The Osmonds

Despite starting as a boy band, few have gone in their own individual direction more than The Osmonds. Initially the group started in a similar way to the Jackson 5 as talented siblings who performed vocal harmonies together. Having been spotted singing at Disney Land by the father of Andy Williams the group were recommended to the pop star and were soon regular performers on his show.

By 1969 the group decided that they wanted to perform their own rock and roll numbers. This was something of a controversial decision as they were from a Mormon background, not a religion associated with the rock and roll lifestyle.

After some initially poppy singles the group went in a new direction with songs such as Crazy Horses, unlike anything at the time and very little since. They took the bold decision of producing the album The Plan with a strong religious message.

It is however their pop tracks that provide their biggest legacy, tracks such as Love Me for a Reason was a very influential piece of balladry and was even covered by Boyzone in 1994.