The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree in 1990 by producer, keyboardist and songwriter Liam Howlett. At their commercial and critical peak, the group also included MC and vocalist Maxim, dancer and occasional live keyboardist Leeroy Thornhill, and dancer and occasional vocalist Keith Flint. The Prodigy have been described by AllMusic as “the premiere dance act for the alternative masses” and “the Godfathers of Rave”. They are regarded as pioneers of breakbeat-driven genres such as breakbeat hardcore and big beat, and Howlett has described their style as electronic punk. The band emerged from the UK rave scene and first achieved major success in 1991 with the singles “Charly” and “Everybody in the Place”, both of which reached the UK top five. Their debut album “Experience” (1992) established them within the rave movement and later gained recognition as an influential British electronic release. Their second album “Music for the Jilted Generation” (1994) marked a stylistic shift towards heavier breakbeat and techno influences and entered the UK Albums Chart at number one. Their third album “The Fat of the Land” (1997) became a major international success, reaching number one in 16 countries including the UK and the US, and producing hit singles such as “Firestarter”, “Breathe” and the controversial “Smack My Bitch Up”. The latter drew criticism for its lyrical content and music video. Leeroy Thornhill left the group in 2000, and Keith Flint died in 2019, leaving Howlett and Maxim as the remaining core members. The Prodigy have sold an estimated 25 million records worldwide, including over 4.7 million albums in the UK, and have achieved seven consecutive UK number one albums. They have received multiple awards including Brit Awards for Best British Dance Act, MTV Video Music Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, and Grammy nominations. Liam Howlett returned to Braintree in 1989 after leaving the hip-hop group Cut 2 Kill, where he had worked as a DJ. He began producing music influenced by hip-hop, house and the emerging rave scene. He met Keith Flint and Leeroy Thornhill at a local nightclub performance, where Flint requested a mixtape. Howlett recorded material on cassette, labelling it “Prodigy” after the Moog Prodigy synthesiser. Flint, Thornhill and Howlett began performing together, later joined briefly by dancer and vocalist Sheila Burke (Sharky). The group’s first live performance took place in 1991 in London, organised by promoter Ziggy (Ziad Sabir Chowdry). MC Maxim (later known as Maxim Reality) joined after improvising vocals at an early live show. After initial resistance from some labels, the group signed to XL Recordings, which released their early material including the EP “What Evil Lurks” (1991). Their breakthrough came with “Charly”, which sampled material from the “Charley Says” public information films and reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. Its success contributed to a trend of sample-heavy rave tracks often criticised as “kiddie rave”. Their follow-up “Everybody in the Place (Fairground Edit)” reached number two in the UK Singles Chart, being kept from number one by a reissue of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen following Freddie Mercury’s death. Their debut album “Experience” was recorded primarily by Howlett and released in 1992, reaching number 12 in the UK and later achieving platinum certification. It incorporated extensive sampling and became influential in both UK and international electronic music scenes. The follow-up “Music for the Jilted Generation” (1994) was partly written in response to the UK Criminal Justice Act and reflected a more aggressive, structured sound. The album included collaborations with Pop Will Eat Itself on the track “Their Law” and was widely praised for its expansion of dance music into a more stadium-oriented form. Following this period, the group expanded their live lineup with guitarists including Jim Davies and later Gizz Butt of Janus Stark. In 1996, “Firestarter” marked the band’s first single featuring Keith Flint as lead vocalist. The track became their first UK number one single and established Flint’s new punk-influenced image. It was followed by “Breathe”, which also reached number one in the UK. Both singles achieved significant international success and contributed to the group’s mainstream breakthrough. “The Fat of the Land” (1997) became the band’s most commercially successful album, debuting at number one in both the UK and US charts. It incorporated a more stripped-down style compared to earlier releases. The album sold over 10 million copies worldwide and became the fastest-selling dance album in UK chart history at the time. The band toured extensively, including headline performances at Glastonbury and Lollapalooza. The single “Smack My Bitch Up” generated significant controversy due to its lyrics and video, with criticism from organisations such as the National Organization for Women and restrictions on radio play in some regions. The phrase was sampled from Ultramagnetic MCs’ “Give the Drummer Some”. In 1999, Howlett released “The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume One”, a DJ mix album based on a BBC Radio 1 set. In 2000, Leeroy Thornhill left the group, citing creative differences and dissatisfaction with live performances. In 2002, the group returned with “Baby’s Got a Temper”, which again drew controversy for lyrical references to the drug Rohypnol. Their fourth studio album “Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned” (2004) topped the UK Albums Chart and included tracks such as “Girls” and the limited-release “Memphis Bells”, which was distributed in multiple user-configurable digital versions. The band also released the compilation “Their Law: The Singles 1990–2005”, which included remixes by Audio Bullys and Pendulum. The reissues of “Experience” and “Music for the Jilted Generation” in 2008 included remastered audio and bonus material. In 2009, the album “Invaders Must Die” was released on the band’s own label and featured contributions from Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and co-production from James Rushent of Does It Offend You, Yeah?. The album reached number one in the UK and produced singles including “Omen”, “Warrior’s Dance” and “Take Me to the Hospital”. The track “Immunize” was later co-produced by Howlett for Pendulum’s album “Immersion”. The band released their first live album and concert film “World’s on Fire” in 2011, documenting a 2010 performance in Milton Keynes. Work on new material continued in the early 2010s, with preview performances of tracks such as “A.W.O.L”, “Dogbite”, “Jetfighter” and “Rockweiler”. The album “The Day Is My Enemy” was released in 2015 after an extended production period, with singles including “Nasty”, “The Day Is My Enemy” and “Wild Frontier”. The album was described as having a darker, more aggressive sound. Their seventh studio album “No Tourists” was released in 2018 under BMG Rights Management. In March 2019, Keith Flint died at his home in Essex, leading to the cancellation of upcoming tour dates. Following his death, fans promoted campaigns such as “Firestarter4Number1” to return “Firestarter” to the charts in his memory. Despite Flint’s death, the group continued under Howlett’s direction. In 2021, plans for a documentary directed by Paul Dugdale were announced. In 2022, the band returned to live performance with UK shows marking the anniversary of “The Fat of the Land”, and later resumed international touring. In 2025, the band confirmed that new material was in development and announced plans for a 2026 UK tour with Carl Cox as support. The group has also indicated that a new album is planned for 2026, described by Howlett as having an “evil rave” direction, alongside associated live events such as a “Warrior Dance” festival. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prodigy Studio albums Experience (1992) Music for the Jilted Generation (1994) The Fat of the Land (1997) Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned (2004) Invaders Must Die (2009) The Day Is My Enemy (2015) No Tourists (2018)