Echo & the Bunnymen's original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass playerLes Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut album, Crocodiles, met with critical acclaim and made the UK Top 20. Their second album, Heaven Up Here (1981), again found favour with critics and reached number 10 in the UK. The band's cult status was followed by mainstream success in the mid-1980s, as they scored a UK Top 10 hit with the single "The Cutter", and the attendant album, Porcupine (1983), which reached number two in the UK. The next release, Ocean Rain (1984), regarded as their landmark release, spawned the hit singles "The Killing Moon", "Silver" and "Seven Seas". One more studio album, Echo & the Bunnymen (1987), was released before McCulloch left the band to pursue a solo career in 1988. The following year, de Freitas was killed in a motorcycle accident, and the band re-emerged with a new line-up. Sergeant and Pattinson were joined by Noel Burke as lead singer, Damon Reece on drums and Jake Brockman on keyboards. They released Reverberation in 1990, but the disappointing critical and commercial reaction it received culminated with a complete disbanding in early 1993.
After working together as Electrafixion, McCulloch, Sergeant and Pattinson regrouped in 1997 and returned as Echo & the Bunnymen with the UK Top 10 hit "Nothing Lasts Forever". An album of new material, Evergreen, was greeted enthusiastically by critics and the band made a successful return to the live arena. Though Pattinson left the group for a second time, McCulloch and Sergeant continue to record as Echo & the Bunnymen, releasing What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? (1999), Flowers (2001), Siberia (2005), The Fountain (2009), and Meteorites (2014).
^The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon reached number 70 on Billboard's United States Top Current Albums chart, which ranks the best-selling recently-released albums in the country.[15] It was never on the Billboard 200 chart, which counts catalog albums in addition to current releases.
^Chart position for the 1991 reissue; the 1987 chart position was No. 21.
^ abcdefghi"Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2009. Note: User needs to enter "Echo & The Bunnymen" in the "Search" field, "Artist" in the "Search by" field and click the "Go" button. Select "More info" next to the relevant entry to see full certification history.
^To the Shores of Lake Placid (cover). various artists. Liverpool, England: Zoo Records. 1982. ZOO 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Raindrops Pattering on Banana Leaves and Other Tunes (cover). various artists. WOMAD Records. 1984. WOMAD1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
