The Stooges

There are many American bands that arose in the mid-1960s but only a handful of them were able to make a name for themselves while building a relentless reputation of success. 

The Stooges, who were also referred to as Iggy and the Stooges were unlike many bands in the era of rock music. This group had a far more aggressive and grime outlook during their performances, taking off their shirts while performing and diving into the crowd.

The American band from Ann Arbor, Michigan was formed in 1967. The actions of this group earned them the attribute of being infamous. Though the reputation preceding was negative, they still influenced a larger crowd of the younger generation in Rock N’ Roll.

In the history of the band’s line-up, they had 14 band members. Some of these members were in the flow of line-up changes that occurred through all 3 times of the band’s disbandment. A few were however consistent until the final break-up of the band. 

The most noted line-up for the band included:

• James Newell Osterberg Jr also known as Iggy Pop (lead vocalist and songwriter)
• James Robert Williamson (guitarist)
• Michael David Watt (bassist)
• Edward Lawrence Crooke also known as Toby Dammit (keyboard, drums & percussion)

Achievements

The American band earned some awards and accolades to their name during the 19 active years of their career.

They released 5 Studio albums, 7 live albums, 8 compilation albums, 24 singles, 4 Box Sets, and 2 Guest appearances on their records.

The group’s self-titled album, The Stooges took spot number 106 in the Billboard 200 charts on August 5, 1969. 

Raw Power, the band’s third album also did well in the American scene and charted at number 182 on the Billboard charts.

The band won best charting album in the United States for their reunion album, The Weirdness. In 2004, they were ranked 78th on Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of 100 greatest artists of All Time.

The Stooges also earned the British Phonography Industry (BPI) Silver and Gold certification for their albums, The Stooges (1969) and Raw Power (1973) respectively.

In 2008, they were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.

The year 2010 saw them receive the honor of an induction into the iconic Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame.

Interesting Facts about The Stooges

The Stooges had a very wild and eventful life with some intriguing facts that made them all the more a spectacle in the eyes of their fans and critics alike. Below are some known and hidden details about this rock band:

They disbanded three times in their musical career. Aside from their unusual character in relation to other existing bands at the time, they also had a very unusual lifespan. Their first break up was in 1971; after which there was a reunion in 1972. Two years later, they disbanded again (1974), regrouped again in 2003, and disbanded finally in 2016.

The band’s second breakup lasted for 29 years before they reunited.

The group was nominated for the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame induction 11 times before finally earning the honors.

The group was often described as weird and dangerous by all standards.

Frontman, Iggy Pop’s movement, and outlook, was the inspiration for the character Gollum in Peter Jackson’s animation, The Fellowship of the Ring.

Iggy Pop performed the song Pain & Suffering in the animated movie Rock & Blue.

The group smeared themselves with peanut butter and blood residues sometimes for their performances.

The Stooges were regarded in a wide space as a seminal proto-punk act despite being known for their musical genres of hard-rock, glam rock, and punk rock.

Members of the band were regarded as very raw and vulgar. The group has been compared to other wild bands such as The Velvet Underground, yet they have been characterized as more rascal than any other band.

Their song, Search and Destroy was featured in the video game, Guitar Hero II for the PlayStation 2.

Iggy Pop is often credited with popularizing the act of stage diving by performers. He was even more famed for his weird stage antics such as self-mutilating with shards of glass, or flashing his genitalia to a live audience.

Brief Conclusion

The Stooges (Iggy and the Stooges) with their loud, disorganized and grubby characteristics influenced Rock N’ Roll in their own distinct way.

Following the demise of a greater part of its founding members and three break-ups, there was hardly a chance of the band being active any longer. An official announcement by James Williamson in June 2016, confirmed all assumptions that their career was finally over.

Top The Stooges’ Songs

Throughout their very successful career, The Stooges released a ton of hit songs. Below is just a handful of them:

• “Cock in My Pocket”
• “Consolation Prizes”
• “Down on the Street”
• “Free & Freaky” (Virgin, 2007)
• “Gimme Danger”
• “Gimme Some Skin”
• “Heavy Liquid”
• “How It Hurts”
• “I Got a Right”
• “I Got Nothing”
• “I Wanna Be Your Dog”
• “I’m Sick of You”
• “Jesus Loves the Stooges”
• “Johanna”
• “Keep Me Coming”
• “My Girl Hates My Heroin”
• “Nowhere”
• “Open Up and Bleed”
• “Penetration”
• “Purple Haze”
• “Raw Power”
• “Real Cool Time”
• “Scene of the Crime”
• “Search and Destroy”
• “Shake Appeal”
• “She Creatures of Hollywood Hills”
• “She’s A Pain”
• “Spiral Scratch”
• “T.V. Eye”
• “Tight Pants”
• “Till the End of the Night”
• “Untitled Scratch 5”
• “What You Gonna Do?”