The Bronksi Beat, at their height, were composed of Jimmy Sommerville (vocals), Steve Bronski (keyboards, percussion), and Larry Steinbacheck (keyboards, percussion). Formed in 1983, they had three successive hits in the UK, "Why?", "Smalltown Boy", and a cover of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love". They followed this with their first album The Age of Consent.
On the verge of large-scale stardom, Bronski Beat then dropped back into the pack after distinctive vocalist Sommerville left to form The Communards. Singer John Jon was drafted in as a replacement. A listless followup album, Truthdare Doubledare followed in 1986 and produced a top five hit single "Hit that Perfect Beat", but Bronski Beat were essentially finished as a creative force. In 1995 a comeback album entitled Rainbow Nation was released. It was composed partly of re-recorded material and partly new, and failed to make an impact.
Bronski Beat are also notable for being one of a set of openly gay acts (along with Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the Pet Shop Boys, and Erasure) that set some of the tone for British synth-pop in the early to mid-1980s.