Music

Icons of the ’80s: Can You Name Them All?

She has influenced various other artists and has often been referred to as the “Queen of Pop”.

Madonna

Cyndi Lauper

Gloria Estefan

Kate Bush

Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She has influenced various other artists and has often been referred to as the “Queen of Pop”. Madonna is noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation.

They first found commercial success with the release of its third album, Master of Puppets (1986), cited as one of the heaviest metal albums and the band’s best work.

Three Dog Night

Deep Purple

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career.

Their final studio album, Synchronicity (1983), was No. 1 in the UK, Canada, Australia, Italy and the US, selling over 8 million copies in the US.

Bee Gees

Black Sabbath

The Police

Whitesnake

The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion).

The band’s eighth studio album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981), was their first album to reach number one in the United States.

Santana

AC/DC

Soft Cell

The Cars

AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and heavy metal, but the band themselves call it simply “rock and roll”.

Her 1984 multi-platinum album Private Dancer contained the hit song “What’s Love Got to Do with It”, which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became her first and only No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Aretha Franklin

Tina Turner

Laura Branigan

Tracy Chapman

His second album, Can’t Slow Down (1983), reached number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and sold over 20 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Luther Vandross

James Brown

Nik Kershaw

Lionel Richie

Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and television judge. His second album, Can’t Slow Down (1983), reached number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and sold over 20 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time; and spawned the number one singles “All Night Long (All Night)” and “Hello”.

He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, as well as the seventh-best-selling recording artist and the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States, with over 160 million records sold worldwide.

John Lennon

Paul McCartney

Pete Townshend

Billy Joel

William Martin Joel is an American singer, pianist, composer and songwriter. Joel released his seventh studio album, Glass Houses, in 1980 in an attempt to further establish himself as a rock artist; this release featured “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”, “You May Be Right”, “Don’t Ask Me Why”, and “Sometimes a Fantasy”.

He achieved massive commercial success in the 1980s starting with his album Let’s Dance (1983).

James Taylor

David Bowie

Howard Jones

Elvis Presley

David Bowie was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

His first solo single, “Careless Whisper”, reached number one in over 20 countries, including the UK and US.

George Michael

Joe Cocker

Steve Perry

Rick Springfield

George Michael was an English singer and songwriter. Known as a leading creative force in music production, songwriting, vocal performance and visual presentation, he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the MTV generation.

Their album “1984” was a commercial success with U.S. sales of 10 million copies and four hit singles; its lead single, “Jump”, was the band’s only U.S. number one single.

The Who

The Bangles

Van Halen

Chicago

Van Halen was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with “restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene”, Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead guitarist, Eddie Van Halen.

She is the only artist to have had seven consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, from “Saving All My Love for You” in 1985 to “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” in 1988.

Alanis Morissette

Whitney Houston

Tanya Tucker

Deborah Allen

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed “The Voice”, she is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide.

Their debut album, Appetite for Destruction (1987), reached number one on the Billboard 200 a year after its release.

The Who

KISS

Sonic Youth

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler.

After signing a recording contract with A&M Records in 1982, she became a pop icon following the release of her third and fourth studio albums Control (1986) and Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989).

Joni Mitchell

Janet Jackson

Diana Ross

Belinda Carlisle

Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows.

He is best known for his tenure as the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and for his solo career which began in 1981.

Don Henley

Neil Young

Paul Simon

Phil Collins

Philip David Charles Collins is an English drummer, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for his tenure as the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and for his solo career which began in 1981.

His sixth album, Purple Rain (1984), continued critical success for him and was a major commercial success, spending six consecutive months atop the Billboard 200.

Bobby Brown

Steve Winwood

Prince

Billy Ocean

Prince Rogers Nelson was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation, he was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona and wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams.

Considered as the “King of Pop”, he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. He popularized complicated dance moves such as the moonwalk.

Lionel Richie

Michael Jackson

Luther Vandross

Ray Charles

During a career that has spanned six decades, he has become known for his poetic, socially conscious lyrics and energetic stage performances. He has been nicknamed “the Boss”.

Bruce Springsteen

Pixies

Kenny Loggins

Robert Palmer

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He has released 20 studio albums, many of which feature his backing band the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is one of the originators of the heartland rock style of music, combining mainstream rock musical style with narrative songs about working class American life.

They are regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture and one of the most famous hip hop acts of the 1980s.

Men at Work

Scorpions

Simply Red

Run-D.M.C.

Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture and one of the most famous hip hop acts of the 1980s.

Their studio album, Pyromania, was released in January 1983, with “Photograph” and “Rock of Ages” both topping the US Rock Tracks chart and reaching the top 20 of the Hot 100.

The Allman Brothers Band

Parliament Funkadelic

Def Leppard

Aerosmith

Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitars, backing vocals), and Vivian Campbell (guitars, backing vocals).

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