What was your favorite rock/pop band of the 80s?
 

There were lot of new bands in the 80s. Thompson Twins, Culture Club, Debarge, Pet Shop Boys, Pretenders, Bangles, Eurhythmics, Duran Duran, OMD, U2. We may include The Police too, though appeared in the late 70s, it was part of the new 80s rock/pop groove. What was your favorite pop band?

Mine would be Thompson Twins and Pet Shop Boys.

You can mention singers too, like Madonna, Cyndi, Whitney, Adam Ant, Paul Young, Prince, and even Tina Turner and Michael Jackson, cause I think their solo career took off in the 80s.

Def Leppard, if you'd count them. I'm not really a fan of 80s pop. I prefer 80s hard rock and metal.

Tears for Fears.....great band, IMO oh and solo peter Gabriel....he started solo late 70's, but he should count......as should Kate Bush.

Mick

Fleetwood was my favorite, although I also remember digging some "Imperial Bedroom" by Elvis Costello, "Murmur" by REM, and the debut album by Big Country.

I like mostly all 80's pop music as noted in the other thread.Again to many to list.

I like to add is forget the 1990's .All music categories went down into the toilet.

Country started to sound like pop rock. "Soft Rock with a Twang" a fair description of modern Country music .I prefer classic country. .R & B went into rap/hip hop.Rock went into alt rock and grunge.

I will define an 80s group as one that got its start in the 80s.

The best: The Smiths. no competition.

That said, I also love: Public Enemy, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Erasure, Associates, Au Pairs, De La Soul. Is Scritti Politti a man or a group? I consider it a solo outfit.

Here's my very personal (and therefore limited) list of 100 Favourite Albums of the 80s: http://rateyourmusic.com/list/johnde...ums_of_the_80s

While I was actually living in the 80's, it was Madonna, U2, Cyndi Lauper.

In retrospect, it is Depeche Mode and Siouxsie & The Banshees.

Some great albums on this list, i really like it. I would add "Doolittle" by Pixies. Their first two albums started the whole grunge genre. Visionaries, and often cited in the best of the 80's lists.

OMG, too many to name, but I think everyone on here has mentioned at least one of them.

pop/rock: Heart, Eurythmics, Joan Jett, Cher, Def Lep, GN'R, Michael and Janet, Prince, Elton John, Tina Turner, John Mellencamp, Bryan Adams, Chicago, Hall N' Oates, Genises/Phil Collins

super pop: The Go-Gos, Bananarama, the Jets, Expose', Pet Shops, Taylor Dayne, Debbie Gibson, Wham!, NKOTB lol

underground/alternative: Cure, Smiths, Depeche Mode, Souixie, Talking Heads, B-52's, Pretenders, Sinead O'Conner, Peter Gabriel, 10,000 Maniacs, Violent Femmes

Too many to mention...
 

but my current favorite is Steel Panther (If people don't catch the joke/humor with Steel Panther, then they have to be an idiot since they are akin to the great Spinal Tap)

The Waterboys! Love them.

Fleetwood Mac, Heart, Eurythimics, Indigo Girls, Aerosmith, Steve Miller Band...

The Cure peaked in the 80s so them for sure

The Motels
Concrete Blonde

Although they officially started in the '70s, I guess I'd also include:
The Police
The Pretenders
Talking Heads

For a band that started in the 80s R.E.M. no question.