Sweet

Sweet (known as The Sweet until the early 1970s) is a British glam rock band who rose to prominence in the 1970s. Their best-known line-up consisted of lead vocalist Brian Connolly (died 1997), bassist Steve Priest (died 2020), guitarist Andy Scott and drummer Mick Tucker (died 2002).

The band formed in London in 1968, originally with the name the Sweetshop, and achieved their first hit, "Funny, Funny", in 1971, after teaming up with songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and record producer Phil Wainman. During 1971 and 1972, their musical style showed a marked progression, from the Archies-like bubblegum style of "Funny, Funny" to a Who-influenced hard rock style, supplemented by a use of high-pitched backing vocals.

The band achieved success in the UK charts during the 1970, having thirteen Top 20 hits, with "Block Buster!" (1973) topping the chart, followed by three consecutive number-two hits: "Hell Raiser" (1973), "The Ballroom Blitz" (1973) and "Teenage Rampage" (1974). The band turned to a more hard rock style with their mid-career singles, such as 1974's "Turn It Down". "Fox on the Run" (1975) also reached number two on the UK chart. The band were popular in West Germany and other countries on the European mainland. The group achieved success in the US with the top ten hits "Little Willy", "The Ballroom Blitz", "Fox on the Run", and "Love is Like Oxygen".

Sweet had their last international success in 1978 with "Love Is Like Oxygen". Connolly left the group in 1979 to start a solo career, and the remaining members continued as a trio until they disbanded in 1981. From the mid-1980s, Scott, Connolly and Priest each played with their own versions of Sweet at different times. Connolly died in 1997, Tucker in 2002 and Priest in 2020. Andy Scott is still active with his version of the band. Sweet have sold over 35 million albums worldwide.

Studio albums Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be (1971) Sweet Fanny Adams (1974) Desolation Boulevard (1974) Strung Up (1975) Give Us a Wink (1976) Off the Record (1977) Level Headed (1978) Cut Above the Rest (1979) Waters Edge (titled Sweet VI with a different cover in the US) (1980) Identity Crisis (1982)