Stooges

The Stooges were an American rock band formed in 1967 in Detroit, Michigan. Often cited as a key progenitor of punk rock and a precursor to garage rock, their music fused aggressive guitars, boomy bass, and wild stage performances. The group’s most familiar lineup featured Iggy Pop on vocals, Ron Asheton on guitar, Scott Asheton on drums, and Dave Alexander on bass, with guitarist James Williamson joining around 1970.

They released three studio albums during their initial run: The Stooges (1969), Fun House (1970), and Raw Power (1973). The latter, produced by David Bowie, is noted for its raw, high-energy sound that helped define the proto-punk aesthetic. The band dissolved in 1974 amid personal and substance abuse problems.

The Stooges re-formed in the 2000s for touring and occasional recording. They released The Weirdness in 2007, their first new studio album in decades. Original guitarist Ron Asheton died in 2009; the group has continued intermittently with Pop as a central figure and has been cited as an influence by a wide range of artists in punk, hard rock, and heavy metal.