← All Bands
Alternative · Electronic · Hip Hop · London, England

Gorillaz

Created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz are one of the most inventive acts in modern music — a virtual band fronted by animated characters that has sold over 26 million albums, collaborated with everyone from De La Soul to Elton John, and blurred the boundaries between alternative rock, hip hop and electronic music more successfully than almost anyone else.

Play RockHeardle Best Songs → FAQs →
Formed
1998
Origin
London, UK
Albums
7
Albums Sold
26M+
Latest Album
Cracker Island
Background

About Gorillaz

Gorillaz were conceived in 1998 when Damon Albarn — vocalist of Blur, one of the defining British bands of the 1990s — approached Jamie Hewlett, creator of the cult comic Tank Girl, with an idea: what if a band existed entirely as animated characters? Hewlett designed the four-piece — 2D (vocals), Murdoc Niccals (bass), Noodle (guitar) and Russel Hobbs (drums) — and the two men began building a project that would eventually become one of the most commercially successful and critically admired acts in modern music.

The self-titled debut album arrived in 2001 and was a genuine shock. Where most virtual or concept acts offered novelty, Gorillaz delivered actual songs: Clint Eastwood, with its De La Soul verse and the haunting ghost-town melody of its chorus, was unlike anything on mainstream radio. 19-2000 was a motorik groove with hip hop production. Re-Hash opened the album with a guitar figure that sounded like it had wandered in from a completely different genre. The album sold over seven million copies and won the Guinness World Record for the best-selling debut album by a virtual band.

Demon Days (2005) is widely considered their masterpiece. Produced in collaboration with Danger Mouse, it went darker and more orchestrated than the debut, with Feel Good Inc. becoming the defining track — a De La Soul collaboration built around a huge, menacing laugh and one of the most recognisable basslines of the decade. DARE, with Shaun Ryder of Happy Mondays, became an unlikely number one single. The album reached number one in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize.

Albarn assembled the project with a rotating cast of collaborators at every stage. Plastic Beach (2010) featured Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed, Mos Def, Gruff Rhys and Mark E. Smith among many others, taking the concept of a guest-laden album further than almost any predecessor. Humanz (2017) was conceived as a soundtrack to a Trump-era apocalypse with over a dozen collaborators including Vince Staples, Grace Jones, Mavis Staples and Popcaan. The Now Now (2018) was a stripped-back corrective — primarily just Albarn singing — and Song Machine (2020) was released as an ongoing series of singles throughout the pandemic year. Cracker Island (2023) took them to Los Angeles and introduced a new collaborator in Tame Impala's Kevin Parker.

The visual world Hewlett built around the band has been as important as the music. The four animated characters have had their own mythology, storylines, music videos and lore developed over more than two decades. Live shows have presented the characters as holograms or animations alongside real musicians. It remains the most successful marriage of visual art and music since the golden age of MTV.

Ranked

Top 10 Gorillaz Songs

Ranked by songwriting craft, cultural impact and how well each track represents what Gorillaz do at their best.

01
Feel Good Inc.
Demon Days
The defining Gorillaz track and one of the great songs of the 2000s. De La Soul's verses, the churning bassline and the helicopter laugh that opens the song are instantly identifiable. Albarn's falsetto on the bridge — drifting over an acoustic guitar against the heaviness of everything else — is one of the best moments in his entire career. It won the Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and has been streamed over a billion times.
2005
02
Clint Eastwood
Gorillaz
The debut single that announced the whole project. The opening bars — a haunted, minimal melody over programmed beats — were unlike anything else on radio in 2001. Del the Funky Homosapien's verse gives it a hip hop anchor and Albarn's sung sections give it emotional weight. It distils the Gorillaz concept perfectly: melancholy melody, hip hop structure, eclectic collaborators, and a sound that belongs to no single genre.
2001
03
DARE
Demon Days
Shaun Ryder of Happy Mondays delivering a hypnotic, repeated chant over a Noodle guitar groove that became a number one single in the UK — it shouldn't have worked and it absolutely did. The production is deceptively simple; the song functions almost like a minimalist dance track but with enough weird energy to feel genuinely strange. One of Albarn's cleverest ideas: let a collaborator essentially carry a track while the band's sonic personality provides all the context.
2005
04
On Melancholy Hill
Plastic Beach
The most conventionally beautiful Gorillaz song — a pure Damon Albarn composition that distils his gift for melancholic melody into three and a half minutes of aching pop. The production is lush without being heavy; the vocal melody is among the best he's ever written. It represents the emotional heart of Plastic Beach amid all that album's busier collaborations, and rewards repeated listening in a way that only the most carefully crafted songs do.
2010
05
Rhinestone Eyes
Plastic Beach
One of the most underrated songs in the catalogue — a dreamy, unsettling track that builds from a gentle guitar figure into something much stranger. The production is immaculate and the melody is vintage Albarn, but there's a darkness running underneath that gives it real depth. An official music video was never released due to the cancellation of the planned Plastic Beach animated film, which has only added to its mythological status among fans.
2010
06
19-2000
Gorillaz
A motorik groove built around a bassline that never quite resolves into anything comfortable. The production — all locked-in drums, trebly guitars and off-kilter synths — is some of the best on the debut album. Albarn's vocal delivery is relaxed to the point of sounding bored, which somehow makes the track more compelling. The "get the cool" refrain became one of the most quoted lines from early 2000s alternative music.
2001
07
Stylo
Plastic Beach
Bobby Womack and Mos Def alongside Albarn over a synth-heavy groove that feels simultaneously futuristic and nostalgic. Womack's soul vocal gives the track a warmth and weight that grounds all the production experimentation around it. It became the lead single from Plastic Beach and introduced that album's more ambitious sound to the public. The music video — featuring a car chase with Bruce Willis — became one of the most watched Gorillaz clips.
2010
08
Last Living Souls
Demon Days
The opening track on Demon Days and a statement of intent for the whole album. A gentle, almost lullaby-like melody that carries a deep unease in its lyrics and production — the combination of fragility and foreboding that defines the album at its best. It works as an introduction to the record's themes in a way that few opening tracks manage, setting up the darker material that follows without giving too much away too soon.
2005
09
Empire Ants
Plastic Beach
Little Dragon's Yukimi Nagano joins Albarn for one of the most transcendent moments on Plastic Beach — the song begins as an intimate acoustic piece and expands into a shimmering electronic landscape halfway through. The transition is one of the best production moments in the Gorillaz catalogue: the kind of shift that rewards headphone listening and repays the patience of those willing to sit with the song's quiet opening.
2010
10
Tranz
The Now Now
One of the great discoveries from The Now Now — a stripped-back, twitchy electronic track that became a live staple and found a massive new audience through viral use in gaming and social media. The production is much leaner than the big collaborative albums, which gives it a directness and energy that connects immediately. It demonstrates that Albarn's strongest material often comes when he removes rather than adds.
2018

For the full ranking see the best Gorillaz songs guide.

Discography

Gorillaz Albums: Where to Start

Every studio album with honest notes on who each one is for.

2001
Gorillaz
⭐ Best starting point: the debut
The debut that established everything. Clint Eastwood, 19-2000, Re-Hash and Rock the House announced a genuinely new kind of music. It sold seven million copies and won the Guinness World Record for best-selling debut album by a virtual band. Produced largely by Albarn and Dan the Automator.
2005
Demon Days
⭐ Best starting point: the masterpiece
Their finest album by most measures. Produced with Danger Mouse and featuring the Children's Choir of Southwark Cathedral, it's darker, more orchestrated and more ambitious than the debut. Feel Good Inc., DARE, Dirty Harry, El Mañana and Last Living Souls are all essential. UK number one, Mercury Prize nominated, Grammy winning.
2010
Plastic Beach
Start here if: you want the most ambitious record
A sprawling concept album set on a floating island of plastic in the Pacific Ocean, featuring Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed, Mos Def, Mark E. Smith, Gruff Rhys and many more. Stylo, On Melancholy Hill, Empire Ants and Rhinestone Eyes are the highlights. More divisive than Demon Days but arguably more musically interesting.
2011
The Fall
Start here if: you want the experiment
Recorded entirely on an iPad during the North American leg of the Plastic Beach tour, released free to fan club members on New Year's Day 2011. Minimal and atmospheric — less an album than an audio diary. More interesting as a document than as a conventional listening experience.
2017
Humanz
Start here if: you want the party-apocalypse sound
Conceived as a soundtrack to a political apocalypse on the night of the 2016 US election, with over 20 collaborators including Vince Staples, Grace Jones, Mavis Staples and Popcaan. Inconsistent as an album but contains some of their best individual tracks in years. Saturnz Barz and We Got the Power are highlights.
2018
The Now Now
Start here if: you want the stripped-back Albarn record
A deliberate corrective to Humanz — largely just Albarn singing with minimal collaborators. Tranz, Hollywood (with Jamie Principle and Zebra Katz) and Kansas are among the standouts. More personal and emotionally direct than most Gorillaz material.
2020
Song Machine, Season One
Start here if: you want the pandemic-era highlights
Released as an ongoing series of singles throughout 2020, eventually collected as an album. Robert Smith of The Cure appears on Momentary Bliss; Elton John on The Pink Phantom; Beck and Octavian on The Valley of The Pagans. Arguably the best post-Demon Days Gorillaz record since Plastic Beach.
2023
Cracker Island
Start here if: you want current Gorillaz
Recorded partly in Los Angeles with Tame Impala's Kevin Parker contributing significantly to the production. Smoother and more pop-adjacent than much of what came before. The title track with Thundercat and Oil with Stevie Nicks are the highlights. Debuted at number one in the UK.
History

Gorillaz: Key Moments

1998
Albarn and Hewlett create the concept
Damon Albarn, between Blur albums and increasingly disillusioned with traditional rock band structures, approaches Jamie Hewlett with an idea for a band of animated characters. Hewlett, creator of Tank Girl, designs 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle and Russel Hobbs. The two begin working on what will become the debut album.
2001
Self-titled debut and Clint Eastwood changes everything
The debut album and its lead single Clint Eastwood arrive to genuine surprise — nobody expected a virtual band concept to produce music this good. The album sells over seven million copies. It wins the Guinness World Record for best-selling debut album by a virtual band and establishes Gorillaz as a genuinely new kind of act rather than a novelty.
2005
Demon Days — the masterpiece arrives
Demon Days, produced with Danger Mouse, debuts at number one in the UK and goes on to sell over nine million copies. Feel Good Inc. wins the Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The album is nominated for the Mercury Prize. A live performance at the Brit Awards — with Madonna presenting the award and De La Soul, Shaun Ryder and the Southwark Children's Choir all appearing — becomes one of the great awards show moments of the decade.
2010
Plastic Beach and the most ambitious project
Plastic Beach arrives with an environmental concept, a cast of over a dozen major collaborators and some of the most beautiful music Albarn has ever written. The planned animated film to accompany it is cancelled after label disagreements, but On Melancholy Hill, Rhinestone Eyes and Empire Ants ensure the album is remembered as one of the decade's most ambitious releases.
2017
Humanz and the political comeback
Humanz is conceived on the night of the 2016 US presidential election as a response to what Albarn saw as the onset of a new political era. Over 20 collaborators contribute. It becomes the band's fourth UK number one album and their biggest commercial return in years, reintroducing Gorillaz to a new generation of listeners.
2020
Song Machine — releasing during lockdown
Gorillaz release Song Machine as a series of singles throughout the pandemic year, eventually collected as an album. Robert Smith, Elton John and Beck among the collaborators. The format — releasing music as an ongoing series rather than as a traditional album — influences how several other major artists choose to release material in the years that follow.
2023
Cracker Island and the Los Angeles era
Cracker Island, recorded partly in Los Angeles with Tame Impala's Kevin Parker, debuts at number one in the UK. Stevie Nicks appears on Oil; Thundercat on the title track. The album marks a shift in sound — smoother, more sun-drenched and more conventionally pop-adjacent than much of what came before — while confirming that Gorillaz remain one of the most commercially viable acts in alternative music.
Test Yourself

Gorillaz Trivia Quiz

Five questions — how many can you get right?

Where to Start

Best Gorillaz Songs by Listening Mood

Not sure where to begin? Use this as your entry point.

First song ever
Feel Good Inc.
Most emotional
On Melancholy Hill
Most distinctive
Clint Eastwood
Best dancefloor track
DARE
Best deep cut
Rhinestone Eyes
Best headphone moment
Empire Ants
Best modern track
Tranz
Best soul moment
Stylo
Questions

Gorillaz FAQs

Who created Gorillaz?
Gorillaz were created by Damon Albarn — vocalist and creative force behind Blur — and Jamie Hewlett, creator of the cult comic Tank Girl. They met in the late 1990s and developed the concept of a fictional animated band presented as real characters with their own mythology and storylines.
Are Gorillaz a real band?
Yes and no. Real musicians record and perform the music — Damon Albarn writes and sings most of it. However, Gorillaz are presented publicly as a fictional four-piece animated band: 2D (vocals), Murdoc Niccals (bass), Noodle (guitar) and Russel Hobbs (drums). The animated characters, designed by Hewlett, are the public face of the project.
What is Gorillaz's most famous song?
Feel Good Inc. (2005) is their most famous and most streamed song — it won the Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and has been streamed over a billion times. Clint Eastwood from the debut album is also one of the most immediately recognisable tracks in their catalogue.
What is the best Gorillaz album to start with?
Demon Days (2005) is widely considered their masterpiece and the best starting point for new listeners — it contains Feel Good Inc., DARE, El Mañana and Last Living Souls, and is the most focused and emotionally coherent record they have made. The self-titled debut (2001) is equally essential for understanding where the whole project came from.
How many albums have Gorillaz released?
Gorillaz have released seven studio albums: Gorillaz (2001), Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010), The Fall (2011), Humanz (2017), The Now Now (2018), Song Machine, Season One (2020) and Cracker Island (2023).
Who has Gorillaz collaborated with?
Gorillaz have one of the most eclectic guest lists in modern music. Notable collaborators include De La Soul, Del the Funky Homosapien, Shaun Ryder, Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed, Mos Def, Bobby Womack, Mark E. Smith, Little Dragon, Grace Jones, Vince Staples, Mavis Staples, Robert Smith, Elton John, Beck, Thundercat and Stevie Nicks, among many others.
Can I play a rock guessing game with Gorillaz tracks?
Yes — RockHeardle includes tracks from across rock, alternative and electronic. Free to play, no account needed.