First formed in the mid-‘80s, New York’s Living Colour helped break down the doors of rock music by the end of the decade, leading to a much more open-minded musical landscape that would eventually pave the way for future bands such as Rage Against the Machine and Sevendust. It took the fledgling band a few years for their sound to gel, as singer Corey Glover, guitarist Vernon Reid, bassist Muzz Skillings, and drummer Will Calhoun honed their act at N.Y.C.’s famed CBGB’s.

In the late-‘80s, Living Colour found an unlikely supporter in Mick Jagger, who took the band under his wing, produced a demo for the quartet, and helped them secure a record deal with epic. Living Colour’s debut album, Vivid, was issued in the summer of 1988, and by the winter, the band’s striking video for their anthem “Cult of Personality” was all over MTV, pushing Vivid to the upper reaches of the charts and to platinum certification. Living Colour also took home their first of several Grammy Awards, as “Cult” won Best Hard Rock Performance at the 1989 ceremony, and the band supported the release with a string of dates opening stadiums for the Rolling Stones’ first U.S. tour in eight years that autumn.

The quartet regrouped a year later for their sophomore effort, Time’s Up, an album that performed respectably on the charts but failed to live up to the expectations of their smash debut. An appearance at the inaugural Lollapalooza tour in the summer of 1991 kept the group in the public’s eye, as did an EP of outtakes, Biscuits. Skillings left the group shortly thereafter, as their darkest and most challenging release yet, Stain, was issued in 1993.

With Living Colour out of commission for several years by the early 21st century, Calhoun and Wimbish teamed up once more with Glover in a new outfit, Headfake, playing often in the New York City area. A few days before Christmas in 2000, Headfake played a show at CBGB’s and were joined on-stage by Reid, which led to rumors of an impending Living Colour reunion. The rumors proved to be true, as Living Colour launched their first tour together in six years during the summer of 2001. In 2003, Living Colour returned with their most experimental release to date, Collideøscope. Two years later, the rarities collection What’s Your Favorite Color? was released, followed by Everything is Possible: The Best of Living Colour in 2006 and the all new Chair in the Doorway in 2009.