Busted

Busted are an English pop rock band from the United Kingdom, active from 2001 to the present. The group consists of James Bourne, Matt Willis and Charlie Simpson, and is associated with pop, pop punk, pop rock, rock and synth-pop. They release music on Busted Music.

Career

Busted form in London, England and first achieve mainstream success with their debut single, What I Go To School For, which enters the UK chart at number 3 and also reaches the top 40 in Ireland and Germany. The song is inspired by a real-life crush and its video features supermodel Lorna Roberts. Their self-titled debut album follows and reaches number 2 in the UK. Although the album receives mixed critical response, it becomes a commercial success and gains multi-platinum certification from the RIAA. The band’s early sound draws comparisons with pop punk acts such as Green Day, Sum 41 and blink-182, and their records also chart in countries including Austria, Ireland and Japan.

Their second album, A Present For Everyone, appears in November 2003 and also reaches number 2 in the UK. A live album, A Ticket For Everyone, follows in November 2004, during a period of tension within the band. Busted split in January 2005 after Charlie Simpson decides to concentrate on his rock band Fightstar.

Later activity

After the split, Matt Willis releases a solo album and becomes a television presenter with his wife. James Bourne forms the short-lived band Son Of Dork before turning to songwriting. Busted return in 2013 without Charlie as McBusted, a supergroup with McFly. In 2015 the trio reform with Charlie Simpson back in the line-up. After reforming, the band release Night Driver in 2016 and Half Way There in 2019.