this decade saw bands come out of the
underground add electronic elements to
their sound and paved the way for the
alternative rock explosion of the 1990s
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
alternative bands of the 1980s for this
list we chosen influential artists who
helped define the alternative sound and
genre in the 1980s who were commercially
successful and whose music stood the
test of time this is part of a series of
videos spanning the decades of
alternative rock music from the 1970s to
the 2000s which includes our lists of
the top 10 alternative bands of the
1980s 1990s and 2000’s as well as the
top 10 punk bands and the top 10 grunge
bands
number ten simple minds
thanks to their blend of New Wave pop
rock and post-punk these Scots made sure
we couldn’t forget about them
after cementing their spot in the New
Romantic movement in the UK Simple Minds
conquered the American market with their
recording for The Breakfast Club movie
soundtracks silly Yours The Breakfast
Club the band has continued to make
their name in the alternative rock scene
and despite lineup changes they’re still
alive and kicking today
number nine Pixies
you
without this Boston been grunge as we
know it may never have existed where is
my mind where is my mind where
Kurt Cobain himself admitted that he was
attempting to imitate the Pixies musical
style of radical dynamics with Nirvana
in fact this contrast between quiet and
loud soon became one of alternative
rocks most recognizable features by
combining angry vocals with their indie
punk and surf rock influenced sounds
Pixies left such a mark on music they
were prompted to reunite 11 years after
their 1993 breakup
see
number eight your Rhythmics
falling on
you know the Grammy Award winning duo
didn’t make a splash with their debut
album things turned around with their
sophomore effort sweet its title track
sweet dreams are made of this topped
multiple charts around the world and
while any Lenox captured critics and
fans attention with her strong vocals
and bold look adopting a synth based
sound but also experimenting with styles
and instruments the arrhythmia the
charts and helped herald the second
British Invasion
number seven new order new order didn’t
let Ian Curtis a suicide stopped them
from becoming one of the most important
acts of the decade
after The Joy Division frontman took his
own life
the band’s remaining members regrouped
and transformed their sound adding dance
and electronic music to their mix of
post-punk New Wave and alternative rock
while critics adored them and fans
couldn’t get enough
they also made history after Blue Monday
became the best-selling 12-inch single
ever
I feel
like you
number six talking heads one of the
things that made talking heads so great
is that they were able to hit the
mainstream while maintaining their
street cred with critics
their brand of New Wave incorporated
elements of punk funk and world music
but still had enough pop sensibility to
earn them top ten singles including road
to nowhere in the UK
and burning down the house in the u.s.
many subsequent alternative rock acts
consider the band a major influence
number five the Smiths
when you’re talking alt-rock in the
British indie scene chances are good
this band will come up
now
The Smiths moved out from the
underground with their guitar-driven
sound and gave music lovers something
different than the synth-heavy style
dominating the airwaves during the 1980s
I’m at this one
with Morrissey and Johnny Marr at the
core of the band songwriting
The Smiths achieved cult status through
their use of indie pop flavors
some retro rock and post-punk and also
by nabbing for UK top five albums while
on an indie label
number four Tears for Fears
it’s the two founding members of Tears
for Fears trace their musical roots to
the new wave mod revival group graduate
the new band was assumed to be following
in the former’s footsteps
but it was by adopting a more pop rock
sound the Tears for Fears really hit it
big and topped the UK and US charts
things happen
with their number-one sophomore effort
and to Billboard Hot 100 number ones
they also quickly took their place as
part of the second British invasions
number three REM
formed in 1980 these guys from Georgia
are considered one of the progenitors of
the genre having made a name for
themselves with their very first album
with the help of Michael stipes hard to
decipher singing and Peter bucks
distinctive guitar style REM had critics
raving early on
college radio also had their backs and
they supported their releases with lots
of shows until finally breaking through
to the masses with a top ten hit in 1987
though they broke up in 2011 our EMS
alt-rock legacy lives on
coming in fast
number two Depeche Mode spearheading the
electronic side of alternative rock
Depeche Mode broke onto the music scene
in 1981 with Speak & Spell despite the
departure of Vince Clarke the group
bounced back with a darker sound the
captivated teens everywhere and helped
the band infiltrate the mainstream
they’ve since sold over 100 million
albums won multiple Grammys and are
still going strong with multiple artists
citing them as influences
jeez
Rize
before we unveil our number one pick
here are a few honorable mentions
I got
number one the cure
the early 90s wouldn’t be the same
without the cure
and that wouldn’t be the case if not for
the Brits in comparable musical output
during the previous decade
right true
though their early 80s work was often
categorized as gothic rock
pure soon found a home an alternative by
giving their sound a bit of a lighter
more radio-friendly spin this paved the
way from multiple entries on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart and for the Cure
to become one of the biggest bands in
alt rock
do you agree with our list what’s your
favorite alternative rock Act of the
1980s
more entertaining top 10s published
every day be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com
you
underground add electronic elements to
their sound and paved the way for the
alternative rock explosion of the 1990s
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
alternative bands of the 1980s for this
list we chosen influential artists who
helped define the alternative sound and
genre in the 1980s who were commercially
successful and whose music stood the
test of time this is part of a series of
videos spanning the decades of
alternative rock music from the 1970s to
the 2000s which includes our lists of
the top 10 alternative bands of the
1980s 1990s and 2000’s as well as the
top 10 punk bands and the top 10 grunge
bands
number ten simple minds
thanks to their blend of New Wave pop
rock and post-punk these Scots made sure
we couldn’t forget about them
after cementing their spot in the New
Romantic movement in the UK Simple Minds
conquered the American market with their
recording for The Breakfast Club movie
soundtracks silly Yours The Breakfast
Club the band has continued to make
their name in the alternative rock scene
and despite lineup changes they’re still
alive and kicking today
number nine Pixies
you
without this Boston been grunge as we
know it may never have existed where is
my mind where is my mind where
Kurt Cobain himself admitted that he was
attempting to imitate the Pixies musical
style of radical dynamics with Nirvana
in fact this contrast between quiet and
loud soon became one of alternative
rocks most recognizable features by
combining angry vocals with their indie
punk and surf rock influenced sounds
Pixies left such a mark on music they
were prompted to reunite 11 years after
their 1993 breakup
see
number eight your Rhythmics
falling on
you know the Grammy Award winning duo
didn’t make a splash with their debut
album things turned around with their
sophomore effort sweet its title track
sweet dreams are made of this topped
multiple charts around the world and
while any Lenox captured critics and
fans attention with her strong vocals
and bold look adopting a synth based
sound but also experimenting with styles
and instruments the arrhythmia the
charts and helped herald the second
British Invasion
number seven new order new order didn’t
let Ian Curtis a suicide stopped them
from becoming one of the most important
acts of the decade
after The Joy Division frontman took his
own life
the band’s remaining members regrouped
and transformed their sound adding dance
and electronic music to their mix of
post-punk New Wave and alternative rock
while critics adored them and fans
couldn’t get enough
they also made history after Blue Monday
became the best-selling 12-inch single
ever
I feel
like you
number six talking heads one of the
things that made talking heads so great
is that they were able to hit the
mainstream while maintaining their
street cred with critics
their brand of New Wave incorporated
elements of punk funk and world music
but still had enough pop sensibility to
earn them top ten singles including road
to nowhere in the UK
and burning down the house in the u.s.
many subsequent alternative rock acts
consider the band a major influence
number five the Smiths
when you’re talking alt-rock in the
British indie scene chances are good
this band will come up
now
The Smiths moved out from the
underground with their guitar-driven
sound and gave music lovers something
different than the synth-heavy style
dominating the airwaves during the 1980s
I’m at this one
with Morrissey and Johnny Marr at the
core of the band songwriting
The Smiths achieved cult status through
their use of indie pop flavors
some retro rock and post-punk and also
by nabbing for UK top five albums while
on an indie label
number four Tears for Fears
it’s the two founding members of Tears
for Fears trace their musical roots to
the new wave mod revival group graduate
the new band was assumed to be following
in the former’s footsteps
but it was by adopting a more pop rock
sound the Tears for Fears really hit it
big and topped the UK and US charts
things happen
with their number-one sophomore effort
and to Billboard Hot 100 number ones
they also quickly took their place as
part of the second British invasions
number three REM
formed in 1980 these guys from Georgia
are considered one of the progenitors of
the genre having made a name for
themselves with their very first album
with the help of Michael stipes hard to
decipher singing and Peter bucks
distinctive guitar style REM had critics
raving early on
college radio also had their backs and
they supported their releases with lots
of shows until finally breaking through
to the masses with a top ten hit in 1987
though they broke up in 2011 our EMS
alt-rock legacy lives on
coming in fast
number two Depeche Mode spearheading the
electronic side of alternative rock
Depeche Mode broke onto the music scene
in 1981 with Speak & Spell despite the
departure of Vince Clarke the group
bounced back with a darker sound the
captivated teens everywhere and helped
the band infiltrate the mainstream
they’ve since sold over 100 million
albums won multiple Grammys and are
still going strong with multiple artists
citing them as influences
jeez
Rize
before we unveil our number one pick
here are a few honorable mentions
I got
number one the cure
the early 90s wouldn’t be the same
without the cure
and that wouldn’t be the case if not for
the Brits in comparable musical output
during the previous decade
right true
though their early 80s work was often
categorized as gothic rock
pure soon found a home an alternative by
giving their sound a bit of a lighter
more radio-friendly spin this paved the
way from multiple entries on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart and for the Cure
to become one of the biggest bands in
alt rock
do you agree with our list what’s your
favorite alternative rock Act of the
1980s
more entertaining top 10s published
every day be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com
you
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