England's Roxy Music emerged in the 1970s, blending experimental rock with sleek, glittery pop to become one of the most quintessential and defiantly theatrical art-rock bands of their era. They had a fascination with fashion, glamor, cinema, pop art, and the avant-garde, which separated the band from their contemporaries. During the early '70s, the group was driven by the creative tension between Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno, who each pulled the band in separate directions: singer Ferry had a fondness for American soul and Beatlesque art-pop, while instrumentalist Eno was intrigued by deconstructing rock with amateurish experimentalism inspired by the Velvet Underground. This incarnation of Roxy Music may have only recorded two albums, 1972's Roxy Music and 1973's For Your Pleasure, but it inspired a legion of imitators -- not only the glam rockers of the early '70s, but art-rockers and new wave pop groups of the late '70s. Following Eno's departure, Roxy Music continued with its arty inclinations, releasing equally classic albums like 1974's Country Life and 1979's Siren, before gradually working in elements of disco and soul as on 1979's Manifesto. By the early '80s, the group had developed a sophisticated, seductive soul-pop that relied on Ferry's stylish crooning, so it was no surprise that he disbanded Roxy Music at the height of its commercial success to pursue a solo career. While Eno has remained largely absent, Ferry and Roxy Music have reunited for live performances, including for their 2019 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a 2022 tour marking their 50th Anniversary.
