The Fall were an English post-punk band, formed in Manchester in 1976. The band existed in some form until 2018, built around its founder and only constant member Mark E. Smith. Initially associated with the punk movement of the late 1970s, the group's music went through several stylistic changes over the years, but was often characterised by anabrasive guitar-driven sound and frequent use of repetition, and was always underpinned by Smith's distinctive vocals and often cryptic lyrics. The band was noted for its prolific output: they released over 25 studio albums, and more than triple that counting live albumsand other releases. They never achieved widespread public success beyond a handful of minor hit singles. The band were long associated with BBC disc jockey John Peel, who championed them from early on in their career and cited The Fall as his favourite band, famously explaining, "They are always different; they are always the same."