Devo

One of new wave's most innovative bands, Devo bubbled up from the Midwestern underground of the 1970s with an intelligently obtuse, self-designed vision that they successfully conveyed to a large audience. Taking their name from their philosophy of "de-evolution," the Akron, Ohio-based group merged dark social satire and offbeat humor with highly stylized visuals, briefly breaking through to the mainstream with 1980's Freedom of Choice and its smash single "Whip It," whose accompanying video became a staple on the fledgling MTV network. Their jerky, robotic rhythms, unique uniforms, and focus on "little minds through big technology" were like nothing else on the pop landscape, though their campier elements led some critics to unfairly dismiss them as a novelty group. Although their success ebbed in the late '80s, Devo's legacy grew over the decades into that of a highly influential cult band with legions of followers. Through various reunions and re-formations, they continued to develop creatively into the 21st century, composing music for soundtracks and commercials, publishing a video game, and even collaborating with Disney to create a tween-led version of the band called DEV2.0. 2010's Something for Everybody marked their return to new music, and they celebrated their golden anniversary with 2023's career-inclusive anthology 50 Years of De-Evolution 1973-2023.

From 🇺🇸 United States