Roxy Music didn’t just play rock - they curated it. Combining avant-garde experimentation, high fashion, and pop sophistication, the band bridged the gap between the art school and the dance floor. Across the 1970s and early 1980s, they became one of Britain’s most influential acts, inspiring punk, new wave, synth-pop, and beyond. Roxy Music began in London in 1970 as the brainchild of Bryan Ferry, a former ceramics student at Newcastle University with a penchant for crooner elegance and pop art sensibilities. Ferry recruited classically trained oboist Andy Mackay, who in turn brought in experimental synth player Brian Eno - a non-musician in the traditional sense but a master of sonic textures. Guitarist Phil Manzanera and drummer Paul Thompson rounded out the lineup, with early bassist Graham Simpson departing after the first album. From the start, Roxy Music’s image and sound were inseparable: glamorous, stylish, ironic, and just slightly alien. Their early gigs were as much performance art as rock shows. Their self-titled debut, “Roxy Music” (1972), was a bold statement - melding glam rock, avant-garde electronics, and Ferry’s arch, theatrical vocals. Songs like “Re-Make/Re-Model” and “Virginia Plain” were both catchy and experimental, signalling a band unafraid to mix the accessible with the strange. “For Your Pleasure” (1973), darker and more atmospheric, would be Brian Eno’s last with the group - creative tensions with Ferry led to his departure, after which Eno pursued a solo and production career that would be hugely influential. Yet Roxy continued to evolve without him, moving toward a sleeker, more sophisticated sound. With albums like “Stranded” (1973), “Country Life” (1974), and “Siren” (1975), Roxy Music refined their blend of lush arrangements, romantic melancholy, and sly social commentary. “Love Is the Drug”, from “Siren”, became their first major U.S. hit, its smooth groove pointing toward the more elegant pop direction they would later embrace. During this period, Roxy Music also became known for their iconic album covers - often featuring models in glamorous poses - which reinforced their image as purveyors of style as much as sound. By 1976, tensions and exhaustion led to a hiatus. Ferry pursued a successful solo career, releasing a series of sophisticated, jazz-tinged pop records. When Roxy regrouped for “Manifesto” (1979), their sound had shifted - less jagged art-rock, more refined and dance-friendly. Singles like “Dance Away” and “Angel Eyes” fit comfortably in the late 1970s pop landscape. “Flesh + Blood” (1980) continued this smoother approach, yielding hits like “Over You” and their cover of Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour”, though some critics missed the band’s earlier experimental bite. In 1982, Roxy Music released “Avalon”, their most polished and romantic album, steeped in lush production and an almost dreamlike atmosphere. The title track and “More Than This” became signature songs, cementing Roxy’s reputation for sophistication. The album was a commercial triumph, particularly in the UK and Europe, but it would also be their last studio effort. By 1983, the band quietly dissolved, with Ferry continuing solo and other members moving into various musical and production roles. Roxy Music reunited for tours in 2001 and again in the 2010s, performing both early art-rock and later pop-era material to devoted audiences. In 2019, they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, recognized not just for their hits, but for their profound influence on generations of artists - from David Bowie contemporaries to New Romantic acts like Duran Duran, and later, indie and electronic musicians. Roxy Music’s genius lay in their ability to synthesize opposites: experimental yet accessible, ironic yet sincere, decadent yet disciplined. They blurred the line between rock band and art project, reshaping the possibilities of pop music. Whether in the angular chaos of their early work or the shimmering elegance of “Avalon”, Roxy Music left a legacy of glamour, sophistication, and fearless creativity.