Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the
new wave band
Tubeway Army
Tubeway Army were a London-based new wave music, new wave band led by lead singer Gary Numan. Formed at the height of punk rock in 1977, the band gradually changed to an electronic music, electronic sound. They were the first band of the elect ...
. After releasing two studio albums with the band, he released his debut solo studio album ''
The Pleasure Principle'' in 1979, topping the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
. His commercial popularity peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s with hits including "
Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "
Cars
A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are around one billio ...
" (both of which reached number one on the
UK singles chart). Numan maintains a
cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
. He has sold over 10 million records.
Numan is regarded as a pioneer of
electronic music
Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
. He developed a signature sound consisting of heavy synthesizer
hooks fed through guitar
effects pedals
An effects unit, effects processor, or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Common effects include distortion (music), distortion/overdrive, ...
, and is also known for his distinctive voice and
androgynous
Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex or gender expression.
When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in humans, it often r ...
"android" persona. He received an
Ivor Novello Award
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...
, the Inspiration Award, from the
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors in 2017.
Early life
Gary Anthony James Webb
was born on 8 March 1958 in
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
It ...
,
West London.
His father was a
British Airways
British Airways plc (BA) is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main Airline hub, hub at Heathrow Airport.
The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and pass ...
bus driver based at
Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport , also colloquially known as London Heathrow Airport and named ''London Airport'' until 1966, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdo ...
.
He was seven when his family adopted his cousin (father's nephew) John, who would become a musician and play in Numan's backing band. He was educated at Town Farm Junior School in
Stanwell,
Surrey
Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
;
Ashford County Grammar School
__NOTOC__
Spelthorne College was a single-campus Sixth form college#England, sixth form college on Church Road, Ashford, Surrey, England. It was formed in 1975 as a successor to Ashford Sixth Form College and Sunbury-on-Thames, Sunbury Sixth Form ...
; and
Slough Grammar School,
followed by
Brooklands Technical College in
Weybridge
Weybridge () is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge, Elmbridge district in Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. The settlement is recorded as ''Waigebrugge'' and ''Weibrugge'' in the 7th century and the name derives from a cro ...
, Surrey.
He joined the
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps (ATC) is a British Youth organisations in the United Kingdom, volunteer youth organisation; aligned to, and fostering the knowledge and learning of military values, primarily focusing on military aviation. Part of the ...
as a teenager and briefly held various jobs including Heathrow Airport bus driver, forklift truck driver, air conditioning ventilator fitter, and accounts clerk.
When Numan was 15, his father bought him a
Gibson Les Paul
Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz guitarist, jazz, country guitarist, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid body ...
guitar, which became his most treasured possession.
He briefly played in various bands and looked through advertisements in ''
Melody Maker
''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...
'' for bands to join. He claims to have unsuccessfully auditioned as guitarist for the then-unknown band
the Jam
The Jam were an English rock band formed in 1972 in Woking, Surrey, consisting of Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler. They released 18 consecutive top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in ...
before joining Mean Street and the Lasers, where he met
Paul Gardiner.
The latter band would soon become
Tubeway Army
Tubeway Army were a London-based new wave music, new wave band led by lead singer Gary Numan. Formed at the height of punk rock in 1977, the band gradually changed to an electronic music, electronic sound. They were the first band of the elect ...
, with his uncle Jess Lidyard on drums and Gardiner on bass. The band signed a
recording contract
A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording act (artist or group), where the act makes an audio recording (or series of recordings) for the label to sell and ...
with
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet Records is a British independent record label. Beggars Banquet started as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin and is part of the Beggars Group of labels.
History
In 1977, spurred by the prevailing D ...
.
His initial pseudonym was Valerian, probably in reference to the hero in French science fiction comic series ''
Valérian and Laureline
''Valérian and Laureline'' (), originally titled ''Valérian: Spatio-Temporal Agent'' () and also commonly known as ''Valérian'', is a French science fiction comics series, created by writer Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mézières. I ...
''. He later picked the surname Numan from an advertisement in the
yellow pages
The yellow pages are Telephone directory, telephone directories of business, businesses, organized by category rather than alphabetically by business name, in which advertising is sold. The directories were originally printed on yellow paper, ...
for a plumber whose surname was Neumann.
Music career
1977–1981: Tubeway Army and the "Machine Trilogy"
Numan came to prominence in the 1970s as lead vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and record producer for
Tubeway Army
Tubeway Army were a London-based new wave music, new wave band led by lead singer Gary Numan. Formed at the height of punk rock in 1977, the band gradually changed to an electronic music, electronic sound. They were the first band of the elect ...
. After adopting a
punk rock
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
-style they signed a recording contract with
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet Records is a British independent record label. Beggars Banquet started as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin and is part of the Beggars Group of labels.
History
In 1977, spurred by the prevailing D ...
and released their debut single "
That's Too Bad" in February 1978, an attempt at making commercial punk music. It was followed by the recording of an album's worth of
demo tapes in March 1978 (later released in 1984 as ''
The Plan''),
and a second single, "
Bombers
A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes
air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles.
There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strategic bombing is ...
", which like the first single did not chart.
The two singles were released again as a gatefold doublepack in 1979, and in 1983 a re-release of "That's Too Bad" reached No. 97 on the
UK singles chart.
Tubeway Army's eponymous,
new wave-oriented
debut studio album, released in November 1978, sold out its limited run and introduced Numan's fascination with
dystopia
A dystopia (lit. "bad place") is an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives. It is an imagined place (possibly state) in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmen ...
n science fiction and synthesizers.
During the recording of the album Numan found a
Moog synthesizer
The Moog synthesizer ( ) is a modular synthesizer invented by the American engineer Robert Moog in 1964. Moog's company, R. A. Moog Co., produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 2014. It was the first commercial synthesizer ...
left behind in the studio and the transition towards an electronic sound began. Though the band's third single, the dark-themed and slow-paced "
Down in the Park" (1979), did not appear on the charts, it became one of Numan's most enduring and oft-covered songs. It was featured with other contemporary hits on the soundtrack for the American drama film ''
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...
'' (1980),
and a live version of the song appeared in the British concert film ''
Urgh! A Music War
''Urgh! A Music War'' is a 1982 British concert film featuring performances by punk rock, new wave, and post-punk bands and artists. Filmed in August to September 1980 it was directed by Derek Burbidge and produced by Michael White and Lynda ...
'' (1982).
Following exposure in a television advertisement for
Lee Cooper jeans with the jingle "Don't Be a Dummy",
Tubeway Army released the single "
Are 'Friends' Electric?" in May 1979.
After a modest start at the lower reaches of the
UK singles chart at No. 71, it steadily climbed to No. 1 at the end of June and remained on that position for four consecutive weeks. In July its parent studio album ''
Replicas
A replica is an exact (usually 1:1 in scale) copy or remake of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without ...
'' also reached No. 1 on the albums chart.
At this point Numan was recording his next studio album with a new backing band, having recruited keyboardist
Chris Payne and drummer
Cedric Sharpley.
[Gary Numan The Pleasure Principle – The First Recordings](_blank)
Beggars Arkive At the peak of success, Numan opted to premiere four songs in a
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...
session in June 1979 rather than promoting the current album and the Tubeway Army group name was dropped.
In September "
Cars
A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are around one billio ...
" reached No. 1 in the UK.
The single found success in North American charts where "Cars" spent 2 weeks at No. 1 on the Canadian ''
RPM
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines.
One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 def ...
'' charts,
and reached No. 9 in the US in 1980.
"Cars" and the 1979 studio album ''
The Pleasure Principle'' were both released under Numan's own stage name. The album reached No. 1 in the UK,
and a sell-out tour (The Touring Principle) followed; the
concert video it spawned is often cited as the first full-length commercial music video release.
''The Pleasure Principle'' was a rock album with no guitars; instead, Numan used synthesizers connected to
effects unit
An effects unit, effects processor, or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Common effects include distortion (music), distortion/overdrive, ...
s to achieve a distorted, phased, metallic tone. A second single from the album, "
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
", made it to No. 6 on the
UK singles chart.

In 1980, Numan topped the UK Albums Chart for a third time with ''
Telekon'',
and the singles "
We Are Glass" and "
I Die: You Die", released prior to the album, reaching No. 5 and No. 6 on the UK charts.
"
This Wreckage", the only single taken from the original album release, entered the UK top 20 in December that year.
''Telekon'', the final studio album that Numan retrospectively termed the "Machine" section of his career, reintroduced guitars to Numan's music and featured a wider range of synthesizers. The same year he embarked on his second major tour ("The Teletour") with a more elaborate stage show than The Touring Principle the previous year. In April 1981, Numan decided to retire from touring following his upcoming series of concerts at
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena () (originally the Empire Pool, currently known as OVO Energy, OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, Greater London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is Greater Lond ...
,
where he was supported by the Canadian experimental musician
Nash the Slash
James Jeffrey "Jeff" Plewman (March 26, 1948 – May 10, 2014), better known by his stage name Nash the Slash, was a Canadian musician. A multi-instrumentalist, he was known primarily for playing the electric violin and Electric mandolin, mandol ...
and
Shock, a rock/mime/burlesque troupe whose members included
Barbie Wilde,
Tik and Tok, and
Carole Caplin.
''
Living Ornaments '79 and '80'', a live two album boxed set from the 1979 and 1980 tours, was released at this time, reaching No. 2 in the UK charts.
Both albums, also individually released as ''
Living Ornaments '79'' and ''
Living Ornaments '80
''Living Ornaments '80'' is a live album by British musician Gary Numan, first released in 1981. It was also issued as a limited edition box set with '' Living Ornaments '79'' (as '' Living Ornaments '79 and '80'') the same year. The original ...
'' also charted.
The decision to retire would be short-lived.
1981–1983: New musical directions
Departing from the pure
electropop
Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
that he had been associated with, Numan began experimenting with
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
, and ethereal, rhythmic pop. His first studio album after his farewell concerts was ''
Dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
'' (1981). The album charted at No. 3 on the
UK charts, with an eight-week chart run and produced one hit single ("
She's Got Claws"), which reached No. 6.
The album featured several distinguished guest players;
Mick Karn
Andonis Michaelides (Greek: Αντώνης Μιχαηλίδης; 24 July 1958 – 4 January 2011), better known as Mick Karn, was a British musician who rose to fame as the bassist for the art rock/ new wave band Japan. His distinctive fretles ...
(bass guitar; saxophone) and
Rob Dean
Rob Dean (born 23 April 1955) is a British musician turned professional illustrator, who rose to prominence playing lead guitar as a member of the English New wave music, new wave band Japan (band), Japan from 1975 to 1981.
Biography
He is fr ...
(guitar) of
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
,
Roger Mason (keyboards) of
Models
A model is an informative representation of an object, person, or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin , .
Models can be divided int ...
, and
Roger Taylor (drums) of
Queen
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
.
With his former backing band, Chris Payne (keyboards; viola), Russell Bell (guitar), and Ced Sharpley (drums) now reformed as the
synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
band
Dramatis, Numan contributed lead vocals to the minor hit "
Love Needs No Disguise" from the studio album ''
For Future Reference'' (1981)
and lent lead vocals to the first single released by his long-term bassist
Paul Gardiner, "
Stormtrooper in Drag", which also made the charts.
However, Numan's success began to wane as he was outsold by
the Human League
The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic music, electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their t ...
,
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled ...
,
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
, and his prior support act,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Meols, Merseyside in 1978 by Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards, vocals). Regarded as pioneers of electronic musi ...
(OMD). With each new studio album, Numan would take on a particular persona, but none seemed to catch audiences' attention like he had been able to in 1979.
Numan's fourth solo studio album ''
I, Assassin'' (1982) produced the top 10 hit "
We Take Mystery (To Bed)", as well as the top 20 singles "
Music for Chameleons" and "White Boys and Heroes", the album peaking at No. 8 with a six-week chart run.
The heavily percussive funk style made several tracks from the album, such as the 12" version of "
Music for Chameleons" and a special remix of "White Boys and Heroes", unexpected successes in the American club scene and in October 1982 he embarked on a US tour.
''
Warriors
A warrior is a guardian specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, class, or caste.
History
Warriors seem to have been p ...
'' (1983) further developed Numan's jazz-influenced style and featured contributions from
avant-garde
In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...
musician
Bill Nelson
Clarence William Nelson II (born September 29, 1942) is an American politician, attorney, and former astronaut who served from 2001 to 2019 as a United States Senate, United States senator from Florida and from 2021 to 2025 as the Administrator ...
of
Be-Bop Deluxe (who fell out with Numan during recording and chose to be uncredited as the album's co-producer),
and saxophonist
Dick Morrissey (who also performed on ''
The Fury'', ''
Strange Charm'' and ''
Outland'').
The album peaked at No. 12, produced two hit singles including the top 20 title-track and, like ''I, Assassin'', spent six weeks in the charts.
''Warriors'' was the last album Numan recorded for Beggars Banquet Records, and was supported by a 40-date UK tour (again with support from robotic mime and music duo Tik and Tok).
1984–1993: Record label foundation, collaborations, and career downturn
Numan subsequently issued a series of albums and singles on his own record label, Numa Records. The first studio album released, 1984's ''
Berserker
In the Old Norse written corpus, berserkers () were Scandinavian warriors who were said to have fought in a trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the modern English adjective ''wikt:berserk#Adjective, berserk'' . Berserkers ...
'', was Numan's first foray into music computers and
samplers (in this case, the
PPG Wave
The PPG Wave is a series of synthesizers built by the German company Palm Products GmbH from 1981 to 1987.
Background
Until the early 1980s, the tonal palette of commercial synthesizers was limited to that which could be obtained by combining ...
).
The album was accompanied by a new, blue-and-white colour scheme and visual (including Numan himself, with blue hair), as well as a tour, a live album, video,
extended play
An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
(EP), and the title track as a single. The track charted within the UK top 40.
Despite this, the album divided critics and fans, and ultimately performed poorly, stalling at No. 32 on the UK chart. Numan cites many reasons for this, including distribution issues.
A collaboration with
Bill Sharpe (of
Shakatak) as
Sharpe & Numan
Sharpe & Numan was a British synth-pop duo formed by Shakatak's Bill Sharpe (keyboards, producer) and Gary Numan (vocals).
They had success with their first single " Change Your Mind" which was a top 20 hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at ...
, in 1985, was more successful; in March of that year, the single "
Change Your Mind" reached No. 17 on the
UK singles chart.
A few months later, the live album ''
White Noise
In signal processing, white noise is a random signal having equal intensity at different frequencies, giving it a constant power spectral density. The term is used with this or similar meanings in many scientific and technical disciplines, i ...
'' (recorded during the Berserker Tour) and a live EP with tracks taken from it (titled ''The Live EP'') reached No. 29
and 27
on the charts, respectively.

Numan's next studio album, ''
The Fury'' (1985), charted slightly higher than ''Berserker'', breaking the top 30. Again, the album heralded a change of image, this time featuring Numan in a white suit and red bow tie. However, for the first time in his career, none of the three initial singles released from the album ("Your Fascination", "Call Out the Dogs" and "Miracles") managed to reach the top 40, barely entering the top 50 on the UK charts.
The following year, Numan scored two top-30 UK singles, with "
This Is Love" in April 1986, and "
I Can't Stop" in June that year; the subsequent studio album, ''
Strange Charm'', was released later that year, but only spent two weeks on the albums chart, where it peaked at No. 59. In November of that year, a version of the song "I Still Remember", from the previous studio album, was released as a
charity single, but stalled at No. 74 on the singles chart.
Further collaborations with Bill Sharpe spawned two more Sharpe & Numan hits with "
New Thing from London Town", peaking at No. 52 in 1986, and "No More Lies" at No. 35 in 1988.
In 1987, Numan performed lead vocals for three singles by
Radio Heart, a project of brothers Hugh and David Nicholson (formerly of
Marmalade
Marmalade (from the Portuguese ''marmelada'') is a fruit preserves, fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. The well-known version is made from bitter orange. It also has been made from lemons ...
and
Blue
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB color model, RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB color model, RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between Violet (color), violet and cyan on the optical spe ...
), which charted with varying success ("Radio Heart", No. 35, "London Times", No. 48; "All Across the Nation", No. 81 in the UK).
A studio album was also released, credited to "Radio Heart featuring Gary Numan", with Numan only appearing on three tracks; the record failed to chart. Also in 1987, Numan's old label, Beggars Banquet, released the double disc compilation album ''
Exhibition
An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibiti ...
'', which reached No. 43 on the UK Albums Chart,
and a remix of "Cars". The remix, titled "Cars (E Reg Model)", charted at No. 16,
marking Numan's final Top 20 hit (until the same song was re-released in 1996).
Numa Records, which had been launched during a flurry of idealistic excitement, folded after the release of Numan's eighth solo studio album ''Strange Charm'' (1986). Numan would reopen the record label in 1992, yet it was again shuttered in 1996.
In addition to Numa Records' commercial failure, Numan's own amassed fortune (since the late 1970s), which he estimated to be around £4.5 million, was drained. He then signed a recording contract with
I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records was a major American record label founded by Miles Copeland III and Jay Boberg in 1979. I.R.S. produced some of the most popular bands of the 1980s, and was particularly known for issuing records by college rock, new wave and a ...
for the release of his final studio album of the 1980s, ''
Metal Rhythm'' (1988), which also sold relatively poorly. For its American release, the record label edited the album's title to ''New Anger'' after the
lead single
A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
A similar term, "debut ...
's title, and also changed the album cover's colour from black to blue and remixed several of its tracks, against Numan's wishes.
In 1989, Sharpe & Numan's sole studio album ''
Automatic
Automatic may refer to:
Music Bands
* Automatic (Australian band), Australian rock band
* Automatic (American band), American rock band
* The Automatic, a Welsh alternative rock band
Albums
* ''Automatic'' (Jack Bruce album), a 1983 el ...
'' was released through
Polydor Records
Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
, though this too failed to garner much commercial success, briefly entering the charts for just one week at No. 59, eleven spots lower than ''Metal Rhythm'', which had been released nine months prior.
"I'm on Automatic" was the only single to be released from ''Automatic''; it reached No. 44 on the UK singles chart.
[Strong, Martin C.: "The Great Alternative Discography", 1999, ]Canongate
The Canongate is a street and associated district in central Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The street forms the main eastern length of the Royal Mile while the district is the main eastern section of Edinburgh's Old Town.
David ...
, Its disappointing sales led to plans for a second Sharpe + Numan studio album being abandoned.
In 1991, Numan ventured into film-scoring by co-composing the music for the American science fiction horror film ''
The Unborn'' with Michael R. Smith
(the score was later released as the 1995 album ''Human'').
After ''
Outland'' (1991), another critical and commercial disappointment and his second and last studio album with I.R.S., Numan reactivated Numa Records, under which he would release his next two studio albums. His first Numa Records release, ''
Machine + Soul'' (1992), is considered by many, including Numan himself, to be a career low point, released primarily to pay off debt. After the poor reception of the album, Numan considered leaving the music industry entirely.
["Interview: Gary Numan" by Nick Pollard, ''Audio Addict'', November 2011]
archived at Archive.org
/ref> In 1993, he released a single "Cars ('93 Sprint)", a techno remix of "Cars". That same year, he supported OMD (who had opened for him in 1979) on their concert tour.
1994–2001: New musical direction and critical acclaim
By 1994, Numan decided to stop attempting to crack the pop market and concentrate instead on exploring more personal themes, including his vocal atheism
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the Existence of God, existence of Deity, deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the ...
further (these themes had occasionally been explored on previous studio albums). His future wife Gemma encouraged him to strip away the influences of the more recent years. Numan thus sought a grittier, more industrial tone for his songwriting on his twelfth solo studio album ''Sacrifice
Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving.
Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Gree ...
,'' on which, for the first time, he played almost all the instruments himself. Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...
(NIN), who were influenced by Numan's music, and other bands with industrial tendencies were contemporaneously becoming famous, and ''Sacrifice'' received critical acclaim. According to Numan, the influence was mutual. He cites 1994's " Closer" as his favourite Nine Inch Nails song, and has said that 1989's " Head Like a Hole" has "the best chorus ever". Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
's eighth studio album '' Songs of Faith and Devotion'' (1993) that came out during the recording of ''Sacrifice'' became a massive influence on Numan that both musically and lyrically inspired his new, darker direction.
''Sacrifice'' was the final studio album that Numan made before shutting down Numa Records permanently. His next two studio albums, ''Exile
Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...
'' (1997) and '' Pure'' (2000), were well received and significantly helped to restore his critical reputation, as did the double-CD tribute album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century a ...
dedicated to Numan, ''Random
In common usage, randomness is the apparent or actual lack of definite pattern or predictability in information. A random sequence of events, symbols or steps often has no order and does not follow an intelligible pattern or combination. ...
'' (1997). ''Random'' was released shortly before ''Exile'' and featured artists, such as Blur's Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn (, ; born 23 March 1968) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman, main vocalist, and lyricist of the rock band Blur (band), Blur and the co-creator and primary musical con ...
, EMF, Jesus Jones, the Orb
The Orb are an English electronic music group founded in 1988 by Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty. Known for their psychedelic sound, the Orb developed a cult following among clubbers "coming down" from drug-induced highs. Their influential ...
, Moloko
Moloko () were an English-Irish electronic music duo formed in Sheffield, England, consisting of vocalist Róisín Murphy and music producer, producer Mark Brydon. Blending elements of electronica and dance music, they are best known for their ...
and Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Stourbridge in the West Midlands of England with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a grebo act, they changed style to incorpo ...
, who had been influenced by Numan. Numan toured the US in support of ''Exile'', his first stateside concerts since the early 1980s.
2002–2008: Further works and return to chart success
In 2002, Numan enjoyed chart success once again with the single "Rip", reaching No. 29 on the UK singles chart, and again in 2003 with the Gary Numan vs Rico single "Crazier", which reached No. 13 in the UK charts. Rico also worked on the 2003 remix album '' Hybrid'' which featured reworkings of older songs in a more contemporary industrial style as well as new material. Other artists and producers who contributed on these remixes included Curve
In mathematics, a curve (also called a curved line in older texts) is an object similar to a line, but that does not have to be straight.
Intuitively, a curve may be thought of as the trace left by a moving point. This is the definition that ...
, Flood
A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...
, Andy Gray, Alan Moulder, New Disease, and Sulpher. 2003 saw Numan performing the lead vocals on "Pray for You", the single from Plump DJs' second studio album ''Eargasm'', which reached No. 89 on the UK Top 100 Chart. In 2005, Numan took control of his own business affairs again with the launch of his recording label, Mortal Records.
On 13 March 2006, Numan's fifteenth solo studio album, '' Jagged'', was released. An album launch gig took place at The Forum in Kentish Town
Kentish Town is an area of northwest London, England, in the London Borough of Camden, immediately north of Camden Town, close to Hampstead Heath.
Kentish Town likely derives its name from Ken-ditch or Caen-ditch, meaning the "bed of a waterw ...
, London on 18 March followed by UK, European and US tours in support of the release. Numan also launched a ''Jagged'' website to showcase the album, and made plans to have his 1981 farewell concert (previously released as ''Micromusic'' on VHS) issued on DVD by November 2006 as well as releasing the DVD version of the ''Jagged'' album launch gig. Numan undertook a brief ''Telekon'' 'Classic Album' tour in the UK in December 2006, performing at Rock City, the Kentish Town Forum and Club Academy.
Numan contributed lead vocals to four tracks on the April 2007 release of the debut solo studio album by Ade Fenton, ''Artificial Perfect'', on his new industrial and electronic label, Submission, including "The Leather Sea", "Slide Away", "Recall", and the first single to be taken from the album, "Healing". The second single to be released in the UK was "The Leather Sea" on 30 July 2007, which charted.
He sold out a 15-date UK and Ireland tour in spring 2008, during which he performed his 1979 number-one studio album ''Replicas'' in its entirety, and all the Replicas-era music including B-sides. The successful tour reflected the resurging popularity of electropop
Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
in the UK and coincided with his 50th birthday and 30th anniversary of the original release of ''Replicas
A replica is an exact (usually 1:1 in scale) copy or remake of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without ...
''.
In November 2007, Numan confirmed via his website that work on a new studio album, with the working title of ''Splinter'', would be under way throughout 2008, after finishing an alternate version of ''Jagged'' (called ''Jagged Edge'') and the CD of unreleased songs from his previous three studio albums (released in 2011 as '' Dead Son Rising''). Numan released his subsequent album, '' Splinter (Songs from a Broken Mind)'', in 2013.
2009–2019
Numan was set to perform a small number of American live dates in April 2010, including a Coachella
Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...
festival appearance in Indio, California
Indio (Spanish language, Spanish for "Indian") is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Colorado Desert region. Indio is approximately east of Los Angeles, east of Palm Springs, ...
, but had to cancel because air travel in Europe was halted by the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud. As a result, the tour was not only postponed but expanded, and his Pleasure Principle 30th Anniversary Tour's American and Mexican dates began on 17 October 2010, at Firestone Live in Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
.
Numan toured Australia in May 2011 performing his studio album ''The Pleasure Principle'' in its entirety to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary. Joining him on tour was Australian electronic band Severed Heads, coming out of retirement especially for the shows.
Numan lent his vocals to the track "My Machines" on the American experimental rock
Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, wit ...
band Battles's second studio album '' Gloss Drop'' (2011). He was chosen by Battles to perform at the ATP Nightmare Before Christmas festival that they co-curated in December 2011 in Minehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the boundary with the county of Devon and close to the Exmoor National Park. T ...
, England. Numan's sixteenth solo studio album '' Dead Son Rising'' was released on 16 September 2011, which had a full UK tour split in two-halves, 15–21 September and 7–11 December. Both parts were supported by Welsh solo artist Jayce Lewis; in an interview during the tour Numan said Lewis was "one of the most popular" support acts he had toured with. Numan later published some of his tour diary online.
Numan provided narration for Cuban-American musician Aurelio Voltaire
Aurelio Voltaire Hernández (born January 25, 1967), professionally known as Aurelio Voltaire or simply Voltaire, is a Cuban-American musician, singer, composer, author, and animator. Known for his gothic style of dress and music, Voltaire is c ...
's fifth short film in his ''ChimeraScope'' series, ''Odokuro'' in 2011, which won 12 awards and was shown as a selection at numerous film festivals between 2011 and 2013.
Numan's seventeenth solo studio album '' Splinter (Songs from a Broken Mind)'', was released on 14 October 2013. It reached the UK Top 20, his first album to do so for 30 years. It was promoted by an extensive US, Canada, UK and Ireland tour which continued in 2014 to include Israel, New Zealand, Australia and Europe. A further US leg took place in late 2014.
In June 2014, Numan collaborated with Jayce Lewis on the track "Redesign" which originally featured on Lewis's Protafield studio album ''Nemesis'' The same album was re-released as a ''Special Edition'' under Lewis's solo name in 2018. Numan provided lead vocals for the song "Long Way Down", composed by Masafumi Takada with lyrics written by Rich Dickerson, for the survival horror video game ''The Evil Within
''The Evil Within'' is a 2014 survival horror, survival horror game developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was directed by ''Resident Evil'' series creator Shinji Mikami. The game centers on protagonist Sebastian Ca ...
'', which was released on 14 October 2014. Numan performed a sold-out, one-off live show in London in November 2014 at the Hammersmith Apollo
The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly and still commonly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Pa ...
supported by the English post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...
band Gang of Four
The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes due to th ...
.
Numan collaborated with the industrial pop band VOWWS for "Losing Myself in You" on their debut studio album ''The Great Sun''.
On 6 May 2016, Numan was one of several collaborators on Jean-Michel Jarre
Jean-Michel André Jarre (; born 24 August 1948) is a French composer, performer and record producer. He is a pioneer in the Electronic music, electronic, Ambient music, ambient and New-age music, new-age genres, and is known for organising out ...
's eighteenth studio album '' Electronica 2: The Heart of Noise'', with the track "Here for You", co-written by Jarre and Numan.
On 10 May 2016, Numan was named the recipient of the 2016 Moog Innovation Award by Moog Music
Moog Music Inc. ( ) is an American synthesizer company based in Asheville, North Carolina. It was founded in 1953 as R. A. Moog Co. by Robert Moog and his father and was renamed Moog Music in 1972. Its early instruments included the Moog sy ...
. On 18 May 2017, Numan received an Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies; 15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century.
He was born into a musical ...
Inspiration Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors.
In 2017, Numan released the single "My Name Is Ruin" and went on a European tour September. Numan's eighteenth solo studio album ''Savage (Songs from a Broken World)
''Savage (Songs from a Broken World)'' is the eighteenth solo Album#Studio, studio album by the English musician Gary Numan, released on 15 September 2017 by Bertelsmann Music Group, BMG and The End Records, The End. The album was first announced ...
'' was released on 15 September and charted at number two in the UK. He was the winner of the 2017 T3 tech legends award.
On 24 September 2018, Numan's tour bus hit and killed an elderly man in Cleveland
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
, Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, US. The driver was not immediately charged. Numan was scheduled to appear at the Cleveland House of Blues that evening but cancelled the show for being "inappropriate" in light of the day's tragedy.
2020–present
Numan's nineteenth solo studio album '' Intruder'' was released on 21 May 2021. The title track was released earlier, on 11 January 2021. Numan discussed its genesis with writer Guy Mankowski, who has a chapter on Numan's legacy in his book ''Albion's Secret History: Snapshots of England's Pop Rebels and Outsiders'', as part of an interview series on influential English artists for Zer0 Books.
Following his US Intruder tour in late 2021 and early 2022, Numan began a 17-venue UK tour between late April and late May 2022.
Numan performed at the Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...
on 20 May 2023. After a nearby lightning storm led to an early evacuation, truncating Iggy Pop
James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...
's set and cancelling Siouxsie Sioux's headlining set entirely, a second show was quickly announced for the following day, with Siouxsie, Pop and Numan returning.
In October 2023, Numan performed a series of eight acoustic gigs, playing songs from his repertoire in a new way in smaller, intimate settings. Locations included Wylam Brewery, Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...
, Manchester Cathedral
Manchester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George, in Manchester, England, is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Manchester, seat of the Bishop of Manchester and the c ...
, and Church of St John-at-Hackney in London.
In February 2024, Numan announced a UK tour to celebrate the 45th anniversary of his 1979 studio albums ''Replicas'' and ''The Pleasure Principle''. Including shows in Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...
, Sheffield
Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
, Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
, Newcastle upon Tyne, Manchester, London, Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
, Cardiff
Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
, Bournemouth
Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...
, Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
and Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
between 19 May and 1 June.
In March 2025, he was featured on lead vocals on a track called "Polished Chrome (The Friend Pt. 1)" on a new studio album released by the German techno DJ Chris Liebing.
Artistry and image
In the late 1970s, Numan began developing his style. According to Numan, this was an unintentional result of acne
Acne ( ), also known as ''acne vulgaris'', is a long-term Cutaneous condition, skin condition that occurs when Keratinocyte, dead skin cells and Sebum, oil from the skin clog hair follicles. Typical features of the condition include comedo, ...
; before an appearance on ''Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...
(TOTP)'', "I had spots everywhere, so they slapped about half an inch of white make-up on me before I'd even walked in the door. And my eyes were like pissholes in the snow, so they put black on there. My so-called image fell into place an hour before going on the show." His previously "wooden" stage presence was, in his words, a result of "incredible self-consciousness" and "incompetence – I didn't know to move on stage". He became enamoured by the idea of "being cold about everything, not letting emotions get to you, or presenting a front of not feeling", though his stage presence later became more intense and extroverted.
Initially, Numan used his invention of the mysterious fantasy character "Mach-man", a machine in human skin dressed all in black, which developed from short stories he wrote at school, as his stage persona. But this image was replaced in 1981 by a totally different "gangster"-look inspired by a television programme on 1930s eccentric millionaire Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...
.
Later in the 1980s, Numan adopted a new visual image for each new studio album, such as the ''Mad Max
''Mad Max'' is an Australian media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It centres on a series of post-apocalyptic and dystopian action films. The franchise began in 1979 with '' Mad Max'', and was followed by three sequels: ...
''-influenced image for ''Warriors
A warrior is a guardian specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, class, or caste.
History
Warriors seem to have been p ...
'' (1983), the white-skinned, white-clad "Iceman" with blue hair and make-up for the ''Berserker
In the Old Norse written corpus, berserkers () were Scandinavian warriors who were said to have fought in a trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the modern English adjective ''wikt:berserk#Adjective, berserk'' . Berserkers ...
'' (1984) album and tour, the white suit and red bow-tie image for '' The Fury'' (1985), and a ''Blade Runner
''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Di ...
'' (1982)-influenced image for '' Strange Charm'' (1986).
A prolific songwriter, Numan has as of 2021 written about 400 songs. His starting point is usually a piano to work out melodies and chord structures. Most of the songs on his early albums were written on a piano his parents had bought him: later in his career he has used a piano preset on the computer as a starting point. However, his biggest hit "Cars
A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are around one billio ...
" was unconventionally written on a bass guitar.
Numan's recognisable vocals have become one of his trademarks, along with his androgynous
Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex or gender expression.
When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in humans, it often r ...
" android" stage persona.
Musical influences
In a 2012 interview, Numan spoke about the music that has had an influence on him over the years. As a teenager he was fan of T. Rex, David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
and Queen
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
. His band Tubeway Army
Tubeway Army were a London-based new wave music, new wave band led by lead singer Gary Numan. Formed at the height of punk rock in 1977, the band gradually changed to an electronic music, electronic sound. They were the first band of the elect ...
started in the punk rock
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
-vein in 1977, but Numan later said that the punk rock style was adopted with the sole intention to obtain a recording contract. Ultravox
Ultravox (earlier styled as Ultravox!) were a British new wave band, formed in London in April 1974 as Tiger Lily. Between 1980 and 1986, they scored seven Top Ten albums and seventeen Top 40 singles in the UK, the most successful of which wa ...
's third studio album '' Systems of Romance'' (1978) was the main influence behind Tubeway Army's transition into an electronic sound. Numan cited the album, and particularly the song "Slow Motion
Slow motion (commonly abbreviated as slow-mo or slo-mo) is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger in the early 20th century. This can be accomplished through the use ...
", as the blueprint for what he wanted to achieve. Moving away from the commercially successful synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
on the 1979 studio albums ''Replicas
A replica is an exact (usually 1:1 in scale) copy or remake of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without ...
'' and '' The Pleasure Principle'' to a more introspective and partly ambient sound, David Bowie's collaborations with Brian Eno
Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...
, the new wave band Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
and Lou Reed
Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...
's third solo studio album ''Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
'' (1973) has been cited as some of the influences that informed Numan's third solo studio album ''Dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
'' (1981). At this point, jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
influences became prominent in Numan's music, as on the single " She's Got Claws" and his fourth solo studio album '' I, Assassin'' (1982). His fifth solo studio album ''Warriors
A warrior is a guardian specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, class, or caste.
History
Warriors seem to have been p ...
'' (1983) started as a collaboration with Bill Nelson
Clarence William Nelson II (born September 29, 1942) is an American politician, attorney, and former astronaut who served from 2001 to 2019 as a United States Senate, United States senator from Florida and from 2021 to 2025 as the Administrator ...
, guitarist in Be-Bop Deluxe, which was another of Numan's favourite bands in the 1970s. Adopting a heavier, more aggressive sound, the production of his sixth solo studio album ''Berserker
In the Old Norse written corpus, berserkers () were Scandinavian warriors who were said to have fought in a trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the modern English adjective ''wikt:berserk#Adjective, berserk'' . Berserkers ...
'' (1984) took influence from Trevor Horn's production of Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English pop band that formed in Liverpool in 1980. They comprised Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford (backing vocals), Mark O'Toole (bass), Brian Nash (guitar) and Peter Gill (drums). Johnson and Ruther ...
. Wanting to broaden his musical output, Numan's mid- to late 1980's releases featured a jazz-funk
Jazz-funk is a subgenre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat, electrified sounds, and analog synthesizers. The integration of funk, soul, and R&B music and styles into jazz resulted in the creation of a genre that ranges from ...
style, blending an industrial edge with funk and synth-pop sensibilities. Following the release of two commercially and critically unsuccessful pop and funk influenced studio albums in the early 1990s, Numan found new pivotal influences in Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...
(NIN) and Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
's eighth studio album '' Songs of Faith and Devotion'' (1993) that inspired him to move into a darker sound that became the trademark of his later career.
Legacy
Within the UK's burgeoning synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
scene, Numan was the first artist to achieve mainstream notoriety. His music and live performances met with censure from critics; he also faced condemnation from the Musicians' Union (MU), who said he was putting "proper" musicians out of work. Andy McCluskey of OMD observed "''nasty'', vitriolic journalism" directed at Numan, who was dismissed as "pretentious" and "pseudo-intellectual". He nevertheless generated an army of fans calling themselves "Numanoids", providing him with a fanbase which maintained their support through the latter half of the 1980s, when his fortunes began to fall. He maintains a cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
and has sold over 10 million records.
Numan is considered a pioneer of electronic music
Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
; '' Nightshift'' identified Numan, and fellow late 1970s debutants OMD and the Human League
The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic music, electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their t ...
, as "the holy trinity of synth-pop". He has been credited as a key influence by fellow English musician Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde (born Kim Smith, 18 November 1960) is an English pop singer. She first gained success in 1981 with her debut single "Kids in America", which peaked at no. 2 in the UK. In 1983, she received the Brit Award for Best British Female solo ...
as she was working on her 1981 debut single "Kids in America
"Kids in America" is a song recorded by English pop singer Kim Wilde. It was released in the United Kingdom as her debut single in January 1981, and in the United States in spring 1982, later appearing on her Kim Wilde (album), self-titled de ...
" with her brother Ricky. Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath in 1981 by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the synth-pop bands o ...
, another new wave act of the 1980s, cited Numan's style as one that inspired them while recording their debut studio album '' The Hurting'' (1983). Since the 1990s Numan has been cited as a major influence by a variety of bands and artists from hip-hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
to industrial rock
Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten and Chrom ...
and Britpop
Britpop was a mid-1990s United Kingdom, British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. Musically, Britpop produced bright, catchy alternative rock, with significant influences from British guitar pop of the 1960s and 1970s. B ...
, including Afrika Bambaataa
Lance Taylor (born April 17, 1957), also known as Afrika Bambaataa (), is a retired American DJ, rapper, and record producer. He is notable for releasing a series of genre-defining electro tracks in the 1980s that influenced the development of ...
, Fear Factory, Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...
, Marilyn Manson
Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...
, Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields
The Magnetic Fields are an American Band (rock and pop), band founded and led by Stephin Merritt. Merritt is the group's primary songwriter, producer, and vocalist, as well as frequent multi-instrumentalist. The band is named after the André B ...
and Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn (, ; born 23 March 1968) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman, main vocalist, and lyricist of the rock band Blur (band), Blur and the co-creator and primary musical con ...
of Blur. Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
was quoted saying: "There are still people trying to work out what a genius Gary Numan is."
The American industrial metal
Industrial metal is the fusion of Heavy metal music, heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating Heavy metal guitar, metal guitar riffs, sampling (music), sampling, synthesizer or music sequencer, sequencer lines, and Distor ...
band Fear Factory produced a cover version of "Cars" (featuring a prominent guest appearance by Numan himself) for the digipak
Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage.
Jewel case
A ...
version of their third studio album, ''Obsolete
Obsolescence is the process of becoming antiquated, out of date, old-fashioned, no longer in general use, or no longer useful, or the condition of being in such a state. When used in a biological sense, it means imperfect or rudimentary when comp ...
'' (1999). Numan had become acknowledged and respected by his peers, with such musicians as Dave Grohl
David Eric Grohl (; born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He founded the rock band Foo Fighters, of which he is the lead singer, guitarist, principal songwriter, and only consistent member. From 1990 to 1994, he was the drummer of th ...
(of the Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...
and Nirvana
Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
), with whom he covered "Down in the Park" on the compilation album '' Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files'' (1996),, Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails, whose 2018 leg of the Cold and Black and Infinite tour concluded with a guest performance by Numan, who Reznor described as "vitally important and a huge inspiration"), and Marilyn Manson
Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...
(who released his own cover version of "Down in the Park" as the B-side of his band's 1995 single ''Lunchbox
A lunch box (or lunchbox) is a hand-held container used to transport food, usually to work or to school. It is commonly made of metal or plastic, is reasonably airtight and often has a handle for carrying.
In the United States
In the Unit ...
'') proclaiming his work an influence.
The English electronic music duo Basement Jaxx had a hit in 2002 with " Where's Your Head At", which relied on a sample of Numan's "M.E."—from ''The Pleasure Principle''—for its hook. Nine Inch Nails covered the song "Metal
A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
" on '' The Fragile'' (1999) remix album '' Things Falling Apart'' (2000), as did Afrika Bambaataa
Lance Taylor (born April 17, 1957), also known as Afrika Bambaataa (), is a retired American DJ, rapper, and record producer. He is notable for releasing a series of genre-defining electro tracks in the 1980s that influenced the development of ...
(with Numan himself) on the studio album '' Dark Matter Moving at the Speed of Light''. "Cars" remains Numan's most enduring song; it was a hit again in 1987 (remixed by Zeus B. Held) and 1996, in the latter case thanks to an appearance in an advert for Carling beer. In 2000, the American DJ Armand van Helden sampled the track in his single " Koochy". In 2002, the English girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...
the Sugababes scored a No. 1 with " Freak Like Me", a mashup of Adina Howard
Adina Marie Howard (born November 14, 1973) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to fame during the mid-1990s with her debut album, ''Do You Wanna Ride?'' and her debut single, "Freak like Me". Some of her other minor hit record, hits ...
's " Freak Like Me" and "Are 'Friends' Electric?" by Numan's Tubeway Army.
Personal life
From early in his career Numan was very close to his family. His father Tony was his manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
for many years, his musician brother John became a member of his backing band and his mother Beryl was also frequently involved doing various things behind the scenes, such as running Numan's fan club and managing the reception at his Rock City studio.
In 1997, Numan married Gemma O'Neill, a member of his fan club from Sidcup
Sidcup is an area of south-east London, England, primarily in the London Borough of Bexley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, bordering the London Boroughs of London Borough of Bromley, Bromley and Royal Borough of Greenwich, Greenwich. It was ...
, south-east London.[Manchester Evening News](_blank)
accessed 01/03/08 They have three daughters. One daughter, at the age of 11, contributed vocals to Numan's 2017 song "My Name Is Ruin" and appeared in its music video. Numan and his family lived in Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
, then Heathfield and Waldron in East Sussex
East Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Kent to the north-east, West Sussex to the west, Surrey to the north-west, and the English Channel to the south. The largest settlement ...
, and in October 2012 moved to Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
, US.
At age 15, after a series of outbursts in which he would "smash things up, scream and shout, get in people's faces and break stuff", Numan was prescribed antidepressant
Antidepressants are a class of medications used to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, chronic pain, and addiction.
Common side effects of antidepressants include Xerostomia, dry mouth, weight gain, dizziness, headaches, akathi ...
s and anxiolytic
An anxiolytic (; also antipanic or anti-anxiety agent) is a medication or other intervention that reduces anxiety. This effect is in contrast to anxiogenic agents which increase anxiety. Anxiolytic medications are used for the treatment of anxie ...
s. In the 1990s, his wife suggested he had Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's syndrome or Asperger's, is a diagnostic label that has historically been used to describe a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and no ...
; after reading about the syndrome and taking a series of online tests, he agreed. It was discussed when he was younger, though he was not confident in the diagnostic criteria of the time. Conversely, he said in an April 2018 interview with ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' that he had been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at the age of 14. In a 2001 interview, he said, "Polite conversation has never been one of my strong points. Just recently I actually found out that I'd got a mild form of Asperger's syndrome which basically means I have trouble interacting with people. For years, I couldn't understand why people thought I was arrogant, but now it all makes more sense."
Numan published his autobiography, ''Praying to the Aliens'', in 1997 (updated in 1998), in collaboration with Steve Malins, who also wrote the liner notes for most of the CD reissues of Numan's albums in the late 1990s, as well as executive producing the ''Hybrid'' album in 2003. An updated autobiography, ''(R)evolution: The Autobiography'', was published on 22 October 2020 and brings his career up to date from the earlier ''Praying to the Aliens''.
Numan is an atheist
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
.
He was an outspoken supporter of the Conservative Party and Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...
after her election as Prime Minister.[Gary Numan: Numan remains](_blank)
''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
''. Published 27 January 2003.[Gary Numan on Britain's New Tories](_blank)
Skrufff.com, 7 February 2006. He later expressed regret for giving his public support, calling it "a noose around my neck". He has previously said that he considers himself neither left- nor right-wing
Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...
and that he did not support Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...
or David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...
. He also said, "I'm not socialist
Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
, I know that. I don't believe in sharing my money." Numan is not overly politically engaged and distances himself from political commentary.
Aviation career
Numan joined the Air Training Corps as a teenager, when he wanted to be either a pilot or a pop star. In 1978, he started learning to fly at Blackbushe Airport, but the success of his music career in 1979 meant that obtaining his pilot's licence was delayed until 17 December 1980. The following day; 18 December 1980, Numan bought his first aeroplane for £12,000; a Cessna 182 Skylane. On 1 July 1981, Numan founded Numanair, a small charter flight company operating from Blackbushe, and acquired a Cessna 210 Centurion (registered G-OILS) and a Piper PA-31 Navajo
The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of twin-engined low-wing tricycle gear utility aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for small cargo and feeder airlines, and as a corporate aircraft. Production ran from 1967 to 1984. It was licen ...
(registered G-NMAN). He also indulged his passion for motor racing in 1981 by sponsoring Mike Mackonochie who drove a Van Diemen RF81 in Numanair livery in the Formula Ford
Formula Ford, also known as F1600 and Formula F, is an entry-level class of single-seater, open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held across the world have historically been an important step for many prospective Formula One dri ...
1600 class.
In November and December 1981, Numan successfully flew around the world in his Piper PA-31 Navajo with co-pilot Bob Thompson on their second attempt. The first attempt, in the Cessna 210 Centurion, had ended in India with Numan and Thompson being arrested on suspicion of smuggling and spying. This aircraft was written off on 29 January 1982 when it ran out of fuel near Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
and made a forced landing while Numan was a passenger.
In 1984, Numan bought a Harvard T-6 trainer aircraft registered G-AZSC and had the aircraft painted to resemble a Japanese "Zero" fighter. He also gained a display pilot's licence and flew the machine on the UK air display circuit. He and friend Norman Lees, who also owned a Harvard, formed the Radial Pair, performing synchronised aerobatics from the 1992 air display season. Later they teamed up with other Harvard owners to fly up to five aircraft as the Harvard Formation Team with Numan choreographing their aerobatic routines.
Numan held licences for piston and turbine helicopters and had a fixed wing multi engined rating. He was an aerobatic flying instructor and was appointed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as an air display pilot evaluator. Then in 2005, after several of his friends and colleagues were killed in unrelated flying accidents, he gave up flying. In an interview in 2009 he said "I loved going to air shows, you'd bond really tightly with your team mates – it's an extreme thing to be doing, and you trust your life to them. And then it ended. I'd turn up and not know anyone. It got depressing. I'd sit down in the pilot's tent and there'd be all these people I'd not recognise. You'd look forward to someone turning up to have a chat with them, and they'd be dead."
Numanair continued operating but after 31 years, with Numan and his family emigrating to the US, it was dissolved on 18 June 2013.
Discography
: Tubeway Army
* ''Tubeway Army
Tubeway Army were a London-based new wave music, new wave band led by lead singer Gary Numan. Formed at the height of punk rock in 1977, the band gradually changed to an electronic music, electronic sound. They were the first band of the elect ...
'' (1978)
* ''Replicas
A replica is an exact (usually 1:1 in scale) copy or remake of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without ...
'' (1979)
: Solo
* '' The Pleasure Principle'' (1979)
* '' Telekon'' (1980)
* ''Dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
'' (1981)
* '' I, Assassin'' (1982)
* ''Warriors
A warrior is a guardian specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, class, or caste.
History
Warriors seem to have been p ...
'' (1983)
* ''Berserker
In the Old Norse written corpus, berserkers () were Scandinavian warriors who were said to have fought in a trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the modern English adjective ''wikt:berserk#Adjective, berserk'' . Berserkers ...
'' (1984)
* '' The Fury'' (1985)
* '' Strange Charm'' (1986)
* '' Metal Rhythm'' (1988) (''New Anger'' in the US)
* ''Automatic
Automatic may refer to:
Music Bands
* Automatic (Australian band), Australian rock band
* Automatic (American band), American rock band
* The Automatic, a Welsh alternative rock band
Albums
* ''Automatic'' (Jack Bruce album), a 1983 el ...
'' (1989) (with Bill Sharpe as Sharpe & Numan
Sharpe & Numan was a British synth-pop duo formed by Shakatak's Bill Sharpe (keyboards, producer) and Gary Numan (vocals).
They had success with their first single " Change Your Mind" which was a top 20 hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at ...
)
* '' Outland'' (1991)
* '' Machine + Soul'' (1992)
* ''Sacrifice
Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving.
Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Gree ...
'' (1994) (''Dawn'' in the US)
* ''Exile
Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...
'' (1997)
* '' Pure'' (2000)
* '' Jagged'' (2006)
* '' Dead Son Rising'' (2011)
* '' Splinter (Songs from a Broken Mind)'' (2013)
* ''Savage (Songs from a Broken World)
''Savage (Songs from a Broken World)'' is the eighteenth solo Album#Studio, studio album by the English musician Gary Numan, released on 15 September 2017 by Bertelsmann Music Group, BMG and The End Records, The End. The album was first announced ...
'' (2017)
* '' Intruder'' (2021)
See also
* List of one-hit wonders in the United States
A one-hit wonder is a musical artist who is successful with one hit song, but without a comparable subsequent hit. The term may also be applied to an artist who is remembered for only one hit despite other successes. This article contains artist ...
References
Bibliography
* Paul Goodwin (2004). ''Electric Pioneer: An Armchair Guide to Gary Numan'', Helter Skelter Publishing
Helter Skelter Publishing is a British publisher specialising in rock music.
Helter Skelter was founded as a bookshop by Sean Body in 1995, who specifically chose the location of 4, Denmark Street as it had previously housed Regent Sounds Studio ...
, 2004,
* '' The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles'', 7th Edition,
External links
*
*
*
*
Numanme
{{DEFAULTSORT:Numan, Gary
1958 births
Living people
20th-century English singers
20th-century English guitarists
21st-century English singers
21st-century English guitarists
20th-century English male singers
21st-century English male singers
Atco Records artists
Beggars Banquet Records artists
British critics of Christianity
English male new wave singers
English new wave singers
English synth-pop new wave musicians
Dark wave musicians
Eagle Records artists
English atheists
English expatriate musicians in the United States
English industrial musicians
English male guitarists
English male singer-songwriters
English pop keyboardists
English record producers
English rock guitarists
English rock singers
British gothic rock musicians
I.R.S. Records artists
Illegal Records artists
Metropolis Records artists
Musicians from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
People educated at Ashford County Grammar School
People educated at Upton Court Grammar School
People from Hammersmith
Second British Invasion artists
Singers from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Tubeway Army members