Chumbawamba

Chumbawamba formed in Burnley and then settled in Leeds in 1982, a loose collective of anarchist musicians who made politically charged music across an extraordinary range of styles — from anarcho-punk to folk to dance music. They were fiercely independent, releasing music on their own Agit-Prop label and refusing to compromise their politics for commercial gain. They were also genuinely funny, which set them apart from most agitprop acts.

Their early albums — 'Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records' (1986), 'Never Mind the Ballots' (1987) — were provocative and inventive. They moved through folk, dance, and pop phases before 'Tubthumping' (1997) became a global phenomenon, reaching number two in the UK and number six in the US. The song's message — getting knocked down and getting back up — resonated far beyond their usual audience.

Chumbawamba used their unexpected mainstream platform to continue their political work — most memorably when Danbert Nobacon poured a bucket of water over Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at the 1998 Brit Awards. They continued recording and touring until dissolving in 2012, their final albums returning to acoustic folk. Their thirty-year body of work is far more varied and interesting than their one inescapable hit suggests.