We all agree that the lil' purple fella was the solo act of the 1980s but who do you think were the band of that decade?

You can only choose ONE act.

My choice without a shadow of a doubt would be The Smiths. Actually the only act I'd put above Prince in terms of the act of the 1980s. They dwarf every band that has ever come before or after them be it the Beatles, Zepplin, Velvet, Stones, Pistols, Enemy etc, etc.

Witty, relevant, melodious, controversial, succinct, totally non commercial, The Smiths have no equal.

Thread locked.

YOUR CHOICE? Remember you can choose ONLY one.

BobPaisleyPark said:

No we don't.

sosgemini said:

Okay...who then?

BobPaisleyPark said:

MJ?
Madonna?
Bruce Springsteen?

I hate questions like this because people have such diverse tastes.

For me, it's The Cure! The Smiths are indeed a contender and one of my favorites, too, but The Cure had a sound that defined the 80s (at least in part), and were around for the whole thing! If Eurythmics are eligible (being a duo), they might bump The Cure for me, though.

As for solo artists, it's hard to argue against Prince. Michael Jackson only released 2 albums in the 80s. Madonna only 4.

For me solo i would say Prince, just on the output and diversity in the work and not giving in and doing Purple Rain II.

For Group im sure people are thinking im going to say a-ha, since they are my favorite band of all time, truth is a-ha showed me what they were made of as writers and musicians and overall pop craftsmen (better than anyone in that decade) this proof didnt come till album 4 but most on their 2000-2010 5 album output during that time.

For the 80' the group would be INXS, they were the guys to just put certain things on the map, they came from the shittiest clubs, and had a label behind them (like PRINCE) did that backed them when they werent "selling", Inxs didnt break through as mega stars till album six, but it was a steady growth and a band that kept getting stronger, mixing rock, pop, funk and dance music and touching subjects that today, would get stupid blogs written about them, got to miss the freedom we had!

Lets not forget that Michael was the last great frontmen, and one of the best ever. Sad to say Q magazine put everyone ahead of Michael in their wack ass 100 great frontmen issue!

This is an interesting thread as many bands that i'm really fond of either came along at the beginning of the 1980's then split before the end or came into prominence in the middle of the decade and continued into the next one. In terms of rock music i can't really think past Van Halen although their sound wasn't really defining of the era. So unless you're a rock fan you're not going to consider them. Others would argue Bon Jovi too but again it's rock music.

For more popular music when think of defining 80's bands, i think of Depeche Mode(even though i don't like them) and Eurythmics. Artistically i can see why people put The Smiths and The Cure there because of their longevity and influence.

Even though IMO their most interesting music is from the 70s (Queen II, A Night At The Opera) I would have to say Queen.
Their Live Aid performance proved their staying power and they were even more popular around the world in the 80s than 70s. They really gained popularity in South America in the early 80s and their albums The Works and A Kind of Magic had many huge hits in Europe, not to mention the very successful tours related to those albums, especially the Magic tour.

Def Leppard. The only hair band with great music, and still rockin together today with no line up changes.

I'm not a fan but Metallica has to be up there. U2? Maybe R.E.M.? Love 'em or hate 'em Motley Crue sold a lot of records in the '80s.

sleepyq said:

Pete Willis and the ghost of Steve Clark are not happy that you forgot about them.

Duran. Duran. period.

As a solo artist, Madonna
As a band, Duran Duran. Their sound really represented the 80's and they were a great live band.
Both Madonna and Duran Duran have continued making great records past the 80's, but have never gotten the respect they deserve because of their great fashion sense. People see them as superficial only visual artists, but actually they hav made some of the great pop records and given some of the best live performances of all time.

Duran Duran

male:Prince
female:Madonna
girlband:Bangles

For me, it's The Cure. Nobody else had such a long string of consistently brilliant and influential albums and singles.

Seventeen Seconds
Faith
Pornography
The Japanese Whispers singles
The Top
The Head on the Door
Kiss Me Miss Me Miss Me
and topping it off with Disintegration

I can't think of another group that comes close to run such as that in the 80s.

Duran Duran
Madonna
Cheap Trick
KISS
Styx
George Michael
Depeche Mode
Queen
Eurythmics
Phil Collins

I would have to pick a band that people have heard of, like Genesis or Bananarama

Could Hall and Oates be considered a "band"?

NoVideo said:

agreed

culture club.

If we are counting solo acts...MJ and George Michael.
If not, Huey Lewis and The News and The Jacksons

Either way, MJ makes the cut

1980-1982: Blondie

1982-85: Duran Duran

87-88: Def Leppard

87-90: U2

Don't forget INXS!

Solo - Prince and MJ
Band - The Cure and Queen.

...

My Favorite Pop band of the 80's , even though they didn't even make it to1985,



...

But after that, it would be:








...

Wow - great question, but it is hard to only pick one!

My personal fav would be: EURYTHMICS.

For longevity: DEPECHE MODE.

For defining popularity: U2.

paligap said:

I want to say The Cure, because of their career arc: pretty underground at the start of the eighties, household name by the end of them. On the other hand, I don't want to say The Cure, because I don't think of them as a band...its always been Robert Smith's vision, with a rotating cast of supporting characters.

So I'll go with REM.