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Oct 31, 2023 · The top-selling duo in music history, Daryl Hall and John Oates produced six #1 hit singles in the mid-'80s including "Kiss on My List," "Private Eyes," and "Maneater." More Top 40 hits would ...
- Stacker
- The Smiths
- The Cure
- Queen
- The Clash
- Tears For Fears
- The Kinks
- King Crimson
- The Police
- Iron Maiden
- Judas Priest
The first band on our list is a true icon of the ’80s: the incomparable quartet known as the Smiths. They formed in 1982 in Manchester and had their dramatic breakup in 1987, releasing four albums during the period. The most successful album was the #1 smash hit Meat Is Murder, but the Smiths’ most famous song, “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out...
West Sussex band The Cure wasn’t created in the 1980s, but they helped define it. Though the band formed in 1978, two of their biggest albums, Standing by a Beach and Disintegration, came out in 1986 and 1989, respectively. More than that, they were an immense stylistic influence on other musicians, helping to define the emerging subculture of goth...
It might seem incredible that Queenonly holds the third spot on our list. After all, if there is one band that sticks in the cultural memory of the 1980s, it’s this one. Queen’s epic career began in 1970 in London, and while some of their most iconic tracks came out in that first decade, many of their explosive stadium rock songs came out in the ’8...
Formed in London in 1976, The Clashspent the second half of their tenure in the 1980s, and during that time, they continued their work as pioneers in the world of music. In fact, you can thank The Clash for U2, Bad Religion, Green Day, Public Enemy, M.I.A., and the Arctic Monkeys. The band was a huge inspiration for these artists. If you’re interes...
Another defining group of the 1980s was Tears for Fears, perhaps best known for their 1985 synth-pop hit “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” Fittingly, the group changed its character just after the ’80s, when founders Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith had a dramatic breakup (though, thankfully for the world, they reconciled about ten years later). Du...
It might sound surprising to think of The Kinksas an ’80s band, but you’d be wrong if you consigned the superstar group to the ’60s section of the record store. In their prestigious 33-year career, The Kinks released a whopping 28 albums, and of that number, six came out in the ’80s. Within these albums, they released hit songs like “Come Dancing,”...
Progressive rock bands are nothing if not eclectic, and King Crimsonwears the crown of British strangeness. The group is especially interesting in that they had five separate tenures. Indeed, even though they last broke up 53 years after they formed, they’ve only been together for a little over half that time. The 1980s iteration of King Crimson, t...
Consisting of Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland, The Police were one of the defining groups of British New Wave, a period well-known for its simultaneous appeal to popular audiences and its use of more experimental techniques. Forming in 1977, the Police made it big in the 1980s’ so-called Second British Invasion, finding particular success...
Shifting from punk and prog-rock to a harder kind of tune, we arrive at number nine on our list, Iron Maiden. While the legendary group formed in 1975, there’s no doubt that the ’80s was their decade. During this time, they released seven studio albums, including the hugely influential 1982 The Number of the Beast, in which Iron Maiden blended hard...
Tenth on our list, Judas Priestbelongs to a more recognizably modern type of hardcore band: they had loud music, loud outfits, and loud personalities. While Judas Priest formed in the ’70s, they found their sound and success in 1980 with the release of British Steel. From there, they rose to immense global success and critical acclaim, releasing al...
The 1980s saw the emergence of electronic dance music and new wave, also known as Modern Rock. As disco fell out of fashion in the decade's early years, [1] genres such as post-disco, Italo disco, Euro disco, and dance-pop became more popular. Rock music continued to enjoy a wide audience. [2] Soft rock, [3] glam metal, thrash metal, shred ...
- Mötley Crüe. If there was ever a band that defined the 1980s, Mötley Crüe is the poster child. Billing themselves as the “World’s Most Notorious Rock Band,” the Crüe formed in 1981 in Los Angeles.
- Bon Jovi. Next up, Bon Jovi is a band formed by a couple of New Jersey natives who managed to see arena rock success after their formation in 1983. Featuring Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan, Tico Torres, Phil X, and Hugh McDonald, they released their first two albums in 1984 and 1985, but their third album, Slippery When Wet, catapulted the band into superstardom.
- Van Halen. Though formed in the early 1970s, Van Halen had become a successful band by the time the 1980s rolled in. With their bad-boy reputation, they became known for live shows filled with energy thanks to lead singer David Lee Roth.
- Guns N’ Roses. You can’t talk about rock bands in the ‘80s without mentioning Guns N’ Roses. This band was a vision of the future of rock and roll. Gritty, grimy, and full of life, GNR was a glimpse into rock’s next phase: grunge.
1980 Rock Music History. The US hard core punk rock scene grows. Rap music makes the US charts. As punk rocks popularity declines in the UK, the so-called New Wave of British Heavy Metal begins - with new metal bands adapting the intensity and speed of punk. The first Monsters of Rock festival is held in Castle Donnington UK, headlined by hard ...
Aug 29, 2024 · The 1980s marked a vibrant era for British rock bands, shaped by socio-political upheaval and technological advancements. This article explores the rise, impact, and enduring legacy of iconic groups that defined the sound and style of a generation.
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1980's - CD's, synths and the rise of MTV. An overview of the 80's decade in rock and popular music history. Eighties music genres, stylistic development and social history are explored as rock music completely takes over the popular music charts. Fully illustrated with period photos of the musicians who made it happen.
