Howard Jones is the man behind the pop synthesizer that produced 1980s hits like "What Is Love" and "Things Can Only Get Better," and he continues to mature as an artist and create music that is simultaneously eclectic and accessible.

Jones was born in Southampton, England, where he learned to play the piano, but relocated to Canada in his teens and subsequently joined the progressive rock outfit Warrior. After his first band broke up, Jones jumped back across the pond and played with several U.K. groups before enrolling in the Royal Northern College of Music in the mid-1970s (only to drop out and begin jamming with local jazz and funk bands.) The evolving performer struck out solo, playing only with synthesizers and drum machines, and eventually got noticed by John Peel. Jones was soon opening for new wave synth-pop acts all across the U.K., signing with WEA in England and Europe in 1983 and Elektra in the U.S. He released his first single, New Song," in 1983 and followed the instant hit with "What Is Love" which charted even better than its predecessor. The following year Jones issued his debut album, Humans Lib, to rave reviews in the U.K. (it went straight to number one) as well as MTV airplay in the U.S. "New Song" and "What Is Love" became radio mainstays in the U.S. later on in 1984 while "Pearl in the Shell" became Jones' third British number one single.

In 1985 Jones released his second and most successful album, Dream into Action, which soared to number 10 in the U.S. and eventually went platinum thanks to smash singles "Life in One Day," "Things Can Only Get Better," "Like To Get To Know You Well" and "Look Mama." Action Replay followed in 1986 with the highest U.S. charting single "No One Is to Blame," which wasn't as successful in the U.K. (a fact that would characterize the remainder of Jones' career). In 1989 Jones released his fourth album, Cross That Line, with adult contemporary hit "Everlasting Love," followed by the un-charting In the Running in 1992. After years of best of records and barely any new material, Jones released Revolution of the Heart in 2005.