Talking Heads

The trailblazing rock band Talking Heads is considered by many to be one of the most influential bands ever. Led by their eccentric frontman David Byrne, they were pioneers of the New Wave movement.

The band was established in 1974 by Byrne and drummer Chris Frantz. Frantz’s then-girlfriend-and-future-wife Tina Weymouth joined soon after to play bass. Following some recordings and performances, guitarist/keyboardist Jerry Harrison was brought in to complete the group.

Their debut album, Talking Heads: 77, fittingly came out in 1977 and was met with critical acclaim.

The following year, they released More Songs About Buildings And Food, marking the start of a significant collaboration with legendary producer Brian Eno, who would help produce their next two albums.

Their third album, Fear of Music, came out in 1979.

In 1980, the band released what is often considered their masterpiece, Remain In Light.

In 1983, the band put out Speaking In Tongues, featuring their only American Top 10 hit, “Burning Down The House.”

In 1984, they released a concert film titled Stop Making Sense, derived from a line in their song “Girlfriend is Better.”

https://genius.com/798820

They subsequently released three more albums before their ultimate breakup; 1985’s Little Creatures, 1986’s True Stories, and 1988’s Naked. Their song “Radio Head” from True Stories even inspired the name of the band Radiohead.

The band disbanded in 1991 and only reunited once in 2002 during their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

In 2010, Rolling Stone listed them as the 100th greatest band of all time. Moreover, Rolling Stone included four of their albums on their 2003 500 Greatest Albums of All Time List; More Songs About Buildings And Food was ranked 383, Stop Making Sense was at 345, Talking Heads: 77 at 291, and Remain In Light at 129. On the revised 2020 list, More Songs About Buildings And Food was ranked 364 and Remain In Light was ranked 39.