Buzzcocks

About

Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed by singer-songwriter and guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto in Bolton in 1976. They achieved commercial success with singles that fuse pop with rapid-fire punk energy, inspiring the power pop and pop punk movements; these singles were later collected on Singles Going Steady, an acclaimed compilation album music journalist and critic Ned Raggett described as a "punk masterpiece". Devoto left the band in 1977 and formed Magazine, after which Pete Shelley became the principal singer-songwriter. The classic lineup of Shelley, Steve Diggle (guitar), Steve Garvey (bass) and John Maher (drums) recorded Buzzcocks' first three albums, after which the band broke up in 1981 following a dispute with their record label.