Utopia is an American rock band formed in 1973 by Todd Rundgren. During its first three years, the group was a progressive rock band with a somewhat fluid membership known as Todd Rundgren’s Utopia. Most of the members in this early incarnation also played on Rundgren’s solo albums of the period up to 1975.
By 1976, the group was known simply as Utopia and was a stable quartet of Todd Rundgren, Kasim Sulton, Roger Powell and John “Willie” Wilcox. This version of the group gradually abandoned prog-rock for straightforward rock and pop.
Utopia moved toward a more concise pop-oriented style with Oops! Wrong Planet in 1977….which included “Love Is the Answer”….and was followed by the more successful Adventures in Utopia in 1980….which spawned the hits “Road to Utopia”, “Set Me Free”, “Can’t Stop The Loving Action” and “Caravan”.
Faithful was followed by Hermit of Mink Hollow in 1978….this included the hit ballad “Can We Still Be Friends” ….which reached # 29 in the United States….and was accompanied by an innovative self-produced music video….as the album became the 2nd most successful of the band’s career by reaching # 36 in the United States.
