The 1980s were a vibrant time for pop music, and many bands emerged with distinctive sounds that still resonate today. Here’s a list of some of the most iconic pop bands from the 1980s:
Duran Duran
A-ha
Wham!
Spandau Ballet
Culture Club
Depeche Mode
The Human League
Pet Shop Boys
Eurythmics
Bananarama
ABC
Fleetwood Mac (they had a strong pop presence in the '80s)
The Bangles
New Kids on the Block
Kajagoogoo
The Go-Go's
Simply Red
The Cars
Soft Cell
Bros
Tears for Fears
Tiffany
Expose
Belinda Carlisle
The Pet Shop Boys
The Smiths
Men at Work
Salt-N-Pepa (blended pop with hip-hop)
Rick Astley (solo but associated with pop bands)
The Pointer Sisters
Flock of Seagulls
ABC
The Communards
Franz Ferdinand (early 1980s roots)
Yazoo
Berlin
Scorpions (more rock but had some crossover hits)
Crowded House
A Flock of Seagulls
Haircut 100
Dead or Alive
Kajagoogoo
Level 42
The Alarm
OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
Hall & Oates
The Wild Boys
INXS
The Housemartins
The Thompson Twins
The Stranglers
Spinners
Swing Out Sister
Modern English
The Fixx
Sade
The Cover Girls
Cutting Crew
Johnny Hates Jazz
Erasure
Morrissey (solo but hugely influential in the '80s)
B-52's
The Psychedelic Furs
The Kinks (continued success in the '80s)
Climie Fisher
The Alarm
Nick Heyward
Gino Vannelli
The Jacksons
Tom Tom Club
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)
Kajagoogoo
Wham!
Sister Sledge
The Tubes
The Clash (blended punk with pop influences)
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Adele
The Orb
Shalamar