Best 80s Bands: 10 That shaped The 80s

Several bands rose in the 1980s and contributed significantly to the music industry. Among these bands, some are considered the best and have influenced future music in different genres across the globe. Some of the bands have remained relevant throughout the following decades.

The place of the 1980s music has been vital in history and it resonates in the modern entertainment industry. With this in mind, some bands were the forces behind the greatness and sustenance of music in the decade.

The 1980s saw a change in sound, with disco going out of fashion and electronic dance taking center stage. Concerning music, the 1980s is mostly remembered for the increase in digital recording, and the likes of R&B, hip hop, and urban genres were becoming famous. With that being said, here are the best and most influential bands of the 1980s.

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10 Best 80s Bands You Should Know

10. Def Leppard

Members: Rick Savage, Joe Elliott, Rick Allen, Phil Collen, Vivian Campbell; Past members – Tony Kenning, Pete Willis, and Steve Clark
Years Active: 1976–present
Genres: Heavy metal, hard rock, glam metal, arena rock, power pop

In the early 80s, British rock band Def Leppard recorded a huge commercial success. The band later became one of the world’s best-selling music artists and two of their albums with RIAA diamond certifications.

In 2019, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They have been ranked 70 in Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and 31 in VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.

In the 1980s, they released four albums – On Through the Night (1980), High ‘n’ Dry (1981), Pyromania (1983), and Hysteria (1987).

9. The Cure

Current Members: Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Roger O’Donnell, Perry Bamonte, Jason Cooper, Reeves Gabrels
Years Active: 1978–present
Genres: Gothic rock. post-punk, alternative rock, and new wave

The band is often regarded as one of the most daring and influential alternative artists of the 1980s. Although The Cure was formed in the late 1970s, it became highly successful upon the release of their second album Seventeen Seconds in 1980.

In the same decade, they released some of their greatest works and albums such as Seventeen Seconds (1980), Faith (1981), Pornography (1982), The Top (1984), The Head on the Door (1985), Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987), and Disintegration (1989).

In 2019, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

8. The Police

Members: Sting, Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland, Henry Padovani
Years Active: 1977–1986; 1992; 2003, 2007–2008
Genres: New wave, reggae rock, post-punk, and pop rock

Among the best bands of the 1980s is The Police. It has been recorded as the most commercially successful British band of the ‘80s.

The Police is one of the best in history and has since moved to be among the 100 greatest artists of Rolling Stone and VH1.

The band released two albums in the 1980s – Ghost in the Machine (1981) and Synchronicity (1983). In the same decade, they won the 1982 Brit Awards for Best British Group and Outstanding Contribution to Music in 1985.

Furthermore, the band won 5 Grammy Awards in the 1980s. These include in categories such as Best Rock Instrumental Performance (1981), and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (1982, 1982, and 1984).

In 2003, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

7. Guns N’ Roses

Current Members: Axl Rose, Duff McKagan, Slash, Dizzy Reed, Richard Fortus, Frank Ferrer, and Melissa Reese
Years Active: 1985–present
Genres: Hard rock; heavy metal

The beginning of the music merger between Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns became the beginning of a new era of the hard rock music genre in the US. The band which started only in the mid 1980s was able to make its mark in the decade and released two albums.

The first album released by the band was Appetite for Destruction in 1987. It became number one on the US Billboard 200 and the 7th best-selling album in the US among other critical acclaims. The band’s second album (G N’ R Lies) in the last in the 1980s enjoyed similar success.

The album which was released in 1988 reached number 2 on the Billboard 200 and its single Patience peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 3, 1989.

The band has remained a huge influence on artists for decades. Some of the rock bands it has influenced are rock bands such as Fall Out Boy, Avenged Sevenfold, Manic Street Preachers, Fozzy, the Strokes, Sum 41, and Black Label Society.

Guns N’ Roses had been ranked highly. The Rolling Stone ranked it at number 92 on the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time while VH1 ranked it 32nd on its 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

6. The Ramones

Members: Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Richie Stern, Tommy Ramone, Marky Ramone, Richie Ramone, Elvis Ramone, C. J. Ramone
Years Active: 1974–1996
Genres: Punk rock, pop-punk

For most parts of the 1980s, The Ramones made great music, gained attention, and are now considered one of the best bands of the 80s. The band is often regarded as having a huge influence on punk culture and as the first true punk band.

For their influence, music historian Jon Savage mentions their debut album that

it remains one of the few records that changed pop forever.

This can be evident in the fact that their influence has resulted in the rise of musicians and bands such as Beastie Boys, Gorilla Biscuits, the Misfits, and The Mob among others.

The band has been named 16 on the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list.

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Some of their notable albums of the 80s include Road to Ruin (1978), End of the Century (1980), Pleasant Dreams (1981), Subterranean Jungle (1983), Too Tough to Die (1984), Animal Boy (1986), Halfway to Sanity (1987), and Brain Drain (1989).

5. Run D.M.C.

Members: Joseph “Run” Simmons; Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels; Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell
Years Active: 1983–2002; 2012-2023
Genres: Hip hop; rap rock

The band is regarded as one of the most influential acts in hip-hop history. The group is known for pioneering new school hip hop and helped bring in the golden age of hip hop.

According to a biography page about the group on Universal Music Publishing Group, the band has been described as:

More than any other hip-hop group, Run DMC is responsible for the sound and style of the music. As the first hardcore rap outfit, the trio set the sound and style for the next decade of rap.. At the same time, Run-D.M.C. helped move rap from a singles-oriented genre to an album-oriented one — they were the first hip-hop artist to construct full-fledged albums, not just collections with two singles and a bunch of filler.

Rolling Stone ranked the group 48 on the list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004 and by 2009, they made the history of being the second hip-hop group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, coming after Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

They have made a series of other history. Some of these include being the first hip hop act to chart in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 more than once; One of the first hip hop artists with Gold, Platinum, and multi-platinum albums; The first hip hop act to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine; and one of the first hip hop acts to receive a Grammy Award nomination.

Looking at Run D.M.C in the 1980s, they released some of their most influential and groundbreaking albums. These include Run-D.M.C. (1984), King of Rock (1985), Raising Hell (1986), and Tougher Than Leather (1988).

4. Depeche Mode

Members: Dave Gahan and Martin Gore; Past members – Andy Fletcher, Vince Clarke, and Alan Wilder
Years Active: 1980–present
Genres: Synth-pop, electronic rock, new wave, dark wave, alternative rock

For decades, Depeche Mode has remained a force to be reckoned with, sold over 100 million copies worldwide, and performed to more than 30 million fans. The band has a huge influence on modern music and is described by music critic Sasha Frere-Jones as:

The last serious English influence was Depeche Mode, who seem more and more significant as time passes.”

It has also been called the most popular electronic band the world has ever known” by Q

Depeche Mode made the most of the 1980s in terms of music. They released their first album Speak & Spell in 1981 and other albums such as A Broken Frame (1982), Construction Time Again (1983), Some Great Reward (1984), Black Celebration (1986), and Music for the Masses (1987) followed in the decade.

The good thing is, that the band has maintained its relevance and still releases music and tours. However, some original members have left the group while new ones have also joined.

In recent years, many artists such as Coldplay, The Killers, Marilyn Manson, Linkin Park, La Roux, and Rammstein have cited the band as an influence.

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3. N.W.A

Members: Arabian Prince. DJ Yella, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and MC Ren
Years Active: 1987–1991; 1999–2002; 2015; 2016
Genres: West Coast hip hop gangsta rap

The history of modern rap music and gangsta hip-hop is linked to N.W.A (acronym for Niggaz Wit Attitudes).

Although it was short-lived, surviving only from 1987 to 1991, the all-boy hip-hop group left a huge mark in the hip-hop industry. The group was known for its explicit lyrics, tackling issues of racism, drugs, excessive policing, and many other social issues.

They were known for being the first to open up rap to a white American audience. They sold over 10 million units in the United States alone.

They released the Straight Outta Compton album in 1988 before they disbanded in 1991 after their Niggaz4Life album. The album was the first hardcore album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 sales charts.

N.W.A has been ranked at number 38 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2016, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

2. Metallica

Members: James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo; Past members – Dave Mustaine, Ron McGovney, Cliff Burton, and Jason Newsted
Years Active: 1981–present
Genres: Heavy metal thrash metal, speed metal, and hard rock

The band is one of the best in the 1980s. From 1983 to 1988, Metallica released four influential albums – Kill ‘Em All (1983), Ride the Lightning (1984), Master of Puppets (1986), and …And Justice for All (1988).

It lived its glory even to the next decade. By the ‘90s, they won four Grammys, all in the Best Metal Performance category.

Metallica is known for being one of the founders of thrash metal. The band remains one of the most influential in the history of rock music.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer band was ranked the third Greatest Heavy Metal Band in History by MTV. Rolling Stone listed it as number 61 on its list of the Greatest Artists of All Time.

1. U2

Members: Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr.; Past members – Dik Evans and Ivan McCormick
Years Active: 1976–present
Genres: Rock, alternative rock, pop rock, post-punk

In the history of alternative rock, U2 sits proudly as a great influence. The band has metamorphosed into a giant streak in the music industry and it is historically known as the most Grammy-winning group of all time. U2 has 22 Grammy awards, winning their first in 1988 for The Joshua Tree album.

The Irish band is also among the best-selling music artists in history. They have sold about 150-170million records in the world.

Looking at the band in the 1980s, it released one of the most appealing and highest-sold albums of all time in 1987. The album The Joshua Tree which is the band’s fifth has sold over 10 million copies in the US and over 25 million copies sold worldwide. The album has been certified in 23 countries and has won two Grammy Awards.

Still, in the 1980s, they released albums such as Boy (1980), October (1981), War (1983), The Unforgettable Fire (1984), The Joshua Tree (1987), and Rattle and Hum (1988).

U2 has maintained their influence ever since. It has been placed at number 22 on the list of The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time by Rolling Stone among other positions placed by critics.