Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy formed in Dublin in 1969, built around Phil Lynott, who sang, played bass and wrote almost all of the band's songs, and drummer Brian Downey. Their sound is hard rock at heart, with blues, soul, psychedelia and Irish folk running through it. Lynott's writing leaned towards working-class stories of love and conflict. The line-up drew members from both sides of the Irish border and from Catholic and Protestant backgrounds during the Troubles. Lynott was also the first Black Irishman to find commercial success in rock.

The guitar line-up shifted often, but the twin leads of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson defined the mid-seventies. "Whiskey in the Jar", "The Boys Are Back in Town" and "Waiting for an Alibi" were international hits. Start with Jailbreak, then try Bad Reputation, Black Rose: A Rock Legend and Vagabonds of the Western World. The band ended in 1983, and Lynott died in 1986.