Wissenswertes

Did not work together often as a group. Jeff Lynne wrote the songs, called his bandmates together when he was ready to record, and did post-production (mixing and editing) without them. The next time they usually heard the songs was when the finished records began to appear on radio. They would then reassemble to rehearse, before going out on tour.

Band member Mike Edwards died on September 3, 2010, in a vehicle accident; he was driving his van on a country road when a 600-kg hay bale rolled down a hill, hit his car and crushed it, killing him instantly.

Their hit single "Don't Bring Me Down" was their first song to not feature a string section.

Thanks to contact microphones and early wireless miking systems, the band's string players were able to move around onstage as they played, resulting in an unusual, lively stage act.

Several members regrouped without Jeff Lynne after the final ELO album ("Balance of Power") (1986), first forming OrKestra (with an appearance in Summer Job (1989)), then "ELO Part II". Lynne reacquired the ELO name, with a current album and planned tour (2001), but the album was not a hit, and most of the tour dates were canceled.

The band holds the record for having the most Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 without having had a #1 hit.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2017).

Members have included Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan, Steve Woolam, Kelly Groucutt, Mik Kaminski, Richard Tandy, Hugh McDowell, Andy Craig, Wilf Gibson, Mike D'Albuquerque, Mike Edwards, Colin Walker

The album "Eldorado" (1974) was the first time a full orchestra was used in ELO's recording sessions. The British classical players were used to keeping to a time clock and other protocols, and showed little interest in the music. The "Eldorado" session itself ran overlong, and musicians actually began packing up and walking out, thinning out the sound of the finale. Complaints about an alleged backward-masked Satanic/Anti-Christian message in the song also arose, from the American Bible belt. Before starting ELO's next album, Jeff Lynne accepted an invitation to record at Musicland Studios in Munich, and found the German session players much more receptive and dedicated. The backwards-message accusations he dismissed as "skcollob".

Original bass guitarist Mike D'Albuquerque left after the band's third album, "On the Third Day" (1973); he was credited as bassist on their next album ("Eldorado"), but the bass parts were mostly played by Jeff Lynne. Kelly Groucutt joined the band in time for their next album, "Face the Music" (1975).