Simply Red

Mick Hucknall initially came up through the foothills, fronting cult-level Manchester post-punk outfit The Frantic Elevators. However, his grit and graft paid dividends, for when Hucknall launched Simply Red, in the mid-80s, they were more than ready for the rollercoaster ride that rapidly ensued after their classic single, Holding Back The Years, topped the US Billboard chart in 1986.

Having acquired mainstream success, Hucknall and his team made it look deceptively easy to maintain. With their flame-haired frontman’s silky smooth vocals perfectly complementing his band’s classy, soul-infused pop, Simply Red hit on a winning formula which led to albums such as 1989’s A New Flame and 1991’s arguable career highlight, Stars, enshrining the band’s legend and racking up multi-platinum sales. Beginning in 2010, a lengthy hiatus was initially assumed to be a split, but Hucknall and co returned with an accomplished new album, Big Love, in 2015, and have remained very much in contention since.