Culture Club: Get to know the band behind 'Karma Chameleon'
They were one of the most influential bands of the 80s
Culture Club formed in 1981, originally comprised of members Boy George, Roy Hay, Mikey Craig and Jon Moss. Over the decades, the band have had several Top 10 hits - including their Number 1s 'Do You Really Want to Hurt Me' and 'Karma Chameleon' - becoming a hugely influential group from the 80s and beyond.
Now performing as a trio of Boy George, Roy Hay and Mikey Craig, Culture Club remain a major live draw, touring internationally and celebrating their classic albums 'Kissing To Be Clever' and 'Colour By Numbers' in full for fans old and new. In early 2026 they also returned with new music, releasing the double A-side singles 'Letting Things Go' and 'The Next Thing Will Be Amazing', their first new material since 2018.
Who is in Culture Club?
Culture Club originally consisted of four members: Boy George (lead vocals), Roy Hay (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Mikey Craig (bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), and Jon Moss (drums, percussion, backing vocals). However, in 2018 Jon stepped away from touring and from the band as a whole in 2021. The band now comprise a trio of Boy George, Roy Hay and Mikey Craig.
What are Culture Club's most successful songs?
'Karma Chameleon'
'Karma Chameleon' is one of Culture Club's best-known songs, featuring on their 1983 album 'Colour by Numbers'. The song was the band's second UK Number 1 and also became the UK's biggest-selling single of the year 1983.
In an interview, Boy George once explained the meaning behind the song, saying: "The song is about the terrible fear of alienation that people have, the fear of standing up for one thing. It's about trying to suck up to everybody. Basically, if you aren't true, if you don't act like you feel, then you get Karma-justice, that's nature's way of paying you back."
As well as being a very successful song in the charts, it also won Best British Single at the 1984 BRIT Awards and in 2015 it was voted as the nation's ninth favourite 1980s Number 1.
'Do You Really Want to Hurt Me'
'Do You Really Want to Hurt Me' was Culture Club's first Number 1 single in the UK and was included on their Platinum-selling debut album 'Kissing to Be Clever'. The song ended up reaching Number 1 in 23 countries - despite Boy George not even wanting the song to be released!
'Do You Really Want to Hurt Me' was their third single, after 'White Boy' and 'I'm Afraid of Me', however the first two didn't make the Top 40.
Speaking in 2008 to Q magazine, the lead singer explained: "Our first two singles failed. That single was our last chance. But I threatened to leave if (the label) released it. I didn't think it was us; it wasn't club music.
"It wouldn't stand up to Spandau Ballet. But I was wrong. It was so personal in a way that our other songs weren't. It was about Jon. All the songs were about him, but they were more ambiguous."
'Church of the Poison Mind'
'Church of the Poison Mind' was another huge hit for Boy George and the rest of Culture Club. It was the lead single from their most popular album to date - 'Colour by Numbers'.
The song was released in April 1983 and reached Number 2 in the UK, being kept off the top spot by David Bowie's 'Let's Dance'!
Culture Club albums
Culture Club have released six studio albums between 1982 and 2018, with their first three records proving the most commercially successful. In January 2026 they also returned with new material, putting out the 'Letting Things Go/The Next Thing Will Be Amazing (Deluxe)' EP, built around a double A-side single and accompanying remixes.
'Kissing to Be Clever'
Their debut album 'Kissing to Be Clever' reached Number 5 in the UK in October 1982. In October 2020 the band celebrated 38 years since the release of the album, sharing the artwork asking fans what their favourite song was.
'Colour By Numbers'
Culture Club's second album 'Colour by Numbers' came just a year later, reaching the top spot in the UK. On 10th October 2020, Culture Club celebrated the release of their second album by tweeting a pic of the artwork saying: "Some people say that the way that we live, Is out of this place, And some people say that, the way that we live, Is blinded by fate".
'Waking Up with the House on Fire'
Released in October 1984, 'Waking Up with the House on Fire' marked Culture Club’s studio album, featuring tracks like 'Dangerous Man', 'The War Song', 'Mistake No. 3' and 'The Medal Song'. It peaked at Number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and went Platinum in several territories, though it was less successful than 'Colour by Numbers'. 'The War Song' hit Number 2 in the UK and made the US Top 20, helping the record reach further chart positions in countries including Canada, Sweden and Japan.
'From Luxury to Heartache'
The band's fourth album, 'From Luxury to Heartache' is Culture Club’s gave us polished pop and soul with songs like 'Move Away', 'God Thank You Woman' and 'Gusto Blusto'. Lead single 'Move Away' became a sizeable international hit, reaching the UK Top 10 and the US Top 20, while the album itself peaked at Number 10 in the UK and entered the Top 40 on the Billboard 200.
'Don't Mind If I Do'
Released in 1999, 'Don’t Mind If I Do' marked Culture Club’s full studio comeback, blending contemporary pop with their classic soulful sound. The album includes the UK Top 5 single 'I Just Wanna Be Loved', along with 'Your Kisses Are Charity', 'Cold Shoulder' and a cover of David Bowie’s 'Starman'. Despite heavy promotion, it peaked at Number 64 on the UK Albums Chart.
'Life'
Almost two decades later in October 2018, 'Life' marked Culture Club’s sixth studio album - blending classic soulful pop with reggae and contemporary touches. The record features singles 'Let Somebody Love You' and the title track 'Life', and reached Number 12 on the UK Albums Chart while also charting across Europe and Australia.
'Letting Things Go / The Next Thing Will Be Amazing (Deluxe)'
Boy George and Culture Club released a new EP titled 'Letting Things Go/The Next Thing Will Be Amazing' on 9th January 2026. The release, featuring new music from the band, is available on streaming platforms, including the main track 'Letting Things Go' and the song 'The Next Thing Will Be Amazing'.
What are they doing now?
Culture Club are currently touring internationally, with 2026 dates across North America including a run of shows in Niagara Falls, a six-date Las Vegas residency at The Venetian Theatre, and further concerts through late March.
They have also released new music, putting out the double A-side singles 'Letting Things Go' and 'The Next Thing Will Be Amazing' in early 2026 - their first new material since 2018. In 2025, the band played a busy run of festival and outdoor dates, including shows at London’s Blackheath Common, Port Eliot Estate in Cornwall, and European dates in Denmark and Germany.
In 2023, the band joined Rod Stewart's tour for his UK leg. Speaking about the tour, Boy George said: "I'm a massive Rod Stewart fan. I have been since I was a teenager. I love his voice and he's always been very charming to me.
"In 1974 when I was 13 years old I bunked in for free to see Rod Stewart and The Faces at Lewisham Odeon, so I love that I am now able to support him on tour."
Boy George joins Moulin Rouge on Broadway
From 6th February 2024, Boy George joined the Broadway production of Moulin Rouge - marking his return to the Broadway stage after 20-years. The singer plays the role of Harold Zidler, the owner of the famous club. This new stint on Broadway serves as George's second, after he appeared in his musical Taboo back in 2003.
Boy George autobiography - Karma
Boy George autobiography, called Karma, was released on 9th November 2023. The publisher said of the book: 'Told in his inimitable style, Karma tells the story of the charismatic frontman – the drama, the music, his journey of addiction and recovery, surviving prison, meeting legends like David Bowie, Prince and Madonna, and the highs and lows of a life lived in the spotlight and in the headlines.'
They continued: 'This is the explosive and searingly honest account of Boy George’s life as a child growing up in 1960s London, coming out to his Irish Catholic family and exploring his sexuality through the hedonism of the ’70s – the glam rock and punk rock revolution that birthed Culture Club – and the heydays of the ’90s, to finally embracing the man and artist that he is today. With all the humour, honesty, sarcasm (and hats!) that you’d expect, ’Karma’ gives us a unique insight into Boy George’s incredible story and the true evolution of a music icon.'
Boy George then added: 'I went to a lot of trouble to create Boy George and then I went through a whole battle for years about not wanting to be him. But now I enjoy and embrace it in a way that I wasn’t able to as a young person. I’m learning to be George Alan O’Dowd from Eltham who it turns out is quite an interesting person.
'Culture Club is always going to be one of those lovers I go back to. I’ve railed against it and that Boy George character I created. For years I convinced myself I was a creature of habit, unchangeable, immovable. But eventually you have to look in the mirror. Not looking for spots, looking for something deeper. Why the hell am I here? I would say life is the point of life.'
Boy George on I'm A Celebrity
Boy George entered the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! jungle in 2022, appearing alongside the likes of Mike Tindall, Matt Hancock, Chris Moyles and series winner Jill Scott.
The singer took on a total of six Bushtucker Trials, before being eliminated on Day 17 of the infamous entertainment show.
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