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Soda Stereo was one of the most important
Argentinian Pop music|pop and Rock and roll|rock
bands of the '80s and early '90s. Their success
and influence was spread to the rest of Latin
America. 

Created as a trio in 1982 and dissolved in 1997,
the band was formed by guitarist and vocalist
Gustavo Cerati, bass player Zeta Bosio (b. Hector
Bosio) and drummer Charly Alberti (b. Carlos
Ficcichia). In the beginning they were deeply
influenced by the New Wave and bands such as The
Police, Television (band)|Television and Talking
Heads. Musically, they had an ever changing style
based on pop that avoid their own formulas,
pursuing new sound territories exploration (as U2
(band)|U2 did in the international scene). They
were a pop band that took elements from different
styles such as new wave, ska, reggae, dark, soul
music|soul, noise rock and electronica in
different times in their career. But it was not
only music: from the very start they were very
concerned in all the aspects related to image:
video clips, shows, clothing and graphic design. 

==History==
It's not possible to explain the beginnings and
the renaissance of the Argentinean rock movement
in the early '80s without mentioning the return of
democracy after seven years of Military Government
in 1983. Although Soda Stereo was not a band that
sang about political topics, their first steps
were signed by the free expression and the hopes
of the new political situation, aligned somehow
with bands like "Virus", "Los Twist" and the punk
band "Los Violadores". Out of all the bands that
emerged from that post dictatorial rule
government, Soda Stereo was far the most popular
and enduring. 

With their first album, self titled Soda Stereo,
released in 1984 they reached national success
with joyful and ironic lyrics, and a sound that
combined pop, reggae, ska and new wave. By those
times they were accused of superficial and
frivolous. The second album Nada Personal it
strengthened the popularity of the band with some
instantaneous classics, such as "Nada Personal"
and "Cuando Pase el Temblor", that opened the
doors of the Latin America|Latinamerican musical
market. This was amplified in 1986 when they
released the Signos LP.  The musical arrangements
and the lyrics reached a subtlety never heard
before from the band's production, and led the
press to take them seriously. They embarked in an
extensive tour through Latin America that brought
the live album Ruido Blanco (White Noise). 

In 1988 the band recorded in New York their fifth
album, Doble Vida, produced by David Bowie's
guitarrist Carlos Alomar. The trio used intensely
horn arrangements that gave soul music flourishes,
that someway apart them from how they used to
sound. This album was followed by the EP Languis,
a minor work that did well commercially. The year
1990 represented a sudden and successful movement
for the band, when they released Cancion Animal.
In spite of the big change it supposed, with a raw
sound based on guitars, the band's popularity was
as its peak. An important part of that change is
due to Daniel Melero, an Argentinean techno pop
pioneer that renewed the band's sound and
attitude. He was called "Soda's fourth" during
those times. 

By the end of 1991 they played to 250,000 people
in Buenos Aires's streets and edited the EP Rex
Mix containing some songs extracted from live
shows and a new studio song. In the beginning of
1992 Gustavo Cerati and Daniel Melero released the
delicate duo album Colores Santos that combined
some experimentation with synth/pop songs. Daniel
Melero's influence reached till the recordings of
the next studio album Dynamo. This 1993's work was
very controversial: some love it as the band's
best, others hate it while the most just ignored
it. Anyway this record, the lowest seller of their
career, settled definitely the band's concern with
experimentation. After that the band started an
impasse signed by some solo projects, such as
Gustavo Cerati's Amor Amarillo, and some band
relative's tragedies and losses. The dissolution's
rumors were on the rise but that was not going to
happen yet. 

In 1995 their were on the road again, releasing
their calmest and relaxed work Sueño Stereo
followed by the (kind of) MTV Unplugged, named
Comfort y Música para Volar, that juxtaposed
classic songs performed live (not necessarily
unplugged) with some outtakes from the last studio
album. Personal problems between the members and
different artistic criteria, increased by the
difficulties of 15 years of coexistence, led the
band to announce their end in 1997. Before that
the group did a farewell tour through Mexico,
Venezuela, Chile and finally Argentina. The 20th
of September of 1997 Soda Stereo played their last
show in front of 65,000 people at the Estadio
Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti|River Plate
Stadium in Buenos Aires. This last concert
produced the live records “El Último Concierto
A y B” (1997).

==Discography==
* Soda Stereo (1984)
* Nada Personal (1985)
* Signos (1986)
* Ruido Blanco (1987) (Live)
* Doble Vida (1988)
* Languis (1990)
* Canción Animal (1990)
* Rex Mix (1991)
* Dynamo (1993)
* 20 Grandes Éxitos (1994)
* Zona de Promesas (1994)
* Sueño Stereo (1995)
* Comfort y Música Para Volar (1996) (MTV
Unplugged)
* El Último Concierto A (1997) (Live)
* El Último Concierto B (1997) (Live)

===Recompilations===
* Chau Soda (1997)
* El Legado de Soda Stereo, Vol. 1 (1999)
* El Legado de Soda Stereo, Vol. 2 (1999)
* Serie 2000 (2000)
* Obras Cumbres, Vol. 1 (2001)
* Obras Cumbres, Vol. 2 (2001)
* Leyendas: Solamente los Mejores (2004)

==Videography==
* Ruido Blanco (live) (VHS) (1988)
* Canción Animada (Video Collection) (VHS) (1991)
* Una Parte de la Euforia (DVD) (2004)

==External links==
*http://www.sodastereo.com/ Soda Stereo web site
*http://www.cerati.com/ Gustavo Cerati Lead
singer's official site.
*http://www.charlyalberti.com/ Site of the band's
drummer.
*http://www.cancionanimal.com/ Cancion Animal Soda
Stereo unofficial site.
*http://www.iespana.es/sodastereo/ Angel Electrico
Soda Stereo unofficial site.
*http://www.sodafans.com/ Soda Stereo Fans
unofficial site.