The Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band, which existed from 1970-1974 but whose recordings were not released until later, were highly influential. Their classic debut album, the eponymous The Modern Lovers contained heartfelt songs about dating awkwardness, growing up in Massachusetts, and love of life. The sound of the band owed a great deal to the influence of The Velvet Underground, but also pointed the way towards much of the punk, New Wave and indie rock of the following decades. Subsequent versions of the group, billed as Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers between 1976-1988, were essentially a more low-key backing group for Richman?s later more mellow and lyrical, often near-childlike, songs. The original Modern Lovers, 1970-1974 Richman grew up in Natick, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, and began playin