A is for... Aerosmith

The elder statesmen of US Rock, Aerosmith still continue to thrill live audiences with pulse-pounding rock and soothe the radio listener with ballads such as the theme from Armageddon. Formed in 1970 the band has had a more or less settled line-up since - Steven Tyler (vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (guitar) - although Perry and Whitford left for a time in the eighties when the band's battle with drugs and alchohol was at its worse. Their breakthrough album in the states was Toys in the Attic in 1975. However it wasn't until the battle with Run DMC on "Walk This Way" that they became well-known in the United Kingdom. Discography

B is for... the Beatles

More famous than Jesus Christ, said Lennon, the Beatles still remain at the top of many lists of the most influential groups of all time. Paul McCartney met John Lennon in 1957 and by the time the Beatles were named in 1960 had been joined by George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best. Sutcliffe left in 1961 and once Brian Epstein had become their manager and had introduced the band to George Martin, Best was sacked and replaced by Ringo Starr. "Love Me Do" was their first British hit in 1962 while it wasn't until "I Want To Hold Your Hand" in 1964 that the break-through came in the states. Over the next six years they evolved from mop-topped, suited pop stars to hippy, psychedelic innovators before splitting acrimoniously in 1970. All four members continued to record after the split and achieved more than moderate success. John Lennon was murdered in 1980 and with him died the dream of many fans that one day the band would reform. Discography

C is for... Mariah Carey

Brought up in New York by a mother who was an opera singer and vocal coach, Mariah Carey has a record unparalleled in US Singles. She's had 14 number ones, a number one every year of the 90s, her duet One Sweet Day with Boyz II Men is the longest running chart topper in history, and she's won numerous Grammys and trophies. Her move from soul ballad singer to R&B diva has, if anything, made her even more popular, especially with singles backed by sexy videos. In the UK her success has not been on the same level although she has achieved many top 10 singles including a number one with "Without You". Discography

D is for... Bob Dylan

No other artist in the history of rock has been as written about, debated, feverishly researched and revered as the Jester that stole Presley's crown, Bob Dylan. Born Robert Allen Zimmerman on 24th May 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota, he soon became the voice of a generation in the sixties. His output in his first twenty years in the business was phenomenal, penning classic after classic, while his live appearances became legendary with bootlegs becoming as coveted as his official recordings. When he became a born again christian in the late seventies many fans turned away from his new songs, preferring the Dylan of old, although some twenty years later these albums are now embraced by many who derided them at the time. Sadly fans of his songwriting have been thrown only a few morsels in the last fifteen years with his new albums almost exclusively cover versions, live sets or old rarities. Discography