ABC
Upcoming concerts and tickets

Formed in Sheffield in 1980, ABC emerged from the remnants of the electronic band Vice Versa. Led by frontman Martin Fry, the group became one of the most influential acts of the "new pop" and "sophisti-pop" movements, blending synth-pop hooks with lush orchestral arrangements and jazz-inflected rhythms.

The band’s classic lineup featured Fry alongside guitarist and keyboardist Mark White, saxophonist Stephen Singleton, and drummer David Palmer. They achieved immediate critical and commercial success with their debut studio album, The Lexicon of Love (1982). Produced by Trevor Horn, the record topped the UK Albums Chart and remains a definitive document of 1980s pop production. It produced several enduring hits, including "Poison Arrow," "All of My Heart," and "The Look of Love," the latter of which became a global success and helped spearhead the Second British Invasion of the United States.

Following the massive success of their debut, ABC chose to subvert expectations rather than repeat the same formula. Their second album, Beauty Stab (1983), shifted toward a more guitar-heavy, stripped-back sound. They returned to electronic and dance-oriented pop with 1985's How to Be a ... Zillionaire!, which earned them further chart success in both the UK and the US with singles like "Be Near Me."