The Boomtown Rats were one of the most successful bands of the 1970s in the UK, as central to the decade’s dying embers as Chic, Abba, The Clash, The Specials and The Jam. Their grown-up new wave and real time stories captured the imagination of a mass audience in a way that many of their peers did not.
Before Band Aid Bob, Live Aid Bob and Global Treasure Bob, there was, and always will be, Bobby Boomtown. As the leader of The Rats, Bob Geldof led his band of Dublin post-punkers right to the very top of the UK charts. The First 50 Years: Songs of Boomtown Glory is a 24 track 2LP, and 27-track 2CD that celebrates the highlights of the group’s storied career.
2025 marks their fiftieth anniversary – Geldof…