'Classic' Status Quo line-up, mid-1970s:l-r Rick Parfitt, Francis Rossi, Alan Lancaster, John Coghlan.
Status Quo are a British pop/rock band that originally formed as The Scorpions in 1962, founded by schoolboy friends Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster. Later joined by Rick Parfitt and drummer John Coghlan, they became The Status Quo in 1967 and then just Status Quo in 1969.
The group had their first chart hit with Pictures of Matchstick Men, written by Rossi, in early 1968, with their musical style and fashionable appearance fitting in with the 'psychedelic' movement of the time. However at the beginning of the 1970s, the group made radical change to a guitar-driven rock sound, donning their trademark denim outfits, which would characterise them for much of the decade. The 1980s saw a move towards a more pop approach to songwriting, and in Spring 1984 the group embarked on their 'End of the Road' "farewell" tour. In July 1985 they opened the Live Aid event at Wembley with a performance of Rockin' All Over the World.
Over the decades Status Quo have had no less than fifty-seven Top 40 singles, although only one no.1 - Down Down in January 1975. No.1 albums include Hello (1973), On the Level (1975) and Blue For You (1976).
Guitarist and vocalist Rick Parfitt died in 2016, as did founder member Alan Lancaster, in 2021. Francis Rossi continues to work as Status Quo and a compilation album Quo'ing In - The Best of The Noughties was released in September 2022.
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