I know that the 80s are deemed by many as the decade that taste forgot, but I love all things 80s and there are some great 80's musical acts that I still can't get enough of. Whilst the 70s were synonymous with disco grooves and flares, the eighties are symbolized by shoulder pads and fingerless gloves and there are many eighties aficionados who like me, just love to revel in the eighties, even if they were too young to appreciate it at the time. And whilst some of these bands have evaporated into the musical ether, leaving behind their legacy of neon leggings for the nostalgic amongst us, some of them continue to perform and record today. So in the interests of nostalgia, here are some fabulous 80's musical acts I still love to listen to.
There is a fabulous scene in She's Out of My League when Stainer performs a cover of Hall and Oates' "Your Kiss is on my List", which I can watch over and over again for its comedy value. Funny film aside, Daryl Hall and John Oates first hit the music scene in the late seventies and continued well into the eighties, gracing the airwaves with hits such as "I can't go for that" and "Maneater". They are one of the greatest 80's musical acts I can listen to over and over again.
Boy George has had a difficult couple of decades post his Culture Club fame and we have witnessed both his inflation and deflation over the years as well as his very public community service back in 2006. The band through which he first achieved fame however, achieved international success with fabulous hits such as "Karma Chameleon", "Church of the Poison Mind" and who can forget "Do you really want to hurt me". This is another song which was used in one of my favorite films, "The Wedding Singer" from 2002, with Alexis Arquettte's Boy George-esque character having to sing it twice.
George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley first burst onto the UK pop scene in 1982 when they appeared on the UK chart show, Top of the Pops after a band pulled out. The rest as they say is history and although George Michael would later forge a successful solo career, as Wham!, they graced the charts with some fabulous pop hits such as "Club Tropicana" and the song which is played over and over EVERY Christmas here in the UK but that I never tire of, "Last Christmas".
Although Genesis are a British rock band that formed way back in 1967, it was really during the eighties that they achieved world wide success. They are among the highest-selling recording artists of all time, with approximately 130 million albums sold worldwide. Their only number one single in the States was "Invisible Touch" in 1986.
The Human League are another English band. The band's most popular album was from 1981, entitled "Dare" and it's where you can find their fabulous "Don't You Want Me", which was a No. 1 hit both in the UK and US. They then enjoyed international success with hits such as "Love Action", "Fascination" and "Human", which also became a US No. 1 hit.
With their racy music videos, peppered with gorgeous and scantily clad supermodels, Duran Duran are one of the most successful bands of the 80s. They have sold around 100 million records and an impressive 21 singles have made their way onto the Billboard Hot 100. This British band have enjoyed a fabulous career through the years and have won a number of awards, including two Grammies. They have also been added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. If you're in the mood for some eighties, reminisce with a spot of "Rio", "The Wild Boys" and "Girls on Film".
Cyndi Lauper has become synonymous with girls' nights out and that unforgettable plea to parents for independence, in the shape of the incredibly catchy "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" from 1983. Her beautiful and more solemn "Time After Time" and "True Colors" are two other great eighties' songs that, even after nearly thirty years, still haven't lost their lyrical luster.
So, from neon ware to oversized tops and leg warmers, it seems as though the eighties is still greaties for many! Is anyone else a fan of all things eighties and are these artists and bands on anyone else's playlists?