Band or singer that best represents the music of the 80s

[numberthirty]

Thinking about trying to narrow it down like that is always interesting...

While I can see where someone would say "Billy Idol", compare him to Glenn Danzig. That pair of Misfits records/Samhain/The First Danzig record are a pretty serious chunk of "Eighties".

As for me personally, Bananarama are about as "Eighties" as it gets.

[numberthirty]

Tears for Fears is a good shout (pun intended), but if I had to pick one act to rep my '80s it would be Robert Smith and The Cure. Their ability to switch off between dense soundscapes and straight-up (and even silly) pop songs made them favorites.

It was also a pretty unbelievable run of doing their own thing, and writing great songs. Seven great records in a row.

[numberthirty]

To me (so my opinion) Prince is one that covered more than one decade. Like Michel Jackson and Madonna he still had huge success through the 90s and even in the 2000s. I mean the man was still asked to play the Super Bowl in 2007 and was rocking it at Coachella the year after. He didn't represents the music of the 80s he redefined music for decades. He was never gonna be that guy that played in casinos in towns that you never heard of.

Agreed.

I usually feel the same way about David Bowie. While his eighties records were pretty darn "Eighties" in all caps, he was also doing the same thing in the decade before and after.

[WillieMorgan]

The 1980's were a very happy decade for me. It was a great time to be growing up. Hard rock and metal ruled. The decade is just a string of classic bands and albums. Guns N' Roses 'Appetite For Destruction' alone should give people an idea of just how awesome the metal scene was back then.

In terms of more mainstream pop and 80's production and 'feel' I'd have to nominate one of my all-time favourite bands, the Norwegian trio a-ha. They are regarded as a one-hit wonder in the States but that is definitely not true for the rest of the world. The band continued to record albums and have hits into the 1990's and beyond. They are genuine musicians and songwriters too, unlike a lot of the more vapid pop acts.

Then there's the Trevor Horn produced 'Welcome To The Pleasuredome' album by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Genius production and you can't get much more 80's than 'Two Tribes'. Good times.

[numberthirty]

One other "Black Sheep" contender(well, at least for me)...

King Diamond.

That run of albums from Fatal Portrait through Conspiracy is very textbook "Eighties", to me. So many things that were done by stretching the recording technology of that time that would be accomplished rather easily in the here and now. Never mind all of the shredding.

So, so "Eighties".

[dancj]

Duran Duran.

Not a great band - or even a particularly good band, but so incredibly 80s. After that, probably some power ballad crap like Tpau.

Actual musical highlights of the 80s would be:
Madness
Elvis Costello
The Cramps
They Might be Giants
The Pogues
Pixies

[stargazer01]

Thinking about trying to narrow it down like that is always interesting...

While I can see where someone would say "Billy Idol", compare him to Glenn Danzig. That pair of Misfits records/Samhain/The First Danzig record are a pretty serious chunk of "Eighties".

As for me personally, Bananarama are about as "Eighties" as it gets.

thanks. I was for going individual feelings. Music impact us in different ways. For some Prince was the icon, but for me in the 80s, Michael Jackson with his songs and innovative dancing routines and videos was the biggest thing and nothing could compare in terms of music and entertainment. Still, when I think of the 80s, the music of Tears For Fears fills me with nostalgia for that era more than others.

[GOLGO 13]

It completely makes me cringe to nominate MADONNA, M. Jackson & hair metal for 80's music. Just a entire decade of trash people making trash music.

That decade deserves all to be remembered as hostile as possible.

[TriggerWarning]

It completely makes me cringe to nominate MADONNA, M. Jackson & hair metal for 80's music. Just a entire decade of trash people making trash music.

That decade deserves all to be remembered as hostile as possible.

The 80's had awesome music, you just have to look past some of the generic pop that dominated the charts.

Joy Division / New Order - they put out great music throughout the decade, especially remarkable since how they barely missed a beat when Ian Curtis died and rebranded themselves as New Order.

The Cure - just made the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Duran Duran - some dismiss them but I loved them and their album Rio is in my top 3 favorite albums by anyone of all time

Nine Inch Nails - while many might think of Trent's creation as a 90's band, Pretty Hate Machine actually came out in 1989 and is one of the greatest debut albums of all time

Guns and Roses - Appetite For Destruction is in the conversation for not only best debut album of all time but best metal album of all time and even best overall album of all time

The Stone Roses - another great debut album

REM - before they went pop and silly in for a while in the 90's (Shiny Happy People and Stand) they were putting out great alternative music in the 80's that helped pave the way for the 90's alt explosion.


The 80's certainly had horrific fashion and the video age certainly created a lot of low talent groups that got by on looks rather than music (Poison being a prime example) but there was also a lot of good music. Far better than what passes for top 40 music today though I will say music is better today overall just because the internet has allowed an explosion of music in genres that get no top 40 play and would never have been heard of by anyone before the internet age. I've never once heard my favorite band, Nightwish, on the radio and pre internet wouldn't even know they existed.

[Tien Long]

What band or singer best represents the music of the 80s for you?

I've been thinking about it, and this is no easy task because that decade had amazing music all around, but I feel that the sounds of the band TEARS FOR FEARS takes me back to the 80s more than any other artist. Songs like "Head Over Heels", "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "Shout" are best examples.

It's not even my fave band ever, but some of their songs and sound is very nostalgic and awesome to me.

Honestly, first band that popped into my head.

[CellarDweller]

How about Nena and her 99 balloons?

My favorite song from the 80s.

Nena (the singer) is still popular in Germany, and actually had a comeback in Europe. In 2002 she released a solo CD called "Nena ft. Nena" that was all cover versions of her hits when she was with the group, also called Nena. One of the singles off that CD, a cover of "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime" was turned into a German/English duet with fellow 80s singer Kim Wilde, and it hit #1 in Austria and Netherlands, and went Top 10 in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland.

[CellarDweller]

For me, the 80s is all about Madonna. She was able to marry music, videos and performances as well as influence fashion.

To take it in a different direction and mention a producer......the end of the 70s was all about the death of disco. In the mid 80s disco became "dance music" and reappeared with Shannon and her song "Let the Music Play", which was the beginning of the genre of freestyle.

Producer Lewis A. Martinée became a force in 80s music at that time, and used the freestyle sound to do it. He was the man behind the sound of the group Exposé, the first act to have their 4 four singles from their debut CD all hit the Top 10.

He later went on to produce for Kashif, Vanessa Williams, Debbie Gibbson, and others.

He also gave two English bands the freestyle sound for two of their songs. Dead Or Alive (Spin Me Round Like A Record) worked with Martinée on their hit song "Come Home With Me Baby" and the Pet Shop Boys (West End Girls) got a hit with "Domino Dancing", also produced by Martinée.

[Iron Maiden]

I don't think you can't think of the 1980's without mentioning how Queen stole the show from a **** load of stars in a well crafted 20 minute set at Live Aid. It's a shame that they had a big resurgence just when Freddie started to develop symptoms of having contracted AIDS. They are a big influence on a younger generation of bands like Foo Fighters. And then there is the instantly recognizable base line by John Deacon in Another One Bites the Dust ripped off by Vanilla Ice

I find this is one song of theirs that is better in the live version at one of their last appearances at Wembley

[ed2962]

I have to agree with the folks who have that the 80's weren't really defined by one artist or trend but several.


Having said that, the thing that makes me think "80's" more than anything else is when I hear certain Phil Collins songs. I hear "In the Air Tonight" and I think of Miami Vice which makes me think of The Insiders which was ABC's rip off of Miami Vice which used "Just A Job" by Genesis as their song, which makes me think of "Tonight" by Phil being used in a Michelob beer commercial which was everywhere in the mid-80's. Of course followed by the Eric Clapton Michelob commercial, followed by the Neil Young parody...

[Güicho]

The 80's certainly had horrific fashion and the video age certainly created a lot of low talent groups that got by on looks rather than music

The pinnacle embodiment of that: Milli Vanilli
Although their Grammy Award for Best New Artist came 1990!
Both decades are shamed by this horror.