Cheap Trick is an American rock and roll band from Rockford, Illinois that gained popularity in the late 1970s. The band members are Rick Nielsen ( guitarist and main songwriter), Bun E. Carlos (born Brad Carlson) ( drums), Robin Zander ( vocals and guitars), and Tom Petersson ( bass guitar). While their stints of mainstream success tended not to last long, Cheap Trick has held a substantial following through regular touring and a hard-edged yet blissful pop sound that combined the tunefulness of The Beatles with the speed and energy of the emerging punk rock scene. The band's biggest hits over the years include "I Want You to Want Me", "Surrender", "Dream Police", "Don't Be Cruel", and "The Flame".
Nielsen and Petersson formed Cheap Trick after their former band Fuse, later called Sick Man of Europe, broke up. Fuse released one album in 1969. The new band spent several years touring heavily and developing their sound, eventually being signed to Epic Records and releasing Cheap Trick in 1977. While the record sold reasonably well in America, they failed to gain much attention. The band's In Color & Heaven Tonight were modest hits. In Japan, however, Cheap Trick records were major hits; the band toured the country in 1978, and the ensuing live album At Budokan became their breakout album in America, going triple platinum.
The band's next album, Dream Police, was another hit, but Cheap Trick's popularity began to wane as the 1980's began. Petersson left Cheap Trick in 1980, with Jon Brant picking up bass duties. Each successive record sold a few less copies and won less accolades from critics; by 1986's The Doctor, Cheap Trick's record label couldn't even spell the band members' names right on their own album covers.
