The British jazz-funk band that took its name from the number 42 in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is Level 42.
The reference comes from Douglas Adams’s comic science-fiction story, in which the supercomputer Deep Thought calculates that 42 is the answer to “the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.” The joke is that nobody knows what the actual question is, making the supposedly definitive answer wonderfully useless.
Level 42 formed on the Isle of Wight in 1979, initially combining jazz-fusion musicianship with funk grooves. The group became especially known for Mark King’s energetic slap-and-pop bass playing, Mike Lindup’s keyboards, and the Gould brothers’ rhythm section. Their early identity was firmly rooted in British jazz-funk, even as later records moved toward polished pop and dance-rock.
A common mix-up is assuming the name refers to a building floor or a literal ranking. It is instead a literary reference. The band’s best-known songs include “Lessons in Love,” “Something About You,” and “Running in the Family.”