Echo & the Bunnymen produced albums that were essential to 1980s pop/rock. Albums such as Crocodiles (their 1980 debut album), Ocean Rain (1984), and Echo & The Bunnymen (1987) established the group as one of the leading acts to emerge from Liverpool, the legendary home of the Beatles. The band got its start in the late 1970s as part of the movement that became known as British post-punk, a scene that also launched acts such as Joy Division, U2, and Cure.
The group was formed by Ian McCulloch (vocals), Will Sergeant (guitar), and Les Pattinson (bass) in 1978. Their main influences came from bands like the Beatles, The Velvet Underground, and The Doors. Shortly thereafter, Pete de Freitas joined the group as the drummer. The band created unique songs that defined the 1980s for many people, with memorable tracks like “Rescue,” “Pictures on My Wall,” “The Killing Moon,” and “Lips Like Sugar,” which became major classics of alternative rock.
In the late 1980s, the band went through a deep crisis: Ian McCulloch left the group to pursue a solo career, and drummer Pete de Freitas tragically died in a motorcycle accident in 1989. The remaining members decided to move forward with new members and released the album Reverberation (1990), with the young Noel Burke taking over on vocals. The new lineup didn’t click, and shortly thereafter, the band’s breakup was announced.
In 1993, McCulloch and Sergeant began working together again on the Electrafixion project. Their chemistry led them to bring Pattinson on board, and in 1996, the trio officially reunited as Echo & the Bunnymen. Still in the 1990s, the group released the albums Evergreen (1997) and What Are You Going To do With Your Life (1999). In the following decade, they remained productive with Flowers (2001), Siberia (2005), and The Fountain (2009).
The band returned with an album of new material in 2014, the critically acclaimed Meteorite. In 2018, the group released the album The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon, which featured reworkings of their greatest classics with string arrangements, as well as new tracks. Under the leadership of McCulloch and Sergeant, the group remained active, touring around the world.
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