Sometimes up in the stratosphere, and other times down for the count, the Bee Gees wrote and sang songs that almost everyone knows by heart. From their 1967 ode “Massachusetts” to the late 1977 smash hit “Stayin’ Alive,” whatever mood you might be in, there is a Bee Gees song that captures it. That’s the essence of why we adore them. As a trio, brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb have released or written a hit song in every decade since the 1960s. They have won eight Grammys and sold over 200 million records. Their melodies, lyrics, beats, and voices transcended borders, race, age, and genres. A pleasure with no guilt necessary, it’s finally cool to admit that—deep inside—we have always loved the Bee Gees. And always will.
STAYING POWER
BAND OF BROTHERS • Ambition and a shared love of music propelled the Gibbs to pursue their dreams of stardom
THE “NEXT BEATLES” • Their popularity and wealth on the rise, clashing egos emerged as the brotherly bond began to unravel
THE EARLY HITS • While the Bee Gees are best known for the music they created in the ’70s, their early hits were also familiar radio staples that stand up on their own
SEPARATE WAYS • As the brothers continued to drift apart, their desire to remain a group quickly faded
THE STORY OF OLDER SISTER LESLEY GIBB
NEW BEGINNING • Back together as their acoustic balladry of the ’60s was falling out of style, the Bee Gees needed to change
ARIF MARDIN • The legendary producer helped the Bee Gees find their groove
CATCHING THE FEVER • After a period of inspiration and experimentation, the Bee Gees stumbled upon a new vocal sound that would come to define their ’70s image
BARRY’S BIG FOUR • In 1978, Barry Gibb became the first songwriter to have four consecutive No. 1 hits in the United States, breaking a record set by John Lennon and Paul McCartney in 1964
TOO MUCH HEAVEN • Although 1979 began with the Bee Gees at the center of a disco craze in full swing, the year—and decade—would end in far different fashion
THE RISE OF ANDY GIBB • With help from his famous brothers, the youngest Gibb was able to forge a successful solo career
WELCOME TO THE ’8OS • Having spent the latter part of the 1970s at the center of American pop culture, the Bee Gees once again faced the prospect of reinventing themselves
PENNING THE CLASSICS • Proving themselves to be a creative force in the music industry, the Bee Gees spent much of the 1980s writing smash hits for a variety of popular artists
LAST MAN STANDING • “I see a lot of sides to life now that I didn’t see before,” Barry Gibb would say after losing his father and all three brothers over a period of less than 15 years Chapter 8 LAST MAN
THE GIBB FAMILY’S BATTLES WITH ADDICTION
LEAVING A LEGACY • From Janis Joplin and Celine Dion to Wyclef Jean and Destiny’s Child, generations of artists were influenced by the sound and style of the Bee Gees
BEE GEES BY THE NUMBERS
THE ULTIMATE BEE GEES QUIZ • Test your knowledge of all things Gibb over the brothers’ five decades of hits
Bee Gees
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