Michael Oldfield is an English musician, songwriter and producer best known for his groundbreaking 1973 album Tubular Bells, which gained worldwide recognition after its opening was featured in the film The Exorcist. A multi-instrumentalist and primarily a guitarist, he explored genres like progressive rock, folk, classical, ambient and new age music throughout his career. Oldfield began playing guitar at age ten, performed in the folk duo The Sallyangie with his sister Sally, and later worked with Kevin Ayers. After the success of Tubular Bells, Oldfield released influential albums such as Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn and Incantations, known for their long, mostly instrumental tracks. In the 1980s, he shifted towards a more commercial sound, achieving major success with the hit single Moonlight Shadow from the album Crises. During the 1990s, he continued to innovate, notably with Tubular Bells II and the multimedia MusicVR project. He also performed at the 2012 London Olympic Games opening ceremony. Over his career, Oldfield released 26 studio albums, with nine reaching the UK top ten. His final album, Return to Ommadawn, appeared in 2017, and his retirement was announced in 2023.