The group was formed in New York City in 1979 and went through several line-ups, including one in which future pop star Madonna was the drummer.

[3] In the mid-1980s, the band consisted of the Gilroys (with Dan exclusively on vocals, while Ed provided all guitars), Gary Burke (bass), and Stephen Bray (drums).

A majority of their music videos, including "Right on Track", were filmed by Jeff Stein, director of the Who documentary The Kids Are Alright.

[5] Sometime after the first album, Randy Jackson (bass) joined the band, though original bassist Burke also remained in the line-up.

[8] On April 5, 2016, Breakfast Club released a new EP, Percolate, which features songs from the group's unreleased second album.