4. Gorillaz
Gorillaz was the first 'virtual' band to really achieve mass appeal. Conceived in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett (co-creator of Tank Girl) the band consisted of virtual members 2D, Murdoc, Noodles and Russell. They were a multi-platform band with a presence on their early internet website and accompanied with short cartoons, music videos and mind-blowingly later on, performed
in hologram form, seen here at the MTV awards. Gorillaz has welcomed a variety of musicians into their ranks at the studio level, resulting in the chart-topping self-titled album in 2001, Demon Days in 2005 and Plastic Beach in 2010. While Damon Albron has been the brains behind the music, Jamie Hewlett did his fair share of making the Gorillaz who they were in the virtual world. Without one, Gorillaz was destined for Milli Vanilli fame. The tongue-in-cheek multi-platforming of this virtual band kept the concept fresh and welcomed. Once success hit, in the form of the single 'Clint Eastwood', a tour was demanded and logistically, there became a need for real-life musicians to go out and play to real-life audiences the music that was created for a virtual world. They have been nominated an astonishing 57 times and won 15 awards including 6 Brit awards in 2001 but came away empty handed. They requested to be withdrawn for consideration of the Mercury Prize, (best album in UK and Ireland) due to the usual subsequent failures of past winners to parlay that award into more album sales.