Madness

Madness are an English ska band from Camden Town, North London, who formed in 1976. One of the most prominent bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s two-tone ska revival, they continue to perform with six of the seven members of their original line-up. The most successful period for the band was from 1980 to 1986, when Madness spent 214 weeks on the UK singles charts. UB40 shared the same number of weeks, the largest for any British group in the decade, but over a longer period. Madness have had 15 singles reach the UK top ten, which include "One Step Beyond", "Baggy Trousers" and "It Must Be Love", one UK number one single "House of Fun" and two number ones in Ireland, "House of Fun" and "Wings of a Dove". "Our House" was their biggest US hit. In 2000 the band received the Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors for Outstanding Song Collection.