Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band formed in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. The band evolved from previous projects led by founding members Roger Fisher (guitar) and Steve Fossen (bass guitar), including The Army (1967–1969), Hocus Pocus (1969–1970), and White Heart (1970–1973). By 1975, original members Fisher, Fossen, and Ann Wilson (lead vocals and flute), along with Nancy Wilson (rhythm guitar, vocals), Michael Derosier (drums), and Howard Leese (guitar, keyboards and backing vocals) formed the lineup for the band's initial mid- to late-1970s success period.[1] These core members were included in the band's 2013 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[2]
Heart
Seattle, Washington, US
- 1973–1998
- 2002–2016
- 2019
- 2023–present
- Mushroom
- Epic
- Sony BMG
- Portrait
- Legacy
- EMI
- Capitol
- Reprise
- Shout! Factory
- Sovereign
- Sony Legacy
- Ann Wilson
- Nancy Wilson
- Ryan Waters
- Ryan Wariner
- Paul Moak
- Tony Lucido
- Sean T Lane
- Roger Fisher
- Steve Fossen
- Brian Johnstone
- John Hannah
- Michael Derosier
- Howard Leese
- Mark Andes
- Denny Carmassi
- Denny Fongheiser
- Fernando Saunders
- Mike Inez
- Tom Kellock
- Scott Olson
- Ben Smith
- Gilby Clarke
- Craig Bartock
- Darian Sahanaja
- Debbie Shair
- Ric Markmann
- Kristian Attard
- Dan Rothchild
- Chris Joyner
- Dan Walker
- Andy Stoller
Heart rose to fame with music influenced by hard rock and heavy metal[3] as well as folk music. The band underwent a major lineup change between the late 1970s and the early 1980s; by 1982 Fisher, Fossen, and Derosier had all left and were replaced by Mark Andes (bass) and Denny Carmassi (drums). Though the band's popularity fell off during the initial years with the new lineup, they staged a comeback in the mid 1980s, buoyed by major radio hits that continued into the 1990s. Heart disbanded in 1998, though they have resumed touring and recording multiple times since then, with the Wilson sisters being the only consistent members.[4] Heart's US Top 40 singles include "Magic Man" (1975), "Crazy on You" (1976), "Barracuda" (1977), "What About Love" (1985), "Never" (1985), and "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" (1990), along with no. 1 hits "These Dreams" (1986) and "Alone" (1987).[5]
Heart has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, and has sold over 50 million records worldwide, including approximately 22.5 million albums in the United States.[6] They have placed top ten albums on the Billboard 200 in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2010s.[6] Heart was ranked number 57 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and ranked number 49 on Ultimate Classic Rock's Top 100 Classic Rock Artists.[7]
Legacy[edit]
Heart is generally considered a hard rock band, but its diversity has crossed multiple genres from folk to pop to hard rock, and even at times heavy metal.[109] As a result, the band has charted singles on Billboard's Hot 100, Mainstream Rock Tracks, Hard Rock Tracks, and Adult Contemporary charts.[110] Their 2016 live recording at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra even charted in the top 10 of Billboard's Classical Albums chart and Classical Crossover Albums chart.[110]
Heart has sold over 35 million records worldwide, had 20 top-forty singles and seven top-ten albums,[111] and earned four Grammy nominations.[112] The band charted singles and top ten albums on the Billboard charts in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2010s:[31] a four-decade span of top ten albums that is a record for a female-fronted band.[113]
Heart was ranked on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" in 2008,[114] and Ann and Nancy Wilson ranked number 40 (in 1999) on VH1's "100 Greatest Women in Rock and Roll".[115] Ann Wilson was ranked in Hit Parader's 2006 "Greatest Heavy Metal Vocalists of All Time".[116] In 2009, the Wilson sisters were awarded ASCAP's Founders Award in recognition of their songwriting careers.[117]
In 2011, Heart earned its first nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the 2012 class.[118] After being passed over, the band was nominated again the following year announced as inductees to the 2013 class on December 11, 2012.[119] Their Hall of Fame page describes the Wilson sisters as the first women to front a hard-rock band, and "pioneers ... inspir[ing] women to pick up an electric guitar or start a band".[111]
In his book Heart: In the Studio, Jake Brown described the band as beginning "a revolution for women in music ... breaking genre barriers and garnering critical acclaim".[120]
"Heart were the first female-fronted band I heard and was influenced by," recalled Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. "I heard Heart and was like, 'Oh, singing like that as a girl is actually a thing!'"[121]
The Wilson sisters have been active in the Seattle music scene for decades and influenced many musicians from the region, including bands of the grunge era. Artists that have used their Bad Animals Studio include Neil Young, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains.[122]