<p><strong>Keane</strong> are an English rock band from Battle, East Sussex, formed in 1995. The group currently comprises Tim Rice-Oxley (piano, synthesisers, backing vocals), Richard Hughes (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Jesse Quin (bass guitar, acoustic/electric guitar, backing vocals) and Tom Chaplin (lead vocals, acoustic/electric guitar). Their original line-up included founder and guitarist Dominic Scott, who left in 2001.</p>
<p>Keane immediately achieved mainstream, international success with the release of their debut album, <em>Hopes and Fears</em>, in 2004. Topping the UK charts, the album won several awards, including the 2005 Brit Award forBest British Album. It was the second best-selling British album of 2004. Their second album, <em>Under the Iron Sea</em>, released in 2006, continued the band's success, topping the UK album charts and debuting at number four on the US <em>Billboard</em> 200. Their third album, <em>Perfect Symmetry</em>, was released in October 2008.</p>
<p>In May 2008, both <em>Hopes and Fears</em> (number 13) and <em>Under the Iron Sea</em> (number 8) were voted by readers of <em>Q</em> magazine as among the best British albums ever, with Keane, The Beatles, Oasis and Radiohead the only artists having two albums in the top 20. In 2009, <em>Hopes and Fears</em> was listed as the ninth best-selling album of the 2000s decade in the UK. Their EP, <em>Night Train</em>, was released in May 2010. Their fourth studio album,<em>Strangeland</em>, was released in May 2012, and again peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart.</p>
<p>Keane are known for using a piano (or a synth) as the lead instrument instead of guitars, differentiating them from most other rock bands. The inclusion of a distorted piano effect in 2006 and various synthesisers were a common feature in their music that back then combined the piano rock sound[<em>not in citation given</em>] used during their first album and the more electronic sound which developed on the second and third albums. Since the start of their career, the band have sold over 10 million albums worldwide.</p>
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