1980s | Musicosity

1980s

Joan Jett

Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin on September 22, 1958 in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania) is an American rock singer and guitarist. She was the guitarist for the rock group The Runaways from 1975 to 1979, after which she released two solo albums - 1980's "Joan Jett" and 1981's "Bad Reputation" - before forming her own group, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. "The Hit List" (1990), a covers album recorded by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, was labeled as being by Jett alone.

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Extreme

Extreme is a rock band consisting of singer/guitar virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt, singer/lyricist Gary Cherone, bassist/singer Pat Badger and drummer Kevin Figueiredo. The band first formed in 1985 in Boston with then drummer Paul Geary (who later got replaced by drummer Mike Mangini) until the band decided to go on an indefinite hiatus that ended up lasting more than 10 years (1996 - 2006). The band's influences range from the progressive hard rock and elaborate multi-vocals parts of Queen, the energy of Aerosmith and Van Halen, as well as Beatlesque pop and a Led Zeppelin organic feeling.

Read more about Extreme on Last.fm.

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Culture Club

Culture Club was a popular 1980s pop group, perhaps most noticeable for their gender-bending frontman Boy George. The other members of the band were Roy Hay on guitars and keyboards, Mikey Craig playing bass and Jon Moss (ex Damned, London, Adam and the Ants) on drums. Their first album, 1982's Kissing to Be Clever, became a major international hit, spawning the hit singles "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" (which went 'all the way' in the BBC-Charts in late 1982), "Time (Clock of the Heart)", and "I'll Tumble 4 Ya".

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Kate Garner

In late 1981 Kate Garner and her musician boyfriend Paul Caplin (an alumnus of EMI act Animal Magnet) teamed up with 19 year old Jeremy Healy to create a fashion/dance sensation called Haysi Fantayzee. Kate and Jeremy were the focal points, dressed in His and Hers matching Hillbilly/white Rasta/circus ringmaster fashions (complete with waist-length dreadlocks) and singing along to bouncy tunes and slinky rhythmns.

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Men Without Hats

Men Without Hats is a Canadian alternative / Synthpop group from Montreal, Quebec, Canada formed in 1977 who were popular in the 80s. They were characterized by the deep, expressive vocals of their lead singer Ivan and their elaborate use of synthesizers and electronic processing. Men Without Hats were always, at the core, Ivan Doroschuk (also released solo as Ivan) and his brother Stefan Doroschuk, with various other members, including a third brother, Colin Doroschuk, as well as Jeremy Arrobas, tracy howe, Roman Martyn and Allan McCarthy.

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Ike Yard

Influenced by their punk upbringing, avant-garde schooling, and no wave surroundings in early 80s NYC,- but not beholden to any genre - Ike Yard managed to create a new sound.
By tapping into equal parts the krautrock experimentation of Can, the Neue Deutsche Welle of DAF and the UK post-punk dub of PiL and Joy Division they created sounds and songs unique enough to catch the attention of Factory Records, who made them their first American signing.

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