Manic Street Preachers were created by schoolmates James Dean Bradfield (vocals-guitar), Nicky Wire (rhythm guitar), Miles Woodward (bass guitar) and Sean Moore (drums). In the beginning, Bradfield, along with his cousin Moore, used to write the band's music, while Wire was dealing with the lyrics. When Woodward left the band in 1988, Wire took the bass.
Their first release was the punk rock song "Suicide Alley", that came out in 1988. The band's driver, Richey Edwards (guitar)became the new member of the band and in 1990, they released "New Art Riot E.P.", which was followed by their first single named "Motown Junk", that came out in early 1991. The band showed its controversial character with the single "You Love Us and began gaining fame from the British media. Their first album "Generation Terrorists" came out in February of 1992. It is characterized by its punk, glam and hard rock style with a strong reference to politics, in songs like "Motorcycle Emptiness".
Later, they covered the song "Suicide Is Painless", which became their first hit to enter the top 10 on the UK charts. Their second album was "Gold Against the Soul", which contained a harder sound, with grunge elements. It was followed by "The Holy Bible", a more alternative and modern album. In February of 1995, Edwards suddenly disappeared and he was never found. They continued six months later, with the release of "Everything Must Go", which became three times platinum. It includes five songs in which Edwards took part. The most successful songs are the hit "A Design for Life", along with "Kevin Carter", "Everything Must Go" and "Australia".
The next album, named "This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours" was the band's first that reached the top of the UK album chart and it is their most successful album until today, including the songs "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" (also no. 1 in the UK), "You Stole the Sun from My Heart" and other. The band won two BRIT Awards in 1999, for Best British Band and Best British Album. After live concerts and the release of "The Masses Against the Classes", that topped the UK chart, they finished their sixth album, "Know Your Enemy", that came out in 2001. It reached no. 2 on the UK chart, including the hits like "So Why So Sad", "Found That Soul" and "Ocean Spray".
Manic Street Preachers' discography contains seven more studio albums (all of them have entered the top 5 in the UK album chart), while the album "Journal for Plague Lovers" in 2009, contains exclusively lyrics by Richey Edwards. Among their hits are also " The Love of Richard Nixon", "Empty Souls", " Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" (duet with James Dean Bradfield) and more. The band has collaborated with many artists and has toured in many countries.
Manic Street Preachers
