The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim and The Chemical Brothers, as well as other acts, members of The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s. They have sold over 25 million records worldwide.[1]

The group's brand of big beat music makes use of various styles ranging from rave, hardcore techno, industrial and breakbeat in the early 1990s to electronic rock with punk vocal elements in later times. The current members include Liam Howlett (composer/keyboards), Keith Flint (dancer/vocalist) and Maxim (MC/vocalist). Leeroy Thornhill (dancer/very occasional live keyboards) was a member of the band from 1990 to 2000, as was a female dancer/vocalist called Sharky who left the group during their early period. The Prodigy first emerged on the underground rave scene in the early 1990s, and have since then achieved immense popularity and worldwide renown. Some of their most popular songs include "Charly", "Out of Space", "No Good (Start the Dance)", "Voodoo People", "Poison", "Firestarter", "Breathe", "Smack My Bitch Up", "Omen", "Spitfire", "Invaders Must Die" and "Warrior's Dance".

The Prodigy
Maxim and Keith Flint at 2010's Spirit of Burgas Festival
Background information
Origin	Braintree, Essex, England
Genres	Electronic rock, Synthpunk, Alternative rock, Electronic punk, Drum and Bass, Electronica, Dance-punk, Rave, Oldschool Jungle
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Take Me to the Hospital, Ragged Flag, Cooking Vinyl, XL, Beggars Banquet, Mute, Maverick, Warner Bros., Elektra, Shock
Website	www.theprodigy.com
Members
Liam Howlett Keith Flint Maxim
Past members
Leeroy Thornhill Sharky

Debut album (1992–1993) :

The band's first full length album, the critically acclaimed Experience, followed "Charly" as a landmark release in the history of British rave music. The album closes with a live version of "Death of the Prodigy Dancers," featuring Maxim on vocals. There were five singles spawned from the album, "Charly", "Everybody in the Place", "Fire/Jericho", "Out of Space", and "Wind It Up (Rewound)"; the latter is a remix of "Wind It Up". The album was a commercial success in the UK, but failed to chart in other countries. Peaking at number 12, it was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.[8][9]

After Experience, and the run of singles that accompanied it, the Prodigy moved to distance themselves from the "kiddie rave" reputation that now dogged them. The rave scene was beginning to move on from its hardcore phase, with the Criminal Justice Act's "anti-rave" legislation on the horizon, calling rave music "repetitive beats".[10] The Prodigy responded to the bill by writing "Their Law".