Formed in 1972, 10cc is a successful British rock and pop band that got its start in Manchester. The original band lineup was Graham Gouldman, Kevin Godley, Lol Creme, and Eric Stewart, although the composition of the band changed over the years. Over four decades, the band has released 10 studio albums, seen multiple members come and go, and faced several financial and legal issues that ultimately led to their split in 1983. But, the legacy of 10cc's music still stands today.
Gouldman and Stewart began their musical careers in the mid 1960s when they founded the quartet Hotlegs. The group released two successful singles in the early 1970s, including the hit "Neanderthal Man". After Hotlegs disbanded, Gouldman and Stewart enrolled in Strawberry Studios in Stockport, a recording studio that also housed Godley and Creme.
The four musicians collaborated their talents during studio work for other clients and after just three days, the studio published the single "Johnny Don't Do It" which became the 10cc’s first and greatest success. In 1972, they officially formed 10cc and signed with Jonathan King at UK Records.
The band’s debut album was titled "10cc" and released in 1973, under the UK Records label. It consisted of prog-rock music layered with intricate harmonies and became a top contributor to the British rock scene. It brought the band multiple radio hits such as "Donna" and "The Dean and I", and their popularity skyrocketed.
Their second album, Sheet Music, was released in 1974 and saw similar success. It touched on more sensitive topics in their songwriting and produced the hit song "The Wall Street Shuffle". 10cc was then nominated for a Ivor Novello award for best Contemporary song, and eventually reached cult status with fans in the United Kingdom and western world.
Following the success of Sheet Music, 10cc changed their sound and pursued a more commercial style in their 1975 release The Original Soundtrack. This album featured songs that made heavy use of strings and other instruments, explored themes of drama and intensity, and created the band's most successful single to date, "I'm Not in Love". Despite facing criticisms for its forced commercialism, the album produced the song "Life is a Minestrone" which reached the top ten in the United Kingdom.
With the success of their three albums (and accompanying world tour), 10cc went to record two more records, 1977's Deceptive Bends and 1978's Bloody Tourists. Though popular with fans, the record label issues behind these two albums kept 10cc from reaching new successes, although the recorded singles were still some of their most famous hits.
In 1979. the band undertook a 20 country tour of the United States, their only full-fledged US tour. Following the intense year of touring, Godley and Creme decided to quit the band and embark on their own solo careers. To support their breakaway, the pair founded Video Arts, a successful video production company.
The remaining band members - Gouldman and Stewart - decided to continue with the success of 10cc and released the albums Look Hear? and Ten Out of 10. To replace Godley and Creme, Gouldman and Stewart recruited Stuart Tosh and Rick Fenn. Both of the albums proved to be 10cc's comeback, but the band was met with continually worsening legal and financial issues.
In 1983, Struan and Stewart disbanded 10cc and went their separate ways; Stun started his own solo career, while Stewart took on production and songwriting projects at Strawberry Studios. The break-up was largely attributed to financial and legal issues, that eventually lead to the studio’s closure in 1985.
Throughout its career, 10cc has received 11 Ivor Novello awards, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with UK Records Group, and has released 10 studio albums. Musically, the group has been hailed for driving the sound of British pop and rock in the 1970s and receive a nomination for the Music Producers Guild inspiration award in 2008. Today, the band continues to tour the United Kingdom and western world, and enthusiastically captures the attention of both new and loyal fans.