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My favorite band is Sparks. They're a long-running Los Angeles-based duo consisting of brothers Ron and Russell Mael. They've been making and releasing music since 1971, and continue to produce work today. The interesting thing is how there is little to no deterioration in the quality of songwriting, production, or performance on their newer albums, even as the two of them have aged well into their 70s.
They are still creating inventive, zingy, funny pop music with traces of prog, electro, chamber music and glam. They're known for their striking appearance, with the two brothers possessing sort of opposite stage presences - Russell as the classic flamboyant rock frontman and Ron as a bizarre aloof Chaplin-esque sort of character, mugging and glaring at the audience silently.
Sparks have notoriously struggled with commercial success, especially in the United States. They've always had a loyal cult following, and even some big hits in countries like Europe, but they've always been extremely influential in a hushed way, to the degree that many contemporary bands owe a debt to their sound without even realizing who they are.
They gained a lot of traction in 2021 with the release of two films: The Sparks Brothers, Edgar Wright's excellent documentary on their 50+ year career which you can find on Netflix, and Annette, a Leos Carax-directed musical with a script and original songs written by the Mael Brothers. The latter film's opening song, "So May We Start", recently ended up on an Oscar shortlist for Best Original Song.
I'm such a crazy fan of this band that I have a Facebook account just to participate in two separate Sparks Facebook fan groups. A guy in one of the groups posted this playlist, which contains one song from each of their 26 albums. I think it's a good place to start with the band, as it showcases the twists and turns of their career efficiently. Appreciating this band is largely about appreciating their trajectory; they possess a chameleonic ability to reinvent while still largely remaining their unique selves.
Here is the playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/64pEMV6aSwBPLSKmHZSCyP?si=2270a158359e4f56
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