Todd Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and record producer….who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Utopia….as seen in this video herewith. He is characterized for his sophisticated and often-unorthodox music….along with his flamboyant stage outfits…..and his later experiments with interactive entertainment. He also produced innovative music videos….while pioneering forms of multimedia….plus Rungren was an early adopter and promoter of various computer technologies….such as using the Internet as a means of music distribution in the late 1990’s.
Rundgren began his professional career in the mid-1960’s by forming the psychedelic band Nazz….which he left two years later to pursue a solo career…..and immediately scored his first US top 40 hit with “We Gotta Get You a Woman” (1970). His best-known songs include “Hello It’s Me” and “I Saw the Light” from Something/Anything? (1972)….which have heavy rotation on classic rock radio stations, and the 1983 single “Bang the Drum All Day”…. which is featured in many sports arenas, commercials and movie trailers. Although lesser known, “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” (1972) was influential to many artists in the power pop genre. His 1973 album A Wizard, a True Star remains an influence on later generations of “bedroom” musicians.
Rundgren was one of the first acts to be prominent both as an artist and as a producer. His notable production credits include Badfinger’s Straight Up (1971), Grand Funk Railroad’s We’re an American Band (1973), the New York Dolls’ New York Dolls (1973), Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell (1977) and XTC’s Skylarking (1986). Additionally, he organized the first interactive television concert in 1978, designed the first color graphics tablet in 1980, and created the first interactive album, No World Order, in 1994.:
