Toploader - WikiHQ

Toploader are an English rock band from Eastbourne, East Sussex, formed in 1997, with over two million album sales and several top-20 hits both home and abroad. Their debut album, Onka's Big Moka, sold over one million copies and peaked in the top five of the UK Albums Chart, where it remained for six months; it earned them four nominations at the 2001 Brit Awards. Their 2000 cover of Boffalongo's song "Dancing in the Moonlight" reached the top ten in the music charts in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Their second album, Magic Hotel, reached no. three on the UK Albums Chart. The band broke up in 2003, after the release of their second album, but they reformed in 2009.

History

Beginnings (1997–1998)

thumb|Joseph Washbourn

thumb|Dan Hipgrave

Named after a joint-rolling technique, Toploader's career began playing with Coldplay and Muse in small venues across the UK. They later went on to support the likes of Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher, Tom Jones, Robbie Williams, and Simple Minds. On 20 July 2000, they backed Bon Jovi at the original Wembley Stadium, becoming the last British band to play there before it was demolished and redeveloped.

Commercial success (1999–2001)

By 1998, Toploader had been picked up by S2 Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music, and signed a six-album deal. On 7 May 1999, the band made their first live TV performance on TFI Friday. On 22 May 2000, they released their debut album, Onka's Big Moka. It was produced by Dave Eringa, a longtime collaborator of the Manic Street Preachers. It debuted at number five in the UK Albums Chart and peaked at number four. "Dancing in the Moonlight" was the top single off the album, reaching number seven in the UK Singles Chart, while "Achilles Heel" reached number eight. The band received four nominations at the Brit Awards, though did not win any of them. On 24 June 2000, Toploader played at the Glastonbury Festival, as part of the Saturday lineup.

Breakup (2002–2003)

In 2002, the band released a second album, Magic Hotel. It was poorly received by critics and failed to match the success of the first. They experienced backlash from the UK music press, and their single "Time of My Life" fell short of expectations when it peaked at number 18 in the UK charts. Due to the negative reception and the album not meeting the same success as the first, the band was dropped by S2. Not long after that, they broke up, in 2003.

Reforming and later work (2009–present)

thumb|Toploader performing at the Doghouse in [[Dundee in 2011]]

In 2009, Toploader got back together in a lineup that consisted of three of its five original members: Joseph Washbourn, Dan Hipgrave, and Rob Green, with touring and session member Patrick Greenberg (a former touring-bassist with Clean Bandit). They signed a one-record deal with Underdogs Music and released Only Human in June 2011. The first single, "Never Stop Wondering", came out on 14 March 2011. Another single, "A Balance to All Things" (featuring a remix from Ash Howes), followed on 20 June 2011.

In May 2012, Toploader played at Lakefest festival, and in July, they appeared at the Tiree Music Festival in Scotland. During 2012, the band agreed to act as patrons for a UK-based children's charity called Time Is Precious.

In 2013, Toploader released a new single, "Turn It Around", co-written with Eg White, as part of a four-song EP of the same name. In 2013, they headlined the LeeStock Music Festival in Suffolk and the AmpRocks Festival in Bedfordshire.

On 12 May 2017, the band released their fourth album, Seeing Stars; "Roll with the Punches" was chosen as its lead single. The record was crowdfunded using an online direct-to-fan music platform called PledgeMusic.

Toploader appeared on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway on 18 March 2023 as part of the "Sing-a-long Live" segment, where they performed "Dancing in the Moonlight". They also performed at the 2023 Conservative Party conference in Manchester on 3 October 2023 and the 2023 Labour Party Conference in Liverpool on 11 October.

From February to March 2025, Toploader joined James Blunt as the support act for his six-venue UK/Ireland tour, celebrating the 20th anniversary of his debut album, Back to Bedlam.

Band members

Current

Joseph Washbourn – lead vocals, keyboards, organ, piano, acoustic guitar (1997–2003, 2009–present)
Dan Hipgrave – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals (1997–2003, 2009–present)
Rob Green – drums, percussion (1997–2003, 2009–present)

Past

Matt Knight – bass, backing vocals (1997–2003, 2009–2016)
Julian Deane – rhythm and lead guitars, backing vocals (1997–2003)

Touring and session members

Patrick Greenberg – bass, backing vocals (2016–present)

Discography

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"| Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Album details

! scope="col" colspan="8"| Peak chart position

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Sales

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"| Certifications

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| UK

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| AUS

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"|DEN

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| GER

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| IRE

! scope="row" | Onka's Big Moka

Released: 22 May 2000
Label: S2
Format: CD, cassette, LP, digital download

| 4 || 99 || 36 || 43 || 6 || 86 || 3 || 85

UK: 1,200,000

! scope="row" | Magic Hotel

Released: 19 August 2002
Label: S2
Format: CD, cassette, vinyl, digital download

| 3 || — || — || — || 36 || — || 3 || —

UK: 60,000

! scope="row" | Only Human

Released: 6 June 2011
Label: Underdogs Music
Format: CD, digital download

| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —

! scope="row" | Seeing Stars

Released: 12 May 2017
Label: Big Lake Music
Format: CD, digital download

| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —

| colspan="16" style="font-size:85%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilations

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

! scope="col"| Title

! scope="col"| Album details

!scope="row"| Dancing in the Moonlight – The Best of Toploader

Released: 9 March 2009
Label: Sony CMG
Formats: CD, digital download

!scope="row"| Greatest Hits

Released: 3 September 2021
Label: Sony
Formats: digital download

EPs

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

! scope="col"| Title

! scope="col"| Album details

!scope="row"| Toploader

Released: 1998
Label: Far Canal Records
Formats: CD

!scope="row"| 4 Hits

Released: 16 September 2011
Label: Sony
Formats: digital download

!scope="row"| Turn It Around

Released: 12 February 2013
Label: Imagem UK
Formats: digital download

Singles

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:22em;"| Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year

! scope="col" colspan="10"| Peak chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Certifications

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album

! scope="col" style="width:2.1em;font-size:90%;"| UK

! scope="col" style="width:2.1em;font-size:90%;"| BEL (WA)

! scope="col" style="width:2.1em;font-size:90%;"| GER

! scope="col" style="width:2.1em;font-size:90%;"| ITA

! scope="col" style="width:2.1em;font-size:90%;"| NZ

! scope="col" style="width:2.1em;font-size:90%;"| SWE

BVMI: Platinum
FIMI: Gold
RMNZ: Platinum

! scope="row"| "Just Hold On"

| 20

| —

! scope="row"| "Only for a While"

| rowspan=1| 2001

| 19

| —

! scope="row"| "Time of My Life"

| rowspan=2| 2002

| 18

| —

| 95

| —

| rowspan="2" |Magic Hotel

! scope="row"| "Some Kind of Wonderful"

| 76

| —

! scope="row"| "Never Stop Wondering"

| rowspan=3| 2011

| —

| rowspan="3" |Only Human

! scope="row"| "A Balance to All Things"

| —