The Mekons, a British-American rock band, were formed in 1976 in Leeds by Jon Langford, Kevin Lycett, Mark White, Andy Corrigan, and Tom Greenhalgh. Their first single, "Never Been in a Riot", released in 1978, was a satirical take on The Clash's "White Riot" and gained significant attention. The band signed with Virgin Records after their second single, "Where Were You?", sold out its initial run of 27,500 copies. Their debut album, The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strnen, was released in 1979. Throughout the 1980s and beyond, The Mekons evolved their sound to incorporate elements of country, folk, alternative rock, and dub. Notable albums include Fear & Whisky (1985) and The Edge of the World (1986). Their 1989 album, The Mekons Rock 'n' Roll, received critical acclaim but was not a commercial success. Subsequent albums include Honky Tonkin' (1987), So Good It Hurts (1988), Rock'n'Roll (1989), OOOH! (2002), Natural (2007), Deserted (2019) and Horror (2025).
