Simple Minds is a Scottish rock band which achieved its greatest worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band, from the South Side of Glasgow, produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s. Simple Minds has secured a string of successful hit singles, the best known being their #1 worldwide hit single "Don't You (Forget About Me)", from the soundtrack of the John Hughes movie The Breakfast Club and #3 worldwide hit single "Alive and Kicking". The band has sold more than 40 million albums since 1979. ...show more

Simple Minds is a Scottish rock band which achieved its greatest worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band, from the South Side of Glasgow, produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s. Simple Minds has secured a string of successful hit singles, the best known being their #1 worldwide hit single "Don't You (Forget About Me)", from the soundtrack of the John Hughes movie The Breakfast Club and #3 worldwide hit single "Alive and Kicking". The band has sold more than 40 million albums since 1979.

Founding members Jim Kerr (vocals) and Charlie Burchill (guitar, keyboards), along with drummer Mel Gaynor, are the core of the band, which currently features Andy Gillespie on keyboards and Ged Grimes on bass guitar. Formed in late 1977 from the ashes of Johnny & the Self-Abusers, Simple Minds initially signed to Arista who recorded and released their first three albums. The musical changes Simple Minds went through in these first three albums shows how diverse their song range is. Tracks to compare would be Chelsea Girl, their first single with hints of Johnny And The Self Abusers, and I Travel an almost disco sounding track.

Virgin Records saw the potential in the band and in 1981 signed them up. The first Virgin Records release Sons And Fascination/Sister Feelings Call was a double album, but later released as two single albums - Sons and Fascination and Sister Feelings Call. They first found noteable success with New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84), which is still regarded as their best album by some fans. They have had great commercial success in Europe and across the world since then (in the 80s and early 90s they sold 30 million albums worldwide). ...show less