U.K.

Featuring members of <a href="spotify:artist:7AC976RDJzL2asmZuz7qil">Yes</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7M1FPw29m5FbicYzS2xdpi">King Crimson</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3fhOTtm0LBJ3Ojn4hIljLo">Roxy Music</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:5A0MH7JfEBEMySevsmauds">Soft Machine</a>, U.K. was one of the most prominent progressive rock supergroups of the late '70s. Various members of U.K. -- guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:5CK3a77IzCSHjNqzRcbhuG">Allan Holdsworth</a>, keyboardist/violinist <a href="spotify:artist:6bbB8ZZoLmeyKJS4XlMs1e">Eddie Jobson</a>, bassist/vocalist <a href="spotify:artist:0rk01XEfDhJhnBFp0LT1HQ">John Wetton</a>, and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:1359ogdBoLfQGxKfUDfWaz">Bill Bruford</a> -- had all played together in their previous bands, but when the group formed in 1977, it was the first time all of the musicians had played together. Although the lineup was unstable -- <a href="spotify:artist:5CK3a77IzCSHjNqzRcbhuG">Holdsworth</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1359ogdBoLfQGxKfUDfWaz">Bruford</a> left after one album, with former <a href="spotify:artist:6ra4GIOgCZQZMOaUECftGN">Frank Zappa</a> drummer <a href="spotify:artist:4Mg2halT7xTynJTPbyddHr">Terry Bozzio</a> replacing <a href="spotify:artist:1359ogdBoLfQGxKfUDfWaz">Bruford</a> -- and the group was short-lived, the band maintained a dedicated cult following years after their early-'80s breakup.

Prior to the formation of U.K., <a href="spotify:artist:1359ogdBoLfQGxKfUDfWaz">Bruford</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0rk01XEfDhJhnBFp0LT1HQ">Wetton</a> had recently played together in <a href="spotify:artist:7M1FPw29m5FbicYzS2xdpi">King Crimson</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:5CK3a77IzCSHjNqzRcbhuG">Holdsworth</a> had played guitar on <a href="spotify:artist:1359ogdBoLfQGxKfUDfWaz">Bruford</a>'s debut album, 1978's Feels Good to Me. Shortly after the recording of Feels Good to Me, <a href="spotify:artist:1359ogdBoLfQGxKfUDfWaz">Bruford</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5CK3a77IzCSHjNqzRcbhuG">Holdsworth</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0rk01XEfDhJhnBFp0LT1HQ">Wetton</a> formed U.K., adding former <a href="spotify:artist:3fhOTtm0LBJ3Ojn4hIljLo">Roxy Music</a> member <a href="spotify:artist:6bbB8ZZoLmeyKJS4XlMs1e">Eddie Jobson</a> to the lineup.

U.K. released their eponymous debut in 1978 and the album captured the attention of progressive rock and jazz fusion fans, as did the record's supporting tour. At the conclusion of the tour, <a href="spotify:artist:5CK3a77IzCSHjNqzRcbhuG">Holdsworth</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1359ogdBoLfQGxKfUDfWaz">Bruford</a> left the group to form <a href="spotify:artist:1359ogdBoLfQGxKfUDfWaz">Bruford</a>, leaving keyboardist <a href="spotify:artist:6bbB8ZZoLmeyKJS4XlMs1e">Jobson</a> as the band's leader. U.K. didn't hire another guitarist, but they did have <a href="spotify:artist:4Mg2halT7xTynJTPbyddHr">Terry Bozzio</a> replace <a href="spotify:artist:1359ogdBoLfQGxKfUDfWaz">Bruford</a>. The new lineup of U.K. released Danger Money in 1979 and followed the album with a tour. Once the tour was completed, the group broke up. The posthumous live album Night After Night was released shortly afterward. Following the disbandment of U.K., <a href="spotify:artist:6bbB8ZZoLmeyKJS4XlMs1e">Eddie Jobson</a> became a member of <a href="spotify:artist:6w6z8m4WXX7Tub4Rb6Lu7R">Jethro Tull</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4Mg2halT7xTynJTPbyddHr">Terry Bozzio</a> formed <a href="spotify:artist:5CT7RBitS0e0u78T8tRBWQ">Missing Persons</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0rk01XEfDhJhnBFp0LT1HQ">John Wetton</a> formed <a href="spotify:artist:1bdytLV3FPjyhfrb6BhMej">Asia</a> with fellow progressive rock stars <a href="spotify:artist:6W7XIO8Ua1RIisnSf0QIoI">Steve Howe</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7C4J4i4Gj0InsSLz4jKwS6">Carl Palmer</a>, and Geoffrey Downes. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi