Simply Red was exactly that - simply Mick "Red" Hucknall, the Britain who formed the group in 1984. Born Michael James Hucknall, the twenty-year olds' British soul pop group saw several lineup changes before they found a permanent sound and lineup. Just a year after they formed, the group signed with Elektra Records and released their debut album Picture Book in October of that year. The album featured "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)," a Top 40 cover of a 1982 R&B single by the Valentine Brothers. The album eventually went platinum and was the group's most rewarding success.

Just a year later, in 1987, the group released Men and Women, featuring collaborations with Hucknall and songwriter Lamont Dozier. Though the album was less popular that their first, it still generated a Top 40 hit in the single, "The Right Thing." Later, guitarist Sylvan Richardson left in 1987 and was replaced by Aziz Ibrahim, who was replaced by Heitor T.P.

Simply Red's third album, A New Flame, saw the hit single from the cover of 1972 Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, "If You Don't Know Me by Now," which eventually became a gold single. The album went on to become a gold album due to this single in the United States, with UK Top 40 singles in "It's Only Love" and "A New Flame."

The fourth album, Stars, appeared in 1991 and saw original bassist Tony Bowers and drummer Chris Joyce leave the group, as Shaun Ward became their bassist along with saxophonist Ian Kirkham. Though the album was a disappointment in the US, it still went gold and became a relatively big hit in the UK (it was the best selling UK album of 1991 and topped the charts for 19 weeks).

Ward was gone by the time Simply Red's fifth album, Life, appeared, which again saw more success in their home country than in the States. The group established the simplyred.com label and released several more albums into the most recent millennia.