Songwriters and producers Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Lol Creme, and Kevin Godley had been working, together and separately, since the mid-'60s with varying levels of success. The longtime friends and creative partners first pooled their talents for 1973's 10cc, a quirky album of often-satirical pop songs that scored several UK hits. Subsequent albums toned down the humor—without eliminating it—until 1975's sumptuous "I'm Not In Love" broke the band in the U.S. Godley and Creme left in 1976, leaving Stewart and Gouldman to continue scoring pop hits as 10cc into the '80s.