On August 1st 1981, MTV was launched in America. The legendary television channel saw a boom in the popularity of music videos and made stars out of several of the decade’s icons such as Madonna, Michael Jackson, Billy Idol, and Prince. While some acts maintained their fame, remaining as popular today as they did then, others suffered a sorrier fate. For every Madonna there is an act that only exists in the nostalgic mind of those who lived through the decade. Here’s a collection of some of the best acts that only those alive in the eighties remember.
‘Til Tuesday
New wave band ‘Til Tuesday were an early favourite of MTV, and the band even won a MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist. The song that saw them skyrocket was Voices Carry, released in 1985. Sadly their subsequent songs failed to replicate the success and the group disbanded in 1988.
Though Voices Carry might not be familiar to many by name, it has featured on several movie soundtracks including Atomic Blonde and Boogie Nights. The song also has an uncredited appearance on the PlayStation game: Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City. Since the band split, vocalist Aimee Mann has won two Grammys as a solo artist.
Fine Young Cannibals
Mention the name Fine Young Cannibals to anyone unfamiliar with their 80s music and you’ll likely be met with a blank face. That they have faded into somewhat obscurity is a shame as the band released some wickedly catchy songs.
Formed in Birmingham, England, in 1984, the Fine Young Cannibals conquered not only the UK charts, but also the US. Both She Drives Me Crazy and Good Thing managed to top the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988 and 1989 respectively. Sadly though, the band barely made it out of the 80s, separating in 1992.
Siouxsie and the Banshees
Although a bigger mainstream hit in their native country of the United Kingdom, Siouxsie and the Banshees began to break America in 1988 after the release of their album, Peepshow. Director Tim Burton was one of these early fans and specifically requested them to create a song for 1992’s Batman Returns.
Led by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux, Siouxsie and the Banshees were one of the most successful post-punk and goth bands of both the seventies and eighties, but disappointingly, outside of certain circles, they are not well remembered. Today, Siouxsie continues to perform as a solo artist and recently toured for the first time in more than a decade.
Bow Wow Wow
If you’ve seen Sofia Coppola’s 2006 movie Marie Antoinette then you will have heard not one, but two songs, I Want Candy and Aphrodisiac, by new-wave band Bow Wow Wow. Formed in 1980, the band was fronted by thirteen year old Annabella Lwin.
Despite not being particularly well known, Bow Wow Wow are referenced in the Red Hot Chili Peppers song, ‘Suck My Kiss’, with the band’s guitarist, John Frusciante, citing Bow Wow Wow guitarist Ashman as an inspiration. No Doubt’s Adrian Young has also gone on record praising the band’s influence on his work.
Roxette
Roxette became big in the nineties when their song ‘It Must Have Been Love’ was a featured song in the movie, Pretty Woman. But even before that, the Swedish two-piece of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle were releasing hit after hit.
Eclipsed by ‘It Must Have Been Love’, Roxette have an excellent back catalogue, which includes songs such as Listen to Your Heart, and The Look. Roxette continued performing together up until the sad passing of Fredriksson in 2019 due to complications surrounding her brain tumor.
Modern English
If one thing is clear about 80s music, it is that British bands reigned supreme. A key movement of the decade was new-wave music and for some reason the UK had an affinity for this style. One of the many bands involved in the movement was Modern English.
Formed in Colchester, Essex, in the UK, Modern English’s I Melt with You was a staple song at school dances on both sides of the Atlantic. The song also features in the 1983 movie, Valley Girl, which marked the film debut of one Nicholas Cage.
Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners were one of the most successful one-hit wonders of the eighties. Though their name has been forgotten by all but the devoted, their hit single Come on Eileen is still popular today.
A staple on any good wedding reception playlist, Come on Eileen is sure to get the party started. Dexys Midnight Runners had high hopes after the single did well, but ultimately decided to call it quits in 1987. Even for those involved, come the nineties, the band was a distant memory.
A Flock of Seagulls
The name A Flock of Seagulls might just be the best and strangest moniker in music history, not just the 80s. Lead singer Mike Score has explained that the name originated from the Stranglers song Toiler on the Sea, and the novel Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
A Flock of Seagulls’ biggest hit, ‘I Ran (So Far Away),’ has had a resurgence in recent years as it appeared on the Atomic Blonde soundtrack and was also the song that Sebastian’s band is singing at the LA party in La La Land.
Men Without Hats
Not to be confused with Men at Work, Men Without Hats are the Canadian band responsible for earworm The Safety Dance. Originally released in America in March 1983, it took several months for the song to climb the charts, peaking at number 3 in the Billboard 100 months later in September.
The inspiration for the song came after lead singer and songwriter, Ivan Doroschuk, was ejected from a nightclub for pogo dancing. In turn, it became its own dance sensation. Modern audiences will perhaps remember it as the song that Peter and Quagmire dance to in the Family Guy episode, Ocean’s Three and a Half.
Soft Cell
Tainted Love is a song that has been covered time and time again. The original version was recorded back in 1964 by a singer called Gloria Jones. However, it was the 1981 synth remix by Soft Cell that made it a bonafide hit.
Although it is hard to find someone unaware of Tainted Love, it is far easier to stumble across people who can’t recall Soft Cell’s name. The song was covered again in 2001 by Marilyn Manson, with him now firmly linked as owner of the song in the minds of modern audiences.
Nena
Born Gabriele Susanne Kerner, but better known by her stage name, Nena had one of the best one-hits in history. Her song, 99 Red Balloons is an absolute banger in both English and its original German language version, titled 99 Luftballoons.
Despite Nena being one of the most successful German pop singers in history, all the general public remember is the song, and even then, it is only as it begins to play. The song remains in the public domain, regularly popping up on soundtracks to films set in the bygone decade.
Gene Loves Jezebel
Fronted by twin brothers Jay and Michael Aston, Gene Loves Jezebel were an indie gothic band who embraced the romanticism of their Gothic aesthetic. The group almost certainly had a hand in influencing Finnish band HIM, who became big in the early noughties.
Although never big in the wider sphere, Gene Loves Jezebel had a strong cult following. The group also earned the adulation of the horror movie crowd in 1986 when their song Heartache appeared in Lamberto Bava’s 1986 genre sequel, Demons 2.
Belinda Carlisle
Before going solo, Belinda Carlisle was the lead vocalist in all-female band The Go-Go’s. They achieved the accolade of most successful female rock band, with hit singles We Got the Beat and Our Lips are Sealed being their most popular. Then in 1985, Carlisle embarked on a solo career.
As a solo artist, Carlisle released Leave a Light On and Heaven Is a Place on Earth and was one of the highest ranking female artists of the eighties. Since then her fame has faded, and although performing both solo and with a reformed The Go-Go’s, she is merely a footnote in music history for the masses.
Vanessa Paradis
Whereas for many stars of the eighties, it is their song that remains known whilst they themselves have faded into the background, for Vanessa Paradis the opposite is true. Now known for her modelling and acting work, and as the former wife of actor Johnny Depp, few remember her time as an eighties pop star.
In 1987, aged just fourteen, Paradis took the singing world by storm, with her international hit single, Joe Le Taxi. It marked the start of a short-lived, but well respected, singing career, with Paradis working with high-profile artists including Lenny Kravitz.
Rick Astley
Rick Astley is a beloved icon to the British public, his song Never Gonna Give You Up is a firm karaoke and party song favourite. Now, Astley is better known to audiences for the Rickroll meme in which the video for his signature song unexpectedly appears.
It wasn’t just Never Going to Give You Up that was successful in the 80s – Astley also had hits both in the UK and US with Together Forever and Whenever You Need Somebody. In 1993, Astley retired from music to focus on raising his daughter, but returned in 2000 with new music, and has fully embraced his meme status.
Michael Bolton
In the late eighties and early nineties Michael Bolton was the go-to male singer for a pop rock power ballad. Before that, Bolton fronted rock band Blackjack. The shift in musical style came with a massive boost in record sales and to-date, Bolton has sold over 75 million records.
Bolton’s 1989 album, Soul Provider, contains some of his best known hits including How Can We Be Lovers and How Am I Supposed to Live Without You. Once thought to be the kind of musical icon who would always be around, it transpired that the public could live without him; the singer is now a distant memory for most.
Bonnie Tyler
In 1983, Welsh-born singer, Bonnie Tyler, released the album, Faster Than the Speed of Night, unleashing karaoke juggernaut Total Eclipse of the Heart into the world. The song is legendary, but Tyler’s actual name is harder to recall.
Of all the stars of the 80s, it is hardest to understand why and how Tyler has fallen by the wayside. Both Total Eclipse of the Heart and her 1984 hit, Holding Out for a Hero, has become a mainstay on film soundtracks across the lands, appearing in everything from Footloose to Shrek 2.
Pat Benatar
That Pat Benatar has faded from the consciousness of most, is a crime. Her consistent stream of hit songs during the eighties was unmatched. During the decade, Benatar released Love is a Battlefield, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, We Belong, and Shadows of the Night to name just a few of her best.
Benatar also managed the impressive feat of winning the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, four years in a row. In the nineties, Benatar changed direction of her musical style, a move which saw her fall out of favor with fans and ultimately led to her being left behind.
Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul remains an American treasure. The star was a main judge on American Idol for the first eight seasons, and continued to pop up in a guest judge capacity in the years after. As lovely as she was, a big portion of the population questioned why she was present.
Some attributed her involvement on the show to her friendship with Simon Cowell, but the reality was that Abdul herself was a pop star during the late eighties. Her biggest hits were Straight Up and Opposites Attract, the latter better known for its music video in which Abdul dances with an animated cat.
Generation X
Billy Idol became a massive star of the decade as a solo artist, but at the start of eighties, he was making waves in punk band Generation X. The band had several hits in the UK, but ultimately parted ways after the release of their 1981 album, Kiss Me Deadly.
When Idol went solo, he took their most successful song, ‘Dancing with Myself’ with him, with the bulk of his audience unaware of its origin. Over the years, Idol has never forgotten his time in Generation X and always features at least one song by the band in his setlists.
Huey Lewis and the News
Made famous around the world by 1985’s Back to the Future, Huey Lewis and the News were already popular in the United States. Having both ‘Back in Time’ and ‘Power of Love’ appear in the film was a great move from the band, with both picked up time and time again for movies since.
After the eighties, the group struggled to retain their hold on the chart and ultimately broke up, with Huey Lewis going solo. In 1999, director Mary Lambert brought them temporarily back into the spotlight in her film American Psycho, when Patrick Bateman murdered his colleague, Paul Allen, to their song, Hip to be Square.
Richard Marx
Richard Marx was the first artist to have his first seven singles chart in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 5. However, ask anyone under the age of forty to name even one song by Marx and you’ll be met with a blank stare.
If you had asked the same demographic in the eighties, they would have reeled off a number of songs including Should’ve Known Better, Lonely Heart, and Right Here Waiting. Marx now focuses on his work as a songwriter, having worked with Keith Urban and NSYNC.
Kenny Loggins
Kenny Loggins provided the soundtrack to pretty much every iconic eighties movie out there. Most famously, Loggins had two songs in Tony Scott’s 1986 film, Top Gun, but his work was also featured in Footloose, Rocky IV, and Over the Top.
His intensive work around film earned Loggins the rightful title of King of the Movie Soundtrack. Loggins continued to compose movie music in the nineties, but failed to replicate his earlier success. Nowadays Loggins is remembered purely as the voice of Top Gun.
Miami Sound Machine
Being known first as Miami Latin Boys in 1975, a quick name change to Miami Sound Machine in 1977, and the addition of Gloria Estefan as singer, made them a force to be reckoned with during the eighties. Their biggest hits included Conga and Rhythm is Gonna Get You.
Despite the songs still being familiar today, they are often incorrectly attributed to Gloria Estefan alone. This is due to Estefan going solo after Miami Sound Machine disbanded in 1998, and becoming a titan of the early nineties on her own.
Thompson Twins
In the sixties, the first British music invasion of America occurred. It was when The Beatles arrived and took over. During the eighties, a second wave happened, with all manner of new-wave synth bands taking over the American airwaves. One of these bands was the Thompson Twins.
Named in honor of Hergé’s The Adventures of Tintin’s clumsy investigators, Thomson and Thompson, the Thompson Twins had a flurry of hits during the mid-eighties. They performed at Live Aid in Philadelphia in 1985 where Madonna joined them on stage, and achieved success in the Billboard 100 with Lies and Love on Your Side.
Tahnee Cain & The Tryanglz
One of the deepest cuts of eighties music is Tahnee Cain & The Tryanglz, as they were technically never a real band. At the time, Tahnee Cain, also known publicly as Tané McClure and Tané Cain, was married to Journey keyboardist, Jonathan Cain, who got the band together to help promote his wife.
Whilst his endeavour didn’t work, the ‘group’ did record three tracks for James Cameron’s 1984 film, The Terminator. Their song Burnin’ in the Third Degree plays in bar Tech Noir when Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 first locates Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor.
Adam and the Ants
Fronted by Adam Ant, Adam and the Ants were one of the many British bands that invaded America during the eighties. Famed for their avant garde style and music videos, Adam and the Ants were a mainstay on MTV, with Adam Ant even appearing as a guest DJ on occasion.
Their biggest hits included Antmusic, Stand and Deliver, and Prince Charming, the latter coming with its own established dance routine and iconic music video. Along with Bow Wow Wow, Adam and the Ants formed the backbone of the soundtrack to Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, with the track Kings of the Wild Frontier.
Alison Moyet
Before going solo, Alison Moyet was one half of synthpop duo Yazoo, known as Yaz in the US. Formed in 1982, the pair separated in 1983, making their tenure short but sweet, the pair having released Only You, Don’t Go, and Nobody’s Diary.
As Moyet began to forge a solo career in 1984, the release of her debut album, Alf, saw her gradually build up her own fan base, and in 1985 she was involved in Live Aid. Moyet performed alongside Paul Young and provided backing vocals for Paul McCartney.
Grandmaster Flash
Born Joseph Robert Saddler, the Barbadian DJ is better known by his stage name, Grandmaster Flash. In 1980, Flash, and his band The Furious Five, signed with Sugar Hill records and began to release music.
The song The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel, released in 1981, and is thought to contain the first documented usage of scratching on a record. Most recently, his hit song White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It) featured in the marketing materials for ‘bear gone wild’ movie, Cocaine Bear.
Air Supply
The late Jim Steinman is best remembered for his work with Meatloaf, but the songwriter worked with many musicians during his career. Australian rock duo Air Supply were one of them. Steinman penned one of their biggest hits, Making Love Out of Nothing at All.
Air Supply also released All Out of Love, which is regarded as one the most epic power ballads in history. In 2018, Making Love Out of Nothing at All featured in The Strangers: Prey at Night and was one of only three non-Meatloaf songs to be performed in the Steinman stage musical, Bat Out of Hell.
Dead or Alive
Fronted by the late Pete Burns, Dead or Alive got everyone spinning around the dance floor with their 1985 hit single You Spin Me Round (Like a Record). Hailing from Liverpool in the United Kingdom, the group continued to perform right up until Burns’ sad passing in 2016.
The single keeps on spinning back into fashion, re-charting in the UK after Pete Burns’ appearance on the country’s version of Celebrity Big Brother. It also landed back in the US charts after being featured during season four of Stranger Things. Sadly, despite its popularity, few remember the band behind the hit.
David Hasselhoff
Known today for his acting work, primarily playing lifeguard Mitch in nineties television phenomenon Baywatch, David Hasselhoff also had a lucrative career as a singer. To Americans during the eighties, Hasselhoff was famous for playing Michael Knight in Knight Rider, but to Germany, he was a superstar pop star.
His song Looking for Freedom became, not only a hit single in West Germany, but an anthem of a movement. On New Year’s Eve 1989, two months after the collapse of the Berlin Wall, Hasselhoff performed the song from the site.
Kajagoogoo
Not to be confused with the song ‘Agadoo’ by Black Lace, Kajagoogoo were formed in Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, in 1978. In 1983 they became a global sensation when their debut single Too Shy from their first album, White Feathers, was proved popular. Sadly though, they ended up being one of the many one-hit wonders of eighties.
The video for Too Shy was ranked by VH1 as the 27th greatest song of the decade, and later as the ninth greatest one-hit wonder of the eighties. So whilst their time in the spotlight may have been fleeting, they have left an impression on music history. You might just have to go digging for it.
Vixen
Although still performing, Vixen are one of many bands that history left behind. Formed in Minnesota in 1980, Vixen were an all-female answer to the likes of Bon Jovi. Their reign in the charts lasted from 1987 – 1992, during which time they had hits with both Cryin’ and Edge of a Broken Heart.
After disbanding in 1992, some of Vixen tried to reform in 1997, but a lawsuit from guitarist Jan Kuehnemund over ownership of the name thwarted them. Kuehnemund won and reformed without the others. Then, in 2013, after Kuehnemund passed away, the rest of the group reunited and have played together since.
DeBarge
DeBarge was made up of several members of the DeBarge family: El, Mark, Randy, Bunny, and James. From 1979 – 1989 the group released six studio albums, with their 1985 album, Rhythm of the Night, being their most successful. The title song from that album earned them a No. 3 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
DeBarge’s place in history was compounded when Buffy the Vampire Slayer told a vampire to freshen up their look remarking, “What’s with the outfit? Live in the now, okay? You look like DeBarge.” Suddenly, viewers realised how long ago DeBarge had been famous and how they’d disappeared from the public psyche.
The Church
Australian band, The Church, have always had more of a cult following than mainstream success. Their debut album Of Skins and Heart generated interest, especially their single The Unguarded Moment. However, after making their second album, The Church were dropped by their US label who were not fans of what they had produced.
In 1988, The Church returned with another album, Starfish, and claimed their first US Top 40 hit with Under the Milky Way. The song is best remembered now for its appearance in Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko. The song plays during Donnie’s Halloween party as he sees everyone’s fate lines protruding from their solar plexus.
Bananarama
The name of all-female three-piece pop group Bananarama was inspired by the Roxy Music song, Pyjamarama. They swapped out pyjamas for bananas because they thought they were erotic. It’s unclear how many of their fans interpreted their name in such a way, but either way, the trio were a force to be reckoned with in the eighties.
Cruel Summer and Venus were Bananarama’s biggest hits, but from 1980 – 1989, they had over twenty successful singles. Nowadays, Bananarama’s music is primarily heard as cover versions, or when they appear on an advertising campaign. 1986’s Venus has been used to advertise a variety of feminine products, including lady’s razors.
TOTO
Even if you don’t remember the name, you will be familiar with the rock band TOTO. Formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1977, the group achieved their first single success in 1978 with the song Hold the Line. However, it was in 1982 when TOTO had the biggest stranglehold on the charts.
Their success was due to the release of both Rosanna and Africa, the latter of which especially went on to become a mega hit still beloved to this day. In 1984, they composed their first and only film soundtrack and score for David Lynch’s Dune. They have continued to perform in one variation or another since the eighties, but primarily for their hardcore fans only.
Van Halen
In 1983, Van Halen released Jump, a song that would go on to define the decade. The catchy hook and simple lyrics saw everyone, even those outside of the rock scene, become instant fans. From there, the band continued to reap success, with guitarist Eddie Van Halen lauded as one of the generation’s best.
The band, or at least guitarist Eddie Van Halen, even got a name check in 1989’s Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Aspiring musicians Bill and Ted debate how to make their band better, expressing their need and desire for Eddie Van Halen to join them.
Mr. Mister
A name so good they used it twice, Mr. Mister are synonymous with eighties rock ballads. The back-to-back number one singles of Kyrie and Broken Wings in 1985, catapulted them into the big leagues where they continued to generate hit songs for the rest of the decade.
Very much a product of their time, Mr. Mister’s reign lasted until 1990 when the band decided to separate. Unlike several of their peers, Mr. Mister have never attempted to reform, leaving the band behind as a nostalgic totem of the era.
