Normal

Normally, the Dutch pop scene exploded in 1977 with the top 10 hit "Oerend Hard." Musically, the cross between Chuck Berry and Status Quo-esque rock may not be revolutionary, but singing in the Achterhoek dialect certainly was. The band opened doors for many other artists from the province, such as Skik and Daniël Lohues, Jovink and the Voederbietels, De Kast, Twarres, and Rowwen Hèze. Meanwhile, the group around singer and guitarist Bennie "Buuz'n Beernd" Jolink maintained its position as one of the most popular rock bands in the Netherlands for decades, with its sound increasingly broadening and deepening.

The band formed in late 1973 and initially played mostly tough rock as a vehicle for lyrics about women, drinking, and fast motorcycles. On Ascension Day 1975, Normaal performed their first show in Lochem – a milestone. The concerts, where trays of beer and hay bales regularly flew, laid the foundation for their 1977 breakthrough with Oerend Hard. The band effortlessly continued their success with hits like Alie, Ik Bun Moar Een Eenvoudig Boerenlul, and Marie. The band also regularly contributed to the quintessential Dutch carnival tradition, such as with "Mama Woar Is Mien Pils," a hit in 1982. Politiek, a single from 1984, showed that Normaal didn't shy away from serious topics either.

These are the extremes in which Normaal has felt at home for years. Albums like Høken Is Normaal, Deurdonderen, De Boer Is Troef, Steen-Stoal En Sentiment contain exuberant rock songs, cheerful party songs, and invariably a few jabs at the Randstad. Especially during the tours – the Veldtochten – it becomes clear that the band accurately reflects what many people feel.  lives in the countryside. Musically, Normaal's sound also continues to enrich over time. The band increasingly moves towards blues, country, and Americana. 

After a necessary break in the mid-90s, the band returns and, to the surprise of many, starts a theatre tour – Effe Zitten, also the title of an acoustic album.  It marked the beginning of yet another youth for Normaal. In 2006, Normaal received the well-deserved Edison Lifetime Achievement Award. Normaal announced its intention to retire again in 2015, a decision marked by the release of the documentary "Ja, Dat Was Høken, 40 Jaar Normaal" (Yes, That Was Høken, 40 Years of Normaal). Four years later, the band was back on stage. Despite several subsequent hints of a well-deserved retirement, the band always returned—with the indefatigable Bennie Jolink at the helm. In 2024, the 50th anniversary was celebrated with, among other things, the reissue of all studio albums on colored vinyl.