Average White Band

A bunch of white boys from Scotland playing deep house ’70s funk was and is anything but average. The band’s self-titled debut topped the American pop charts with the instrumental “Pick Up the Pieces,” which was also later nominated for a Grammy.

“Person To Person,” “Cut the Cake,” “Schoolboy Crush,” “If I Ever Lose This Heaven,” “Cloudy,” “Queen of My Soul,” and “Let’s Go ‘Round Again” became some of the band’s most well-known tunes from their mid-late ’70s heyday.

In the ’90s, AWB’s timeless grooves have been sampled by some of the biggest names in the hip-hop, rap, and acid jazz worlds, confirming without a doubt the strong impression the band has made on a new generation. Young bands such as Jamiroquai and Brand New Heavies cite AWB as a major influence.