- Years Active: 1988-1999
- Band Members: John Lombardo, Robert Buck, Dennis Drew, Natalie Merchant, Jerome Augustyniak, Steve Gustafson, Mary Ramsey
- Genre: Rock & Alternative
- Influenced by: Gang of Four, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Joy Division, Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, R.E.M., The Byrds
- Followed By: Smart Brown Handbag, KT Tunstall, Meghan Cary, Blood Red Velvet, Sixpence None the Richer, Virginia Coalition, Lisa Loeb, Sophe Lux, Downy Mildew, Leticia, papercranes
- Similar Artists: Peter Case, Tracy Chapman, Del Amitri, 54-40, Indigo Girls, The Innocence Mission, Marti Jones, Kirsty MacColl, Michael Penn, The Sundays, Suzanne Vega, The Waterboys, Sarah McLachlan, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Tori Amos, Freedy Johnston, Edie Brickell, Jonatha Brooke, Robert Buck, Sam Phillips, Cynthia Alexander, Insta
10,000 Maniacs (named after the low-budget horror movie 2,000 Maniacs) was formed in Jamestown, NY, in 1981 by singer Natalie Merchant and guitarist John Lombardo. Other members of the sextet were Robert Buck (guitar), Steven Gustafson (bass), Dennis Drew (keyboards), and Jerry Augustyniak (drums). The group gigged extensively and recorded independently before signing with Elektra and making The Wishing Chair in 1985. Co-founder Lombardo left the band in 1986, and they continued as a quintet, releasing their second album, In My Tribe, in 1987. This album broke into the charts, where it stayed 77 weeks, peaking at number 37. Blind Man's Zoo, the 1989 follow-up, hit number 13 and went gold.
After 1992's Our Time in Eden had finished its run on the charts, Merchant announced that she was leaving for a solo career. MTV Unplugged was released a few months after her departure. The remaining 10,000 Maniacs decided to continue performing, adding the folk-rock duo John & Mary (original member Lombardo and violinist/vocalist Mary Ramsey). The new lineup released Love Among the Ruins. Merchant released her first solo album, Tigerlily, in the summer of 1995 and a follow-up, Ophelia, in 1998. In 1999, the remaining Maniacs released The Earth Pressed Flat on Bar/None. Sadly a year later lead guitarist and founding member Robert Buck, who co-wrote some of the band's classics like "Hey Jack Kerouac," "What's The Matter Here?," and "These Are Days," died of liver failure. He was 42. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide