Adam Ant has altered his style throughout a career that has been spent as both a solo artist and part of a group, enabling him to return from obscurity and endure throughout multiple decades. Ant, born Leslie Goddard, got his start headlining the band Adam and the Ants in the late ‘70s. The group released their debut album, Dirk Wears White Sox, in 1979. The album showcased the band's post-punk sound and hinted at Ant's penchant for glam with hints in his vocals throughout but received little acclaim.The band, feeling the need for a reworked image, hired manager Mark McLaren and began dressing in pirate costumes and crafting a new pop-oriented sound. While the band was working on material for a follow-up album, McLaren persuaded the members of the group to leave Ant for another project. Ant quickly put together a new roster that included guitarist Marc Pirroni, whose songwriting would play a significant role in the band's future releases. With new lineup in tow, Adam and the Ants released Kings of the Wild Frontier in 1980. The record did fantastically in the United Kingdom, spawning several top 10 hits on the charts. The album's success was given a boost by a series of music videos that featured Ant decked out as a swashbuckler.After another successful release, Prince Charming, Ant left the group to pursue a solo career. He received immediate fanfare when his debut solo effort, Friend or Foe, produced the number one sensation "Goody Two Shoes." After records in '83 and '85 didn't receive the accolades that his debut had, Ant put his music career on hold and concocted a rather successful vocation as an actor. He returned in 1990 with Manners & Physique and, after another hiatus, Wonderful in 1995. The latter earned him some attention with its title track in both the U.S. and U.K. and remains his most recent release.