Oingo Boingo, an American new wave band, carved a unique niche in the music world during the 1980s and early 1990s with their high-energy performances and a distinctive fusion of rock, ska, pop, and world music. Founded by the multifaceted singer-songwriter Danny Elfman in 1979, the band originally emerged from a surrealist musical theatre troupe, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, which Elfman had led and partially inherited from his brother. This theatrical background influenced the band's dynamic stage shows and their complex, often quirky, lyrical themes dealing with the darker side of life, society, and the self, combined with an irrepressibly upbeat tempo.

Over the years, Oingo Boingo developed a cult following, particularly in Southern California, bolstered by their seminal hit "Dead Man's Party" and the anthem "Weird Science," which was also the theme song for the film of the same name. Albums like "Only a Lad," "Good For Your Soul," and "Dead Man's Party" are reflective of their evolution from a performance art ensemble into a band with a sharply defined, but still eclectic sound that challenged the musical norms of the time. Their farewell concert, "Farewell: Live from the Universal Amphitheatre-Halloween 1995," marked the end of an era for the band. Danny Elfman would go on to achieve fame as a composer of film scores, notably for Tim Burton movies, bringing a touch of Oingo Boingo’s distinctive sound to a wider audience.

Genres

Dance Rock

New Romantic

New Wave

Zolo

Related Artists

Talking Heads

DEVO

The B-52's

The Police

They Might Be Giants

XTC

The Fixx

The Cure

The Smiths

The Offspring

The Residents

The Cars

Latest Release

Farewell: Live From The Universal Amphitheatre-Halloween 1995

Oingo Boingo

Album - 30 Tracks - Released April 16, 1996