ABC

ABC was the epitome of the flashy "new pop" sound that dominated the British charts in the first half of the '80s. The band's roots lay in the Sheffield electro-pop group Vice Versa, which shifted gears when singer/songwriter Martin Fry joined, moving towards a glam/soul sound that fitted in nicely with the Duran Duran/Spandau Ballet New Romantic school. Fry's Bowie/Roxy Music-influenced image and witty lyrics, along with the band's smashing pop hooks and Trevor Horn's lush production, earned the band a batch of hits straight out of the gate with 1982's THE LEXICON OF LOVE. While ABC never duplicated that album's success, they persevered through stylistic shifts and personnel changes, achieving a longevity few might have predicted.

• pop