Talk about...
Music!
Oh yeah...pop music of the 1980s was, like, totally awesome! Cyndi, Madonna, Michael, Huey, the list goes on and on (and on...see below!). Actually, what you see below is a comprehensive list of all of the 80s pop music artists the minds of myself (Sheena)and Flavor could stretch their minds to remember. In the interest of information, we've included their greatest hit(s)/accomplishment(s). Have fun!
ABC - "When Smokey Sings," "Poison Arrow"
Paula Abdul - "Straight Up," "Cold Hearted," etc. I really liked Paula Abdul as a dancer. Her music was so-so. I wanted to be in the "Cold Hearted" video, that one was raunchy and way cool!
Bryan Adams - "Summer of '69," "Heaven," etc. This was back when Bryan Adams could actually do a rock song, not just sappy ballads (although he did those as well, with passion). I had a friend in junior high that was so obsessed with Bryan Adams that she carried his picture around with her!
Adam & The Ants / Adam Ant - "Goody Two Shoes," "Strip"
After The Fire - "Der Komissar"
A-Ha - "Take On Me" was A-Ha's biggest hit and the accompanying video was a breakthrough in video technology at the time, featuring a storyline that was part cartoon drawing of the band, and part real footage. My friends and I loved this band. I still remember their names: Morten Harkett, Pal Waktaar, and Mags Mortensen (or something close to that)!
Air Supply - Purveyors of nauseating ballads, so uncool they're practically cool!
Alias - Founded by two guys from the band Sheriff and the three founding male members of Heart, Alias actually debuted in 1990 and had a hit with "More Than Words Can Say." I also found out this Alias album was one of the last Capital Records releases ever pressed on vinyl!
Animotion - "Obsession" I remember thinking this song was so naughty!
Arcadia - Duran Duran breaks up and splits into two factions, Power Station and this band, Arcadia. Arcadia featured Duranies Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes, and Roger Taylor. Their big hit was "Election Day."
Rick Astley - Gasp! vomit! choke! spit! gag! I hate hate hate Rick Astley songs! Naturally, I had a friend that felt the opposite. He was so intensely mega-vomitous and sappy! I won't even bother to list his coma-inducing songs.
Bananarama - "Venus" etc. Cool chicks.
The Bangles - Even cooler chicks. "Manic Monday," "Walk Like An Egyptian," "Eternal Flame," Etc. The Bangles absolutely rocked. I bought almost every 45 from their album "A Different Light" before I realized I should have bought the album! Flavor loves this band, too!
Toni Basil - "Mickey" was her song. Toni is also an accomplished choreographer.
Pat Benatar - This woman's got some pipes! And so many hits, including "We Belong," "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," "Heartbreaker," and tons more.
Berlin - "Take My Breath Away" was probably their biggest hit, from the soundtrack to the movie "Top Gun." They also had a hit with "No More Words."
The B-52s - Grrr...I don't like this band. I know a lot of people do, but come on..."Love Shack?" And what was with that horrible collaboration with R.E.M., "Shiny Happy People?" That was the worst! They just never did it for me. Oh well.
Big Country - "In A Big Country"
Billy Vera and the Beaters - "At This Moment," a sad, tear-jerker of a song that still makes me weepy when I hear it, this song rose to fame after being on the episode of Family Ties when Alex and his girlfriend broke up. That episode was gut-wrenching when they danced to this song!
Blondie - Fronted by the irreplacable Deborah Harry, this NYC band exploded in the late 70s/early 80s. "Call Me," "The Tide Is High," etc. were great songs, they had so many great songs. I really loved their last album, the late 90s "No Exit," as well. Blondie has always been one of my favorite bands!
Bow Wow Wow - "I Want Candy"
Boy Meets Girl - "Waiting For A Star To Fall"
Boys Don’t Cry - "I Wanna Be A Cowboy"
Laura Branigan - I loved Laura Branigan! I had a pinup of her right next to Huey Lewis on my wall around age 10! "Gloria," and "Self Control" were her biggest hits. She used to flip her hair when she sang live (like on Solid Gold) and she did it so much that we'd count how many times she did it in one song!
Breakfast Club - "Right On Track"
Kate Bush - "Running Up That Hill" was one of her big hits, and I know there were more but I can't think of them!
Irene Cara - "Fame" from the film Fame, and "What A Feeling" from the Flashdance soundtrack were her biggest hit. Great dance songs.
The Cars - With roots in the 70s, The Cars had several hits in he 80s, including "You Might Think," "Magic," "Drive," etc. Multi-talented, and with the unique success of more than one guy in the band doing vocals, The Cars were destined for greatness.
Cher - Obviously not new in the 80s, Cher did have a string of hits in the 80s, including "I Found Someone," etc. and she also had a string of hit films. No one can deny the talent of Cher.
Chicago / Peter Cetera - Another product of the previous decades, Chicago broke through with some hits in the 80s, as well their frontman, Peter Cetera, had some solo hits including "Glory Of Love."
Jane Child - Remember Jane Child with her ear-nose ring (ala Skid Row's Rachel Bolan) and long braided hair that was spiked on top? I think her song was "Don't Wanna Fall In Love" or something like that. May have been early 90s.
Elvis Costello - "Veronica"
Josie Cotton - "Johnny Are You Queer," a most politically incorrect song!
The Cover Girls - A group that did dance music and the occasional ballad, like "Wishing On A Star."
Christopher Cross - I'm sure he is a nice man, but video killed this radio star. He pretty much sang annoying songs like, for instance, "Sailing."
Crowded House - "Don't Dream It's Over," "Something So Strong"
Culture Club / Boy George - One of the major groups that contained one of the most major personalities of the 80s. Boy George helped bring alternative lifestyle issues to our attention. Culture Club brought some really cool music to the world. "It's A Miracle," "Karma Chameleon" (one of my fav songs in elementary school!), "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me," and "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" are among their biggest hits. Can you believe Boy was dating the drummer that whole time???
The Cure - Oy this band nauseated me in high school. I have now come to appreciate some of their songs, such as "Just Like Heaven." Athough they were not my cup of tea, The Cure were a very influential new wave band. What that man did with lipstick was just criminal, though.
Cutting Crew - Had one of the most passionate and unique love songs of the 80s with "(I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight."
Taylor Dayne - "Tell It To My Heart" - she had very frightening hair and lips.
Dead Or Alive - Speaking of frightening...actually Dead Or Alive had some fantastic songs including "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)."
DeBarge / El Debarge - DeBarge as a family unit had hits such as "Rhythm Of The Night" and "Who's Holding Donna Now" El DeBarge left his family in the dust and had a monster hit with "Who's Johnny" from the soundtrack to the 1986 film Short Circuit.
Chris DeBurgh - "The Lady In Red" - UGH
Depeche Mode - "Just Can't Get Enough" and a bunch of other songs - another influential new wave band.
Devo - "Whip It"
Dexy’s Midnight Runners - "Come On Eileen"
Dire Straits - Had a string of hits with MTV rear-kisser "Money For Nothing" and "Walk of Life."
Thomas Dolby - "She Blinded Me With Science"
Dream Academy - "Life In A Northern Town"
Duran Duran - I should definitely make a separate page for these guys! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH did I ever love Duran Duran!!!! Me and (at least) almost every other girl born between 1965 and 1977! If you're female, who was your fave? I personally adore John to this very day. Duran had mountains of hits, including "Rio," "Hungry Like The Wolf," "Wild Boys," "The Reflex" etc. etc. etc. Possibly the most popular pop band of the 80s.
Echo and the Bunnymen -
Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians - "What I Am" Edie Brickell married Paul Simon.
Erasure - "Take A Chance On Me," "Oh, L'Amour"
The Escape Club - "Wild Wild West"
Eurythmics / Annie Lennox - The Eurythmics were huge thanks mostly to the incredible vocal talent and presence of Annie Lennox. Their biggest hits as a group were probably "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of These)," and "Here Comes The Rain Again."
Expose - Another extremely talented vocal group with a long string of hits that include "Seasons Change, and "Come Go With Me"
Falco - The kid I had a crush on in 7th grade once told me that his favorite band was Falco (?!), so I promptly ran out and bought the latest Falco 45, which was "Vienna Calling." Not exactly a bad song, but for sure a weird song. Falco also had a hit with "Amadeus." The things we do for young love.
Harold Faltermeyer - "Shakedown" 1987 from Beverly Hills Cop II Soundtrack
The Fixx - "One Thing Leads To Another"
Flock of Seagulls - "I Ran," "Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)," "Space Age Love Song," this band was also known for their singer's haircut, which fell down over his forehead in a sort of pointy waterfall! My friend just wanted to add that his hair is "sticky-uppy!"
Flying Lizards - "Money, That's What I Want" - an extremely annoying song.
Samantha Fox - Had hits with dance songs like "I Wanna Have Some Fun," and "Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)." Quite a little trollop in her day.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - "Relax" was the song. "Frankie Say Relax" was the catchphrase and t-shirt fashion statement.
Frozen Ghost - Formed out of the ashes of the band Sherrif, their hit songs were "Should I See," "Pauper In Paradise," "Dream Come True." At this point, 6 years after its release, Sheriff's "When I'm With You" hit number one and provided direct competition for Frozen Ghost. All of the confusion, while making the men rich, ultimately led to Frozen Ghost's demise.
Gene Loves Jezebel - "Shattered Dreams," "Jealous"
Genesis / Phil Collins - Do I really need to explain these people? You can STILL barely turn on the radio without hearing Genesis or Phil within an hour! I read somewhere back then that Phil's voice is like Scott Tissues, it just keeps going and going. Mike and The Mechanics was an offshoot group of Genesis as well from Mike Rutherford. I'd be here all day if I attempted to list all of Genesis' and Phil's hits, so I won't even start!
Georgia Satellites - "Keep Your Hands To Yourself" was their biggest hit, which, incidentally, was kept from #1 on the Billboard Chart by Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer!" Go Jovi!
Debbie Gibson - Girlfriend was at the time the youngest girl to have a hit single (I think). And she had several, including "Out Of The Blue," "Lost In Your Eyes," "Electric Youth," and many, many more!
The Go Gos / Belinda Carlisle - "Vacation," "Head Over Heels," etc. Singer Belinda Carlisle went solo in the late 80s and had hits such as "Mad About You" and "Heaven Is A Place On Earth."
Eddy Grant - "Electric Avenue" and "Romancing The Stone" (from the film of the same name).
The Greg Kihn Band - "Jeopardy," "The Breakup Song"
Hall & Oates - Formed in the 70s, this band had tons of huge hits in the 80s, including "Private Eyes," "Kiss On My List," "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)", "Maneater," and many, many more!
Jan Hammer - "Miami Vice Theme"
Corey Hart - "Never Surrender," "Sunglasses At Night"
Murray Head - "One Night In Bangkok"
Don Henley - From The Eagles to a solo artist. One of his biggest solo hits was "Boys Of Summer."
The Hooters - "And We Danced"
Whitney Houston - Like she needs explanation! Had lots of hits in the 80s including, "Greatest Love Of All," "How Will I Know?" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."
Huey Lewis & The News - For some inexplicable reason, I loved this band back in the 80s! "The Power Of Love" from the soundtrack to the movie "Back To The Future" was a huge success. Other hits included, "I Want A New Drug," and, of course, "Hip To Be Square!"
The Human League - "Don't You Want Me?" "(Keep Feeling) Fascination," "Human"
INXS - Before the tragic and senseless death of Michael Hutchence, INXS had been a musical force, especially in the 1980s. Among their songs were (ironically) "Suicide Blonde," "Never Tear Us Apart," and my favorite, "Devil Inside."
Janet Jackson - I just saw Janet in concert last year (2001), but I've been a fan all along. Being interested in dance, Ms. Jackson (if you're "Nasty") was a HUGE influence on me. Let's not forget her early acting experiences on "Good Times" and "Diff'rent Strokes." Her 80s songs include, "Nasty," "Control," and "What Have You Done For Me Lately?"
Michael Jackson - Well, DUH. The King Of Pop himself! Went from a succesful boy band to the most prolific and succesful solo career probably EVER. No one will ever forget "Thriller," "Beat It," or "Billie Jean."
The Jets - "Crush On You," etc.
J. Geils Band - Had their start before the 80s. Big hit of the 80s was "Centerfold."
Elton John - Again, started earlier but found success in the 80s. "Nikita" comes to mind as a hit in that decade.
Johnny Hates Jazz - "Shattered Dreams"
Howard Jones - "No One Is To Blame," "Like To Get To Know You Well," "New Song"
Kajagoogoo / Limahl - The band had success with "Too Shy." The singer, Limahl, had success with the title song to the movie "Neverending Story."
Katrina and the Waves - "Walking On Sunshine" - I always found the creamy goodness of this song absolutely nauseating.
The Knack - "My Sharona"
Kon Kan - "I Beg Your Pardon"
Kool & The Gang - "Celebration," "Joanna," "Cherish," "Fresh," we used to joke that all of the Kool & The Gang songs had to have one word titles.
Cyndi Lauper - That hair (multi-colored and shaved into a checkered patternon one side)! That voice (she's so unuuusual)! Cyndi was one of my favorites. "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" is one of the anthems of the decade. Other songs include "True Colors," "Time After Time," "Change of Heart," and "Goonies 'R Good Enough" from The Goonies movie soundtrack.
Julian Lennon - "Too Late For Goodbyes," John Lennon's eldest son broke through with his first album in 1984.
Level 42 - "Something About You"
Linear - You may be saying, "who?" Indeed, Linear (pronounced "Lineer") had a short shelf-life. But I LOVED them! A bunch of hispanic long-haired boys playing dance music! Their biggest song was probably "Sending All My Love." Hope someone else out there remembers this adorable and talented group!
Living In A Box - "Living In A Box" 1987
Kenny Loggins - The soundtrack king of the 80s, Mr. Loggins broke away from his 70s music group (Loggins and Messina, which did the original "Your Mama Don't Dance" that the band Poison had a hit with in the 80s, but I digress...) and found success. "I'm Alright" (from the film Caddyshack), "Footloose" (from film of same name), and "Danger Zone" (from Top Gun) were all his!
Love and Rockets - "Alive" was the song (1989). Bauhaus begat Tones On Tail, which begat Love and Rockets (for those keeping score).
Madness - "Our House" Madness brought ska music to the attention of the USA (and the future members of No Doubt were listening!).
Madonna - Come on people! Is it necessary to explain Madonna? Here are just a few of her 80s singles: "Borderline," "Holiday," "Like A Virgin," "Material Girl," "Open Your Heart," "True Blue."
Martika - "Toy Soldiers" Personally, I hate this song. Deal with it. :o)
Richard Marx - Ah, Richard Marx and his hair-helmet. This man had THE biggest mountain of hair and it made his head appear extremely large. Still, he is a songwriting talent. "Hold On To The Nights" (1987), "Right Here Waiting" (1989), etc.
Mary Jane Girls - "In My House"
John Cougar Mellancamp - Or whatever he was called during the 80s (drop the Cougar, keep the Cougar, call the zoo, I don't care). Blue collar rock, with "Pink Houses" and "Jack and Diane," etc.
Men At Work - "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under" (both 1982).
Menudo - Ah yes, Menudo is responsible for bringing the world Ricky Martin. I am not ashamed to say that I had a couple Menudo pinups on my walls when I was about 11. I thought Ricky was the cutset, until Sergio came along, of course. Songs? "Hold Me" and a whole bunch of others in Spanish!
Men Without Hats - "Safety Dance," "Pop Goes The World"
Miami Sound Machine / Gloria Estefan - "Conga," etc. as a band. "Anything For You," etc. as a solo artist.
Midnight Oil - "Beds Are Burning" was their most popular song. My best friend growing up called this her favorite band. We have never liked the same things, so I must have hated this band on principle alone (it was almost like our "thing" to be completely opposite and be friends still), because nowdays I don't find them irritating at all like I used to! Ah, to be young and stupid again.
Midnight Star - "Freakazoid"
Mike & The Mechanics - "Living Years" the most nauseating and depressing song probably of the entire decade. M&TM was an offshoot of Genesis.
Milli Vanilli - Most controversial group of the 80s, Milli Vanilli got into trouble when their lip sync tape got stuck during a televised MTV concert. The boys ran offstage in humiliation, their Grammies were returned, and the world learned just how important the visual aspect is to the music business. Personally, I think Milli Vanilli had incredibly catchy tunes, no matter who was singing them. The old guys could have sang it for all I cared. So poo to the music business who underestimates us all. And Rob and Fab (Milli Vanilli), well, I think a lot of people in their position would have done what they did. Lip sync? Where would Ms. Britney, 'N Sync, etc. be without it? Just because it's them somewhere underneath the overdubs on their albums makes them absoutely no better, no more real. Just my editorial. And I thank you for your support. Songs? "Girl You Know It's True," "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You," "Blame It On The Rain," etc.
Kylie Minogue - Making an annoying comeback as of late, Ms. Minogue, oh yes, IS that old! She was around in the 80s telling us to do the "Locomotion!" Don't be fooled boys and girls.
Missing Persons - "Words," "Destination Unknown," "Walking in L.A."
Modern English - "I Melt With You"
Eddie Money - Good old Ed had tons of hits, such as: "Two Tickets To Paradise," "Shakin'," "Think I'm In Love," "Take Me Home Tonight," "I Wanna Go Back." All typical, bland, Top 40 radio songs.
The Motels - One of the dumbest band names ever, like, fer sure! "Suddenly Last Summer," "Only The Lonely"
Mr. Mister - "Broken Wings"
Naked Eyes - "Promises Promises," "Always Something There To Remind Me"
Nena - One hit wonder with "99 Red Balloons," and for you German folks, the version auf Deutsch, "99 Luftbaloons."
Gary Neuman - "Cars"
New Edition / Bobby Brown - New Edition was THE boy band of the 80s until the NKOTB came along later in the decade. Hits includes, "Cool It Now," "Mr. Telephone Man," and "Candy Girl." New Edition broke up and later became 3 entities: Bobby Brown solo ("My Prerogative," "Every Little Step," and the always classy "Humpin' Around"), Bell Biv Devoe ("Poison") and Johnny Gil ("Rub You The Right Way"). Whew! Confused yet? :)
New Kids on the Block - Yes, the godfathers of 'N Sync and Backstreet Boys were a sensation in the late 80s. There was no getting away from it. "The Right Stuff," "Please Don't Go Girl," and the list could go on and on and on.
New Order - "Blue Monday"
Olivia Newton-John - "Physical," "Xanadu," "Magic"
Sinead O’Connor -