Motörhead was 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 the only constant member. The band is often considered a precursor to the new wave of British heavy metal, which re-energized heavy metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Several guitarists and drummers played in Motörhead, but most of their best-selling albums and singles featured drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor and guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke. From 1992 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, 21 live recordings, 16 compilation albums, and five EPs over a career spanning 40 years. Usually performing as a power trio, they achieved particular success in the early 1980s with several singles reaching the UK Top 40 chart. The albums "Overkill" and "Bomber" (both 1979), "Ace of Spades" (1980), and the live album "No Sleep 'til Hammersmith" (1981) helped establish Motörhead's reputation as a leading rock band. The band was ranked number 26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock, and in 2016, Loudwire named them the eighth-best metal band of all time. As of 2025, Motörhead have sold more than 25 million albums worldwide. While most often classified as heavy metal, Motörhead has been credited with influencing several musical scenes, particularly thrash metal and speed metal. Kilmister, however, described the band as a rock and roll group, noting that they had more in common with punk bands but with a unique sound. Motörhead is recognized within both punk and metal communities. Their lyrics often addressed themes such as war, morality, abuse of power, promiscuity, substance use, and gambling, the latter being the focus of their hit song "Ace of Spades". Lemmy died on 28 December 2015 from cardiac arrhythmia and congestive heart failure, following a diagnosis of prostate cancer. The day after his death, members Dee and Campbell confirmed that Motörhead had disbanded. By 2018, all three members of the band's most recognized line-up—Lemmy, Taylor, and Clarke—had passed away. Discography Motörhead (1977) Overkill (1979) Bomber (1979) On Parole (1979) Ace of Spades (1980) Iron Fist (1982) Another Perfect Day (1983) Orgasmatron (1986) Rock 'n' Roll (1987) 1916 (1991) March ör Die (1992) Bastards (1993) Sacrifice (1995) Overnight Sensation (1996) Snake Bite Love (1998) We Are Motörhead (2000) Hammered (2002) Inferno (2004) Kiss of Death (2006) Motörizer (2008) The Wörld Is Yours (2010) Aftershock (2013) Bad Magic (2015) The Manticore Tapes (2025)