The best 80s rock bands: The most popular rock bands of the 80s
The 1980s was a period of extravagance, bright fashion, enormous commerce, and unforgettable music, notably rock music. It was the era of leather jackets, big hair, and powerful ballads, with the 80s rock bands dominating the airwaves. If you experienced this era, which bands were your top picks?
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Hard rock couldn't have sounded the same without amplified electric guitars, drums, bass, and keyboards in the 1980s. The music of the 1980s influenced the evolution of music, propelling rock music from the classic rock style of the 1960s and 1970s to the contemporary rock genres of the 1990s and today. Who were the biggest bands of the 80s?
The best 80s rock bands
From influential hard rockers Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses to pioneering classics Journey and Queen, the bands of the 1980s created an unrivalled route for future rockstars while also defining this iconic era of music. Check out the following popular 80s rock band names.
Warrant
Warrant is a United States glam metal band established in 1984 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, that achieved fame from 1989 to 1996 with five albums selling more than 10 million copies worldwide. The group initially gained national attention with its double-platinum album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich and one of its hits, Heaven.
Metallica
Metallica is a heavy metal band from the United States. The band was founded in Los Angeles in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and famous singer and guitarist James Hetfield and has spent most of its existence in San Francisco. The band's rapid tempos, instrumentals, and violent musicianship made them one of the "big four" thrash metal bands.
Bon Jovi
The American rock group Bon Jovi was founded in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band comprised Guitarist Phil X, drummer Tico Torres, bassist Hugh McDonald, keyboardist David Bryan, and singer Jon Bon Jovi. These 80s rockstars have been praised for stylishly bridging the gap between rock, heavy metal, and pop.
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is one of the most known bands from the 80s. It is a Los Angeles, California-based hard rock band established in March 1985 after local groups L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose combined. Slash, Rose, guitarist Richard Fortus, McKagan, drummer Frank Ferrer, and keyboardists Melissa Reese and Dizzy Reed make up the current lineup.
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is one of the best 80s bands. It is a USA-based heavy metal band founded in 1981 in Hollywood, California. The band's lineup has changed multiple times, with Nikki Sixx remaining the lone constant. Mötley Crüe members are well-known for their hedonistic lives and androgynous personae.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chilli Peppers is among the most known 80s rock bands names. It is a Los Angeles-based American rock band founded in 1982 by vocalist bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, Anthony Kiedis, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music combines alternative rock, punk rock, funk, hip hop, hard rock, and psychedelic rock influences.
Slayer
Slayer was a Huntington Park, California-based thrash metal band created in 1981 by drummer Dave Lombardo, guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Due to its rapid and violent musical style, Slayer and Megadeth, Metallica, and Anthrax became some of the "big four" thrash metal bands.
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth was a New York City-based American rock band established in 1981. It evolved from New York's experimental no-wave art and music culture before becoming a more traditional rock band and a notable part of the American noise rock genre.
The Bangles
The Bangles are a Los Angeles, California, pop rock band established in 1981. Several of the 80s female rock band's singles charted in the United States during the 1980s, notably Walk Like an Egyptian (1986), Manic Monday (1986), In Your Room (1988), Hazy Shade of Winter (1987), and Eternal Flame (1989).
Skid Row
Skid Row is a rock band from Toms River, New Jersey that started in 1986. The group had a breakthrough in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with its initial two albums, Slave to the Grind (1991) and Skid Row (1989), certified multi-platinum and reaching number one on the Billboard 200.
Poison
Poison is a Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania-based American glam metal band. It was established in 1983. Bret Michaels is their lead vocalist. One of their most successful singles was Every Rose Has Its Thorn, which peaked at number one on the Hot 100 on 24 December 1988 and remained there until 7 January 1989.
Ratt
Ratt was a United States glam metal band established in Los Angeles in the 1970s that had substantial financial success in the 1980s, with albums recognised by the RIAA as gold, platinum, and multi-platinum. The band is most recognised for their smash hits Round and Round and Lay It Down, both of which scored in the Billboard Hot 100's top 40.
U2
U2 is a Dublin-based Irish rock band that was established in 1976. The group was set when the members were teenage learners at Mount Temple Comprehensive School with inadequate musical ability. They joined Island Records four years later and produced their first record, Boy (1980).
AC/DC
AC/DC is an Australian rock band that was founded in 1973. Brothers Angus Young and Malcolm Young created the band. Was AC/DC popular in the 80s? Back in Black (1980), their debut album with Johnson was released in tribute to Scott's memory. It went on to become the second top-selling album of all time.
Van Halen
Van Halen was a USA-based rock band founded in 1973 in Pasadena, California. Van Halen was noted for its explosive live performances and the mastery of its guitarist, Eddie Van Halen, and is credited with bringing hard rock back to the forefront of the music world. The group was incorporated into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an Athens, Georgia-based American rock band founded in 1980 by guitarist Peter Buck, lead vocalist Michael Stipe, drummer Bill Berry, and bassist Mike Mills, all of whom were University of Georgia students. R.E.M.'s debut single, Radio Free Europe, was released in 1981 on the indie record label Hib-Tone.
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is a 1970s American rock band from Boston. Their hard rock style, based on blues, has integrated elements of heavy metal, pop rock, glam metal, and rhythm and blues and has influenced many other rock musicians.
Journey
Journey is a San Francisco-based American rock band created in 1973 by Steve Miller Band, Santana, and Frumious Bandersnatch participants. Journey's commercial accomplishment was greatest between 1978 and 1987 when Steve Perry was the main vocalist.
Queen
Queen is a British rock group established in London in 1970 by Brian May, Freddie Mercury, and Roger Taylor, whom John Deacon joined. Their early works were fueled by hard rock, progressive rock, and heavy metal. Still, the band later moved into more conventional and radio-friendly compositions by embracing other elements, including pop music.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was a Gainesville, Florida-based American rock band. The band was founded in 1976 by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, pianist Benmont Tench, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, bassist Ron Blair and drummer Stan Lynch. Some of its biggest albums from the 80s include Full Moon Fever, The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1, Long After Dark, and Southern Accents.
How popular was rock in the 80s?
The 1980s witnessed the rise of dance music, such as electronica and new wave, also called modern rock. Heavy metal and hard rock were prevalent live genres, with bands touring worldwide.
Above are some of the best 80s rock bands. The 1980s saw massive rock domination, with glam rock, heavy metal, and new wave groups paving the way for contemporary artists while inspiring existing bands.
Yen.com.gh recently released a fantastic list of the best Christian rock bands ever. Christian rock is a type of rock music that focuses on religious themes. Many Christian rock groups are still active today, although they are less famous than before.
Most Christian rock bands are based in the United States and combine elements of metal, punk, and reggae into their music. Furthermore, several rock groups have received significant honours, such as Billboard Awards, Grammy Awards, and GMA Dove Awards.
Source: YEN.com.gh
