1) Quickly looking at Foreigner. I know little about them, other than they are a popular soft rock band, mainly of the Seventies and Eighties. I have heard some of their songs, no doubt, but nothing they have done seems to have caught my attention, stayed with me, or caused me to check them out. However, they are one of the best selling rock acts of all time, with sales of 100 million, so I'm looking into them to see what I may have missed.
2) I've listened to a couple of albums, and created a handful of AI reviews to get an overall idea of the band. My impression at this stage is that they are very superficial. They remind me a little of Free ("Alright Now" live on TV in 1970, "My Brother Jake" 1971, and "Wishing Well" 1972), but without the bite. I've listened to the songs "Feels Like The First Time", "Cold As Ice", “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and “I Want to Know What Love Is”, which appear to be their big hits. They are pleasant but empty. I've heard them on the radio, and they wash over me. I don't dislike them, but they don't interest me. They feel empty and boring. Yes, there's some rock guitar riffs, but there's nothing fresh or interesting in those riffs. They seem to base themselves on Free, and that is a band which hasn't resonated with me over the years (I should do a quick look at them, and their follow up Bad Company). I note that the AI has picked up from whichever sources it checked that the singer has a soulful voice, and a common opinion is that the band's success rests on his voice. The voice, at this stage, hasn't made an impression on me. I haven't really paid attention to it. It seems rather safe and bland, and I suspect the band's success is more down to the band sounding warm and familiar through their use of lyrical and musical clichés, and an undemanding approach to the songs.
Foreigner is a British-American rock band formed in New York City in 1976. The band's original lineup consisted of vocalist Lou Gramm, guitarist Mick Jones, bassist Ed Gagliardi, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood and multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald (formerly of King Crimson). Foreigner is one of the best-selling bands of all time, with worldwide sales exceeding 80 million records, including 38 million in the US.
Jones came up with the band name because he, Elliott, and McDonald were British, while Gramm, Greenwood and Gagliardi were American, meaning at least half the members would be considered foreigners regardless of the country they were in. In 1977, Foreigner released its self-titled debut album, the first of six consecutive albums to be certified multi-platinum and reach the Top 10 in the US. The album produced two US Top 10 singles, "Feels Like the First Time" and "Cold as Ice". Their 1978 follow-up, Double Vision, was successful and included two more US hits: "Hot Blooded" and the title track.
Foreigner's third album, Head Games (1979), the first with Rick Wills replacing Gagliardi on bass, featured US Top 20 singles "Dirty White Boy" and the title track. The band's fourth album, 4 (1981), hit No. 1 for 10 weeks in the US and became their breakthrough album in the UK, where it reached the Top 5. The album produced three hit singles: "Urgent", "Waiting for a Girl Like You", and "Juke Box Hero". Following a 1982 greatest hits album Records, which went 7× platinum in the US, Foreigner released their fifth studio album Agent Provocateur in 1984, which reached No. 1 in the UK and included their biggest hit single, "I Want to Know What Love Is". The song topped the charts in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, No. 3 in Germany, and the Top 10 in other countries.
After a break, Foreigner released Inside Information in 1987. Despite two more US Top 10 hits with "Say You Will" and "I Don't Want to Live Without You", it became their first album not to achieve multi-platinum certification or reach the Top 10 in the US. A 1992 greatest hits album, The Very Best ... and Beyond achieved 2× platinum certification in the US and gold certification in the UK. Foreigner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.
Platinum hard rockers who were equally talented with biting anthems as well as mammoth power ballads, creating an impressive string of hits. Built around the songwriting skills and fiery guitar riffing of Mick Jones and the arena-filling vocals of Lou Gramm, Foreigner's hooky style of AOR caught on in a big way in the late '70s. Their first two albums -- 1977's Foreigner and 1978's Double Vision -- were a double shot of exceedingly catchy songs and slick production that topped the charts and spawned a number of huge singles. As musical trends changed, so did the band: they added new wave elements to their sound, worked with Mutt Lange on 1981's 4, and moved into an adult style on ballads like "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and their biggest hit, 1984's "I Want to Know What Love Is." Though the band's recording career stalled when Gramm left the band in the late '80s, different incarnations of the band continued touring and their presence can still be heard daily on rock radio, while their blend of hard rock and soft ballads proved influential to bands ranging from Soul Asylum to One Direction.
Background
The band formed in 1976. The two main members were American vocalist Lou Gramm, and British guitarist Mick Jones, who were also the band's main songwriters.
Jones had a long music background - he started in an instrumental band, Nero and The Gladiators, who had a minor hit with "Entry of The Gladiators" in 1961. He was then mostly a session player, until he joined the reformed Spooky Tooth in 1972 ("Cotton Growing Man"). The band split up in 1974, so Jones did session work until forming Foreigner.
Gramm was a member of a number of small bands in the early Seventies. He was lead singer for Black Sheep from 1974 to 1976, when Jones asked him to join Foreigner. Black Sheep released two albums - Black Sheep (1975), and Encouraging Words (1976), both of which sound like Free.
The background of Jones and Gramm was the everyday rock of the early Seventies, which included Free ("Alright Now" live on TV in 1970, "My Brother Jake" 1971, and "Wishing Well" 1972), and Bad Company, the follow up band for Free's vocalist Paul Rodgers ("Can't Get Enough" 1974, "Feel Like Makin' Love" 1975), Humble Pie ("30 Days In The Hole" 1972), Peter Frampton ("Show Me The Way" 1975), Nazareth ("Love Hurts" 1974), etc. These bands were carrying on the blues rock traditions established in the Sixties by bands such as Cream, and developed by bands such as Led Zeppelin, who liked to mix what guitarist Jimmy Page called light and dark in such songs as "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" (1969) and "Your Time Is Gonna Come" (1969), which set the trend for what would later be called power ballads - a particular strength for Foreigner.
Debut album is mostly melodic mainstream rock, though there are touches of prog rock, such as on "Starrider", co-written by the keyboardist Al Greenwood. The opening two tracks, "Feels Like the First Time" and "Cold as Ice" were released as singles, both reaching the US top ten.
Foreigner (1977)
Double Vision (1978)
Head Games (1979)
4 (1981)
Agent Provocateur (1984)
Inside Information (1987)
Unusual Heat (1991)
Mr. Moonlight (1994)
Can't Slow Down (2009)
Few bands capture the sound of late-70s and 80s rock as cleanly and enduringly as Foreigner. Formed in 1976 by guitarist and songwriter Mick Jones, Foreigner carved out a signature style built on powerful vocals, polished production, and songs engineered to hit big emotional peaks. Their music sits at the crossroads of hard rock, pop, and arena-sized melodrama—and more than four decades later, it still holds up.
The Sound
Foreigner’s strength lies in its balance: Anthemic rockers like “Juke Box Hero,” “Hot Blooded,” and “Urgent” showcase crunchy riffs, soaring vocals, and slick saxophone hooks.
Power ballads such as “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and the iconic “I Want to Know What Love Is” defined the genre and remain staples of classic-rock radio.
The band’s arrangements are tight and accessible, with a level of polish that made their albums feel radio-ready from the first spin.
Musicianship & Songwriting
Mick Jones’ songwriting is deceptively straightforward: big choruses, memorable riffs, and emotionally resonant themes. But beneath that simplicity is a meticulous attention to structure and pacing—why their songs feel so punchy and instantly recognizable.
Later Years
Foreigner has undergone major lineup changes, with Jones the only consistent member. While the current touring version (featuring vocalist Kelly Hansen) delivers faithful, high-energy performances, purists sometimes miss Gramm’s distinctive tone. Still, the live shows remain crowd-pleasers, packed with hits that almost everyone knows.
Verdict
Foreigner may not be the flashiest or most experimental rock band, but they are one of the most consistently effective. They mastered the formula for arena-rock brilliance: soaring melodies, emotionally charged ballads, and a catalog stacked with sing-along classics.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)
A band whose legacy is built not on reinvention, but on delivering rock at its most polished, powerful, and enduring.
Foreigner is a band that has undeniably earned commercial success, but that success often came by playing things remarkably safe. Formed by Mick Jones in 1976, the group mastered arena-rock formulas so thoroughly that their music can sometimes feel more engineered than inspired.
A Sound Designed for Radio
Foreigner’s biggest hits—“Juke Box Hero,” “Hot Blooded,” “Feels Like the First Time”—are impeccably produced, but also meticulously crafted to fit the most conventional rock templates of their era. The band rarely strayed from: predictable verse–chorus–verse structures; big-but-bland guitar riffs; and soaring vocals aimed squarely at radio programmers.
The result is a catalogue that is undeniably listenable, but often lacking depth or experimentation.
Lou Gramm: The Saving Grace
Lou Gramm’s vocals are frequently the most interesting part of Foreigner’s music. His emotional delivery gives life to songs that sometimes feel mechanically constructed. Without Gramm’s presence on the early albums, many tracks might have faded into the sea of similar late-70s arena rock acts.
Songwriting That Rarely Surprises
Mick Jones is a skilled songwriter, but he is also cautious. Even Foreigner’s attempts at ballads—“Waiting for a Girl Like You” and the chart-topping “I Want to Know What Love Is”—lean heavily on sentimentality and slick production rather than lyrical nuance or storytelling. The emotional weight feels heavy-handed at times, bordering on melodrama.
Identity Issues in Later Years
As the band cycled through lineup changes, Foreigner began to feel less like a band and more like a brand. With only Jones remaining from the classic era, some critics argue the later touring versions resemble high-level tribute acts—technically proficient, but lacking the original chemistry.
Verdict
Foreigner is undeniably successful and influential, but their music often prioritizes commercial polish over artistic risk. For listeners who crave innovation, depth, or edge, the band’s catalogue may feel repetitive and overly sanitized.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
A band with strong vocals and hooks, but ultimately more notable for consistency than creativity.
Foreigner is the musical equivalent of fast food: engineered for mass appeal, predictably seasoned, and entirely unbothered by concepts like originality or artistic growth. They’re not a bad band; they’re a deeply unimaginative one. And that, ironically, may be their true legacy.
A Formula So Safe It’s Practically Bubble-Wrapped
Foreigner never met a rock cliché they didn’t immediately embrace.
Crunchy but generic power chords? Check.
Choruses that repeat the same five words until your brain gives up? Check.
Production so glossy it could double as a mirror? Double check.
Their songs don’t surprise, challenge, or evolve—they simply exist, like stock music with a marketing budget.
Lou Gramm Carried This Band on His Back
Let’s be honest: without Lou Gramm, Foreigner’s catalogue would collapse like a cheap lawn chair. His powerful, soulful voice injects an emotional depth the songwriting simply does not earn. He elevates songs that would otherwise be indistinguishable from dozens of other late-70s corporate-rock acts.
It’s telling that the most compelling part of Foreigner’s prime years wasn’t the writing, the riffs, or the arrangements—it was the singing.
Lyrics That Feel Like First Drafts—At Best
Foreigner’s lyrical themes rarely venture beyond: I want you; I need you; Love is hard (please feel sorry for me)
Even their most famous ballad, “I Want to Know What Love Is,” is so drenched in syrupy melodrama that it borders on self-parody. It’s emotional manipulation through sheer volume and choir usage.
The Modern “Band” Is Basically a Franchise
With only Mick Jones remaining, Foreigner has become a legacy act in the most literal sense—a brand name touring with a lineup that feels like a high-budget tribute band. They play the hits well, but the soul of the group evaporated decades ago.
Verdict
Foreigner isn’t offensively bad—they’re just aggressively mediocre. A band whose success came from being exactly what radio wanted: polished, predictable, and utterly devoid of risk.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)
A band with a few undeniable hits, carried by one great vocalist, and built on the safest choices arena rock could possibly offer.
Foreigner isn’t just safe. They aren’t just formulaic. They are the muted beige wallpaper of classic rock—technically present, aggressively inoffensive, and completely incapable of inspiring anything stronger than a shrug unless you’re trapped in a dentist’s waiting room.
This is a band that seems to have held a meeting and decided, collectively, that the artistic ambition level should be set to “lukewarm tap water.”
Songs Built by Committee, Emotion Added by Force
Listening to Foreigner is like reading a focus-group report set to music.
Nothing in their catalogue sounds personal, raw, or even mildly risky. Instead, every track feels scientifically engineered to be “fine”: Riffs: acceptable; Vocals: very good, because of Lou Gramm; Lyrics: a thesaurus of clichés arranged in alphabetical order; Emotion: inflated to stadium size despite the songs having the emotional depth of a parking lot
Foreigner wasn’t writing music—they were meeting quarterly sales projections.
Lou Gramm: The Only Reason Anyone Pretended This Band Had Soul
Lou Gramm’s voice is so good he almost convinced the world Foreigner had something to say.
Spoiler: they didn’t.
It’s like watching a Michelin-star chef forced to prepare a grilled-cheese sandwich using store-brand bread and government cheese. He elevates it, sure—but the ingredients remain tragically basic.
Lyrics So Generic They Might Be AI-Generated (and Not the Good Kind)
Let’s examine Foreigner’s creative range: wanting someone; needing someone; being hot-blooded for someone; being cold as ice toward someone; asking what love is, loudly, repeatedly
Their emotional palette is essentially a Hallmark card run through a guitar amp. Waiting for a Girl Like You could have been written in 12 minutes. Hot Blooded sounds like it was written in 12 minutes.
Modern Foreigner: The Tribute Band That Accidentally Kept the Name
Today’s Foreigner functions less like a band and more like a brand licensing operation.
With endless lineup changes and only Mick Jones as the intermittent link to the past, the group has become a revolving door of competent musicians playing songs created by a different band decades ago.
It’s basically “Foreigner™ — Now Touring With People Who Have Met Mick Jones Once.”
Final Judgment
Foreigner is the sonic embodiment of playing it safe. Not offensive, not groundbreaking—just a long, steady stream of predictability wrapped in glossy production. Foreigner didn’t push boundaries; they barely acknowledged boundaries existed. They aimed for the middle of the road and hit it with laser precision.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (1.5/5)
A handful of undeniably catchy hits surrounded by a legacy of spectacular, professionally executed mediocrity.
Jones had a long music background - he started in an instrumental band, Nero and The Gladiators, who had a minor hit with "Entry of The Gladiators" in 1961. He was then mostly a session player, until he joined the reformed Spooky Tooth in 1972 ("Cotton Growing Man"). The band split up in 1974, so Jones did session work until forming Foreigner.
Gramm was a member of a number of small bands in the early Seventies. He was lead singer for Black Sheep from 1974 to 1976, when Jones asked him to join Foreigner. Black Sheep released two albums - Black Sheep (1975), and Encouraging Words (1976), both of which sound like Free.
The background of Jones and Gramm was the everyday rock of the early Seventies, which included Free ("Alright Now" live on TV in 1970, "My Brother Jake" 1971, and "Wishing Well" 1972), and Bad Company, the follow up band for Free's vocalist Paul Rodgers ("Can't Get Enough" 1974, "Feel Like Makin' Love" 1975), Humble Pie ("30 Days In The Hole" 1972), Peter Frampton ("Show Me The Way" 1975), Nazareth ("Love Hurts" 1974), etc. These bands were carrying on the blues rock traditions established in the Sixties by bands such as Cream, and developed by bands such as Led Zeppelin, who liked to mix what guitarist Jimmy Page called light and dark in such songs as "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" (1969) and "Your Time Is Gonna Come" (1969), which set the trend for what would later be called power ballads - a particular strength for Foreigner.
From listening to the mainstream rock bands who were around before Foreigner formed, and comparing them with Foreigner, it is clear that Foreigner were continuing that tradition, and had no interest in exploring new ideas. Their main appeal, then, would be to people who either were unaware of the mainstream rock music tradition that Foreigner were working in, and felt that the music was new and fresh, or were aware, and enjoyed that familiarity and safety. Essentially, Foreigner had an undemanding audience with limited knowledge of music, but who enjoyed what they liked and knew.
What else was happening in 1976? The established big rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple were running out of ideas, while new wave and punk, via Ramones, Patti Smith, and Sex Pistols, was making waves.
Albums
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| Foreigner (1977) |
Debut album is mostly melodic mainstream rock, though there are touches of prog rock, such as on "Starrider", co-written by the keyboardist Al Greenwood. The opening two tracks, "Feels Like the First Time" and "Cold as Ice" were released as singles, both reaching the US top ten.
It's a workmanlike album. It's efficiently done. Most of the tracks are little or no different to typical mainstream rock, and contemporary reviews were unenthusiastic (though current reviewers tend to regard the album as the band's best work), so outside the first two tracks, there's little here for listeners to get excited about. The success of the album and so the band, rests on the first two singles. On the whole I find the album lacking in originality, ideas, and excitement. It follows a well worn path, and does so with less bite and interest than previous bands. Essentially, to someone familiar with this mainstream rock style of music, this album offers nothing new or interesting, and comes across as rather boring.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Feels Like the First Time" | Mick Jones | 3:49 |
| 2. | "Cold as Ice" | Jones, Lou Gramm | 3:23 |
| 3. | "Starrider" | Al Greenwood, Jones | 4:01 |
| 4. | "Headknocker" | Gramm, Jones | 2:58 |
| 5. | "The Damage Is Done" | Jones, Gramm | 4:15 |
| 6. | "Long, Long Way from Home" | Jones, Gramm, Ian McDonald | 2:53 |
| 7. | "Woman Oh Woman" | Jones | 3:49 |
| 8. | "At War with the World" | Jones | 4:18 |
| 9. | "Fool for You Anyway" | Jones | 4:15 |
| 10. | "I Need You" | Gramm, Jones | 5:09 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Feels Like the First Time" (Demo) | Jones | 3:40 |
| 12. | "Woman Oh Woman" (Demo) | Jones | 4:14 |
| 13. | "At War with the World" (Demo) | Jones | 5:00 |
| 14. | "Take Me to Your Leader" (Demo) | Jones | 3:40 |
- Lou Gramm – lead vocals
- Mick Jones – lead guitars, backing vocals, lead vocals (3, 7)
- Ian McDonald – guitars, keyboards, saxophone, flute, backing vocals
- Al Greenwood – keyboards, synthesizers
- Ed Gagliardi – bass, backing vocals
- Dennis Elliott – drums
 |
| Double Vision (1978) |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hot Blooded" | Lou Gramm | Mick Jones | 4:28 |
| 2. | "Blue Morning, Blue Day" | Gramm, Jones | Jones | 3:12 |
| 3. | "You're All I Am" | Jones | Jones | 3:24 |
| 4. | "Back Where You Belong" | Jones | Jones | 3:14 |
| 5. | "Love Has Taken Its Toll" | Gramm | Ian McDonald | 3:29 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Double Vision" | Gramm, Jones | Jones | 3:44 |
| 7. | "Tramontane" (instrumental) | Al Greenwood, McDonald, Jones | 3:56 | |
| 8. | "I Have Waited So Long" | Jones | Jones | 4:07 |
| 9. | "Lonely Children" | Jones | Jones | 3:37 |
| 10. | "Spellbinder" | Gramm | Jones | 4:45 |
- Lou Gramm – lead vocals
- Mick Jones – lead guitar, backing vocals, piano, lead vocals (4, 8)
- Ian McDonald – guitars, keyboards, reeds, vocals
- Al Greenwood – keyboards, synthesizer
- Ed Gagliardi – bass, vocals
- Dennis Elliott – drums
Wikipedia
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| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dirty White Boy" | Mick Jones, Lou Gramm | 3:38 |
| 2. | "Love on the Telephone" | Jones, Gramm | 3:18 |
| 3. | "Women" | Jones | 3:24 |
| 4. | "I'll Get Even with You" | Jones | 3:40 |
| 5. | "Seventeen" | Jones, Gramm | 4:36 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Head Games" | Gramm, Jones | 3:37 |
| 7. | "The Modern Day" | Jones | 3:26 |
| 8. | "Blinded by Science" | Jones | 4:55 |
| 9. | "Do What You Like" | Ian McDonald, Gramm | 3:59 |
| 10. | "Rev on the Red Line" | Al Greenwood, Gramm | 3:35 |
- Lou Gramm – lead vocals
- Mick Jones – lead guitar, backing vocals, piano; lead vocals (on "The Modern Day")
- Ian McDonald – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
- Al Greenwood – keyboards, synthesizer
- Rick Wills – bass, backing vocals
- Dennis Elliott – drums
Wikipedia
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All tracks are written by Mick Jones, with additional songwriting by Lou Gramm on tracks 1-2, 4-5 and 9-10.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Night Life" | 3:48 |
| 2. | "Juke Box Hero" | 4:18 |
| 3. | "Break It Up" | 4:11 |
| 4. | "Waiting for a Girl Like You" | 4:49 |
| 5. | "Luanne" (On some vinyl editions, "Luanne" is listed as 3:11) | 3:25 |
| 6. | "Urgent" | 4:29 |
| 7. | "I'm Gonna Win" | 4:51 |
| 8. | "Woman in Black" | 4:42 |
| 9. | "Girl on the Moon" | 3:49 |
| 10. | "Don't Let Go" | 3:58 |
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| Agent Provocateur (1984) |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tooth and Nail" | Lou Gramm, Mick Jones | 3:54 |
| 2. | "That Was Yesterday" | Jones, Gramm | 3:46 |
| 3. | "I Want to Know What Love Is" | Jones | 4:58 |
| 4. | "Growing Up the Hard Way" | Jones, Gramm | 4:18 |
| 5. | "Reaction to Action" | Jones, Gramm | 3:57 |
| 6. | "Stranger in My Own House" | Jones | 4:54 |
| 7. | "A Love in Vain" | Jones, Gramm | 4:12 |
| 8. | "Down on Love" | Jones, Gramm | 4:08 |
| 9. | "Two Different Worlds" | Gramm | 4:28 |
| 10. | "She's Too Tough" | Jones, Gramm | 3:07 |
- Lou Gramm – lead vocals, percussion
- Mick Jones – guitars, bass, keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals
- Rick Wills – bass, backing vocals
- Dennis Elliott – drums
Wikipedia
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| Inside Information (1987) |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heart Turns to Stone" | 4:29 | |
| 2. | "Can't Wait" | 4:27 | |
| 3. | "Say You Will" | 4:12 | |
| 4. | "I Don't Want to Live Without You" | Mick Jones | 4:52 |
| 5. | "Counting Every Minute" | 4:11 | |
| 6. | "Inside Information" | Jones | 4:09 |
| 7. | "The Beat of My Heart" | 5:10 | |
| 8. | "Face to Face" | 3:53 | |
| 9. | "Out of the Blue" | 4:42 | |
| 10. | "A Night to Remember" | 4:07 |
- Lou Gramm – lead vocals
- Mick Jones – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
- Rick Wills – bass, backing vocals
- Dennis Elliott – drums
Wikipedia
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| Unusual Heat (1991) |
All tracks are written by Mick Jones, Johnny Edwards, and Terry Thomas, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Only Heaven Knows" | 4:47 | |
| 2. | "Lowdown and Dirty" | 4:21 | |
| 3. | "I'll Fight for You" | 6:02 | |
| 4. | "Moment of Truth" | 4:25 | |
| 5. | "Mountain of Love" | 4:37 | |
| 6. | "Ready for the Rain" | Edwards, Jeff Northrup, Jones, Thomas | 5:02 |
| 7. | "When the Night Comes Down" | 4:43 | |
| 8. | "Safe in My Heart" | Jones | 4:32 |
| 9. | "No Hiding Place" | 3:55 | |
| 10. | "Flesh Wound" | 4:17 | |
| 11. | "Unusual Heat" | 4:32 |
- Johnny Edwards – lead vocals, backing vocals, lead guitar (on "Mountain of Love")
- Mick Jones – keyboards, lead guitar, guitars, backing vocals
- Rick Wills – bass, backing vocals
- Dennis Elliott – drums
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| Greatest Hits / Best of Live (1993) |
| No. | Title | Recorded | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Double Vision" (originally from Double Vision, 1978) | 10/22/1979 @ Philadelphia, PA | 4:49 |
| 2. | "Cold as Ice" (originally from Foreigner, 1977) | 10/28/1979 @ Syracuse, NY | 6:23 |
| 3. | "The Damage Is Done" (originally from Foreigner, 1977) | 9/7/1979 @ Richmond, VA | 4:32 |
| 4. | "Women" (originally from Head Games, 1979) | 10/28/1979 @ Syracuse, NY | 4:19 |
| 5. | "Dirty White Boy" (originally from Head Games, 1979) | 10/22/1979 @ Philadelphia, PA | 3:57 |
| 6. | "Fool for You Anyway" (originally from Foreigner, 1977) | 7/1/1977 @ WKQX, Chicago, IL | 4:29 |
| 7. | "Head Games" (originally from Head Games, 1979) | 10/27/1979 @ Rochester, NY | 4:03 |
| 8. | "Not Fade Away" (Buddy Holly cover, 1957) | 5/14/1985 @ Washington, DC | 3:39 |
| 9. | "Waiting for a Girl Like You" (originally from 4, 1981) | 3/24/1985 @ The Omni, Atlanta, GA | 5:39 |
| 10. | "Juke Box Hero" (originally from 4, 1981) | 7/15/1983 in Dortmund, Germany | 5:42 |
| 11. | "Urgent" (originally from 4, 1981) | 7/17/1982 @ Anaheim, CA | 6:00 |
| 12. | "Love Maker" (Betty Wright cover, 1973) | 7/1/1977 @ WKQX, Chicago, IL | 6:46 |
| 13. | "I Want to Know What Love Is" Agent Provocateur 1984 | 3/25/1985 @ The Omni, Atlanta, GA | 6:16 |
| 14. | "Feels Like the First Time" (Foreigner, 1977) | 10/28/1979 @ Syracuse, NY | 7:40 |
- Lou Gramm – lead vocals
- Mick Jones – guitar, piano, backing vocals
- Ed Gagliardi – bass, backing vocals
- Rick Wills – bass, backing vocals
- Ian McDonald – saxophone, keyboards, guitars, backing vocals
- Al Greenwood – keyboards, synthesizers
- Dennis Elliott – drums
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| Mr. Moonlight (1994) |
All tracks are written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "White Lie" | 4:16 | |
| 2. | "Rain" | Gramm, Jones, Bruce Turgon | 4:35 |
| 3. | "Until the End of Time" | Gramm, Jones, Turgon | 4:52 |
| 4. | "All I Need to Know" | 4:45 | |
| 5. | "Running the Risk" | Gramm, Jones, Jeff Jacobs | 5:09 |
| 6. | "Real World" | 6:22 | |
| 7. | "Big Dog" | Gramm, Jones, Jacobs, Turgon | 4:47 |
| 8. | "Hole in My Soul" | 5:08 | |
| 9. | "I Keep Hoping" | Gramm, Jones, Jacobs | 5:10 |
| 10. | "Under the Gun" | 4:16 | |
| 11. | "Hand on My Heart" | Gramm, Jones, Turgon | 4:57 |
- Lou Gramm – lead vocals, backing vocals, percussion
- Mick Jones – guitars, acoustic piano, backing vocals
- Jeff Jacobs – acoustic piano, organ, keyboards, backing vocals
- Bruce Turgon – bass, backing vocals
- Mark Schulman – drums, backing vocals
Wikipedia
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| Can't Slow Down (2009) |
All songs written by Mick Jones, Kelly Hansen, and Marti Frederiksen, except where noted.
- "Can't Slow Down" – 3:28
- "In Pieces" – 3:53
- "When It Comes to Love" – 3:54
- "Living In a Dream" – 3:43
- "I Can't Give Up" (Jones, Hansen, Frederiksen, Steve McEwan) – 4:32
- "Ready" – 3:43
- "Give Me a Sign" – 3:52
- "I'll Be Home Tonight" – 4:14
- "Too Late" (Jones, Frederiksen, Oliver Leiber, Russ Irwin) – 3:45
- "Lonely" (McEwan, Frederiksen) – 3:29
- "As Long as I Live" – 3:48
- "Angel Tonight" – 3:32
- "Fool for You Anyway" (Jones) – 4:04
- Kelly Hansen – lead and backing vocals
- Mick Jones – acoustic piano, lead guitar, backing vocals
- Michael Bluestein – keyboards, backing vocals
- Thom Gimbel – guitars, saxophone, backing vocals
- Jeff Pilson – bass, backing vocals
- Brian Tichy – drums, percussion
- Jason Bonham – drums on "Too Late"
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
AllMusic:
Score:
Discography
Double Vision (1978)
Head Games (1979)
4 (1981)
Agent Provocateur (1984)
Inside Information (1987)
Unusual Heat (1991)
Mr. Moonlight (1994)
Can't Slow Down (2009)
Selected singles with videos
"Feels Like The First Time" 1977 - first single from the debut album. US: 4; UK: 39. Rock number, sounding like a toned down Free. Video is of the band playing beside a train.
"Cold As Ice" 1977 - second single from the debut album. US: 6; UK: 24. Another rock number, a bit Free, a bit 10cc, with a touch of Supertramp prog. Video is the same set up as the first single.
"Hot Blooded" 1978 - first single from the second album. US: 3; UK: 42. Still sounding like Free. Same guitar riffs, some vocals. No official video - someone put on a video of the band playing live.
"Double Vision" 1978 - second single and title track from second album. US: 2; UK - . I've not previously heard this song, and I note that while it was the band's most successful so far in the US, it didn't chart in the UK. Still sound like Free, though with a little jazz and prog to spice it up.
"Double Vision" 1978 - second single and title track from second album. US: 2; UK - . I've not previously heard this song, and I note that while it was the band's most successful so far in the US, it didn't chart in the UK. Still sound like Free, though with a little jazz and prog to spice it up.
Style of music
Foreigner are mainstream rock. They are variously described as Hard Rock, Arena Rock, Album Rock (by AllMusic), as Soft Rock (by Smooth Radio), and as Mass-Appeal Rock (by Rolling Stone). They use mainstream rock based guitar riffs, attractive melodies, soulful singing, and had great success with power ballads.
* Setlists
AI Reviews
Review: Foreigner — Arena-Rock Perfection With Timeless Hooks
Few bands capture the sound of late-70s and 80s rock as cleanly and enduringly as Foreigner. Formed in 1976 by guitarist and songwriter Mick Jones, Foreigner carved out a signature style built on powerful vocals, polished production, and songs engineered to hit big emotional peaks. Their music sits at the crossroads of hard rock, pop, and arena-sized melodrama—and more than four decades later, it still holds up.
The Sound
Foreigner’s strength lies in its balance: Anthemic rockers like “Juke Box Hero,” “Hot Blooded,” and “Urgent” showcase crunchy riffs, soaring vocals, and slick saxophone hooks.
Power ballads such as “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and the iconic “I Want to Know What Love Is” defined the genre and remain staples of classic-rock radio.
The band’s arrangements are tight and accessible, with a level of polish that made their albums feel radio-ready from the first spin.
Vocals: The Lou Gramm Era
Much of Foreigner’s magic stems from original vocalist Lou Gramm, whose powerful, soulful voice elevated even the simplest melodies. His ability to shift from gritty rock belting to tender emotional delivery is a big reason their catalogue has aged so well.
Much of Foreigner’s magic stems from original vocalist Lou Gramm, whose powerful, soulful voice elevated even the simplest melodies. His ability to shift from gritty rock belting to tender emotional delivery is a big reason their catalogue has aged so well.
Musicianship & Songwriting
Mick Jones’ songwriting is deceptively straightforward: big choruses, memorable riffs, and emotionally resonant themes. But beneath that simplicity is a meticulous attention to structure and pacing—why their songs feel so punchy and instantly recognizable.
Later Years
Foreigner has undergone major lineup changes, with Jones the only consistent member. While the current touring version (featuring vocalist Kelly Hansen) delivers faithful, high-energy performances, purists sometimes miss Gramm’s distinctive tone. Still, the live shows remain crowd-pleasers, packed with hits that almost everyone knows.
Verdict
Foreigner may not be the flashiest or most experimental rock band, but they are one of the most consistently effective. They mastered the formula for arena-rock brilliance: soaring melodies, emotionally charged ballads, and a catalog stacked with sing-along classics.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)
A band whose legacy is built not on reinvention, but on delivering rock at its most polished, powerful, and enduring.
Critical Review: Foreigner — Polished, Predictable, and Permanently Safe
Foreigner is a band that has undeniably earned commercial success, but that success often came by playing things remarkably safe. Formed by Mick Jones in 1976, the group mastered arena-rock formulas so thoroughly that their music can sometimes feel more engineered than inspired.
A Sound Designed for Radio
Foreigner’s biggest hits—“Juke Box Hero,” “Hot Blooded,” “Feels Like the First Time”—are impeccably produced, but also meticulously crafted to fit the most conventional rock templates of their era. The band rarely strayed from: predictable verse–chorus–verse structures; big-but-bland guitar riffs; and soaring vocals aimed squarely at radio programmers.
The result is a catalogue that is undeniably listenable, but often lacking depth or experimentation.
Lou Gramm: The Saving Grace
Lou Gramm’s vocals are frequently the most interesting part of Foreigner’s music. His emotional delivery gives life to songs that sometimes feel mechanically constructed. Without Gramm’s presence on the early albums, many tracks might have faded into the sea of similar late-70s arena rock acts.
Songwriting That Rarely Surprises
Mick Jones is a skilled songwriter, but he is also cautious. Even Foreigner’s attempts at ballads—“Waiting for a Girl Like You” and the chart-topping “I Want to Know What Love Is”—lean heavily on sentimentality and slick production rather than lyrical nuance or storytelling. The emotional weight feels heavy-handed at times, bordering on melodrama.
Identity Issues in Later Years
As the band cycled through lineup changes, Foreigner began to feel less like a band and more like a brand. With only Jones remaining from the classic era, some critics argue the later touring versions resemble high-level tribute acts—technically proficient, but lacking the original chemistry.
Verdict
Foreigner is undeniably successful and influential, but their music often prioritizes commercial polish over artistic risk. For listeners who crave innovation, depth, or edge, the band’s catalogue may feel repetitive and overly sanitized.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
A band with strong vocals and hooks, but ultimately more notable for consistency than creativity.
Harsh Review: Foreigner — Arena Rock’s Safest, Blandest, Most Over-Processed Export
Foreigner is the musical equivalent of fast food: engineered for mass appeal, predictably seasoned, and entirely unbothered by concepts like originality or artistic growth. They’re not a bad band; they’re a deeply unimaginative one. And that, ironically, may be their true legacy.
A Formula So Safe It’s Practically Bubble-Wrapped
Foreigner never met a rock cliché they didn’t immediately embrace.
Crunchy but generic power chords? Check.
Choruses that repeat the same five words until your brain gives up? Check.
Production so glossy it could double as a mirror? Double check.
Their songs don’t surprise, challenge, or evolve—they simply exist, like stock music with a marketing budget.
Lou Gramm Carried This Band on His Back
Let’s be honest: without Lou Gramm, Foreigner’s catalogue would collapse like a cheap lawn chair. His powerful, soulful voice injects an emotional depth the songwriting simply does not earn. He elevates songs that would otherwise be indistinguishable from dozens of other late-70s corporate-rock acts.
It’s telling that the most compelling part of Foreigner’s prime years wasn’t the writing, the riffs, or the arrangements—it was the singing.
Lyrics That Feel Like First Drafts—At Best
Foreigner’s lyrical themes rarely venture beyond: I want you; I need you; Love is hard (please feel sorry for me)
Even their most famous ballad, “I Want to Know What Love Is,” is so drenched in syrupy melodrama that it borders on self-parody. It’s emotional manipulation through sheer volume and choir usage.
The Modern “Band” Is Basically a Franchise
With only Mick Jones remaining, Foreigner has become a legacy act in the most literal sense—a brand name touring with a lineup that feels like a high-budget tribute band. They play the hits well, but the soul of the group evaporated decades ago.
Verdict
Foreigner isn’t offensively bad—they’re just aggressively mediocre. A band whose success came from being exactly what radio wanted: polished, predictable, and utterly devoid of risk.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)
A band with a few undeniable hits, carried by one great vocalist, and built on the safest choices arena rock could possibly offer.
Brutal Review: Foreigner — Corporate Rock at Its Most Soulless and Comically Predictable
Foreigner isn’t just safe. They aren’t just formulaic. They are the muted beige wallpaper of classic rock—technically present, aggressively inoffensive, and completely incapable of inspiring anything stronger than a shrug unless you’re trapped in a dentist’s waiting room.
This is a band that seems to have held a meeting and decided, collectively, that the artistic ambition level should be set to “lukewarm tap water.”
Songs Built by Committee, Emotion Added by Force
Listening to Foreigner is like reading a focus-group report set to music.
Nothing in their catalogue sounds personal, raw, or even mildly risky. Instead, every track feels scientifically engineered to be “fine”: Riffs: acceptable; Vocals: very good, because of Lou Gramm; Lyrics: a thesaurus of clichés arranged in alphabetical order; Emotion: inflated to stadium size despite the songs having the emotional depth of a parking lot
Foreigner wasn’t writing music—they were meeting quarterly sales projections.
Lou Gramm: The Only Reason Anyone Pretended This Band Had Soul
Lou Gramm’s voice is so good he almost convinced the world Foreigner had something to say.
Spoiler: they didn’t.
It’s like watching a Michelin-star chef forced to prepare a grilled-cheese sandwich using store-brand bread and government cheese. He elevates it, sure—but the ingredients remain tragically basic.
Lyrics So Generic They Might Be AI-Generated (and Not the Good Kind)
Let’s examine Foreigner’s creative range: wanting someone; needing someone; being hot-blooded for someone; being cold as ice toward someone; asking what love is, loudly, repeatedly
Their emotional palette is essentially a Hallmark card run through a guitar amp. Waiting for a Girl Like You could have been written in 12 minutes. Hot Blooded sounds like it was written in 12 minutes.
Modern Foreigner: The Tribute Band That Accidentally Kept the Name
Today’s Foreigner functions less like a band and more like a brand licensing operation.
With endless lineup changes and only Mick Jones as the intermittent link to the past, the group has become a revolving door of competent musicians playing songs created by a different band decades ago.
It’s basically “Foreigner™ — Now Touring With People Who Have Met Mick Jones Once.”
Final Judgment
Foreigner is the sonic embodiment of playing it safe. Not offensive, not groundbreaking—just a long, steady stream of predictability wrapped in glossy production. Foreigner didn’t push boundaries; they barely acknowledged boundaries existed. They aimed for the middle of the road and hit it with laser precision.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (1.5/5)
A handful of undeniably catchy hits surrounded by a legacy of spectacular, professionally executed mediocrity.
