Latest Release
- MAY 6, 2024
- 5 Songs
- Jailbreak · 1976
- Jailbreak · 1976
- Jailbreak · 1976
- Jailbreak (Deluxe Edition) · 1976
- Chinatown · 1980
- Bad Reputation (Deluxe Edition) · 1977
- Jailbreak · 1976
- Jailbreak (Deluxe Edition) · 1976
- Jailbreak · 1976
- Dedication: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy · 1991
Essential Albums
- Following the ambitious concept album Johnny the Fox and the world tour that followed its release, Thin Lizzy decamped to Canada to write and record Bad Reputation. The band appears as a trio on the album cover, as lead guitarist Brian Robertson was incapacitated for most of the sessions due to a hand injury sustained in a barroom brawl. Ironically, Robertson’s leave of absence enabled second guitarist Scott Gorham to craft some of the finest examples of Lizzy’s gilded dual-guitar harmonies, especially on “Solider of Fortune” and the sublime “South Bound.” Phil Lynott also led the band into some new musical territory, including the Motown strut of “Dancing in the Moonlight” and the swift acoustic heartbreak of “That Woman’s Gonna Break Your Heart.” Though Lynott’s sensitive side was in full force, Bad Reputation is best remembered as Lizzy’s leanest, toughest effort. Bands like Guns N’ Roses would hear the seething title song and use it to formulate their own brand of untamed hard rock.
- From the title song’s stealthy, slashing riffs, it’s clear that this veteran Irish band intends to grab a pop audience by its collar. With tight-knit hooks reinforced with heavy metal grit, “The Boys Are Back in Town” and “Cowboy Song” are the perfect one-two punch, but don’t miss the subtler “Fight or Fall,” a portal to Phil Lynott’s profound tenderness and vulnerability. Beyond the fist-pumping revelry of “Emerald” and “Warrior,” “Running Back” proves that a deep sense of swing is this band’s secret weapon.
- 1981
- 1980
- 1977
- 1976
Music Videos
Artist Playlists
- Blazing guitars and killer melodies defined this iconic Irish band.
- Rockers of every stripe worship the great Phil Lynott and crew.
- They were one of rock's epic acts.
- Rebellious rocker Phil Lynott was also a sad-eyed balladeer.
Singles & EPs
- 2024
- 2024
- 2023
Live Albums
Compilations
About Thin Lizzy
Irish outfit Thin Lizzy was one of the most influential hard rock bands of the 1970s, thanks to their iconic frontman-bassist Phil Lynott and their riff-heavy, multi-guitar grooves. ∙ The band’s twin-guitar take on the traditional Irish folk song “Whiskey In the Jar” was their breakout single in 1972, hitting No. 1 in Ireland and making the Top 10 in the UK and Germany. ∙ Their signature song, “The Boys Are Back In Town,” was awarded Best Single by NME in 1976 and was later named one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone. ∙ In 1977, “Dancing in the Moonlight (It’s Caught Me in Its Spotlight)” was a Top 5 single, driven by the saxophone-fueled groove provided by John Helliwell of fellow ’70s rockers Supertramp. ∙ As a testament to their reputation as an explosive live act, the band’s most commercially successful LP was 1978’s Live and Dangerous, which ended up going double Platinum in the UK. ∙ During the late-’70s UK punk explosion, members of Thin Lizzy and Sex Pistols joined forces (under the band moniker The Greedies) to release the 1979 holiday hit “A Merry Jingle.”
- ORIGIN
- Dublin, Ireland
- FORMED
- 1969
- GENRE
- Hard Rock