Asia

The archetypal progressive rock supergroup, Asia was formed in 1981 by Geoff Downes (Yes, The Buggles), Steve Howe (Yes), John Wetton (King Crimson) and Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer). Combining prog-rock virtuosity and radio-friendly melodies, the band quickly achieved commercial success with their self-titled debut album, Asia (1982), including the hit "Heat of the Moment". The following album, Alpha (1983), continued their exploration of melodic rock with singles such as "Don't Cry" and "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes", while its successor, Astra (1985) explored a more experimental direction, albeit with less commercial impact. After a period of line-up changes, the band reformed in the 1990s, releasing Arena (1996) and Aura (2001), which modernized their sound while remaining true to their melodic roots. Silent Nation (2004) and Phoenix (2008) showcased renewed progressive elements, celebrating their 25th anniversary, followed by Omega (2010) and the 30th anniversary album, XXX (2012). In 2014, Asia released their thirteenth studio opus, Gravitas. With its various incarnations, the band has also released some forty live recordings, including Live in Moscow (1991), Live in Osaka (1997), Live Acoustic (1999), Fantasia - Live in Tokyo (2007), Resonance (2012), Symfonia - Live in Bulgaria 2013 (2017) and In England (2026).