Mike Oldfield

Mike Oldfield will forever be known for Tubular Bells—and its role in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist—but the UK composer has been a shape-shifting pioneer for nearly 50 years. ∙ Initially rejected by several labels, the Tubular Bells demo caught the attention of Richard Branson, who elected to make the album the first release on the newly formed Virgin Records. ∙ One of the best-selling British albums of all time, Tubular Bells has spent 287 weeks on the UK charts and also won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition. ∙ In 1979, Oldfield recorded a version of the theme song for the BBC children’s TV program Blue Peter, and he later did the score for the acclaimed 1984 film The Killing Fields. ∙ During the ’80s, Oldfield gravitated toward pop music, and 1983’s “Moonlight Shadow” was his most successful single ever, going to No. 1 in numerous European countries. ∙ Produced by Trevor Horn, 1992’s Tubular Bells II went to No. 1 in the UK and was the first of several sequels to his seminal debut LP. ∙ At the invitation of director Danny Boyle, Oldfield performed at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.