Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in London in 1970 by singer, songwriter, and keyboard player Bryan Ferry and bassist Graham Simpson. From the beginning, the group treated rock music as a form of art direction as much as a musical style. Their work drew on glam rock, avant-garde experimentation, American rhythm and blues, European cinema, fashion, pop art, and the conventions of romantic pop. This combination made Roxy Music one of the defining art rock bands of the 1970s.
The early lineup developed through a series of changes. Saxophonist and oboist Andy Mackay joined Ferry and Simpson, bringing a distinctive classical and jazz-influenced color to the developing sound. Mackay introduced Ferry to synthesizer player Brian Eno, whose electronic textures became a central part of the band's first records. Drummer Paul Thompson and guitarist Phil Manzanera completed the best-known early formation, although several musicians passed through the group during its formative period.
Roxy Music's self-titled debut album appeared in 1972. Produced by King Crimson associate Peter Sinfield, it combined Ferry's theatrical vocals and sharply stylized lyrics with Manzanera's guitar, Mackay's saxophone and oboe, Thompson's forceful drumming, and Eno's unpredictable electronic treatments. The album established the band's fascination with glamour and artificiality, while the single "Virginia Plain" became an important early success in the United Kingdom.
The follow-up, For Your Pleasure (1973), expanded the contrast between Ferry's polished songwriting and Eno's experimental approach. Songs such as "Do the Strand" and "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" showed the band's ability to move between pop immediacy, unsettling atmosphere, and elaborate studio construction. Eno left after the album, ending one of the most influential creative partnerships in early art rock. He went on to a major solo and production career, while Roxy Music continued under Ferry's increasingly dominant musical direction.
The group's next records, Stranded (1973), Country Life (1974), and Siren (1975), retained the band's sophistication but placed greater emphasis on melody, guitar, and Ferry's distinctive persona. Stranded became Roxy Music's first British number one album. Siren produced "Love Is the Drug," a sleek, rhythmically insistent song that became their best-known international hit and their only United States Top 40 single.
After touring Siren, the members pursued individual projects, and Roxy Music entered a period of inactivity. The band returned in 1979 with Manifesto, an album that introduced a more streamlined sound influenced by disco, soul, and contemporary pop. "Dance Away" became a major British hit. Flesh + Blood followed in 1980, and its polished production and accessible songs brought the group further commercial success. Their recording of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" reached number one in the United Kingdom in 1981.
Roxy Music's final studio album, Avalon (1982), presented their most refined and atmospheric style. Built around Ferry's restrained vocals, Manzanera's understated guitar, and layered keyboards and percussion, the album included "More Than This" and "Avalon." It became the band's commercial peak and remains their most widely recognized release.
Roxy Music disbanded in 1983 as Ferry concentrated on his solo career. The group later reunited for selected performances, including their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 and a 50th anniversary tour in 2022. Their influence can be heard across glam rock, new wave, electronic pop, post-punk, and sophisticated adult pop.