Matt Johnson (singer)
The brooding, singular voice behind The The, crafting intense post-punk anthems that dissect love, faith, and the modern world's soul.
Born 1961 (age 65)·British singer-songwriter·Birthday: August 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Matt Johnson is a true auteur in a world of bands. As the founder and only permanent member of The The, he has channeled a deeply personal, often dark vision into a unique body of work for over four decades. Emerging from the London post-punk scene, his 1983 album 'Soul Mining' announced a formidable talent, blending electronic pulses with raw lyricism. His magnum opus, 1989's 'Mind Bomb', is a searing, politically charged examination of religion and geopolitics that remains fiercely relevant. Johnson's work is characterized by its emotional intensity and literary quality, more akin to a novelist's than a typical pop songwriter's. Beyond music, he has scored films, run a publishing imprint, and become an ardent conservationist, reflecting a restless intellect that refuses to be confined.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Matt was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Matt Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Matt's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created the critically acclaimed and influential album 'Soul Mining' in 1983.
- Released 'Mind Bomb' in 1989, a landmark album noted for its political and religious themes.
- Maintained The The as a creative vehicle for over 40 years, with Johnson as its sole constant member.
- Composed soundtracks for films, operating under the name Cinéola.
Did You Know?
He turned down an offer to write the theme song for the James Bond film 'GoldenEye'.
Johnson is a dedicated birdwatcher and environmental activist.
He published the magazine 'NakedSelf: The First 25 Years of The The'.
His brother, Andrew Johnson, was the original bassist for The The and died of a brain tumor in 1989, a tragedy that deeply affected Matt's work.
““I’m not interested in writing love songs. I’m interested in writing songs about the impossibility of love in the 20th century.””
