The Purple Hearts - Definition

Purple Hearts were a British mod revival group. They originally formed in London as The Sockets in 1977 before they even knew how to play their instruments (taking a cue from the then-prevailing DIY aesthetics of the punk rock movement) for the sole purpose of getting a support slot at a Buzzcocks show. The amused audience took the amateurish teenage punks to heart and the group decided to soldier on, even after they had accomplished their original goal. In 1978, they changed drummers and switched their name to Purple Hearts, after an amphetamine-barbiturate mixture popular with the mods of the '60s. Accordingly, they changed their sound from the rough-edged punk rock which was already beginning to fall out of favor to a more mod-influenced sound, which, thanks largely to The Jam, was beginning to capture public attention.

Their biggest hit was their first single, 1979's "Millions Like Us", which peaked at #57 on the UK singles charts. They following year they issued their debut LP, Beat That!. But the mod revival craze of 1979 was rapidly dissipating and soon they were dropped from their label, precipitating an extended hiatus. They resurfaced to release more material in the mid-'80s to public indifference before breaking up permanently.