Ebba Grön: Schweden Schweden
[purchase]
I don't think there's a single Swedish youth who didn't in one way or another grow up listening to Ebba Grön. I was certainly one of them. I shudder at the thought of what a terrible taste in music I would've had today if I hadn't discovered them in 1992 at the tender age of 11.
Inspired by the likes of The Clash, Eater and The Sex Pistols, they formed in the outskirts of Stockholm in 1977 by members of bands such as Urin and Pink Champagne, and soon became one of the most reputable bands in the country. They left behind three albums and a string of singles before parting ways in 1983 after their bassist Lennart "Fjodor" Eriksson (the one with the mohawk) got sent to prison for refusing to do his mandatory military service. Ironically, one of the band's songs, Totalvägra, was about written to inspire young people to refuse do their military service. At least the band practiced what they preached.
Singer, guitarist and frontman Joakim Thåström (the one in the middle) continued his career in bands like Imperiet, Peace Love & Pitbulls and Sällskapet and is today the biggest and most respected male artist in Sweden. Not to pimp my own blog or anything, but according to my humble little countdown he made the 10th best album of 2009.
Eriksson and drummer Gustav "Gurra" Ljungstedt however have both faded into obscurity.
But despite the band being inactive for 27 years (they've consistently refused to reunite no matter how many millions they're offered) their reputation lives ever on and on - various box sets and compilations have been released since the band's break-up and they've all rocketed to the top of the charts.