Marillion are a progressive rock band hailing from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, UK, who rose to prominence along with several other bands as part of the 80s neo-prog revival.
Taking their name from a J.R.R. Tolkien novel, the band came together in 1979, but it took them until 1984 to form their core lineup, featuring Steve Rothery (lead guitar), Pete Trewavas (bass), Mark Kelly (Keyboards) and Ian Mosley (drums), having had their frontman, Fish (Derek Dick) leave the band in 1988, being replaced with Steve Hogarth.
Their debut album, "Script for a Jester's Tear" was released in 1983, gaining a loyal fan base through their album and commitment to touring. In 1984, their second, "Fugazi" was unleashed, featuring a more straight-up hard rock approach, with singles "Assassin" and "Punch and Judy" becoming hits in the UK. But it was with their third record, the more progressive concept album Misplaced Childhood" (1985) that Marillion had their biggest success, with the single "Kayleigh" reaching number two in the UK charts and doing well in the US.
After vocalist Fish left the band, Marillion took a stylistic change, moving to a more accessible, mainstream rock sound, although still incorporating progressive elements, such as in "Brave," (1992) which whilst being straightforward rock, it incorporated a dark and complex symphonic sound reminiscent of classic prog acts.
The band moved to a softer sound in 1998, incorporating influences from The Beatles, U2 and Radiohead, especially the kraut-rock prog of Radiohead's "OK Computer." "Radiation" (1998), "Anoraknophobia" (2001) and "Marbles" (2004) all followed in this same vein, continuing the band's popularity into the new millennium. Marillion continued to be progressive and ambitious in their sound, culminating in their 2012 record, "Sounds That Can't Be Made," a politically motivated album that featured a 17-minute epic titled "Gaza."
Marillion were one of the first bands to use crowd-funding in order to support their activities, setting up a fund in order to raise money to support them upon a US tour in 1997, following their record label's refusal to offer adequate money for the tour. They have had a hugely successful career, selling over 15 million albums worldwide.
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