One of the more influential British bands of any genre in the 1990s and 2000s, Prodigy rose to fame around the world with their first major hit, a song called Firestarter. The band presently consists of three members, though the lineup has changed several times since they originally formed. The main force in the band’s formation was Liam Newton, other original members include Maxim Reality, Keith Flint, Rob Holliday, and Leon Crabtree.

The band’s music falls into the same big beat genre as that made by Fatboy Slim, with catchy songs designed to lure listeners out onto the dance floor. Influences in their music include everything from hardcore techno to punk.

The band is known for the considerable controversy concerning a song from the album Fat of the Land called Smack my Bitch Up. This album could be considered to be Prodigy’s most successful work having sold more than two million copies. MTV, which was a big part of the electronic dance music scene in 1997 when the album was released, refused to play the Smack my Bitch Up video except between 1AM and 5AM. Walmart pulled copies of the album off their shelves after the controversy erupted. The other most well-known song from the album was Firestarter, the video for the song featured member Keith Flint prominently, and thus Flint’s striking appearance became the face of the group in the United States.

Prodigy’s last complete album was Invaders Must Die, which had no major hits outside of the UK. The song Warrior’s Dance got to #9 on the UK singles chart.