About Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. Their work bridged elements of '60s guitar pop, '70s hard rock, and the emerging punk rock sound, and would help set the template for subsequent power pop artists.
Cheap Trick released their self-titled debut album in 1977 and, later that year, found success in Japan with the release of their second album, In Color. 1978's Heaven Tonight included the power pop classic "Surrender". The band achieved mainstream popularity in the United States in 1979 with the triple-platinum live album At Budokan and a Top 10 single, a live recording of "I Want You to Want Me". They followed with Dream Police , their most commercially successful studio album, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart. After struggling with declining popularity and lineup changes in the 1980s, Cheap Trick experienced a major resurgence toward the end of the decade when they topped the US charts with the power ballad "The Flame".
The band has continued releasing new music into the 21st century and maintains a constant touring schedule, having performed live more than 5,000 times since their formation. Cheap Trick have sold more than 20 million albums and built a dedicated cult following. Their influence has been cited by a diverse range of rock artists from both the mainstream and underground. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen and Petersson.
In 1967, Rick Nielsen formed Fuse with Tom Peterson , who had played in another Rockford, Illinois, band called The Bo Weevils. With Bun E. Carlos joining on drums, Fuse moved to Philadelphia in 1971. From 1972 to 1973, they called themselves Sick Man of Europe. After a European tour in 1973, Nielsen and Petersson returned to Rockford and reunited with Carlos. According to Rolling Stone, the band adopted the name Cheap Trick on August 15, 1973. The name was inspired by the band's attendance at a Slade concert, where Petersson commented that Slade used "every cheap trick in the book" as part of their act.
Randy "Xeno" Hogan was the original lead singer for Cheap Trick. He left the band shortly after its formation and was replaced by Robin Zander.
With Robin Zander on vocals, the band recorded a demo in 1975 and played in warehouses, bowling alleys, and various other venues around the midwestern United States. The band was signed to Epic Records in early 1976. The band released its first album, Cheap Trick, in early 1977. While favored by critics, the album did not sell well. The album's lone single, "Oh, Candy", failed to chart, as did the album. Their second album, In Color, was released later that year. The singles "I Want You to Want Me" and "Southern Girls" failed to chart. In Color was ranked No. 443 on the 2012 edition of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
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