Description: The The was always a personal project for songwriter Matt Johnson. Started in 1979, when Johnson was a teenager, the post-punk outfit became central to the political and personal pop of the 1980s. Never a singles band - they managed seven top 40 singles, with 1989's anti-Thatcher anthem 'The Beaten Generation' reaching number 18 - their albums were hits. Infected in 1986 reached No. 14, followed by 1989's Mind Bomb at number four and 1993's Dusk at number two. Band members included Johnny Marr and DC Collard with other collaborators including JG Thirlwell, Jools Holland, Neneh Cherry, Zeke Manyika, and Sinead O'Connor - a Who's Who of 1980s independent pop.
