1980s music groups

Music groups in the 1980s came from many countries and with many different types of rock/pop music.

These groups benefited from technological advances, the advent of television station MTV, and the production of CDs and music videos to go together with their music.

It must be mentioned that 1980s music is generally very distinct from the music of other decades. While 1960s and 1970s music and well as 1990s and 2000s music share a lot in common, the 80s sound generally is confined to the 1977-1992 period, centering on 1982-1988.

Among groups that were famous during the 1980s are (excluding artists who have continued their success from previous decades):

1-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

1-9

*.38 Special
*54-40
*10,000 Maniacs

A

*ABC
*A-ha
*ABBA
*AC/DC
*Aerosmith
*A Flock of Seagulls
*After the Fire
*Air Supply
*Aldo Nova
*Alphaville
*Animotion
*Anthrax
*Art of Noise
*Automatic Pilot

B

*Bad Religion
*Baltimora
*Bananarama
*The Bangles
*Bauhaus
*Beastie Boys
*The Belle Stars
*Berlin
*The B-52's
*Big Audio Dynamite
*Big Country
*Billy Idol
*Black Flag (band)
*Black Sabbath
*Blondie
*Bon Jovi
*Bow Wow Wow
*Boys Don't Cry
*The Breakfast Club
*Bronski Beat
*Buckner & Garcia
*The Buggles
*Butthole Surfers

C

*Cabaret Voltaire (band)
*Cameo
*Camper Van Beethoven
*The Cars
*Cheap Trick
*Chicago
*The Clash
*La Compagnie Creole
*Concrete Blonde
*Cool Down Zone
*Crowded House
*The Cult
*The Cure
*Culture Club
*Cutting Crew
*Cyndi Lauper

D

*Dead Kennedys
*Dead Or Alive
*Def Leppard
*Depeche Mode
*Desperation Squad
*Devo
*Dexy's Midnight Runners
*Dire Straits
*Divinyls
*DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince
*Doctor and the Medics
*Dokken
*Dream Academy
*Duran Duran

E

*Echo & the Bunnymen
*Edie Brickell and New Bohemians
*Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
*The English Beat
*Erasure
*The Escape Club
*Europe
*Eurythmics

F

*The Fabulous Thunderbirds
*Faith No More
*The Fall
*The Fat Boys
*Falco
*52nd Street
*Fine Young Cannibals
*The Fixx
*Fleetwood Mac
*A Flock of Seagulls
*Frankie Goes to Hollywood
*Face to Face (new wave band)

G

*Genesis
*Girls at Our Best!
*Glass Tiger
*The Go-Go's
*Golden Earring
*Go West
*The Greg Kihn Band
*Guns N' Roses

H

*Hall and Oates
*Heart
*Heaven 17
*Helix
*Helloween
*The Honey Drippers
*Honeymoon Suite
*Huey Lewis and the News
*Human League

I

*Icehouse
*INXS
*Information Society
*Iron Maiden

J

*J. Geils Band
*The Jesus and Mary Chain
*Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
*Joy Division
*Judas Priest

K

*Kajagoogoo
*Katrina and the Waves
*Kino
*KISS
*Kraftwerk
*Kool & The Gang

L

*Julian Lennon
*Level 42
*Lita Ford
*Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
*Living Colour
*Los Chamos
*Los Chicos
*Los Lobos
*Loudness
*Love and Rockets
*Loverboy

M

*Madness
*The Manhattan Transfer
*Marillion
*Mary Jane Girls
*Mecano
*Megadeth
*Men At Work
*Men Without Hats
*Metallica
*Menudo
*Mike and the Mechanics
*Milli Vanilli
*Missing Persons
*Modern Talking
* Mondo Rock
*Morrissey
*Mötley Crüe
*Mr. Mister
*Musical Youth
*My Bloody Valentine
*Michael Jackson

N

*Naked Eyes
*Nazareth
*Nena
*New Edition
*New Kids On The Block
*New Order
*Night Ranger
*Nik Kershaw
*Nitzer Ebb
*The Northern Pikes
*N.W.A.

O

*Oingo Boingo
*Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
*The Outfield
*Ozzy Osbourne

P

*Pantera
*Parachute Pants Club
*Paris By Air
*Pet Shop Boys
*Peter Schilling
*Pink Floyd
*Pixies
*Platinum Blonde
*The Pointer Sisters
*Poison
*The Police
*Power Station
*The Pretenders
*Prince
*Pseudo Echo
*Psychedelic Furs
*Public Enemy

R

*The Raincoats
*Ramones
*Randall
*Real Life
*Red Rider
*Re-Flex
*Regina
*R.E.M.
*REO Speedwagon
*Rick James
*Rob Base and DJ EZ-Rock
*The Romantics
*Roxette
*Run DMC
*Rush

S

*Sade
*Salt-N-Pepa
*Savatage
*Scandal
*The Scorpions
*Seona Dancing
*Shakatak
*Sigue Sigue Sputnik
*Simple Minds
*Simply Red
*Siouxsie & the Banshees
*Skid Row
*Slade
*Slayer
*The Smiths
*Sonic Youth
*Soft Cell
*Spandau Ballet
*The Specials
*Spirit of the West
*Split Enz
*Spoons
*Starship
*Steve Miller Band
*Stray Cats
*Stryper
*Styx
*The Sugarcubes
*Survivor

T

*T'Pau
*Taco
*Talk Talk
*Talking Heads
*Tears for Fears
*Tesla
*The The
*Thomas Dolby
*Thompson Twins
*Til Tuesday
*Timbuk 3
*Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
*Tommy Tutone
*Tom Tom Club
*Toto
*The Traveling Wilburys
*Twisted Sister

U

*U2
*UB40
*Ultravox
*USA For Africa

V

*Van Halen
*Vangelis
*Vapors
*Violent Femmes
*Vixen
*Village People

W

*Wall of Voodoo
*Wang Chung
*Warrant
*Was (Not Was)
*Wham!
*Whitesnake
*Will To Power
*Winger

X

*XTC

Y

*Y&T
*Yazoo (band)
*Yazz and the Plastic Population
*Yello
*Yes

Z

*Zapp
*Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers
*ZZ Top

See also The Rockin' Eighties

External links

Nostalgia for music from the 1980's can be quite popular with Generation X.
* 80's Musical Artist Bios
* We hear the playback and it seems so long ago: 80's music quiz
* 222 question quiz

Other decades

1960s - 1970s - 1990s - 2000s