- 4 months ago
The 80s gave us some of the best music of all time—but not every great band stayed in the spotlight. 🎶✨
In this video, we’re looking back at 20 Awesome 80s Bands You Probably Forgot. From one-hit wonders to underrated groups that never got the fame they deserved, these bands defined an era with their unique sounds and unforgettable hits.
👉 If you grew up in the 80s (or just love retro music), get ready for a wave of nostalgia.
💡 Don’t forget to LIKE 👍, COMMENT 💬, and SUBSCRIBE 🔔 for more retro music countdowns, 80s throwbacks, and music history deep-dives!
In this video, we’re looking back at 20 Awesome 80s Bands You Probably Forgot. From one-hit wonders to underrated groups that never got the fame they deserved, these bands defined an era with their unique sounds and unforgettable hits.
👉 If you grew up in the 80s (or just love retro music), get ready for a wave of nostalgia.
💡 Don’t forget to LIKE 👍, COMMENT 💬, and SUBSCRIBE 🔔 for more retro music countdowns, 80s throwbacks, and music history deep-dives!
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🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo!
00:10And today, we're counting down our picks for bands that dazzled the 1980s but may have been underrated then or slipped into obscurity now.
00:19We're mainly focusing on bands whose output and reception peaked at the time.
00:30Number 20. Icon
00:43The glam metal movement sold a fantasy of big-haired party animals. True to their name, Icon understood the image, but also how to bring the heavy sound.
00:53Originally named Schoolboys, the Arizona outfit matured the catchy frills of glam with more traditional or extreme momentum for their acclaimed 1984 debut.
01:03Who will tip away these frozen tears?
01:10They weren't entirely part of the oversaturated scene, though, so subsequent albums incorporated arena rock elements to a mixed reception.
01:19Eventually, personal priorities like frontman Stephen Clifford's Religious Awakening prompted Icon to disband in 1990.
01:27Still, their cult following persists for the fiery musicianship that stood out in the golden age of glam metal.
01:33When I look up in the sky, the fire's burning in the night.
01:40Icon reunited as a live act in 2008 and are looking to get back in the studio.
01:46Number 19. Fine Young Cannibals
01:58Hades fans can't get their fill of the Fine Young Cannibals cover of Suspicious Minds or the original classic, She Drives Me Crazy.
02:06Some may forget that these sophistapop pioneers were hardly a two-hit wonder.
02:11FYC's smartly composed cross between contemporary pop and R&B won their eponymous 1985 album Excellent Reviews.
02:20Johnny, we're sorry, don't you come on, go home.
02:281989's The Raw and The Cooked was an even bigger hit, with audiences praising the addition of Soul and New Wave.
02:36The chart-topping Grammy nominee and Brit Award winner was packed with hot singles, yet the lead one became the band's defining hits.
02:51FYC may have broken up over creative conflict just as they were picking up, but they're endlessly worth looking back on.
02:5818. Boingo Boingo
03:07From my heart and from my hand, why don't people understand my intention?
03:13The 80s sure didn't forget about these L.A. new wavers.
03:18Boingo Boingo was punk-influenced prolific and endlessly infectious, thanks to the charisma and eclectic songwriting of frontman Danny Elfman.
03:27Their live shows were the stuff of legend, and they contributed to many film and TV soundtracks, most notably the 1985 John Hughes comedy Weird Science.
03:37After the group broke up ten years later, Elfman developed his solo career as a score composer into one of the most celebrated in modern Hollywood.
03:53Many have said that this legacy has overshadowed that of his popular original project, and its massive rotation of talented musicians.
04:01Go, don't you go, just stay with me one more day.
04:09But there's no arguing against Oingo Boingo being as good for your soul as ever.
04:15Nothing bad ever happens to me.
04:18Nothing bad ever happens to me.
04:22Number 17. Hanoi Rocks.
04:34Where many hair metalheads obscured the genre's glam rock roots, Hanoi Rocks brought them to the forefront.
04:40The Helsinki Hellions had the funky glitz and clever songwriting that were all the rage in the 70s.
04:47But with punk overtones and a heavy metal heft, they broke every rule of mainstream and alternative trends at the time.
05:04Consequently, they had a mostly cult following until tragedy made the headlines.
05:09In 1984, drummer Nicholas Razzle Dingley died in a car wreck involving an intoxicated Vince Neil of Motley Crue.
05:18This sadly became a prominent footnote in Hanoi Rock's legacy, following their initial breakup shortly thereafter.
05:25Nonetheless, between the classics and some legendary reunions, there's no leaving them out of the 80s glam mythos.
05:33Don't you ever leave me now, don't you ever leave me baby.
05:43Number 16. XTC.
05:46We're only making plans, and I do.
05:52Rising with the advent of New Way, the Swindon ensemble first gained cult and critical recognition with three albums in the 70s.
06:01By the 80s, though, the underground sound that XTC helped develop dominated the mainstream.
06:14Even then, their pop shift stood out on continued punk elements and progressive hooks.
06:19XTC won consistent acclaim and delivered many hits, culminating in the controversial Dear God in 1987.
06:26Dear God, sorry to disturb, but I feel that I should be a little unclear.
06:33Along the way, a bad record deal with Virgin left the band in financial straits.
06:39Their labor strike in 92 proved ruinous for their popularity.
06:43But by the time they quietly disbanded in 2006, XTC were an 80s cult favorite that remains unlike any pop you've heard.
06:52Won't believe in heaven and hell, no saints, no sinners, no devil's love.
06:58Number 15. Japan.
07:00When the room is quiet, a daylight almost gone.
07:09Although they released more studio albums in the 70s, the British group Japan was made for the 80s.
07:15That was when their synthwave style was most commercially successful, particularly with 1982's Ghosts.
07:21I could not be stopped when my chance came to became the ghost of my life.
07:29Japan still managed to find new and exciting ways to compose such music.
07:33But in 1982, internal conflicts collapsed Japan at the height of their status.
07:39It's just as well as they were facing accusations of capitalizing on the new romantic scene that they, in fact, influenced and rejected.
07:48But if my kids had a wonderful fight, I do believe that that would only break my heart.
07:57Perhaps too highbrow for pop appeal.
08:00The band did return to the UK Top 40 when they briefly reunited under the name Raintree Crow.
08:06Japan has since maintained its cult following as architects and a highlight of an infectious style.
08:19Number 14. The Time.
08:21Though Morris Day is credited alongside Prince with developing Minneapolis' eclectic musical signature in the 80s, the Time is a force all their own.
08:40The thrilling fusion of funk, soul, and rock was rivaled only by live shows exploding with elaborate musicianship and dance.
08:48The Time is considered the most critically and commercially successful act in Prince's creative community.
09:02This proved to be a double-edged sword.
09:05Day's creative input and legacy were overshadowed by his late friend, whose estate even tried to bar Day from using his own band's name in 2022.
09:14He's settled the legal dispute and continues to rock under the banner of Morris Day and The Time.
09:27Of course, the catalogue of their heyday is simply timeless.
09:31You wonder how to do it.
09:33It's just one simple rule.
09:37I'm just cool.
09:39Number 13.
09:41Big Country.
09:42The whole world was into In a Big Country when the similarly named band blew up the charts in 1983.
09:56They were actually a local phenomenon, particularly in their native Scotland.
10:01Big Country's unique fusion of New Way, Alternative, and Celtic Folk yielded enchanting ballads that ran the gamut from heavy to heart-wrenching.
10:10I've never seen you look like this without a reason.
10:14Another promise falling through another season.
10:18Stewart Adamson's lyrical themes included heritage, class, conflicts, war, and more.
10:24The band's harder material in the 90s may not have drawn as much attention, but fans embraced their experimental and iconoclastic flair up to their breakup following Adamson's death in 2001.
10:37So look away, look away.
10:41Hide your eyes from the land where I let go.
10:45Formally reuniting in 2013, Big Country continues to provoke nostalgia for a time long before them, while remaining as relevant as ever.
10:56In a big country dream, stay with you.
11:00Like a lover's voice, park the mountainside.
11:06Number 12.
11:07Husker Du
11:08The 80s sound, admittedly, wasn't for everyone.
11:18It sure didn't appeal to Husker Du.
11:21Though, the power trio from St. Paul, Minnesota didn't just favor the rebellious punk of the 70s.
11:27They were looking ahead with a melodic yet experimental twist on the budding, hardcore scene.
11:33His style would come to be known as post-hardcore, and would have a key influence on the alternative rock explosion of the 90s.
11:41Stay up and still wish, go away, go away.
11:49Alas, Husker Du missed out, having broke up in 88 due to tension and struggles with substance use disorder.
11:58The cult sensation's legacy can be found in their famous disciples and renowned solo work, but the music itself demands to be heard by punk and alternative bands.
12:08The cocteau twins
12:18Number 11.
12:19Cocteau Twins
12:28If there was any question about the artistic value of 80s music's technical and stylistic trends, the cocteau twins put that to bed.
12:38The Scottish alt rocker's haunting aesthetic was led by Elizabeth Fraser's ethereal vocals and Robin Guthrie's groundbreaking ambient engineering.
12:47This renowned artistry elevated contemporary gothic rock and established the niche genre's aptly named dream pop.
13:02And yet nobody could sound quite like the cocteau twins.
13:06Unfortunately, the band fell apart with Fraser and Guthrie's relationship in 1997.
13:11Things ended on such bitter terms that the former romantic couple refused to work together decades later.
13:26Although they've independently had great success in several areas of the music industry, cocteau twins remain an entrancing gem.
13:34Number 10.
13:36ABC
13:37All my dreams came true last night
13:41All my hopes and fears
13:45Synth pop was big business back in the 1980s, with Britain's ABC existing in our minds as one of the genre's unsung heroes.
13:54The arrangements here sound bigger than many of ABC's other contemporaries, lending songs like Be Near Me an impressive amount of orchestral oomph.
14:04Elsewhere, lead vocalist Martin Fry possesses a strong voice, one capable of delivering big, strong hooks while also containing a proper amount of sensitivity.
14:21The 80s, like any other decade, were full of one-hit wonders.
14:26But we feel like ABC's track record speaks for itself.
14:30These guys were a cut above the rest.
14:32Shoot that poison I rode through my heart
14:37Shoot that poison I rode
14:40Number 9.
14:41A Flock of Seagulls
14:42It's quite unfair that this pioneering English act from the New Wave movement is known more for its assortment of hairstyles than the quality of its music.
15:00After all, the discography of A Flock of Seagulls is actually quite full of interesting tunes for those willing to do a little digging.
15:07And I ran, I ran so far away
15:13Oh sure, I Ran So Far Away is a defining tune from the 1980s.
15:18But A Flock of Seagulls albums also retained deep cuts that showcased their musicality.
15:23Tunes like Space Age Love Song and The More You Live, The More You Love demonstrated the excellent synth and guitar interplay within the band's songwriting
15:33and helped further distance A Flock of Seagulls from more fashion-focused acts of the day.
15:39It's not by accident that this list contains a startling amount of musical talent from the United Kingdom.
16:01There was something of a second British invasion during the 1980s.
16:05As legions of new wave, post-punk, and heavy metal acts emerged from that area to take over the rest of the world.
16:12The fics weren't so easily pigeonholed into a genre, however.
16:16And this both helped and hurt them over the years.
16:19There will be no more isolation in a secret separation
16:27On one hand, they were a solid rock act, notching hit singles such as One Thing Leads to Another.
16:34On the other hand, there wasn't really a gimmick upon which to sell the fics overseas.
16:39The music speaks for itself essentially, and we feel the band was actually a bit underrated.
16:45Do what they say, say what they mean, One Thing Leads to Another.
16:52Number 7. OMD, a.k.a. Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark.
16:58Now, here was a band whose choice of name definitely helped define their career.
17:09Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark are probably better known by the acronym OMD, but this defiantly unhip electronic music duo achieved quite a bit of success during their career.
17:20That said, we still feel that there's gold to be mined beyond the obvious OMD hits like If You Leave.
17:27Band members Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphries knew how to make bass, synth, percussion, and voice sound big as hell, boasting hooks large enough to snag a whale.
17:46The music of orchestral maneuvers in the dark definitely sounds of its time, but we don't think that's a bad thing whatsoever.
17:53In fact, that's exactly why we love them.
17:56Number 6. L.A. Guns
18:11The commercial landscape of 1980s heavy metal, like any musical movement, possessed a myriad of subgenres.
18:18Not all glam was made equal, to be sure, with L.A. Guns existing within that special little microcosm known as sleaze metal.
18:27Talk about blood, talk about blood.
18:33This was a rough-and-ready rock band who, alongside another group called Hollywood Rose, resulted in the formation of superstars Guns N' Roses.
18:42L.A. Guns did achieve chart success with the single The Ballad of Jane and put out a lot of music in the 90s.
18:55But we honestly prefer the less polished nature of their 1988 debut.
18:59That record contained rip-roaring jams like No Mercy, sex action, and one more reason.
19:05It was a perfect midway point between dirty looks and big hooks.
19:18Number 5. Savotage
19:21Madness reigns
19:26We know that the Trans-Siberian Orchestra are a big deal around the holidays, but there's also a connection to their metallic pedigree that reaches to the 1980s.
19:36We're referring to Savotage, a group founded by brothers Chris and John Oliva.
19:41The former's generational skills as a guitar talent were tragically cut short by a drunk driver in 1993.
19:56But Savotage's discography with him remains indispensable for metalheads who appreciate influences from classical music.
20:04The band continued along after both Chris Oliva's death as well as John Oliva's departure from lead vocals, with guitarist Al Petrelli eventually collaborating with John and composer Paul O'Neill on TSO.
20:25For our money though, LPs like Gutter Ballet and Hall of the Mountain King are worth their weight in gold.
20:39Number 4. Ultravox
20:41It's my flight and I'm driving home again
20:47New Wave never sounded so dramatic.
20:50Ultravox seemed to have studied hard during the How to Write a Great Chorus classes while in songwriting school.
20:57How else could one explain the epic grandeur of hits like The Voice, Him, or Dancing with Tears in My Eyes?
21:04The latter in particular highlights how mid-year's lead vocals take Ultravox to another level, as he soars with stately, insistent grandeur.
21:20Ultravox crafted 1980s pop as high art, a melodically satisfying approach with impeccable hooks and note-perfection execution.
21:29The band may have experimented a bit during the 1970s, but it was the 80s where Ultravox's rise to musical prominence was assured.
21:47Number 3. The Chameleons
21:49Call it shoegaze or maybe post-punk, but there was definitely something special to the sound of The Chameleons UK.
22:04This English group's reverb-soaked journey into atmospheric rock had a bit of a malevolent streak.
22:10Specifically, albums such as Script of the Bridge would go on to influence heavier metal acts such as Francis Alsest,
22:18groups that would be inspired by The Chameleon's ability to mope and rock in equal measure.
22:23Songs such as Don't Fall and Up The Down Escalator meld brooding, resonant vocals with edgy guitar licks and this feeling of aggression bubbling just below the surface.
22:44It's brilliant stuff.
22:49Number 2. The Church
22:51Wish I knew what you were looking for
22:56Some bands just exude an effortless amount of cool.
23:00Australia's The Church are definitely one of those bands.
23:03It's difficult to pinpoint anything specific about their sound other than it feels dreamlike and resplendent.
23:11They create a gorgeous tapestry of melodies and atmosphere that weave their web in a manner that doesn't quite feel like goth nor traditional rock.
23:25Instead, the Church takes listeners upon a journey with songs such as their definitive hits Under the Milky Way.
23:31Truth be told, however, there's a lot to love about their discography, which has put out lots more material since their breakout decade.
23:40Whichever era true fans prefer, The Church is just a great band.
23:45They only make me feel like breathing in an unguarded moment.
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24:09Number 1. The Colts
24:10They were a band able to continually reinvent themselves while also never forgetting how to rock.
24:24The Colts started out in full goth mode under the moniker of Southern Death Colts before the mid-80s saw a shift into full arena rock Sturm und Drang.
24:33Truth be told, we love it all, including the work the Colts did during the 90s and beyond.
24:46That said, there was just something special about that holy trinity of albums between 1985 and 1989.
24:53Love, Electric and Sonic Temple.
24:56The latter in particular saw anthems like Fire Woman send Colts into the stratosphere.
25:00Frontman Ian Astaberry howls like a man possessed while embodying a dichotomous personality stresses shamanism and hedonism in equal measure.
25:18And we're not worthy.
25:25What are your favorite 80s bands to continue spreading the word about?
25:29Jam with us in the comments.
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