This British duo consists of Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart was formed in the New South Wales city of Wagga Wagga in 1980, the same year when Lennox’s and Stewart’s band The Tourists broke up. They found their global success when they released their album “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” in 1983 the song with the same title became a worldwide hit. From then on, Eurythmics became very popular. They won awards like Best New Artist at the MTV Music Video Awards in 1984. And a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with vocal in 1987. In 1999, the Eurythmics also won a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. And they have also been inducted into the UK Hall of Fame in 2005. The Eurythmics have sold over 75 million records around the world.
Hit Singles
- Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
- When Tomorrow Comes
- Here Comes the Rain Again
- Who’s That Girl
- Would I Lie To You
- Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves
- There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)
- Missionary Man
Formation
Annie Lenox and David Stewart met in a bar where Annie worked in 1975. They started playing together in 1976 with the band The Catch. After they released one single under the name The Catch, they decided to change their genre and their band name into The Tourists. This was the time where Lennox and Stewart became romantically involved. Although their band, The Tourists, achieved commercial success, there were personal and musical tensions within the band members that led to legal wrangling with the band’s management, record labels, and publishers. Annie and David decided to call it off because they also wanted to be flexible artists that experimented in creating music with electronics.
When Lennox and Stewart were staying in a hotel in Wagga Wagga, they decided to become a duo and called themselves the Eurythmics. That was also when they decided that the two of them will be the only permanent members and songwriters of the band. That if they were to involve other artists into their music, they would just likely be collaborations on a basis of mutual compatibility.
In 1982, the duo used a bank loan to self-produce their album. They experimented with electronics on their music and collaborated with Raynard Faulkner and Adam Williams. But on the other side of the musical freedom they desired, their album did not do well commercially it took the toll on both Lennox and Stewart resulting to Lennox suffering a nervous breakdown and Stewart being hospitalized for a collapsed lung.
Albums
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
In 1983, Eurythmics attained success with their second album that was released in January of 1983. The song of the same title is the most successful track in the album. This song has a dark and powerful synth bass line that was matched with a dramatic music video that featured Annie Lennox’s orange crew-cut hair reached number two in the UK Singles chart and grabbed the top spot in the U.S charts. It was one of 1983’s biggest sellers. Eurythmics luck began to turn around and Lennox instantly became a pop icon that was featured in different music magazines such as in the Rolling Stone. Their previous song “Love is a Stranger” was re-released and it also became a big success.
Touch
Eurythmics released their second album in 1983. It instantly skyrocketed into being the number one album in the U.K. This album featured three successful songs like “Who’s That Girl” that grabbed the number three spot in the U.K. RCA released an EP of this album in 1984, they titled it “Touch Dance”. This EP album included four remixed songs from Touch.
Be Yourself Tonight
Produced in almost a week in Paris, Eurythmics third album contained four hit songs like “Would I Lie To You?” that hit the U.S Billboard top five and topped in the Australian charts. Their first and only song that reached the number one spot in the UK countdown was “There Must Be An Angel (Playing with my Heart)”. And both “Sisters are Doin’ It for Themselves” and “It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back)” grabbed the top spot in the UK Chats. They also collaborated with a lot of artist in this album like Stevie Wonder, Aretha Frankin, and Elvis Costello.
Revenge and Savage
Eurythmics released their album “Revenge” in 1986. This album continued to showcase the band’s new AOR-pop/rock sound. Their album sales proved to be strong in the U.K and internationally. It eventually went to certified double platinum status in the U.K and reached gold in the U.S. in 1987, they released their follow up album entitled “Savage” which featured lyrically darker songs and a change in the band’s sound which has more drum loops. It reached the Top 10 and became a certified platinum in the UK.
We Too Are One
Released in 1989, this album grabbed the top spot in the U.K album chart and held four songs that entered the U.K top 30. This album also reached a certified double platinum status in the U.K.
Hiatus and Solo Careers
After releasing eight albums, touring and recording, A rift has developed between the duo and they disbanded with no formal notice. Stewart started to write soundtracks for films and formed a band called The Spiritual Cowboys. While Lennox took a break from her career to focus on having a baby. The Eurythmics Greatest Hits album was released in 1991 which entered at the number one spot in the UK album chart.
Annie Lennox released her album “Diva” in 1992 which garnered popular success. It entered at the number one spot in the UK albums chart. The album held five successful singles and reached quadruple platinum status. And her second solo album “Medusa” which featured cover versions of songs, also reached number one in the UK and achieved a double platinum status both in the UK and US.
Reunion
During late 1999, Eurythmics reunited to record and release their album “Peace”. They also went on a world tour entitled “Peacetour” to promote their comeback album. They also performed live together The Beatles song “The Fool on the Hill” in 2004 for “The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles”.