Group

Television

From: New York, United States
Active: 1973–2023
Rating: ★ 3.65 (3 votes)
Releases: 36

post-punk
art punk
art rock
new wave
proto-punk
punk
experimental rock
rock

About

Television was an American rock band from New York City that formed in 1973. Its most prominent lineup comprised vocalist and guitarist-keyboardist Tom Verlaine, guitarist Richard Lloyd, drummer Billy Ficca, and bassist Fred Smith. An early fixture of CBGB and the 1970s New York punk rock scene, the band is considered influential in the development of punk rock and alternative rock.

Although they recorded in a stripped-down, guitar-based manner similar to their punk contemporaries, Television's music was by comparison clean, improvisational, and technically proficient, drawing influence from jazz and 1960s rock. The group's debut album Marquee Moon (1977) was widely acclaimed and is considered one of the defining releases of the punk era. The group released Adventure to a more muted reception the following year, after which they disbanded. They reunited in 1991 and released a self-titled album in 1992, disbanding the following year again. Another reunion followed in 2001; they occasionally performed live from then until Verlaine's death in 2023. Smith and Lloyd both died in 2026. The band recorded new material in the 21st century, but it has not been completed or released.

From Television (band) on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Members

Richard Hell 1973–1975 · former bass
Richard Lloyd 1973–1978, 1991–1993, 2001–2007 · former background vocals, guitar
Billy Ficca 1973–1978, 1991–1993, 2001–2023 · former drums (drum set)
Tom Verlaine 1973–1978, 1991–1993, 2001–2023 · former guitar, lead vocals
Fred Smith 1975–1978, 1991–1993, 2001–2023 · former bass
Jimmy Rip 2007–2023 · former guitar