The 1980s could mean different things to many different people, and much of that depends on when you were born. If you were coming of age in the early part of the decade, you might always have a soft spot for New Wave. If you were born slightly later, you might love hair bands. The two subgenres had little in common.
There was a reaction to the kind of music made in the 1970s as well. Sure, there were still rock ballads, but they were far less in the '80s. Guitar heroes existed, but so did electric keyboards. To match the greatness of bands such as Styx in the '70s, the '80s gave us the brilliance of bands such as Depeche Mode.
Some groups have been a bit forgotten, though. Maybe you'll run across them on a radio station somewhere, but rarely. You have to search them out. Such is the case with the bands that follow.
These gems from the 1980s might be forgotten but they certainly should not be
Thompson Twins
The well-known secret is that the band was not just two people, but several. While they began in the late 1970s, they did not fully bloom until their lineup changed in the early 1980s to Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie, and Joe Leeway. They turned out a number of good songs, but sadly, the one we hear almost exclusively on the radio now is "Hold Me Now."
"Lay Your Hands on Me" borrows heavily from gospel music but is never religious or overwrought. "Lies" is bouncy and nearly silly, and yet, somehow it works. "Doctor! Doctor!" impresses with its melancholy despite a title that might be more akin to a B-movie in the 1940s.
The Fixx
Even in the age of New Wave, the Fixx created a different sound. It was tinny, and, at times, bleak. They even backed up Tina Turner on "Better Be Good to Me" and helped turn an otherwise boring tripe into something funky and new.
The band's best album was Reach the Beach which sounded slightly unsettling but had enough elements of pop that one might have thought the band was just having a bit of fun with the listening public. Were they? They would likely have never said.
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
A bit before their time, the band was a mix of pop, soul, and Latin influences. Maybe not sticking to one genre hurt their potential, or maybe their music was too good for mass consumption. If the band were making some of the songs they made in the 1980s, such as "Lost in Emotion," they would likely be huge.
Lisa Lisa and friends even managed to churn out "All Cried Out" and make a rather straightforward ballad sound excellent. Instead of another, "I have heard this melodramatic mush before," something about the pain in the words feels more real. You want to help, but the pain sounds so good.
The Replacements
Maybe their songs were simply too well-written? Or maybe the Replacements were alternative before alternative became so cool. They also started off as more of a punk band so possibly some fans thought the band sold out. They didn't. The group's lyrics simply went better with less hardcore.
There are a number of great songs from the band still worth listening to, such as "Alex Chilton," but "I'll Be You" might be their best track, and is an absolutely perfect song. Vague and specific at the same time, few bands of the age could make art sound so simple.
Galaxie 500
The Massachusetts band should have been so much bigger, though never one that had a lot of pop hits. They borrowed a bit from early R.E.M. but added a lot of shoegaze. The vocals are echo-y and buried at times. Imagine a Jesus and Mary Chain song without all the reverb and that might best explain Galaxie 500.
Sadly, after only three studio albums, the band split up. None of the three members went on to do other great things, but those who knew the band likely loved them. A late spring day might be best if lying under a tree and listening to songs such as "Tugboat."