The band got a residency at the Mars Bar in Glasgow and played various other venues in Scotland[14] and rapidly established a reputation as an exciting live act (usually performing in full makeup).

While a modest commercial success, Empires and Dance received enthusiastic response in the British music press[25] Simple Minds had caught the attention of Peter Gabriel who selected them as the opening act on several dates of his European tour starting in August 1980.

[18] At the end of the recording sessions drummer Brian McGee decided to leave the band, citing exhaustion at Simple Minds' constant touring schedule,[11] and a desire for more time at home with family.

[37] Despite this contribution, Hyslop ultimately "didn't fit in" with the band or their management and was replaced for the second leg of the Sons and Fascination tour[38] by the Kilmarnock-born percussionist Mike Ogletree (the former drummer for Café Jacques) in early 1982.

1 U.S. pop hit in April 1985 with the film's opening track, "Don't You (Forget About Me)",[11] a song written by Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff;[11] which had previously been offered to Billy Idol and Bryan Ferry before Simple Minds agreed to record it.

To replace Forbes, Simple Minds hired former Brand X bass player John Giblin, who owned the band's rehearsal space and was a session musician who had worked with Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush.

Giblin made his debut with Simple Minds at Live Aid in Philadelphia, where the band performed "Don't You (Forget About Me)", a new track called "Ghost Dancing" and "Promised You a Miracle".

To document their worldwide Once Upon a Time Tour, Simple Minds released the double-live set Live in the City of Light in May 1987,[11] which was recorded primarily over two nights in Paris in August 1986.

[50] Another EP track, "Belfast Child", was a rewrite of the Celtic folk song "She Moved Through the Fair"[11] (which had been introduced to Kerr by John Giblin) with new lyrics written about the ongoing conflict in Northern Ireland).

[citation needed] The next album Street Fighting Years (produced by Trevor Horn and Stephen Lipson) moved away from the American soul and gospel influences of Once Upon a Time in favour of soundtrack atmospherics and a new incorporation of acoustic and folk music-related ingredients.

The lyrics were also more directly political, covering topics including the Poll Tax, the Soweto townships, the Berlin Wall and the stationing of nuclear submarines on the Scottish coast.

Reunited with Mel Gaynor, Simple Minds hired Malcolm Foster (ex-Pretenders) as the new bass player, following a failed attempt to re-recruit Derek Forbes (who declined due to family reasons and a lack of affinity with the new music).

[52][53] The live band was once again expanded by recruiting three additional touring members: Level 42 backing singer Annie McCaig, percussionist Andy Duncan and violinist Lisa Germano.

At the time, MacNeil's departure was put down to health concerns, but he had been gradually suffering disillusionment with the band's lifestyle and touring schedule (as well as what Kerr has referred to as "a number of animated quarrels".

[55]) At around the same time, long-term manager Bruce Findlay was dismissed and over the next few years the band gradually altered to the point where it was a shifting set of musicians around the only remaining core members, Kerr and Burchill.

Mel Gaynor left the band in 1992 to pursue session work and other projects, and for the next two years Simple Minds were on hiatus, releasing the compilation album Glittering Prize 81/92 in 1992.

Hiring Keith Forsey (the writer of "Don't You (Forget About Me)") as producer, they began to put together an album which returned to the uplifting arena rock feel of their Once Upon a Time days.

After being released from their contract with Virgin Records, Simple Minds made use of the skills of their original rhythm section, Derek Forbes and Brian McGee (returning after respective eleven- and fourteen-year absences).

A European tour followed between March and July 1998, undermined by problems with ill-health and contractual fiascos (including a pull-out from the Fleadh Festival to be replaced by British rock band James).

The new-look Simple Minds made their début with a short set of greatest hits at the Scotland Rocks For Kosovo festival, with Mark Taylor returning on keyboards.

Although the album did not sell in great numbers in the U.S., Simple Minds felt confident enough to mount a North American leg of their Floating World tour (named after the instrumental track which closes Cry), their first in seven years.

On 28 October 2003, Capitol released Seen The Lights – A Visual History, the first-ever Simple Minds commercial (double) DVD, featuring over four hours and twenty minutes of archive footage.

[60] In June 2008, Kerr and Burchill briefly reunited with the full original band lineup for the first time in twenty-seven years, when meetings with Derek Forbes, Mick MacNeil and Brian McGee led to a studio rehearsal date.

[67] The band played a mini-concert on 2 October 2010 at the Cash For Kids Ball organised by Radio Clyde at the Hilton in Glasgow, and a full-length concert on 10 December 2010 at the Festhalle in Bern.

From 10 June to 3 July 2011, Simple Minds embarked on the Greatest Hits Forest tour, playing a series of seven dates in woodland locations of England, as part of Forestry Commission Live Music.

[citation needed] From 16 June to 28 August 2011, the Greatest Hits + tour visited European countries: the UK, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, Gibraltar and Serbia mainly at summer festival venues.

[81] On 22 October 2014, Simple Minds were presented the Q Inspiration to Music award by Manic Street Preachers frontman James Dean Bradfield and saw the first public outing of new member Catherine AD as part of the lineup.

[citation needed] In December 2014, Simple Minds recorded an acoustic session at Absolute Radio including live unplugged performances of "Honest Town", "Alive & Kicking", "Let The Day Begin", "Don't You (Forget about Me)" and David Bowie cover "The Man Who Sold the World".

[85] In October 2016, the band embarked on a promotional tour of the acoustic material, including a live concert on 10 November 2016 at the Hackney Empire, London that was broadcast on BBC Radio 2.

[101] On 10 December 2024, Simple Minds released a brand new single entitled "Your Name in Lights" also featured on the soundtrack of the career-spanning documentary Everything Is Possible also available the same day to stream and download on BBC iPlayer.