Suicide

Martin Rev and Alan Vega met in 1970 and formed the band Suicide soon after. Part of the New York avant-garde scene, they were more influential than popular, partly because of Alan Vega’s tendency to bait audiences to the extent that he became the object of physical attack. The music has plenty of confrontational elements too, with a stripped down electronic sound and an uncompromising attitude. This is seen most strikingly on their 1977 self-titled debut, an album that has been described (not unreasonably) as "terrifying".

With The Cars’ Ric Ocasek producing their second LP, the sound was much less challenging, though this did not translate into commercial success. The duo recorded and performed on and off for the next twenty-five years.

Given their lack of popularity with the general public, Suicide were extraordinarily influential, inspiring much of the synth-pop of the early 1980s. The list of musicians who have cited Rev/Vega as significant in their own careers is massive, including Erasure, Joy Division, The Birthday Party, OMD, Devo and Ultravox.