The Stranglers

The Stranglers are a British rock band, originally from Guildford, Surrey, England. Difficult to pigeonhole into a single musical style, The Stranglers have evolved from album to album, moving through rock, post-punk, electronic rock, new wave, and pop rock, with forays into jazz, reggae, soul, and rhythm and blues. Their sound is characterised by Jean-Jacques « JJ » Burnel's melodic yet aggressive bass and Dave Greenfield's rapid arpeggios, played interchangeably on Hammond organ, synthesiser, piano, or harpsichord.

Appearing just before the first wave of punk, with which they were associated, the band was originally formed by Jet Black (drums), Jean-Jacques « JJ » Burnel (bass, vocals), Hugh Cornwell (guitar, vocals), and Dave Greenfield (keyboards, vocals).

The group existed in this configuration for sixteen years before one of its founding members, Hugh Cornwell, departed. As a guitarist, he was replaced twice: in 1990 by John Ellis, and in 2000 by Baz Warne. A singer, Paul Roberts, joined the line-up between 1990 and 2006, taking over the vocal parts previously shared by Hugh Cornwell, Jean-Jacques Burnel, and Dave Greenfield. Since 2006, the band has returned to its original quartet format. In the mid-2010s, Jet Black was forced to stop touring with the band due to health issues and his age, and he was replaced by Jim Macaulay.

On stage and in the studio, The Stranglers, or at least their initial line-up until 1990, distinguished themselves with a provocative and not always well-understood humour. A very popular band in Great Britain, they managed to place twenty-three singles and eighteen albums in the UK top 40. In France, it is JJ Burnel, born in London to French parents, who has maintained and continues to maintain the connection with the audience.

In September 2014, The Stranglers entered their fifth decade of existence, making them one of the most enduring bands on the rock scene and one of the very few from the punk movement that has never ceased to exist. Often venturing beyond the three-minute limit typical of punk, and seeking new paths, they paved the way for many other bands, from the late 1970s to today.