Foreigner is a British-American rock band formed in New York City in 1976 by guitarist Mick Jones and musicians of British and American backgrounds. The original lineup featured vocalist Lou Gramm, guitarist Mick Jones, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood, multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald, also known for his work with King Crimson, and bassist Ed Gagliardi, who was replaced by Rick Wills in 1979. The band's name reflects its mixed nationality – wherever they were performing, some of the members would always be considered “foreigners”.
In 1977, Foreigner released their self-titled debut album, beginning a run of six consecutive multi-platinum albums that reached the US Top 10. Early hits included “Feels Like the First Time” and “Cold as Ice”. Their second album, “Double Vision” (1978), continued their success with songs such as “Hot Blooded” and the title track, followed by “Head Games” (1979).
In 1981, the band released “4”, which spent 10 weeks at number one in the US and became their breakthrough album in the UK. It produced hits including “Urgent”, “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and “Juke Box Hero”. Following the greatest hits collection “Records” (1982), certified seven-times platinum in the US, Foreigner released “Agent Provocateur” (1984), which topped the UK Albums Chart and featured their biggest hit, “I Want to Know What Love Is”. The song reached number one in the US, UK, Canada and Australia and became one of the defining rock ballads of the 1980s.
The band's next album, “Inside Information” (1987), produced two more US Top 10 hits, “Say You Will” and “I Don't Want to Live Without You”. Over the following decades, Foreigner continued to release music and tour, while their extensive catalog remained widely popular. The band is one of the best-selling groups in music history, with more than 80 million records sold worldwide, including around 38 million in the US. In 2024, Foreigner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, further cementing its place in rock music history.
Note: This biography was created with the assistance of AI and has been editorially reviewed.
Sources: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) and official artist information.
