Iggy & The Stooges

Formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexander, Iggy & The Stooges were a pioneering proto-punk band that fundamentally altered the landscape of rock music through their raw, chaotic, and high-energy sound. Despite little initial commercial success, the group gained legendary status through confrontational live performances—noted for Pop’s self-destructive antics and the band’s intense, abrasive, and often improvised garage rock. After releasing two seminal albums, The Stooges (1969) and Fun House (1970), the band broke up in 1974 following the release of the Bowie-produced Raw Power (1973). The Stooges reunited in 2003 with various lineups, including James Williamson and Mike Watt, touring extensively and releasing later albums like The Weirdness (2007) and Ready to Die (2013) before finally disbanding in 2016 following the deaths of Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, and saxophonist Steve Mackay. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010, cementing their legacy as the "Godfather of Punk".