodbye Stranger” and “Take the Long Way Home”. Their other top 40 hits included “Dreamer” (1974), “Give a Little Bit” (1977) and “It’s Raining Again” (1982). In 1983, Hodgson left the group to pursue a solo career. The band continued with Davies as the sole leader until 1988, after which they disbanded and periodically reformed in various configurations.

As of 2007, Supertramp album sales exceeded 60 million. They attained significant popularity in North America, Europe, South Africa and Australia. Their highest sales levels were in Canada, where they had two diamond-certified (ten-times platinum) albums (Crime of the Century and Breakfast in America), and their only number 1 singles anywhere (“The Logical Song” and “Dreamer”).

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