The band was created by Daman Albarn from the Britpop band Blur, and Jamie Hewlett, the co-creator of the comic book Tank Girl. Their style is reminiscent of 80's dance music with strong influences from hip-hop, reggae, electro, and pop.
Unlike other fictional bands whose music has had real-life success, they are neither a parody of a particular genre (Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind) nor marketed to young children (The Archies), and their actual musical output is far more of an attraction to most of their fans than the novelty of their supposed existence as cartoon characters.
The band's first album, 2001's Gorillaz sold over 3 million copies and earned them an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the Most Successful Virtual Band. Their second studio album, Demon Days, was released in 2005 and included the hit singles "Feel Good Inc.", "Dare", "Dirty Harry" and "El Manana/Kids With Guns" Demon Days went Double Platinum in the U.S., Triple Platinum in the U.K., and earned 5 Grammy award nominations for 2005.
The people behind Gorillaz, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, formed in April 1998. They originally identified themselves under the name "Gorilla," and the first song they recorded was "Ghost Train" (1999), later released as a B-side on their single "Rock The House" and "G-Sides".
