Gerry Rafferty
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Scotland's Gerry Rafferty was better known for his 1970's hits than what he released in the 1980's, but we include him here due to the fact that not only did he produce in the 80's, but his late 70's hit songs continued on the radio well into the 80's. At a young age, Rafferty knew he wanted to make music. His first band, The Mavericks, was a cover band for songs from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Later he joined a band called The Humblebums with future comedian Billy Connolly, from which two albums were produced.
By 1971, Rafferty was a solo artist, and his first release, Can I Have My Money Back, was released in 1971. Soon after he formed a band called Stealers Wheel, which released three albums (you may remember their song "Stuck in the Middle with You"). A few years after the dissolution of Stealers Wheel, Rafferty released the album City to City, which includes the hit songs "Baker Street", "Home and Dry", and "Right Down the Line." "Baker Street" remains Rafferty's biggest hit, continuing to earn him strong royalties. Rafferty's 1979 release, Night Owl, was also a success, featuring the hit songs "Take the Money and Run", "Days Gone Down", and "Get It Right Next Time".
Rafferty had three studio releases in the 1980's: Snakes and Ladders (1980), Sleepwalking (1982), and North & South (1988). None of these faired well, and it has been said that this is partially due to Rafferty's aversion to live performances in addition to his attempt to change his sound. He continued producing well into the 1990's and even into the 2000's. He died in 2011 of liver failure from a life of heavy drinking, but his daughter keeps his memory alive via his website. The Gerry Rafferty Discography is as follows:
Listen for free or download any Gerry Rafferty track for just 12 cents per song!
- 1971: Can I Have My Money Back?
- 1974: Gerry Rafferty (Rafferty's 1969 & 1970 Humblebums recordings)
- 1978: City to City
- 1979: Night Owl
- 1980: Snakes and Ladders
- 1982: Sleepwalking
- 1984: First Chapter
- 1984: Baker Street
- 1988: North and South
- 1989: Right Down the Line: The Best of Gerry Rafferty
- 1992: On a Wing and a Prayer
- 1994: Over My Head
- 1995: One More Dream: The Very Best of Gerry Rafferty
- 2000: Another World
- 2006: Days Gone Down: The Anthology: 1970–1982
- 2009: Life Goes On
- 2011: Gerry Rafferty & Stealers Wheel: Collected