Gary Numan is known as one of the pioneers of synth-driven music. After making some minor waves in the UK with the punk/new wave band Tubeway Army, the singer and composer went solo with his debut The Pleasure Principle in 1979. The album was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, and represented some of the first new wave music many Americans had heard. The metallic sound Numan achieved with his synthesiser, in combination with his stylised, robotic vocal delivery, would leave a lasting impression on acts like Nine Inch Nails, Ladytron and Interpol.