Motörhead
Motörhead | |
|---|---|
Motörhead performing in May 2005; left to right: Phil Campbell, Mikkey Dee and Lemmy | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres |
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| Works | Discography |
| Years active | 1975–2015 |
| Labels |
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| Spinoffs |
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| Spinoff of |
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| Past members | Lemmy Kilmister Larry Wallis Lucas Fox Phil Taylor Eddie Clarke Brian Robertson Phil Campbell Würzel Pete Gill Mikkey Dee |
| Website | imotorhead |
Motörhead[a] (/ˈmoʊtəhɛd/) were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precursor to the new wave of British heavy metal, which re-energised heavy metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s.[1] Though several guitarists and drummers have played in Motörhead, most of their best-selling albums and singles feature drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor and guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke. From 1995 until the band's break-up in 2015, the group consisted of Kilmister, guitarist Phil Campbell and drummer Mikkey Dee.
Motörhead released 24 studio albums, 10 live recordings, 12 compilation albums and five EPs over a career spanning 40 years. Usually a power trio, they had particular success in the early 1980s with several successful singles in the UK Top 40 chart. The albums Overkill, Bomber (both 1979), Ace of Spades (1980) and, particularly, the live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith (1981) cemented Motörhead's reputation as a top-tier rock band.[2] The band are ranked number 26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.[3] By 2025, the band has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide.[4]
Most often classified as heavy metal, Motörhead has been credited with being part of and influencing numerous musical scenes, thrash metal and speed metal especially. Lemmy, however, always insisted that they were a rock and roll band. He said they had more in common with punk bands, but with their own unique sound, Motörhead is embraced in both punk and metal scenes. Their lyrics typically covered such topics as war, good and evil, abuse of power, promiscuity, substance abuse and, most famously, gambling, the last theme being the focus of their hit song "Ace of Spades".[5]
Lemmy died on 28 December 2015 from cardiac arrhythmia and congestive heart failure, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.[6] The day after his death, longtime members Dee and Campbell both confirmed that Motörhead had disbanded. By 2018, all three members of Motörhead's best-known line-up (Lemmy, Taylor and Clarke) had died.[6][7][8][9][10]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ "New Wave of British Heavy Metal". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
- ^ "LosingToday reviews". LosingToday Magazine's review of BBC Live & In-Session. Archived from the original on 5 March 2007. Retrieved 11 February 2007.
- ^ "VH1: 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists: 1–50". Rock on the Net. 22 February 2009. Archived from the original on 14 February 2002. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
- ^ "Motörhead: 50 Anniversary". imotorhead.com. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ Multiple sources:
- "Lemmy: 'Apparently I am still indestructible'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
- "He was Lemmy and he played rock'n'roll..." TeamRock. 29 December 2015. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
- "Lemmy on the State Of Rock and Roll: 'I Think It's Pretty Poor Right Now'". Blabbermouth.net. 26 August 2015. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
- "Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister Dead: Rockers React". Ultimate Classic Rock. 29 December 2015. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
- "Lemmy Kilmister: Motörhead frontman who embodied rock'n'roll lifestyle". The Independent. 29 December 2015. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
- "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum". Rockhall.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
- ^ a b "Lemmy Kilmister, Motorhead Singer and Heavy Metal Legend, Dead at 70". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
rollingstone.com Motorhead Is Overwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
blabbermouth.net Motörhead Is Overwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Loudwire Goodbye to Lemmy Kilmisterwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Lemmy's Last Days: How Metal Legend Celebrated 70th, Stared Down Cancer". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 21 February 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.