while rock was still popular this decade
was dominated by genres with electronic
elements like New Wave dance and synth
pop as well as the rise of hip hop and
urban music welcome to watchmojo.com and
today we’re counting down our picks for
the top 10 musical acts of the 1980s for
our series on the top 10 musical acts
per decade we’ve based our choices on a
mix of an act success popularity and
overall musical legacy
this is part of a series of videos
spanning the decades of music from the
1950s to the 2000s
number ten guns and roses
this California band scorned the music
scene with their melodic hard rock as
heard on their blockbuster record
Appetite for Destruction
which went on to become America’s
biggest selling debut album ever
with a rep that earned them the title of
the world’s most dangerous band
Guns N’Roses was one of the decades
must-see live acts if you were looking
for something other than pop and dance
meanwhile songs like sweet child of mine
welcome to the jungle and Paradise City
defined a generation and created
hardrock ecstasy all across the world
number nine Whitney Houston the late
singer had an amazing time on the charts
in the 90s but nothing beats the
artistic freedom she had during the
previous decade after gradually winning
people over with her debut Whitney
Houston’s 1987 sophomore effort made
history when it became the first album
by a female artist to debut at the top
spot
ah
it also turned out for number-one hits
including I want to dance with somebody
and where do broken hearts go with a
nickname like The Voice it’s no wonder
this talented artist made our list
MC to call me sire
come on my kingdom you must choose fire
over ember eight Run DMC laptop boy it
don’t correct oh that’s a long time head
wrap Connect much like Public Enemy this
Queens New York group drastically
changed the direction of hip hop and
laid the foundation for rap music in the
1980s
with their hardcore beats and rhythms
they became known as rap rock pioneers
and their fusion of the two genres
spawned hit after hit most notably their
collaboration with Aerosmith walk this
way
it would be
Run DMC’s chemistry and musical talents
also placed prominence on the
relationship between the emcee and the
DJ in hip-hop
don’t stop
number seven Bon Jovi this New Jersey
act continues to find success to this
day and this wouldn’t have been possible
without the success they found in the
80s
busted by John Bongiovi the band began
its worldwide domination with 1986’s
slippery when wet
after spawning chart-topping smashes
like you give love a bad name and living
on a prayer their third effort set them
on a path of extensive touring
and music making that helped make Bon
Jovi’s brand of hard rock and glam metal
more accessible to the masses
number six Bruce Springsteen
this Jersey born living legend is known
for his marathon shows and his
blue-collar fiends
but the boss was never more commercially
appealing than in the mid-80s which saw
born in the USA rocked the chart and
produced seven top-ten singles on the
Billboard Hot 100
let’s not forget he’s artistically
lauded 80s records the river and
Nebraska though which to this day
continue to have an impact on younger
artists
number five Def Leppard
while fellow hard rockers van Halen also
found success in the 80s
it’s Def Leppard that lands here
Def Leppard may have formed in the late
70s but it was during the next decade
that they rose to fame after making
their hard rock style known with
pyromania
there forth effort hysteria slowly but
surely became a massive success with the
help of their now famous anthem pour
some sugar on me
and the album itself remained on the
charts around the world for three years
with over 100 million albums sold since
their 1977 formation Def Leppard is one
of the best-selling acts ever
number four prince
eclectic stylish and a true original
this multi talented singer-songwriter
infiltrated the charts with his sexy
smooth sound in the 80s and it was with
Purple Rain that he really made his mark
that album didn’t only go on to sell
more than 20 million units but also
earned an Oscar as the soundtrack to the
film of the same name but it wasn’t the
only great album he made that decade
just listen to 1999 and sign of the
times
and you’re sure to be mesmerised by
princess soulful fun number three you to
see stones see the phone twisting your
side this Irish for peace is still
creating beautiful music today but it’s
thanks to such career-defining albums as
boy
war
and the Joshua tree that you two became
critical commercial and live successes
the Joshua tree was particularly
important in the perfection of their
rocking sound
and also gave us songs for the ages with
tracks like with or without you and
where the streets have no name
number two Madonna
the material girl was an eighties
pop-culture phenomenon
with her sexy lyrics and music videos
the provocative but highly successful
artist also produced public discourse
that would forever change music history
by constantly changing up her image she
defined the way other female pop artists
would act in the coming years
hit after hit album after album but
Donna was a game-changing artist who
mattered back then and still does today
before we unveil our pick for top
musical act of the 1980s here are a few
honorable mentions
you take watching
and with
breathe
number one Michael Jackson did you
really think anyone else could top this
list
the success the King of Pop had this
decade is rivaled only by that of Elvis
in the 50s and the Beatles in the 60s
his 1982 album Thriller became and
remains the biggest selling album of all
time Michael Jackson also popularized
the music video with his big-budget
short films all while simultaneously
helping to shatter racial barriers that
existed within pop music
if his singing and songwriting abilities
dance moves and so much more MJ was one
of a kind and our number one
you
bad do you agree with our list who’s
your favorite musical act of the 1980s
for more top 10s published every day be
sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com
was dominated by genres with electronic
elements like New Wave dance and synth
pop as well as the rise of hip hop and
urban music welcome to watchmojo.com and
today we’re counting down our picks for
the top 10 musical acts of the 1980s for
our series on the top 10 musical acts
per decade we’ve based our choices on a
mix of an act success popularity and
overall musical legacy
this is part of a series of videos
spanning the decades of music from the
1950s to the 2000s
number ten guns and roses
this California band scorned the music
scene with their melodic hard rock as
heard on their blockbuster record
Appetite for Destruction
which went on to become America’s
biggest selling debut album ever
with a rep that earned them the title of
the world’s most dangerous band
Guns N’Roses was one of the decades
must-see live acts if you were looking
for something other than pop and dance
meanwhile songs like sweet child of mine
welcome to the jungle and Paradise City
defined a generation and created
hardrock ecstasy all across the world
number nine Whitney Houston the late
singer had an amazing time on the charts
in the 90s but nothing beats the
artistic freedom she had during the
previous decade after gradually winning
people over with her debut Whitney
Houston’s 1987 sophomore effort made
history when it became the first album
by a female artist to debut at the top
spot
ah
it also turned out for number-one hits
including I want to dance with somebody
and where do broken hearts go with a
nickname like The Voice it’s no wonder
this talented artist made our list
MC to call me sire
come on my kingdom you must choose fire
over ember eight Run DMC laptop boy it
don’t correct oh that’s a long time head
wrap Connect much like Public Enemy this
Queens New York group drastically
changed the direction of hip hop and
laid the foundation for rap music in the
1980s
with their hardcore beats and rhythms
they became known as rap rock pioneers
and their fusion of the two genres
spawned hit after hit most notably their
collaboration with Aerosmith walk this
way
it would be
Run DMC’s chemistry and musical talents
also placed prominence on the
relationship between the emcee and the
DJ in hip-hop
don’t stop
number seven Bon Jovi this New Jersey
act continues to find success to this
day and this wouldn’t have been possible
without the success they found in the
80s
busted by John Bongiovi the band began
its worldwide domination with 1986’s
slippery when wet
after spawning chart-topping smashes
like you give love a bad name and living
on a prayer their third effort set them
on a path of extensive touring
and music making that helped make Bon
Jovi’s brand of hard rock and glam metal
more accessible to the masses
number six Bruce Springsteen
this Jersey born living legend is known
for his marathon shows and his
blue-collar fiends
but the boss was never more commercially
appealing than in the mid-80s which saw
born in the USA rocked the chart and
produced seven top-ten singles on the
Billboard Hot 100
let’s not forget he’s artistically
lauded 80s records the river and
Nebraska though which to this day
continue to have an impact on younger
artists
number five Def Leppard
while fellow hard rockers van Halen also
found success in the 80s
it’s Def Leppard that lands here
Def Leppard may have formed in the late
70s but it was during the next decade
that they rose to fame after making
their hard rock style known with
pyromania
there forth effort hysteria slowly but
surely became a massive success with the
help of their now famous anthem pour
some sugar on me
and the album itself remained on the
charts around the world for three years
with over 100 million albums sold since
their 1977 formation Def Leppard is one
of the best-selling acts ever
number four prince
eclectic stylish and a true original
this multi talented singer-songwriter
infiltrated the charts with his sexy
smooth sound in the 80s and it was with
Purple Rain that he really made his mark
that album didn’t only go on to sell
more than 20 million units but also
earned an Oscar as the soundtrack to the
film of the same name but it wasn’t the
only great album he made that decade
just listen to 1999 and sign of the
times
and you’re sure to be mesmerised by
princess soulful fun number three you to
see stones see the phone twisting your
side this Irish for peace is still
creating beautiful music today but it’s
thanks to such career-defining albums as
boy
war
and the Joshua tree that you two became
critical commercial and live successes
the Joshua tree was particularly
important in the perfection of their
rocking sound
and also gave us songs for the ages with
tracks like with or without you and
where the streets have no name
number two Madonna
the material girl was an eighties
pop-culture phenomenon
with her sexy lyrics and music videos
the provocative but highly successful
artist also produced public discourse
that would forever change music history
by constantly changing up her image she
defined the way other female pop artists
would act in the coming years
hit after hit album after album but
Donna was a game-changing artist who
mattered back then and still does today
before we unveil our pick for top
musical act of the 1980s here are a few
honorable mentions
you take watching
and with
breathe
number one Michael Jackson did you
really think anyone else could top this
list
the success the King of Pop had this
decade is rivaled only by that of Elvis
in the 50s and the Beatles in the 60s
his 1982 album Thriller became and
remains the biggest selling album of all
time Michael Jackson also popularized
the music video with his big-budget
short films all while simultaneously
helping to shatter racial barriers that
existed within pop music
if his singing and songwriting abilities
dance moves and so much more MJ was one
of a kind and our number one
you
bad do you agree with our list who’s
your favorite musical act of the 1980s
for more top 10s published every day be
sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com
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