Madness

Formed in the Camden Town district of London in 1976, Madness coalesced around a core that would become famous: Suggs, Mike Barson, Lee Thompson, Chris Foreman, Dan Woodgate, Mark Bedford and Chas Smash. Initially associated with the 2 Tone revival, Madness developed a sound that mixed British ska, rocksteady, pop and new wave, featuring prominent brass, crisp rhythms and songs rooted in everyday London life. After playing the Camden scene and touring with The Specials and The Selecter, the band established itself at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s with the albums One Step Beyond... (1979), Absolutely (1980), 7 (1981) and The Rise & Fall (1982), before gradually steering its songwriting toward more melodic pop. The group split in 1986 and reformed in 1992, resuming regular activity on stage and in the studio with releases such as Wonderful (1999), The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1 (2005), The Liberty of Norton Folgate (2009), Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da (2012), Can’t Touch Us Now (2016) and Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est la Vie (2023). Over time, Madness has also crossed paths with artists like Ian Dury, who guested on “Drip Fed Fred”, while retaining an identity closely tied to north London and the English ska-pop tradition.