Toploader
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 in Eastbourne, East Sussex, England |
| Headquarters | Eastbourne , England |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Toploader is a rock group originating from Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, established in 1997. They have achieved sales exceeding two million albums and secured multiple top-20 chart placements both within the UK and internationally. Their first album, Onka's Big Moka, surpassed one million copies sold, reaching the top five on the UK Albums Chart and maintaining a presence there for six months; it garnered four nominations at the 2001 Brit Awards. The band is widely recognized for their 2000 rendition of King Harvest's American hit "Dancing in the Moonlight", which attained worldwide acclaim. Their sophomore release, Magic Hotel, climbed to number three on the UK Albums Chart. After disbanding in 2003 following their second album, Toploader reassembled in 2009 and continue to perform as of .
Formation and Early Years (1997–1998)
Taking their name from a method of rolling joints, Toploader began by sharing stages with bands like Coldplay and Muse at intimate venues across the UK. Subsequently, they opened for notable acts such as Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher, Tom Jones, Robbie Williams, and Simple Minds. On 20 July 2000, they had the distinction of supporting Bon Jovi at the original Wembley Stadium, becoming the final British band to perform there before its redevelopment.
Rise to Prominence (1999–2001)
By 1998, Toploader secured a contract for six albums with S2 Records, a division of Sony Music. Their inaugural live television performance took place on TFI Friday on 7 May 1999. Produced by Dave Eringa, their debut album Onka's Big Moka was released on 22 May 2000, initially entering the UK Albums Chart at number five before ascending to number four. The album’s lead single, "Dancing in the Moonlight," reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart, while "Achilles Heel" peaked at number eight. Although nominated for four Brit Awards, the band did not secure any wins. On 24 June 2000, Toploader appeared at the prestigious Glastonbury Festival.
Disbandment Period (2002–2003)
In 2002, Toploader released their follow-up album, Magic Hotel, which received unfavorable reviews and did not match the commercial success of their debut. The band encountered critical challenges, with their single "Time of My Life" only making it into the UK top 20. After this album’s disappointing performance, they were dropped by S2 Records and dissolved in 2003. Julian Deane stepped away from performing and established Raygun Music in Brighton in 2007, a company focused on artist management and record production.
Reunion and Subsequent Projects (2009–present)
Toploader reunited in 2009 featuring original members Joseph Washbourn, Dan Hipgrave, and Rob Green, alongside session player Patrick Greenberg. They signed a single-album deal with Underdogs Music and released Only Human in June 2011. The album’s first single, "Never Stop Wondering," came out in March 2011, followed by "A Balance to All Things" in June.
In 2012, they performed at Lakefest and Tiree Music Festival and became patrons of Time Is Precious, a UK-based children’s charity. The next year saw the release of "Turn It Around," co-written with Eg White, included in a four-track EP. That year they also headlined LeeStock Music Festival and AmpRocks Festival.
Their fourth studio album, Seeing Stars, was launched on 12 May 2017 with "Roll with the Punches" as its lead single. This project was funded through a PledgeMusic crowdfunding campaign.
In 2023, Toploader appeared on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway performing their hit "Dancing in the Moonlight." Additionally, they played at both the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester and the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. From February to March 2025, Toploader supported James Blunt on his UK and Ireland tour commemorating two decades since his debut album Back to Bedlam.
In popular culture
In the 2020 Christmas special of Motherland, Washbourn made a cameo as himself in the role of a teaching assistant, where he played Christmas carols on an electric guitar during a school nativity play.
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)
Former
- Matt Knight – bass guitar, backing vocals (1997–2003, 2009–2016)
- Julian Deane – rhythm and lead guitars, backing vocals (1997–2003)
Touring and session musicians
- Patrick Greenberg – bass guitar, backing vocals (2016–present)
Studio albums
| Album title | Album information | Highest chart positions | Sales figures | Certifications | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | DEN | GER | IRE | NLD | SCO | SWI | ||||||||
| Onka's Big Moka |
|
4 | 99 | 36 | 43 | 6 | 86 | 3 | 85 |
|
| ||||
| Magic Hotel |
|
3 | — | — | — | 36 | — | 3 | — |
|
| ||||
| Only Human |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Seeing Stars |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "—" indicates that the album did not chart or was not issued in that region. | |||||||||||||||
Compilations
| Compilation title | Release details |
|---|---|
| Dancing in the Moonlight – The Best of Toploader |
|
| Greatest Hits |
|
EPs
| Title | Release information |
|---|---|
| Toploader |
|
| 4 Hits |
|
| Turn It Around |
|
Singles
| Title | Release Year | Highest chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | BEL (FL) | BEL (WA) | GER | IRE | ITA | NLD | NZ | SWE | |||||||||||||||||
| "Achilles Heel" | 1999 | 8 | — | — | — | 90 | — | 32 | 80 | — | — | Onka's Big Moka | ||||||||||||||
| "Let the People Know" | 2000 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
| "Dancing in the Moonlight" | 2000 | 7 | 12 | — | — | 15 | 7 | 21 | 52 | 24 | 44 |
|
||||||||||||||
| "Just Hold On" | 2000 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||
| "Only for a While" | 2001 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "Time of My Life" | "2002" | "18" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "95" | "—" | "—" | Magic Hotel | ||||||||||||||
| "Some Kind of Wonderful" | "2003" | "76" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | |||||||||||||||
| "Never Stop Wondering" | "2011" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | Only Human | |||||||||||||||
| "A Balance to All Things" | "2011" | "—" | "27 (Ultratip)" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | |||||||||||||||||
| "She Said" | "2011" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | |||||||||||||||||
| "Turn It Around" | "2013" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | Turn It Around | ||||||||||||||||
| "This Is the Night" | "41 (UK Independent Singles Chart)" | - | "Roll with the Punches" | '2017' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | Seeing Stars | ||||||||||||
Awards and nominations
- Brit Awards
| 2001 | "Dancing in the Moonlight" | British Single of the Year | |
| British Video of the Year | |||
| Toploader | British Group | ||
| British Breakthrough Act |
External links |