MC5 (also known as the Motor City Five) was an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The classic lineup consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson. MC5 were listed by Parade as one of the best rock bands of all time and by VH1 as one of the greatest hard rock artists of all time. The band's music is widely recognized as influential, and their 1969 song "Kick Out the Jams" has been covered by many artists.
Key facts
- Musical artist.past_members
- Wayne KramerFred "Sonic" SmithRob TynerMichael DavisDennis ThompsonLeo LeDucBilly VargoBob GasparPatrick BurrowsSteve "Annapurna" MoorhouseDerek HughesRay CraigRitchie DharmaFrank LowenbergBob SchultzMark MankoTim SchafeHandsome Dick ManitobaGilby ClarkeMarcus DurantKim ThayilDoug PinnickBilly GouldMatt CameronDon WasBrendan CantyBrad Brooks
- Musical artist.name
- MC5
- Musical artist.image
- MC5band68-69.jpg
- Musical artist.caption
- MC5 in 1970. From left to right: Wayne Kramer, Dennis Thompson, Michael Davis, Fred "Sonic" Smith, and Rob Tyner.
- Musical artist.landscape
- yes
- Musical artist.alias
- Bounty HuntersMotor City FiveMC50
- Musical artist.origin
- Lincoln Park, Michigan, U.S.
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Official name
- MC5
- Official website
- www.mc5.org
- Image
- MC50 - Fabrik Hamburg 2018 02.jpg
Show 5 more facts
- Commons category
- MC5
- inception
- 1964-01-01
- dissolved, abolished or demolished date
- 1972-00-00
- start of work period
- 1964-00-00
- native label
- MC5
via Wikidata · CC0
~27 min read
Article
14 sectionsContents
- History
- 1963–1967: Formation and early years
- 1968–1969: ''Kick Out the Jams''
- 1970–1971: ''Back in the USA'' and ''High Time''
- 1972–1991: Disbandment and post-break up
- 1992–2024: Reunions, final years, and ''Heavy Lifting''
- Band members
- Classic lineup
- Discography
- Filmography
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
MC5 (also known as the Motor City Five) was an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The classic lineup consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson. MC5 were listed by Parade as one of the best rock bands of all time and by VH1 as one of the greatest hard rock artists of all time. The band's music is widely recognized as influential, and their 1969 song "Kick Out the Jams" has been covered by many artists.
"Crystallizing the counterculture movement at its most volatile and threatening", according to AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine, MC5's leftist political ties and anti-establishment lyrics and music positioned them as pioneers of the punk movement in the United States. Their loud, energetic style of back-to-basics rock and roll included elements of garage rock, hard rock, blues rock, and psychedelic rock. Guitarist Tom Morello described MC5 as having "basically invented punk rock."