ABC

The Profile

ABC are a British pop/new wave group formed in Sheffield in 1980, fronted by vocalist Martin Fry. They broke through with The Lexicon of Love (1982), produced by Trevor Horn, spawning hits like Poison Arrow, The Look of Love, and All of My Heart. Subsequent albums include Beauty Stab (1983), How to Be a... Zillionaire! (1985), Alphabet City (1987), Up (1989), Abracadabra (1991), Skyscraping (1997), Traffic (2008), and The Lexicon of Love II (2016).

Key figure: Martin Fry (vocals). The Lexicon of Love features Trevor Horn’s production and Anne Dudley’s arrangements. Alphabet City includes tracks produced by Nile Rodgers. Signature singles include Poison Arrow, The Look of Love, All of My Heart, and When Smokey Sings.

Four DeBaser takes chart ABC’s arc from the lavish The Lexicon of Love to the sleeker Alphabet City and the later Traffic. Reviewers praise Trevor Horn’s glittering production, Anne Dudley’s strings, and Motown/Philly soul inflections. Standout singles recur: Poison Arrow, The Look of Love, All of My Heart, When Smokey Sings. One late-period album gets mixed notes, but the early classic still steals the spotlight.