From gifted drummer to brilliant singer and songwriter.
Hardly any musician has reached so many people over decades – emotionally, across generations and genres. As a singer, songwriter, producer, and exceptional drummer, Phil Collins shaped pop and rock music like few other artists of his time. Today, on January 30, 2026, he celebrates his 75th birthday.
Rhythm As A Driving Force
Born in 1951 in London, Phil Collins discovered his love for music at an early age. Initially, the drums took center stage – an instrument he played with extraordinary precision, feeling, and unmistakable character. His musical upbringing was shaped by jazz, rock, and classic pop music, influences that would later form his distinctive style.
His path into the public eye began not as a frontman, but as the drummer of the band Genesis – a role he fulfilled with technical brilliance and one that quickly made him one of the most respected drummers in rock history.
Genesis And The Rise To A Global Career
When Phil Collins additionally took over vocals for Genesis in the mid-1970s, the band’s sound changed – and with it, their reach. The formerly progressive rock band became an international success story without losing musical quality or independence.
At the same time, Collins launched an unparalleled solo career. Songs such as In the Air Tonight or Another Day in Paradise became timeless classics. His music was catchy, yet never superficial – it told stories of loneliness, responsibility, love, failure, and hope. At times, the meaning of his lyrics seems entirely hidden – allegedly even from himself. Regarding the meaning of Don't Lose My Number, Collins stated that he himself does not know exactly what it is about and that he sometimes does not understand his own lyrics. Whether this truly reflects the truth, or whether the singer simply does not wish to reveal all his secrets, he likely keeps to himself.
Success With Depth And Social Awareness
Phil Collins always understood pop music as a means of emotional expression. This became particularly clear with Another Day in Paradise, a song about homelessness that drew worldwide attention to social inequality in the mid-1980s.
Beyond that, Collins repeatedly engaged in social causes, for example through benefit concerts and charity projects, as a participant and organizer at Live Aid, and through supporting countless educational and music initiatives for people from less privileged, financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
On Retreating And Remaining
In recent years, Phil Collins has increasingly been affected by health limitations, which eventually led him to largely withdraw from active musical life. Yet his influence remains unbroken: His songs are played on the radio, sampled, reinterpreted, and rediscovered by younger generations.
At 75, Phil Collins represents a body of work that unites emotion and craftsmanship, global success and honesty. He has proven that pop music can move people, take a stand, and at the same time be timeless.