10cc are an English rock band formed in 1972 by four musicians who had written and recorded together at their own studio, Strawberry Studios, in Stockport near Manchester since 1968. The group initially consisted of Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme. The four members contributed to songwriting, working together in various permutations. Godley and Creme’s songwriting has been said to be inspired by art and cinema. The four members were multi-instrumentalists, singers, writers and producers. Most of the band's records were recorded at their own Strawberry Studios (North) in Stockport and Strawberry Studios (South) in Dorking, with the majority of those engineered by Stewart.
From 1972 to 1978, 10cc had five consecutive UK top-ten albums: Sheet Music (1974), The Original Soundtrack (1975), How Dare You! (1976), Deceptive Bends (1977), and Bloody Tourists (1978). 10cc had twelve singles reach the UK Top 40, three of which were chart-toppers "Rubber Bullets" (1973), "I'm Not in Love" (1975), and "Dreadlock Holiday" (1978). "I'm Not in Love" was their breakthrough worldwide hit and is known for its innovative backing track.
In 1976, Godley and Creme left 10cc to concentrate on developing an electronic music device, "The Gizmo", and being in video production and music as a duo. Stewart left the band in 1995, after which they did not record or release any further studio albums. Since 1999, Gouldman has led a touring version of 10cc.
