Boney M.

Frank Farian didn't know he was about to create one of music's biggest acts of the late '70s and early '80s when he first hatched Boney M. A songwriter and producer based in the former West Germany, Farian initially used the group's name as a pseudonym for the 1975 release of his disco single "Baby Do You Wanna Bump." When the song became a hit in parts of Europe, Farian hired four performers to do TV and live appearances. Of the four, only Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett would actually sing on Boney M.'s recordings, with the unseen Farian remaining the principal male vocalist. (Years later, Farian had another major success with another prefabricated pop act: Milli Vanilli.) Released in 1976, Boney M.'s breakthrough hit "Daddy Cool" helped establish the perky blend of disco, reggae, and pop that Farian refined on the likes of 1978's "Rasputin," which repurposed the true-life tale of Russia's most infamous monk into a perennial dance-floor filler. Lively performances of holiday favorites on 1981's Christmas With Boney M. enjoy the same longevity.