Gang of Four

Gang of Four’s politically incendiary fusion of minimalist funk, sandpaper guitar work, and stridently chanted vocals made them one of the most revolutionary bands of England’s post-punk era. In 1976, the Leeds foursome of singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, drummer Hugo Burnham, and bassist Dave Allen emerged from the same leftist punk scene as the Mekons and Delta 5. Their 1978 debut single, “Damaged Goods,” and first two albums, 1979’s Entertainment! and 1981’s Solid Gold, would become foundational text for a massive list of groups over the years, including the Minutemen, Rage Against the Machine, and LCD Soundsystem. With Allen departing for Shriekback, Gang of Four veered closer to New Wave on 1982’s Songs of the Free and 1983’s Hard before the first of several breakups. Outside of the classic quartet’s short-lived reunion at the height of the post-punk revival in the 2000s, the reconstituted versions of Gang of Four that emerged between the release of 1991’s Mall and 2011’s tough-as-nails Content featured King and Gill with a fluid cast of musicians. Gill would eventually become the sole original member until the 64-year-old guitarist’s death in 2020.