UFO

From its beginnings as an English hard rock institution, UFO cleared a path for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, an influence acknowledged by foundational groups such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Def Leppard. Frontman Phil Mogg has remained the only continuous presence since the band’s inception in 1968, guiding UFO through commercial peaks in the 1970s and 1980s that included signature tracks like “Rock Bottom,” “Lights Out,” and “Doctor, Doctor.” The 1979 live set Strangers in the Night continues to rank among the most revered concert recordings in rock. Although the lineup shifted repeatedly—most notably when former Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker arrived in 1973, helped shape the group’s sound, and departed in 1978—UFO still produced 22 studio albums, 14 live documents, and assorted compilations before formally disbanding in 2024.

Phil Mogg, guitarist Mick Bolton, bassist Pete Way, and drummer Andy Parker launched the British space-metal unit in 1968 under the original name Hocus Pocus. Taking the moniker UFO from a London venue, the quartet issued its debut, UFO 1, in 1971. That record and its immediate follow-up, Flying, also released that year, found strong audiences in Japan, France, and Germany while attracting scant attention at home; consequently, the third release, the 1972 concert album Live, appeared solely in Japan.

Bolton exited in 1974. After short stints by ex-Pink Fairies guitarist Larry Wallis and future Whitesnake member Bernie Marsden, former Scorpion Michael Schenker settled in as the permanent replacement and helped craft 1974’s Phenomenon, which carried a sharper guitar edge. Force It (1975) and No Heavy Petting (1976) expanded UFO’s profile with American listeners, after which keyboardist Paul Raymond came aboard for Lights Out in 1977. Schenker departed following 1978’s Obsession, first rejoining the Scorpions and later forming his own project. Even with Paul Chapman on guitar, the next studio effort, No Place to Run, could not replicate earlier achievements.

Mechanix surfaced in 1982 and yielded a modest U.S. hit, “Back into My Life.” Way left later that year to establish Waysted and was succeeded by ex-Eddie & the Hot Rods bassist Paul Gray. Making Contact arrived in 1983, after which the band dissolved, only to regroup two years later for Misdemeanor; poor reception prompted another split. The classic configuration—Mogg, Schenker, Way, Raymond, and Parker—reconvened in 1993 and delivered Walk on Water in 1995. Post-tour, the musicians again parted company. Mogg and Way persisted as the duo Mogg/Way, issuing Edge of the World (1997) and Chocolate Box (1999).

Schenker returned in 2000 alongside veteran drummer Aynsley Dunbar for the double album Covenant, which mixed fresh studio tracks with live material. Sharks followed in 2002; Schenker and Dunbar then stepped away, yielding to Vinnie Moore and Jason Bonham. Returning keyboardist Paul Raymond joined this refreshed lineup for You Are Here (2004) and the 2005 live release Showtime. Bonham exited next, replaced by original drummer Andy Parker for 2006’s The Monkey Puzzle. The Visitor appeared in 2009, recorded without Pete Way owing to the bassist’s health concerns. Seven Deadly arrived in 2012, and the 21st studio album, Conspiracy of Stars, emerged in early 2015 with core members Mogg, Raymond, and Parker supplemented by Moore and bassist Rob De Luca. Two years later the band issued the all-covers collection The Salentino Cuts.

Subsequent years brought health setbacks and losses: longtime keyboardist and guitarist Paul Raymond died in 2019, former guitarist Paul Chapman in 2020, and Pete Way also in 2020. Mogg suffered a heart attack in 2022, leading the legendary group to dissolve officially in 2024.