Gary Numan (b. 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, and electronic music pioneer. He’s best known for his early synth-driven hits like “Cars” (1979) and “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” (with his band Tubeway Army), and for influencing generations of electronic, new wave, and industrial musicians.
Born Gary Anthony James Webb in West London,
he began in punk bands, but quickly embraced synthesizers after discovering the Minimoog.
He formed Tubeway Army (1976–79), blending punk energy with icy electronic sounds.
Newman's most notable albums are Replicas (1979, Tubeway Army), which included Are ‘Friends’ Electric?, a #1 UK hit, with dystopian lyrics and stark synth textures; The Pleasure Principle (1979, solo), featuring Cars, which became a worldwide hit, and was notable for having no guitars, only synthesizers and rhythm section; and Telekon (1980), another UK #1, cementing his reputation as an electronic star.
He was one of the first to bring synthesizers into mainstream pop charts and was known for a futuristic, robotic persona (pale makeup, detached stage presence, sci-fi themes). His music blended cold electronic textures with pop hooks, influencing both synthpop and later industrial rock.
After early success, his popularity declined in the mid-1980s, but he continued experimenting. In the 1990s, he reinvented his sound, moving toward darker, industrial-influenced music (inspired by Nine Inch Nails and Ministry). Albums like Sacrifice (1994), Exile (1997), and Pure (2000) reestablished him as a cult figure. Splinter (Songs from a Broken Mind) (2013) and Savage (Songs from a Broken World) (2017) charted highly, proving his enduring relevance.