Though in America he remains largely a cult figure, Gary Numan was a bonafide U.K. pop star in the late '70s and early '80s, when chilly, synth-driven music found a receptive public. Moving thorugh the indie circuits were bands like Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark, Human League and Depeche Mode, all of which were major names within the field of synth-pop. But as a solo performer, none of those bands brought the kind of unique science-fiction fantasy to their work that Numan infused into his.

Born Gary Anthony James Webb, Numan was withdrawn as a child, finding pleasure in sci-fi novels and in music. In the '70s, as the punk movement was making untrained musicians into popstars overnight, Numan formed a group called Tubeway Army. He also adopted his stage name, a portmanteau of "new" and "human." Discovering the ethereal, futuristic sounds of synthesizers, he made the instrument a prominent piece of the band, releasing a self-titled debut in 1978 and Replicas in 1979.

Replicas developed a cult following that it retains to this day, largely due to its dark vision. A concept album about a society run by machines, it established what would become Numan's signature sound, marrying pop structure to the experimental work of Ultravox. Themes about the alienating effect of technology were reflected in song titles like "Me! I Disconnect From You," "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and the haunting "Down in the Park," about a city park that becomes a cruel gladiatorial arena at night, where humans run from "rape-machines" for the amusement of an elite class of androids.

Numan's follow-up would be his first official solo album, The Pleasure Principle. Removing the guitars that appeared on his first two albums, this record became prized as a gem of pure synth-driven music, and would even feature an unlikely hit single: "Cars," which climbed the charts in America.