As any fan of 1980s music knows, the Eurhythmics were a duo consisting of singer Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart on synths or guitar. For some of their records and concerts they fleshed out their sound with other musicians and singers, but the focus tended to be Lennox and Stewart. The Eurythmics released 9 studio albums and a string of hit singles.
On 5 November 2022, in Los Angeles, the Eurhythmics were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After an introduction by U2's The Edge, the band kicked off with Would I Lie to You? This was followed by Missionary Man, before the Eurythmics concluded with their breakthrough single, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), as shown in the video below.
Doesn't Annie Lennox sound good! One would expect nothing less from a singer who VH1 described as the "greatest white soul singer alive". A contralto (which simply means a low female singing voice), Lennox also features on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Lennox has been dubbed "the most successful female British artist" in the history of the music industry in the UK (in 2013, by the Official Charts Company). Meanwhile Dave Stewart is no slouch.
Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves, featuring the great Aretha Franklin, is a classic example of R&B influenced Rock & Roll. Variety Magazine describes the Eurythmics as shape-shifting innovators and states that their induction is undeniably deserved. "The pair altered their sound again and again, switching from synths (Here Comes the Rain Again) to R&B (Would I Lie to You?) to experimental alternative (Beethoven) to a feminist anthem featuring Aretha Franklin (Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves) to heartbreaking ballads (Miracle of Love) to, yes, straight-up, in-your-face, Grammy-winning rock (Missionary Man). It will be many years before we see and hear the likes of Eurythmics explode from our radios again".
Outside of Eurythmics, Stewart has become a well-regarded music producer and songwriter. He's worked with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Bryan Ferry, Stevie Nicks, Mick Jagger, and many others. Despite the acclaim of the two principles, there are no doubt arm-chair grouches who question the inclusion of a synth pop outfit in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – niggles about genre boundaries have become a feature of inductions. In this case, such quibbles are easily answered. Just listen to the track below:
Since recording their last studio album Peace, 1999, and touring it for 3 months, the Eurythmics have seldom played together. When they have, it has tended to be for charitable events. Both Stewart and Lennox have long supported causes close to their hearts. For example, all of the proceeds from the Peace tour went to Greenpeace and Amnesty International.
This year, 2022, the Eurythmics have performed twice. The second time was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, the first was an acoustic duet of ‘Here Comes the Rain Again’ when Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June. For the Songwriters Hall of Fame performance Lennox wore a camouflage jumpsuit modified by the artist Perry Meek. The modifications are significant for Lennox, who told Vogue: “I have the term ‘Global Feminist’ on the back, a message that I feel very strongly aligns with myself as an activist. I also put my name on the leg, and I put ‘Peace, Love and Eurythmics’ on the front, so everybody can see who we are and what we represent.” Here is the Eurythmics at the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction in New York:
Annie Lennox's fashion choices have long been a factor in the appeal of the Eurythmics. As St Vincent expressed it at the Eurhythmics' induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, she first noticed the Eurythmics when she saw their iconic Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This video, wherein a “beautiful, orange-haired androgynous creature appeared wearing a suit and tie.” NME reports that St Vincent later told Associated Press: “They were scary, they were sexy, they were smart and they were impossibly cool.”