Jethro Tull – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts

Jethro Tull – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts
Jethro Tull – Ian Anderson and keyboard player in Dallas, Texas, 1982. Image source: Circacies, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jethro Tull Biography

Jethro Tull is a British rock band founded in 1967 in Blackpool, England. The band began by performing blues rock and jazz fusion, but quickly included elements of English folk, hard rock, and classical music, establishing a signature progressive rock style. Ian Anderson, the bandleader, founder, principal songwriter, and sole constant member, is a multi-instrumentalist who mostly plays flute and acoustic guitar and also serves as the lead voice. Throughout the decades, the band has featured a revolving door of musicians, including electric guitarist Martin Barre (the longest serving member besides Anderson), keyboardists John Evan, Dee Palmer, Peter-John Vettese, and Andrew Giddings, drummers Clive Bunker, Barrie “Barriemore” Barlow, and Doane Perry, and bassists Glen Cornick, Jeffrey Hammond, John Glascock, Dave Pegg, and Jonathan Noyce.

The group began as a three-piece in local clubs and venues before Evans was influenced by Georgie Fame and the Animals and switched to organ, bringing in drummer Barrie Barlow and guitarist Mike Stephens from the Atlantics. By 1964, the band had added guitarist Chris Riley and evolved into the John Evan Band, a six-piece blue-eyed soul band (later the John Evan Smash). Evans’ surname had been shortened to “Evan” at the request of Hammond, who thought it sounded nicer and more exotic. The band hired Johnny Taylor as a booking agent and began playing shows in and around northwest England, with a combination of blues and Motown tunes. Hammond later left the band to attend art school. Derek Ward and Glenn Cornick filled in for him momentarily. Riley resigned as well, and Neil Smith took his place. In April 1967, the trio recorded three songs at Regent Sound Studios in Denmark Street, London, and performed at The Marquee club in June.

Following minor success in the London club scene, the band released their debut album This Was in 1968. The band released the folk-tinged second album Stand Up after a lineup change that saw original guitarist Mick Abrahams replaced by Martin Barre (1969). Stand Up was the band’s first commercial triumph, reaching No. 1 in the United Kingdom, and was followed by regular tours of the United Kingdom and the United States.

With the albums Aqualung (1971), Thick as a Brick (1972), and A Passion Play (1973), their musical approach evolved to progressive rock, and then back to modern folk rock with Songs from the Wood (1977), Heavy Horses (1978), and Stormwatch (1979). The band’s sound transitioned to electronic rock in the early 1980s, with the albums A (1980), The Broadsword and the Beast (1982), and Under Wraps (1984). The band’s sole Grammy Award was for the 1987 album Crest of a Knave, which saw them return to their hard rock roots. Jethro Tull sold an estimated 60 million albums worldwide, including 11 gold and five platinum albums. They have been described by Rolling Stone as “one of the most commercially successful and eccentric progressive rock bands”.

J-Tull Dot Com (1999) and a Christmas CD in 2003 were the band’s last works to contain new material before their sabbatical, however they continued to play until 2011. Anderson and Barre have both continued to record and tour as solo musicians, with Anderson stating in 2014 that Jethro Tull had “come to a close.” The current lineup, currently branded as “Ian Anderson and the Jethro Tull band,” includes musicians who were members of Jethro Tull during its final years as well as newer musicians linked with Anderson’s solo band, but without Barre’s participation.Jethro Tull released The Zealot Gene, their first studio album in 19 years (and their first one to consist of original, new material in 23 years), in 2022.

Jethro Tull Discography

Songs from the WoodSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die!SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Minstrel in the GallerySpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
War ChildSpotifyAppleYouTube
A Passion PlaySpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Thick as a BrickSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
AqualungSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
BenefitSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Stand UpSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
This WasSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon

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Frequently Asked Questions

Jethro Tull?

Jethro Tull was a British rock band, formed in Luton, Bedfordshire, on December 20, 1967. Initially playing blues rock and jazz fusion, they later developed their sound to incorporate elements of hard rock and folk rock to forge a progressive rock signature.

What Was Jethro TullS Greatest Hit?

“Aqualung” is Jethro Tull’s most well-known song. It was released on the band’s fourth album of the same name in 1971. The song addresses themes of religion and pollution, and remains one of the band’s most popular tracks.

What Is Jethro TullS’S Best Album?

Jethro Tull’s best album is Aqualung, which was released in 1971. This album contains some of the band’s most well-known songs, such as “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath.” Other popular albums by Jethro Tull include Thick as a Brick (1972) and A Passion Play (1973).

How Many Songs Do Jethro TullS’S Have?

Jethro Tull have released 30 studio albums, 10 live albums, 35 compilation albums, and nine video albums. They have sold an estimated 60 million albums worldwide. The band’s songs “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath” are among the most enduring classics of rock music.

What Is Jethro Tull’S Best Selling Album?

The best-selling album by JETHRO TULL is AQUALUNG, which sold over 7,000,000 copies .

Most Searched For Jethro Tull Songs

Locomotive BreathSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
AqualungSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
BouréeSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Wond’ring AloudSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
We Used to Know – 2001 RemasterSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Cross-Eyed MarySpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die! – 2002 RemasterSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Broadsword – 2005 RemasterSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Living in the Past – 2001 RemasterSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
A Song for Jeffrey – MonoSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon