Bay City Rollers-Bay City Rollers (1975)

Bay City Rollers were one of the biggest British pop phenomena to emerge from the "Bleatlemania" craze, creating what became known as "Rollermania". For much of the 1970s, they were one of the most successful bands, selling over one hundred million records. Formed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the mid-1960s, they were initially called The Saxons, under which name they had some minor hits. Their most successful lineup consisted of Les McKeown (guitar and vocals), Eric Faulkner (guitar, backing vocals, violin, mandolin, and bass), Stuart "Woody" Wood (bass, backing vocals, keyboards, and guitars), Alan Longmuir (bass, backing vocals, accordion, and piano), and Derek Longmuir (drums). As Bay City Rollers, they began to achieve mainstream success, releasing a series of albums that conquered the UK. With a style somewhere between glam pop and pop rock, the group found their biggest fans among teenage girls. Hits like "Keep On Dancing", "Remember (Sha-La-La-La)", "Shang-a-Lang", "Summer Love Sensation", "Bye Bye Baby", "Another Rainy Day in New York City", and "Give a Little Love" reached the top of the charts in England. In 1975, they broke into the North American market with an undeniable number one hit, "Saturday Night". Like these and many other singles, their albums had a significant commercial impact worldwide. Albums such as "Rollin' ", "Once Upon a Star", "Bay City Rollers", and "Rock 'n' Love Letter" earned a dozen gold and platinum records on the American and British charts. By the late seventies, the rise of new sounds like punk, new wave, and British heavy metal coincided with the rapid decline in popularity of this once-successful band.