The Stunning

Formed in 1987 in Galway city, The Stunning took Ireland by storm and shifted the focus from a Dublin-centric rock scene to the provinces, paving the way for many more artists to come. They toured relentlessly releasing a string of hit singles and two number one albums and built a following that would make them one of the most popular Irish bands ever amongst a new generation of young Irish people for whom emigration was not a prerequisite.

The Stunning released their first single ‘Got to Get Away’ in 1988 and to the band’s surprise it hit the top twenty in Ireland. The following two singles ‘Half Past Two’ and ‘Romeo’s on Fire’ did even better making the top ten. ‘Brewing up a Storm’, their fourth single released in 1989, was oddly their first flop and didn’t dent the charts at all, as daytime radio found it too rocky.

The following year, 1990 was a pivotal year in Ireland. The national football team had done the country proud in the World Cup in Italy and Ireland had her first lady president. There was also a new soundtrack to that summer – the debut album by a young band from the west of Ireland. ‘Paradise In The Picturehouse’ slowly crept up the charts and spent five weeks at number one, a new record for a debut album by an Irish act. It was to become one of the most-loved Irish albums of all time, going on to reach multi-platinum status in Ireland.