# Simple Minds Scottish post-punk/new wave band from Glasgow, formed 1977. Best known internationally for their mid-80s pop-rock peak (especially "Don't You (Forget About Me)"), though the band's own catalogue and identity is considerably weirder and more art-rock/post-punk than that one song's ubiquity suggests. ## Formation Emerged from the ashes of Glasgow punk band Johnny and the Self Abusers in November 1977. Core duo Jim Kerr (vocals) and Charlie Burchill (guitar), childhood friends since age eight, have been the band's constant throughout every lineup change since. Early lineups added keyboardist Mick MacNeil, bassist Derek Forbes, and drummer Brian McGee. ## Early, more art-rock years Debut *Life in a Day* (1979) got moderate attention; *Real to Real Cacophony* (1979) and *Empires and Dance* (1980) pushed into more angular, atmospheric, Europe-influenced post-punk territory — critically admired at the time but not big sellers. This early run is a genuinely different band from the arena-rock act most people know from the 80s hits. ## Commercial breakthrough *Sons and Fascination* / *Sister Feelings Call* (1981) and *New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)* (1982) moved the band toward a more polished, expansive sound and brought UK chart success. International breakthrough came via "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), written for the film *The Breakfast Club* — a song the band didn't write themselves and were initially ambivalent about recording, but which became their signature hit and a defining piece of 80s film/pop culture. *Once Upon a Time* (1985) cemented their run as a full-blown stadium act. ## Later years Commercial fortunes cooled through the 90s and 2000s, but the band kept working steadily and touring, eventually finding a late-career critical reappraisal. Recent studio albums *Big Music* (2014) and *Walk Between Worlds* (2018) were well received, and *Direction of the Heart* (2022) continued that later-period momentum. ## Discography (selected studio albums) - *Life in a Day* (1979) - *Real to Real Cacophony* (1979) - *Empires and Dance* (1980) - *Sons and Fascination* / *Sister Feelings Call* (1981) - *New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)* (1982) - *Sparkle in the Rain* (1984) - *Once Upon a Time* (1985) - *Street Fighting Years* (1989) - *Real Life* (1991) - *Good News from the Next World* (1995) - *Néapolis* (1998) - *Cry* (2002) - *Black & White 050505* (2005) - *Graffiti Soul* (2009) - *Big Music* (2014) - *Walk Between Worlds* (2018) - *Direction of the Heart* (2022) ## Notes to self - Really only know the mid-80s hits well ("Don't You Forget About Me," "Alive and Kicking") — the early post-punk records (*Empires and Dance*, *New Gold Dream*) sound like they're worth exploring properly. - Worth checking whether *Direction of the Heart* era material holds up as more than nostalgia touring.