Artists & Bands

Sophie Ellis-Bextor | Tunes + Guitar Lessons

From indie rock beginnings to dancefloor queen, Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s distinctive voice has defined a generation of pop hits. Her breakout collaborations and solo work showcase a unique blend of style and catchy grooves!

Video blocked due to privacy settings

[rcb-consent type=”change” tag=”link” text=”Change privacy settings”]

From a rock band to an Italian DJ to Murder!

With members drawn from several moderately successful bands (The Sundays, Porcupine, The Bridge, Congregation), London-based rock band theaudience recruited Sophie Ellis-Bextor in 1996 to write and record what would become their only album.

Released in 1998, the self-titled album received critical acclaim but failed to produce a major hit. Founder Billy Reeves soon left the band. The remaining members continued writing and demoing new material, but the label dropped them in 1999.

Thanks to her vocals being “out there”—and being voted #1 on Melody Maker’s “sexiest people in rock” list—Sophie was soon approached by Welsh rockers Manic Street Preachers, English band Departure Lounge, and Italian DJ Spiller.

It was with Spiller that her first major breakthrough came. Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) is still considered by many to be her best tune. Melody Maker named it single of the year in 2000.

The success of Groovejet landed Sophie a deal with Polydor. Her debut solo album, Read My Lips, attracted a roster of well-known collaborators, including Moby, Alex James (Blur), Gregg Alexander (New Radicals), and, of course, Spiller.

Four singles were released from the album: Take Me Home (a Cher cover), Murder on the Dancefloor, Get Over You (released as a double A-side with Move This Mountain), and Music Gets The Best Of Me.

The standout was undoubtedly Murder on the Dancefloor, which became Sophie’s signature tune and the most successful follow-up to Groovejet.

While the album performed well globally, it was the U.K. that embraced it most, with nearly a million copies sold—Murder alone shifted 600,000.

Since then, Sophie has released six more albums: Shoot from the Hip (2003), Trip the Light Fantastic (2007), Make a Scene (2011), Wanderlust (2014), Familia (2016), and Hana (2023).

None have matched the impact of Groovejet or Murder on the Dancefloor, but it hasn’t mattered much—Sophie has remained a household name in the U.K., touring solo and supporting major acts ever since the early 2000s.