Madness

Madness was an English ska band that became one of the most prominent music acts of the U.K. during their heyday of the late '70s and early '80s. Formed in 1976 by core members Mike Barson, Chris Foreman and Lee Thompson, the band, which was then known as the North Londoners, got its inspiration from the Jamaican reggae artist Prince Buster and began playing their own ska/reggae tunes. After a name change to Madness and the addition of a sixth member, the group started gaining a hardcore following in London. Madness released their first album in 1979, One Step Beyond , which shot up to No. 2 on the U.K. charts. Madness's follow-up album, 1980's Absolutely, was equally as successful, reaching No. 2 on the U.K. charts and producing the top 10 hits "Baggy Trousers," "Embarrassment," and "The Return of the Los Palmas 7." Madness released three more albums in the ensuing years, as well as the their most internationally successful song with 1982's "Our House." However, by 1986 internal rifts within the band caused them to break up. After a six-year hiatus, however, Madness reunited and started touring the U.K. as well as other parts of the world. They released a new album in 1999 called Wonderful, which was the first album to feature the original line-up in 15 years. Madness continued touring and releasing albums throughout the 2000s, and even premiered a 2003 musical called "Our House," which played in London and was released as a DVD the following year. The band released their tenth studio album in 2012, Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da,which hit No. 10 on the U.K. charts - their 7th album to do so - and proving that after nearly 40 years Madness was still a relevant force in the music industry.