ARTIST · CLASSIC ROCK / ARENA

Foreigner

British chops, American swagger—blockbuster choruses polished for Saturday-night dial positions.

Arena rock
Hard rock

Updated 27 October 2026

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Biography

Foreigner merged London songcraft with New York session muscle, dominating 70s and 80s rock formats.

Lou Gramm’s blue-collar tenor sold sci-fi metaphors and love songs with equal conviction.

Power ballads featuring choir stacks became template material for every band chasing transitive night drives.

High-bitrate audio exposes Hammond swells, twin-guitar harmony, and gated reverb tails defining the era.

Foreigner was formed in New York in 1976 by guitarist Mick Jones, a Londoner who had played in Spooky Tooth, with singer Lou Gramm, multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald, and others. The name reflects a lineup of British and American musicians. The band’s self-titled debut included Feels Like the First Time and Cold as Ice.

Double Vision (1978) and 4 (1981), produced by Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange, brought Juke Box Hero and Urgent. Agent Provocateur (1984) gave them I Want to Know What Love Is, featuring the New Jersey Mass Choir. Gramm left in 1990, then returned, and Mick Jones has led later versions.

Interesting facts about Foreigner

01 British-American rock band formed in New York City in 1976 by guitarist Mick Jones and multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald.
02 4 (1981) and Agent Provocateur (1984) housed global hits including Urgent and I Want to Know What Love Is.
03 Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.
04 I Want to Know What Love Is features the New Jersey Mass Choir.
05 The group’s name reflects its mix of British and American members.