favorite 80's bands

[Music Wench]

The 80s seems to be the least appreciated decade in at least two of the other places I visit so I thought I'd try and champion its cause and get some discussion going.

So, what are your favorites from the 80s?

 

[Martha Washington]

Re: What Are Your 80s Favorites?

well, the 80's was kind of a breakout decade in a lot of ways in terms of making stuff and selling it to people.

I think a lot of people are down on the 80's because they remember all the stuff they DIDN'T like. Usually, my motto is, if I can't escape it, I might as well learn to like it. This is a good motto but it was a little hard to stick to it in the 80's.

I think, once people start looking at their own stuff, they realize they themselves bought a lot of stuff in the 80's!

1980.
The Psychedelic Furs.
I heard this on the radio and it just grabbed me. Critics were comparing them to The Velvet Underground, I didn't really buy that, I just knew that it rocked and I liked it.
"The flowers are upon the wall, their teeth are sharp and white, we cut their eyes with razor blades and out of them came foul white light."

I didn't say I understood it.

 

[Nirvanadude]

Re: What Are Your 80s Favorites?

AC/DC Back In Black! THEE PREMIER ROCK ALBUM OF THE 80s!!

I also like alot of new wave and synth pop

Too bad I never got into 80s pop until the 90s

 

[newdawnfades]

Re: What Are Your 80s Favorites?

The 80's was all about the music with me. I didn't really identify with groups so much as the SONGS that were playing on the radio and MTV. There were alot of one-hit-wonders, and it was pretty neat because you had fresh blood coming in and out.

On that note one of my fav things about the 80's was a song called Something About You by a band called Level 42. That song takes me right back in the middle of it.

 

[Martin Q. Blank]

Re: What Are Your 80s Favorites?

Most of my favorite '80s bands started out in the late '70s, so I'm not sure that makes them qualify as '80s bands, per se.

Let's see...here are a few that actually started in the '80s:

The Smiths
The Pixies
Oingo Boingo
Thomas Dolby
New Musik

As far as songs go, I have far too many to list here. For some reason, Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out" is the one I always come back to. Just a few others (because I could really go on forever):

"Don't You Want Me" - The Human League
"Homosapien" - Pete Shelley
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" - Simple Minds
"It's My Life" - Talk Talk
"Once In A Lifetime" - Talking Heads

 

[Martha Washington]

Re: What Are Your 80s Favorites?

hey Martin Q., nice to see you!

well, I'm an album guy. here's another one that still means a lot to me.

1983
New Order/Power, Corruption and Lies
since they came from the ashes of a much loved band, there was something sad in those early New Order records. They still make records and they sound a little bloodless to my ears. This was leaning towards the snappy clean pop they would become well known for but it still has a big sad somebody's missing feel that, I think, makes it an emotional and rewarding album.

and I like the purdy flowers, too.

 

[Music Wench]

Re: What Are Your 80s Favorites?

Personally the 80s have always been a favorite for me. I was working in college radio and it exposed me to all kinds of new and soon to be influential music from the start. R.E.M. and U2 specifically. Two of my all-time favorite bands who had a great influence on the musical landscape by the end of the decade and even today. Did the term alternative exist before R.E.M.? I think not. CMJ recently put out it's top 25 most influential college radio bands and they topped the list at number 1.

U2, what can I say? The music speaks for itself really. They recently put out How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, probably one of their best efforts ever and are still going strong. I don't care what you think of Bono, U2 has made their mark and will go down as one of the all-time greats.

Other faves include Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, Talking Heads (yes, they got started in the 70s but their best album Remain In Light came out in 1980 and they remained active until the second half of the decade so....), Eurythmics and so much more.

 

[Gearjammer]

Re: What Are Your 80s Favorites?

I think my favorite music to come out of the 80's was the less popular "alternative" (a term which is sadly still used today on music which is mainstream, but that is another story). Bands like The Cure, Violent Femmes, The Replacements, or the Smiths.

Unfortunately, the first thing for me that pops into mind when you bring the 80's is the over abundance of the "hair metal" bands that srprung up in the latter half of the decade.

 

[AboutAGirl]

Re: What Are Your 80s Favorites?

I do not dislike the 80s, I just haven't head much of it. My favorites from that period are Neil Young and Journey,

 

[kath]

Re: What Are Your 80s Favorites?

1980.
The Psychedelic Furs.
I heard this on the radio and it just grabbed me. Critics were comparing them to The Velvet Underground, I didn't really buy that, I just knew that it rocked and I liked it.
"The flowers are upon the wall, their teeth are sharp and white, we cut their eyes with razor blades and out of them came foul white light."

I didn't say I understood it.

i luvvvv the psychedelic furs. (i even later luvved love spit love.) great live, too, if you could get the butlers to quit fighting.

as music wench said (hiya wench)... gotta have REM and U2. they were huuuuuge for me. the two big ones. yes, talking heads, but not as massive a kathish thing.

let's add...

peter gabriel
the church
B 52's
the pretenders
the police
the cult
....and a lil dash of missing persons, who knows why. it was the ole college tangent.

kath
who always had a soft spot for def leppard, but that was more melodically hormonal.