One of the founding fathers of synth pop, Gary Numan’s influence extends far beyond his lone American hit, “Cars,” which still stands as one of the defining new wave singles. That seminal track helped usher in the synth pop era on both sides of the Atlantic, especially his native U.K., where he was a genuine pop star and consistent hitmaker during the early ’80s.
Numan began his career with Tubeway Army and developed a strong synth influenced sound which took shape with left-field hit, “Are Friends Electric.” The success of this launched Numan into stardom and tracks like “Cars” made Numan an acclaimed artist on both sides of the Atlantic. Numan’s albums (such as, “Pleasure Principle”,”Telekon”) on many occasions went straight to the top spot on the charts. Numan would go on to launch his own label, Numa in 1984, and in 1985 release Fury, the last Numan album to reach the British Top 20.
Gary Numan has become a household name and a massive inspiration for many goth rock band and a mentor for many industrial, darkwave artists. Bands like Foo Fighter and Marilyn Manson have covered his tracks and Nine Inch Nails cite Numan as a major influence.
Gary Numan still produces to this day and in 2013 he released Splinter (Songs From A Broken Mind) and has a tour coming June/ July 2014.