Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood and drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop and classical arrangements with futuristic iconography. After Wood's departure in 1972, Lynne became the band's sole leader, co-arranging and producing every album while writing nearly all of their original material. During their first run from 1970 to 1986, Lynne and Bevan were the group's only consistent members. The group's name is a pun that references both electric light and "light orchestral music", a popular style featured on the BBC Light Programme between the 1940s and 1960s. ELO was formed out of Lynne's and Wood's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with electric instruments and classical influences. It derived as an offshoot of Wood's previous band, the Move, of which Lynne and Bevan were also members. During the 1970s and 1980s, ELO released a string of top 10 albums and singles, including the band's most commercially successful album, the double album Out of the Blue (1977). Two ELO albums reached the top of the British charts: the disco-inspired Discovery (1979...
Extract from Wikipedia: “Electric Light Orchestra” (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Vinyl
1980 · Vinyl, LP, Album, Repress, Stereo
Xanadu (From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Electric Light Orchestra · Olivia Newton-John
1979 · Vinyl, LP, Album
Discovery
Electric Light Orchestra
1977 · Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
1976 · Vinyl, LP, Album
A New World Record
Electric Light Orchestra
1975 · Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Face The Music
Electric Light Orchestra
Members
63 people from MusicBrainz
- 1970–1972Roy Wood — original
- 1970–1983Bev Bevan — drums (drum set), original
- 1970–1986Jeff Lynne — original
- 1971–1972Andy Craig — cello
- 1971–1971Steve Woolam — violin
- 1971–1972Bill Hunt
- 1972–1972Hugh McDowell — cello
- 1972–1973Wilfred Gibson — violin
- 1972–1973Colin Walker — cello
- 1972–1975Mike Edwards — cello
- 1972–1986Richard Tandy — keyboard
- 1973–1974Michael d’Albuquerque — bass guitar
- 1973–1979Mik Kaminski — violin
- 1973–1979Hugh McDowell — cello
- 1974–1981Louis Clark
- 1974–1983Kelly Groucutt — background vocals, bass guitar, lead vocals
- 1975–1979Melvyn Gale
- 1981–1982Dave Morgan — acoustic guitar, background vocals, synthesizer
- 1981–1986Mik Kaminski — violin
- 1983–1986Louis Clark
- 1985–1986Bev Bevan — drums (drum set), original
- 1986–1986Dave Morgan — acoustic guitar
- 1986–1986Martin Smith
- 2000–2001Gregg Bissonette — background vocals, drums (drum set)
- 2000–2001Jeff Lynne — original
- 2000–2001Richard Tandy — keyboard
- 2001–2001Peggy Baldwin — cello
- 2001–2001Matt Bissonette
- 2001–2001Marc Mann
- 2001–2001Sarah O’Brien — cello
- 2001–2001Rosie Vela — background vocals
- 2013–2014Chereene Allen — violin
- 2013–2014Mick Wilson — background vocals
- 2013–2014Mick Wilson — percussion
- 2013–2014Mick Wilson — guitar
- 2014–2014Marc Mann — background vocals
- 2014–2014Marc Mann — guitar
- 2014–2014Marc Mann — keyboard
- 2014–2017Bernie Smith — keyboard
- 2014–2024Richard Tandy — keyboard
- 2014–Marcus Byrne — piano
- 2014–Marcus Byrne — keyboard
- 2014–Donavan Hepburn — drums (drum set)
- 2014–Iain Hornal — lead vocals
- 2014–Iain Hornal — background vocals
- 2014–Iain Hornal — percussion
- 2014–Iain Hornal — guitar
- 2014–Jeff Lynne — original
- 2014–Milton McDonald — background vocals
- 2014–Milton McDonald — guitar
- 2014–Melanie Lewis-McDonald — background vocals
- 2014–Melanie Lewis-McDonald — percussion
- 2014–Lee Pomeroy — background vocals
- 2014–Lee Pomeroy — bass guitar
- 2014–Mike Stevens — background vocals
- 2014–Mike Stevens — guitar
- 2016–Jess Cox — cello
- 2016–Amy Langley — cello
- 2016–Rosie Langley — violin
- 2017–Steve Turner — keyboard
- 2017–Jo Webb — background vocals
- 2017–Jo Webb — acoustic guitar
- 2017–Jo Webb — keyboard
Discography
150 releases from MusicBrainz · ★ 9 in my collection
Albums (14)
- 1971The Electric Light Orchestra
- 1973Electric Light Orchestra II
- 1973On the Third Day
- 1974Eldorado: A Symphony by the Electric Light Orchestra
- 1975★Face the Music
- 1976★A New World Record
- 1977★Out of the Blue
- 1979★Discovery
- 1981★Time
- 1983Secret Messages
- 1986Balance of Power
- 2001Zoom
- 2015Alone in the Universe
- 2019From out of Nowhere
EPs (3)
- 1978CashBox
- 1983Four Big Hits, Vol. 2
- 1984Electric Light Orchestra
Singles (36)
- 1973Showdown
- 1976Evil Woman
- 1976Livin’ Thing
- 1976Strange Magic
- 1977Mr. Blue Sky
- 1977Telephone Line / Poorboy (The Greenwood)
- 1977Turn to Stone
- 1978Sweet Talkin’ Woman
- 1978Wild West Hero
- 1979Confusion / Last Train to London
- 1979Don’t Bring Me Down
- 1979Shine a Little Love
- 1979Showdown / Roll Over Beethoven
- 1980All Over the World / Drum Dreams
- 1980Don’t Walk Away
- 1980I'm Alive / Drum Dreams
- 1980Xanadu
- 198121st Century Man / Twilight
- 1981Hold On Tight
- 1981The Way Life’s Meant to Be
- 1981Twilight
- 1983Four Little Diamonds
- 1983Rock ’n’ Roll Is King
- 1983Secret Messages
- 1986Calling America
- 1986Getting to the Point
- 1986So Serious
- 2001Alright
- 2006Surrender
- 2012Point of No Return
- 20133 Track Radio Sampler
- 2015One Step at a Time
- 2015When I Was a Boy
- 2015When the Night Comes
- 2019From Out of Nowhere
- 2019Time of Our Life
More: singles, compilations, live & other releases
Lives (27)
- 1973BBC In Concert (19th April 1973)
- 1974The Night the Light Went On (in Long Beach)
- 1990Beethoven, Lynne & Co
- 1990Strange Magic
- 1992Rockaria Overture
- 1993The Light Went On Again
- 1998“Out of the Blue” Tour Live at Wembley / Discovery
- 1998Live at Wembley '78
- 1998Live at Winterland ’76
- 1999Live at the BBC
- 1999The BBC Sessions
- 2001Zoom Tour Live
- 2013★Live
- 2014Live in Hyde Park
- 2015Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley
- 20162016‐06‐26: Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, UK
- 2017Evil Woman (live at Wembley Stadium)
- 2017Telephone Line (live at Wembley Stadium)
- 2017Turn to Stone (live at Wembley Stadium)
- 2017Wembley or Bust
- 2017Xanadu (live at Wembley Stadium)
- 20242024‐09‐23: TD Garden, Boston, MA, USA
- 2025Hamburg, Germany, Oct ’74
- —1972-05-07: Civic Hall, Guildford, UK
- —1976-03-19: Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA, USA
- —1978-02-23: Festival Hall, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
- —Electric Light Orchestra Live
Soundtracks (2)
- 1980Xanadu
- 1980★Xanadu: From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — 1980 original film cast
Compilations (66)
- 1974Showdown
- 1976Olé ELO
- 1977The Light Shines On
- 1979ELO’s Greatest Hits
- 1979The Light Shines On, Volume 2
- 1985A Perfect World of Music
- 1985The Light Years
- 1986First Movement
- 1989Discovery / Time
- 1989The Very Best of the Electric Light Orchestra
- 1990Afterglow
- 1990ELO Classics
- 1990The Very Best of ELO
- 1990The Very Best of the Electric Light Orchestra
- 1991Early ELO 1971–1973
- 1992Burning Bright
- 1992Collection Gold
- 1992Definitive Collection: Best of the Best
- 1992ELO's Greatest Hits II, Volume Two
- 1992★Greatest Hits
- 1992Livin’ Thing: Best
- 1993The Very Best Of
- 1993The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra: The Chart Singles Collection
- 1993The Very Best of ELO
- 1994The Best Of
- 1994The Very Best of the Electric Light Orchestra
- 1995Afterglow
- 1995Electric Light Orchestra
- 1995Singles and Rarities
- 1995Singles Collection
- 1995Strange Magic: The Best of Electric Light Orchestra
- 1996Roll Over Beethoven
- 1996The Gold Collection
- 1997ELO Classics - Six Pack
- 1997Light Years: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra
- 1999Friends and Relatives
- 2000Flashback
- 2000The Swedish Collection: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra
- 2001First Light
- 2001The Ultimate Collection
- 2002De Luxe Collection
- 2003The Essential Electric Light Orchestra — 2003 single‐disc compilation
- 2004Early Years
- 2005All Over the World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra
- 2006Harvest Years 1970–1973
- 2006The Collection
- 2007Electric Light Orchestra 2 CD Collection
- 2007Ticket to the Moon: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra, Volume 2
- 2008★Greatest Hits
- 2008Playlist: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra
- 2010Original Album Classics — Volume 1
- 2010StarCollection
- 2010The Best of 1971–2001
- 2011The Classic Albums Collection
- 2011The Essential Electric Light Orchestra — 2011 2‐disc compilation
- 2012Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra
- 2015The Very Best of ELO
- 2016Studio Albums 1973–1977
- 2018Original Album Classics — Volume 2
- 2021Ballads
- 2021ELO 50th Anniversary, Vol. 1
- 2021ELO 50th Anniversary, Vol. 2
- 2021The Vocoder
- —Electric Light Orchestra
- —The Best of Electric Light Orchestra
- —The Best of Electric Light Orchestra
Remixs (1)
- 2001The Remixes
Others (1)
- 1990Live USA