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Electric Light Orchestra music biography continued...

of 1970, with an original lineup consisting of frontman Roy Wood, guitarist/composer Jeff Lynne, bassist Rick Price, and drummer Bev Bevan. The band's self-titled debut album came out in 1971, with the single "10538 Overture" became a U.K. top ten hit. Over the next few years and three albums, there were several lineup changes, but the band broke out with its fourth LP, Eldorado, A Symphony. Recorded with a full orchestra, the first single off the album, "Can't Get It Out Of My Head," became their first U.S. Billboard charts Top 10 hit, and Eldorado, A Symphony became ELO's first gold album. Face the Music was released in 1975, producing the hit singles "Evil Woman" and "Strange Magic." By this time, ELO had become successful in the United States and were headliners on the stadium and arena circuit. They broke through in the British market with their sixth album, A New World Record, which hit the top ten there in 1976. It contained the hit singles "Livin' Thing", "Telephone Line", "Rockaria!" and "Do Ya." New World Record was followed by another multi platinum selling album, the double-LP Out of the Blue, in 1977. Out of the Blue featured the singles "Turn to Stone," "Sweet Talkin' Woman," "Mr. Blue Sky," and "Wild West Hero." The group's worldwide popularity was apparent during their international The Big Night Tour, which featured an elaborate, futuristic set and went on to become the highest-grossing live concert tour in music history up to that point (1978). ELO's greatest success would come the following year, with their biggest selling single, the rock tune "Don't Bring Me Down." Clearly, nothing was going to keep this innovative group from worldwide superstardom.



Overall, from 1972 to 1986, ELO accumulated twenty-six U.K. Top 40 hit singles and twenty U.S. Top 40 hit singles. The group also scored twenty Top 20 U.K. hit singles, as well as fifteen Top 20 appearances in the U.S. Billboard charts. According to music aficionados, the band also holds the record for having the most Billboard Top 40 hits of any band in U.S. chart history without ever having a #1 single. They remain a favorite of classic rock listeners to this day.