Genesis are an
English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members
Phil Collins (lead vocals and drums),
Mike Rutherford (guitar and bass guitar), and
Tony Banks (keyboards).
Peter Gabriel,
Anthony Phillips and
Steve Hackett also played major roles in the band in its early days. Genesis are among the top 30
highest-selling recording artists of all time with approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide,
[1] including 21.5 million albums sold in the United States. Genesis began as a 1960s pop band playing moody, simple keyboard-driven melodies. During the 1970s, they evolved into a
progressive rock band, incorporating complex song structures and elaborate instrumentation, while their concerts became
theatrical experiences with innovative stage design, pyrotechnics, elaborate costumes and onstage stories. This second phase was characterised by lengthy performances such as the 23 minute "
Supper's Ready" and
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, the 1974
concept album. In the 1980s, the band produced accessible pop music based on melodic
hooks; this change of direction gave them their first number one album in the United Kingdom,
Duke, and their only number one single in the United States, "
Invisible Touch". Genesis has changed personnel several times. Stage fright forced founding member Anthony Phillips to leave the band in 1970. In 1975, Collins, then the band's drummer, replaced Gabriel as lead singer after a lengthy search for a replacement. To facilitate Collins's move to lead vocals during concerts,
Bill Bruford, and later
Chester Thompson, played drums for the band as they toured, with Collins joining in briefly during lengthy instrumental passages. After Phil Collins left the band in 1996, Genesis recruited
Ray Wilson (formerly of
Stiltskin), who appeared on the 1997 album
Calling All Stations. As a result of the commercial failure of
Calling All Stations, the band announced an indefinite hiatus. However, in 2007, Banks, Collins and Rutherford reunited for a
20-city tour of Europe and North America, which included a free concert at
Rome's
Circo Massimo in front of 500,000 fans. Genesis will be among 5 performers inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.