The Prodigy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Prodigy
The Prodigy in 2009 performing at the Cokelive Festival, Romania
Background information
Origin	Braintree, Essex, England
Genres	Big beat electropunk alternative dance breakbeat hardcore electronic rock
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Take Me to the Hospital Ragged Flag Cooking Vinyl XL Beggars Banquet Mute Maverick Warner Bros. Elektra Shock Disco Mix Club BMG Vertigo
Members	Liam Howlett Maxim
Past members	Keith Flint Leeroy Thornhill Sharky

The Prodigy is an English electronic dance music band. It was started in Braintree, Essex, England, in 1990 by Liam Howlett. He is a producer, keyboard player, and songwriter. The first members were also Keith Flint (dancer and singer), Leeroy Thornhill (dancer), Sharky (dancer), and Maxim (MC and singer).

The band became famous during the underground rave music scene. They had early success in 1991 with their songs "Charly" and "Everybody in the Place". These songs reached the top five in the UK. After their first album, Experience (1992), they changed their style. They added techno, breakbeat, and rock sounds to their next album, Music for the Jilted Generation (1994).

Their most successful album was The Fat of the Land (1997). It became number one in 16 countries, including the UK and the US. This album included the popular songs "Firestarter" and "Breathe". Leeroy Thornhill left the band in 2000. Keith Flint passed away in 2019. Now, Liam Howlett and Maxim are the only two original members.

The Prodigy is one of the most successful electronic music groups ever. They have sold about 25 million records around the world. This includes over 4.7 million albums in the UK. They have had seven UK number one albums in a row. They have won many awards, like two Brit Awards and five MTV Europe Music Awards. They were also nominated for two Grammy Awards.

Band History

How The Prodigy Started (1990–1991)

In 1989, Liam Howlett was 18 years old. He was a DJ and musician. He returned to his hometown of Braintree, Essex. He had been making his own music for three years. He started with hip-hop and house music. Then he became interested in the growing rave scene. He liked the friendly atmosphere at raves. He began to DJ locally and make music at home.

Howlett met dancers Keith Flint and Leeroy Thornhill at a club in Braintree. Flint asked Howlett to make a mix tape for him. Howlett gave him a tape with some of his own songs on it. Howlett wrote "Prodigy" on the tape. This was a nod to the Moog Prodigy synthesizer he used. Flint and Thornhill loved the music. They created new dance moves to it. They suggested starting a group together.

They decided to call themselves The Prodigy. They officially formed on 5 October 1990. They also added Sharky, a friend of Flint's, as a dancer and singer. Their first show was in February 1991 in London. Before this show, they met rapper and MC Maxim. Maxim joined them unexpectedly at their first show. He improvised lyrics on stage.

Soon after, Howlett made a demo tape with 10 songs. He tried to get a record deal. XL Recordings signed the group. Their first official release was the What Evil Lurks EP in February 1991. Sharky left the band shortly after. She could no longer commit to the group.

In August 1991, The Prodigy released their first single, "Charly". It used sounds from the Charley Says animated films. The song became a big hit in the rave scene. It reached number 1 on the UK Dance Singles Chart. It also got to number 3 on the UK Singles Chart. This made the band very well known.

The success of "Charly" led to other songs using cartoon sounds. Critics called this "kiddie rave." Howlett did not want the band to be known for this. He used the money from "Charly" to buy new instruments. This helped him create a different sound. Their second single, "Everybody in the Place (Fairground Edit)", came out in December 1991. It reached number 2 in the UK.

Experience and Music for the Jilted Generation (1992–1995)

From 1991 to 1992, Howlett recorded the band's first album, Experience. He recorded it at his home studio. The album was released in September 1992. It reached number 12 on the UK Albums Chart. It sold over 300,000 copies. The album used many samples from other artists. It is seen as an important album in British rave music.

By early 1993, The Prodigy had finished their first big tour. After Experience, the band wanted to move away from the "kiddie rave" label. The rave scene was also changing. New laws were being considered that would affect raves. In late 1993, Howlett released a special vinyl record with new songs. These songs were "One Love" and "Full Throttle." They reached number 8 in the UK. By this time, the band was playing shows overseas.

In 1993, Howlett started working on their second album, Music for the Jilted Generation. Many new songs were written because of the new laws against raves. The album starts with a spoken message. It says the music is going "underground" to keep it from "the wrong hands." Howlett meant people who saw The Prodigy as just a commercial band. He wanted the group to be seen as a serious dance act. The album showed more musical styles. It included big beat and heavy breakbeat sounds.

The album was released in September 1994. It went straight to number 1 in the UK. Critics liked it a lot. The band avoided mainstream TV shows. Their music videos, however, became popular on MTV Europe. This helped them gain fans across Europe.

After the success of Music for the Jilted Generation, the band added guitarist Jim Davies for live shows in 1995. He was later replaced by Gizz Butt.

The Fat of the Land and Changes (1996–2000)

In March 1996, The Prodigy released "Firestarter". This was their first song with a main vocal part. Howlett had made it as an instrumental song. But Keith Flint wanted to write and sing lyrics for it. Howlett agreed to try it. Flint said the song sounded "menacing."

"Firestarter" was the start of the band's biggest success. It became their first UK number one song. It stayed at the top for three weeks. It was also a top-10 hit worldwide. It helped them become known in the US. The music video showed Flint's new look. He had a punk style with piercings, tattoos, and dyed hair. He changed from being a dancer to the main singer.

The Prodigy then released "Breathe" in November 1996. This song also went to number one in the UK and eight other countries. Both songs sold 1.2 million copies each in the UK.

In 1997, many US record labels wanted to sign The Prodigy. Maverick Records, owned by Madonna, signed them. The deal was worth about $5 million. This was a huge amount for a rave-influenced band. In May 1997, the band played their new album, The Fat of the Land, for record executives. "Firestarter" and "Breathe" were on the album.

The Fat of the Land was released on 30 June 1997. It had simpler tunes and fewer rave sounds. It also had punk-like vocals. The album was a huge hit. It went to number one in the UK and US. It set a Guinness World Record for being the fastest-selling dance album in the UK. It sold 317,000 copies in its first week. It is still the band's best-selling album. It sold 1.5 million copies in the UK and 2.6 million in the US. It sold about 10 million worldwide.

The Prodigy then went on a big tour in the UK and their first US tour in four years. In June 1997, they were a main act at the Glastonbury Festival. They also headlined Lollapalooza. In September 1997, The Prodigy performed "Breathe" at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. They won the Viewer's Choice Award.

In 1999, Howlett released The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume One. This was a mix album of his DJ set on BBC Radio 1.

The band's website after Thornhill left in 2000.

In August 1999, the band finished their world tour for The Fat of the Land. Their touring guitarist, Gizz Butt, left the group. After a break, Leeroy Thornhill announced he was leaving in April 2000. He said the band's mood had changed. He wanted to work on his own projects. Howlett said they were moving in different directions. The band's website showed their logo and the words "We will be back..." until 2002.

Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned (2001–2004)

The band played some live shows in 2001. Their single "Baby's Got a Temper" was released in July 2002. Critics were not very impressed. The song was a new version of a track by Flint's other band, Flint. It featured Jim Davies. In 2002, Q magazine called The Prodigy one of the "50 Bands to See Before You Die."

Liam Howlett live in August 2005.

The Prodigy's fourth album, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, came out on 23 August 2004. A special digital single, "Memphis Bells", was released first. Then came the single "Girls". The album went to number one on the UK Albums Chart. The band toured for two years to promote it.

In 2005, the band released a collection of their hits called Their Law: The Singles 1990–2005. This included new remixes of "Out of Space" and "Voodoo People." A music video for "Voodoo People" was filmed in Romford Market, Essex. Sharky, the band's only female member, appeared in the video. Also in 2005, the song "You'll be Under my Wheels" was used in the video game Need for Speed: Most Wanted.

Maxim performing at the 2006 Sziget Festival

The Prodigy's first two albums, Experience (1992) and Music for the Jilted Generation (1994), were re-released in 2008. They were improved and included extra songs and live tracks. Howlett said they were proud of these re-releases.

Invaders Must Die (2008–2010)

The Prodigy tried out some new songs at shows in May 2008. They played three new songs at the Oxegen Festival in July 2008. These included "World's on Fire" and "Warrior's Dance."

The Prodigy frontman Keith Flint and live member Rob Holliday

On 5 November 2008, the band announced their fifth album would be called Invaders Must Die. It was released on their new label. It came out in the U.S. on 3 March 2009. This was the first Prodigy album since The Fat of the Land (1997) to feature all three main members.

The album included Dave Grohl playing drums on "Run with the Wolves." The hit song "Omen" was co-produced with James Rushent. The band said the album would go back to their "old-school but cutting edge" sound. The album was released in many formats.

Invaders Must Die was released on 23 February 2009 in Europe. It went to number one in the U.K. It sold over 97,000 copies in its first week. The album also reached the top five in Germany and Australia.

Maxim performing in 2009

To celebrate the album, the band went on a UK tour. They also started their own annual dance event, the Warriors Dance Festival. The song "Omen" reached number 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart. It also won the Kerrang! Award for Best Single. Fans really liked Invaders Must Die. Two more singles followed: "Warrior's Dance" and "Take Me to the Hospital". Howlett later said the album was "more of a celebration."

In the same year, Howlett helped produce the song "Immunize" for Pendulum. The band also played at Glastonbury in 2009.

The Day Is My Enemy (2010–2015)

In May 2011, the band released World's on Fire. This was their first live album and concert film. It showed their show at the Milton Keynes Bowl in 2010. On 16 November 2010, Howlett said The Prodigy would record new music.

On 6 August 2011, The Prodigy played at the Przystanek Woodstock festival in Poland. At their last shows of 2011 in Brazil, they played two new songs: "A.W.O.L" and "Dogbite." They played at the 2012 Download Festival. They added three new songs: "Jetfighter," "Dogbite," and "A.W.O.L." Howlett said the new album would be "fresh" and darker. In April 2012, The Fat of the Land was re-released. It came with a remix EP called The Added Fat EP.

On 3 May 2012, The Prodigy announced the working title for their new album: How to Steal a Jetfighter. In December 2012, a new song called "The Day" was played. In June 2013, "Rockweiler" was played. The band played at the Sonisphere Festival in 2014. On 2 July 2014, the band said their new album would have a different name. They said it would have a "violent sound." In August 2014, they signed a new deal with Warner Music. Maxim said the new album would be out in early 2015. On 6 January 2015, it was announced the album would be called The Day Is My Enemy. It was released on 30 March 2015.

On 12 January 2015, The Prodigy released "Nasty" as the first single. The title track followed on 26 January 2015. Howlett described the album as "violent." The recording took almost six years. Flint and Maxim worked closely with Howlett on this album. Flint said they wanted to create the most "band" album they could.

The Prodigy at Festival Internacional de Benicàssim 2015

The band played at the Future Music Festival in Australia in early 2015. They also toured Germany, France, and the UK. They performed at many festivals, including Rock Werchter and Isle of Wight.

On 23 February 2015, The Prodigy released "Wild Frontier" as the second single. The music video used stop-motion animation. In May 2015, The Prodigy announced a winter tour. Public Enemy supported them.

No Tourists, Keith Flint's Passing, and Return to Touring (2016–present)

The Prodigy's seventh album, No Tourists, was released on 2 November 2018. It was released under a new deal with BMG Rights Management.

On 4 March 2019, Keith Flint passed away at his home in Essex. This happened weeks after the band had toured Australia and New Zealand. The rest of The Prodigy's tour dates were cancelled. After Flint's passing, fans used the Twitter hashtag "Firestarter4Number1." They wanted "Firestarter" to reach number one on the UK singles chart to honor Flint.

In August 2020, Howlett said that The Prodigy would continue. On Christmas Day, he confirmed new music would be released in 2021. Former member Leeroy Thornhill said Howlett was working on a new album when Flint passed away. He wants to finish it as a tribute to Flint. On 10 February 2021, the band announced a documentary film about their history. It will be directed by Paul Dugdale.

On 7 March 2022, The Prodigy announced they would return to touring in the UK in July. This was to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Fat of the Land. They also hinted that new music would be played.

On 28 October 2022, the band said they would play live shows outside the UK again in 2023. This included festivals.

Musical Style and Influences

The Prodigy helped create the big beat music style in the 1990s. This style became very popular. The Prodigy's music is also described as techno, alternative dance, electronic rock, electropunk, rave, dance-rock, electronica, breakbeat hardcore, industrial, rap rock, and rock.

Liam Howlett said early electro music was a big influence. He mentioned songs like "Clear" by Cybotron. He also said The Bomb Squad, Public Enemy, and Rage Against the Machine influenced him.

Band Members

Timeline

Music Albums

Studio albums

• Experience (1992)
• Music for the Jilted Generation (1994)
• The Fat of the Land (1997)
• Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned (2004)
• Invaders Must Die (2009)
• The Day Is My Enemy (2015)
• No Tourists (2018)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: The Prodigy para niños