Franz Ferdinand

With their sharply stylish mix of rock and dance music, Franz Ferdinand brought a wry sophistication to indie rock while becoming one of the U.K.’s most popular bands in the early 21st century. The Glasgow-based group arrived in the wake of the early-2000s rock revival, with bands such as and reminding listeners just how refreshing — and evergreen — hook-driven guitar music could be. While Franz Ferdinand had a kinship with those acts, their lineage also included the arch, angular post-punk of bands such as and the witty, funky jangle of fellow Glaswegians . From the beginning, the group had a flair for translating arty and unexpected concepts and references into widely appealing music and visuals, whether it was the Russian Constructivism-inspired artwork that graced their early releases or the homage in the guitar solos of 2004’s smash single “Take Me Out.” After laying the groundwork for their sound with that year’s Mercury Prize-winning, platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated debut album Franz Ferdinand, the band soon branched out. On 2005’s You Could Have It So Much Better, they added more detail and nuance to their style, then expanded on the danceable side of their music on albums ranging from the dub explorations of 2009’s Tonight to the sleek disco leanings of 2018’s Always Ascending. The group continued to embellish on their signature sound in the 2020s, dabbling in electro pop and vintage glam influences on the new songs included on 2022’s best-of Hits to the Head.