Adam Ant burst onto the late-‘70s English punk scene fronting The Ants, which melded catchy percussive anthems with outrageous pirate aesthetics. The artist (born Stuart Goddard in 1954 London) cut his teeth playing bass in pub rock band Bazooka Joe until seeing the Sex Pistols’ first gig in 1975 triggered his desire to change his stage name and persona to the eccentric Adam Ant. Between 1977 and 1982, Adam & The Ants ruled the UK charts with hits like “Stand and Deliver” and “Prince Charming”, but after punk impresario Malcolm McLaren convinced the backing members to break off and form Bow Wow Wow, the charismatic singer set out on his lonesome. He continued collaborating with Ants guitarist Marco Pirroni, launching his solo debut, Friend or Foe, later that year—and scoring a No. 1 smash with “Goody Two Shoes”. The title track from Ant’s dreamy 1995 LP, Wonderful, became another fan favourite, and his 2013 comeback album, the genre-agnostic Adam Ant Is the BlueBlack Hussar Marrying the Gunner's Daughter, further cemented his legacy as a rock chameleon for the ages.