Celestial Sphere

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**Celestial Sphere** are a British metal band formed in 1972 in Burton upon Trent, England and comprising of James Harrison (vocals and rhythm guitar), Andrew Collins (lead guitar), Jake Wyss (drums), Ryan Wilson (bass) and Charlotte Harrison (keyboards). The group became integral to the second British invasion of the United States in the 1980s. With a sound rooted in heavy and power metal they were integral to the growth of metal music throughout the 1970s. The became known for their mixture of metal and psychedelic music during the 1970s, they experimented with thrash and speed metal throughout the 1980s and 90s to decent success. The band then moved to a more symphonic sound in the early 1990s and brought in Charlotte Harrison to play keyboards.

Led by James Harrison's distinctive vocal range and Andrew Collins' guitar skills, they grew their reputation by playing in various venues throughout the Midlands. They recorded their debut album *Catch the Rainbow* in 1975, despite strong sales from the album the bands popularity skyrocketed in 1976 following the release of the *Stargazer*and its title track. As the bands popularity and success continued to grow throughout the 1970s their popularity was compared to that of The Beatles, this led to the nickname the "Kings of Power" in reference to their power metal roots.

Celestial Sphere are the best selling band of all-time, with estimated sales of 850 million records worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. As of 2019 they are the hold the record for most number ones on the *Billboard*Hot 100 with 21, they have also achieved 20 UK number ones, only bettered by Elvis Presley's 21. They are the most successful artist at the Grammy's winning 42 awards, they were also collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the twentieth century's 100 most influential people.

## Members

* James Harrison – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (recordings only) (1975–present)
* Andrew Collins – lead guitar, backing vocals (1975–present)
* Jake Wyss – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1975–present)
* Ryan Wilson – bassist, backing vocals (1975–present)

## Discography

*Main article: Celestial Sphere discography*

* *Stargazer* (1976)
* *Gates of Babylon* (1978)
* *Lost in Hollywood* (1979)
* *I Surrender* (1980)
* *Power* (1981)
* *Fire Dance* (1982)
* *Gypsy* (1983)
* *Evil Eyes* (1984)
* *Sacred Heart* (1985)
* *Naked in the Rain* (1987)
* *Majesty* (1988)
* *Banish from Sanctuary* (1989)
* *Altair 4* (1990)
* *Iced Earth* (1990)
* *Mystical End* (1991)
* *The Quest for Tanelorn* (1992)
* *Dante's Inferno* (1995)
* *The Last Laugh* (1996)
* *Flames of Revenge* (1997)
* *Beyond the Gates of Infinity* (1998)
* *Shadowlord of the Black Mountain* (2000)
* *Queen of the Dark Horizons* (2001)
* *Steelgods of the Last Apocalypse* (2002)
* *Sacred Power of Ranging Winds* (2004)
* *The Mystic Prophecy of the Demonknight* (2006)
* *The Frozen Tears of Angels* (2010)
* *Heroes of the Waterfalls' Kingdom* (2011)
* *Rising From Tragic Flames* (2013)
* *A Voice in the Cold Wind* (2016)
* *The Wind, The Rain and the Moon* (2019)
* *The Kingdom of Ice* (2021)