Uncovering the Next Generation's Hall of Fame
| ⇦ 1970s | 1990s ⇨ |
The Defining Artists of the 1980s
The following artists released some of the best music of the 1980s. Hall of Famers are highlighted in orange.
Sade Eddie Money Tracy Chapman Kool & the Gang X Sonic Youth Journey John Williams The Alan Parsons Project Rod Stewart N.W.A Nine Inch Nails Tom Waits Dolly Parton Dire Straits Queen The Judds Eurythmics The Jesus and Mary Chain Linda Ronstadt Steve Winwood The Cars Emmylou Harris Nick Cave The Pogues Roxy Music Warren Zevon Tom Petty (solo) Fugazi George Strait Stone Roses Dio Black Flag Los Lobos Bonnie Raitt Willie Nelson Billy Idol Peter Gabriel Einstürzende Neubauten Einstürzende Neubauten AC/DC Violent Femmes Rush Salt N Pepa Squeeze Elvis Costello & the Attractions Kate Bush John Lennon Jane's Addiction The Kinks Ultravox R.E.M. The B-52's Dexys Midnight Runners Joy Division/New Order Public Enemy Madness Stevie Ray Vaughan The Police Bauhaus Beastie Boys Simple Minds Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Janet Jackson Luther Vandross Cyndi Lauper Megadeth Cheap Trick Lou Reed Chaka Khan The Misfits Olivia Newton-John They Might Be Giants Smokey Robinson Eric Clapton Minutemen Ozzy Osbourne Black Sabbath Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Paul McCartney Mötley Crüe Faith No More Madonna The Tragically Hip Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five Bob Marley Crowded House Motörhead Robert Palmer Gang of Four Neil Young Eric B. & Rakim Stevie Wonder George Benson Boogie Down Productions ZZ Top Red Hot Chili Peppers Minor Threat Bryan Adams Ice-T Joe Jackson Michael Jackson Anthrax The Dead Kennedys The Bangles Boz Scaggs Pixies Meat Puppets Yes Bob Seger Lionel Richie Steve Earle Living Colour Bad Brains The Moody Blues Rick James Ramones Heart INXS Styx Leonard Cohen King Crimson U2 Pet Shop Boys Tears for Fears Talk Talk Stray Cats Prince Stevie Nicks Def Leppard Frankie Goes to Hollywood The J. Geils Band Echo and the Bunnymen Quincy Jones Bobby Brown De La Soul John Mellencamp Hall & Oates The Psychedelic Furs Cher Sinead O'Connor New Edition Neil Diamond Bruce Springsteen Suzanne Vega Tina Turner Aretha Franklin Alice Cooper Scorpions Genesis The Human League Aerosmith Cocteau Twins Patti LaBelle ABC Siouxsie & the Banshees Grace Jones The Rolling Stones The Clash XTC Kenny Loggins Diana Ross Skinny Puppy Dinosaur Jr. Anita Baker Amy Grant Twisted Sister The Cure Duran Duran Devo The Go-Go's The Jam Midnight Oil Carly Simon Miami Sound Machine Run DMC Metallica Van Halen Barbra Streisand Guns N' Roses Sting Pat Benatar Hüsker Dü English Beat The Cult Afrika Bambaataa Jackson Browne Ministry George Harrison Billy Joel Paul Simon Bon Jovi Toto Slayer Joe Cocker Whitney Houston ABBA Foreigner Gloria Estefan Men at Work Donna Summer Culture Club The Pretenders "Weird Al" Yankovic Electric Light Orchestra Depeche Mode David Bowie Iron Maiden Brian Eno The Smiths Kenny Rogers Elton John Fleetwood Mac Don Henley Sparks Judas Priest Kraftwerk LL Cool J Al Jarreau George Michael Blondie Talking Heads Phil Collins Public Image Ltd. The Pointer Sisters The Fall Adam and the Ants Huey Lewis and The News The Replacements
Of the 229 artists listed above, 48% have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
| ⇦ 1970s | 1990s ⇨ |
The Defining Albums of the 1980s
Diana Ross - Diana (1980)
David Bowie - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)
Prince - Dirty Mind (1980)
AC/DC - Back In Black (1980)
The Cure - Boys Don't Cry (1980)
The Pretenders - Pretenders (1980)
Joy Division - Closer (1980)
The Clash - Sandinista! (1980)
Motörhead - Ace Of Spades (1980)
U2 - Boy (1980)
Bruce Springsteen - The River (1980)
Talking Heads - Remain In Light (1980)
X - Los Angeles (1980)
The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You (1981)
Luther Vandross - Never Too Much (1981)
Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)
Black Flag - Damaged (1981)
Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here (1981)
The Police - Ghost in the Machine (1981)
X - Wild Gift (1981)
Prince - 1999 (1982)
Richard and Linda Thompson - Shoot Out the Lights (1982)
Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska (1982)
The Go-Go's - Beauty And The Beat (1982)
Roxy Music - Avalon (1982)
Chuck Berry - The Great Twenty-Eight (1982)
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Imperial Bedroom (1982)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982)
U2 - War (1983)
ZZ Top - Eliminator (1983)
Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual (1983)
New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies (1983)
The Police - Synchronicity (1983)
Eurythmics - Touch (1983)
R.E.M. - Murmur (1983)
Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense (1984)
Bruce Springsteen - Born In The U.S.A. (1984)
Prince & the Revolution - Purple Rain (1984)
Los Lobos - How Will the Wolf Survive? (1984)
Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime (1984)
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Legend (1984)
The Replacements - Let It Be (1984)
Run-D.M.C. - Run-D.M.C. (1984)
The Smiths - The Smiths (1984)
Sade - Diamond Life (1984)
Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising (1985)
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy (1985)
Various artists - The Indestructible Beat of Soweto (1985)
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love (1985)
The Pogues - Rum Sodomy & the Lash (1985)
New Order - Low-Life (1985)
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs (1985)
Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair (1985)
LL Cool J - Radio (1985)
The Replacements - Tim (1985)
Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston (1985)
Sam Cooke - Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 (1985)
The Smiths - Meat Is Murder (1985)
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms (1985)
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley/Go Bo Diddley (1986)
Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)
Run-D.M.C. - Raising Hell (1986)
New Order - Brotherhood (1986)
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead (1986)
Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)
Slayer - Reign In Blood (1986)
Janet Jackson - Control (1986)
Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill (1986)
Steve Earle - Guitar Town (1986)
Peter Gabriel - So (1986)
Anita Baker - Rapture (1986)
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded (1987)
Michael Jackson - Bad (1987)
George Michael - Faith (1987)
Prince - Sign O' The Times (1987)
The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)
R.E.M. - Document (1987)
The Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me (1987)
U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)
Pet Shop Boys - Actually (1987)
Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full (1987)
Def Leppard - Hysteria (1987)
Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel Of Love (1987)
Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction (1987)
Sonic Youth - Sister (1987)
Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me (1987)
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton (1988)
Pixies - Surfer Rosa (1988)
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation (1988)
Lucinda Williams - Lucinda Williams (1988)
EPMD - Strictly Business (1988)
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking (1988)
Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman (1988)
Don Henley - The End Of The Innocence (1989)
Madonna - Like A Prayer (1989)
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine (1989)
Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever (1989)
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses (1989)
Pixies - Doolittle (1989)
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (1989)
Aerosmith - Pump (1989)
The Cure - Disintegration (1989)
Janet Jackson - Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)
Bonnie Raitt - Nick of Time (1989)
De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
| ⇦ 1970s | 1990s ⇨ |
The Defining Songs of the 1980s
Stevie Wonder - Master Blaster (Jammin') (1980)
Bob Marley - Could You Be Loved (1980)
AC/DC - Back In Black (1980)
Kurtis Blow - The Breaks (1980)
English Beat - Mirror In The Bathroom (1980)
AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long (1980)
Rush - The Spirit Of Radio (1980)
X - Los Angeles (1980)
Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train (1980)
Dead Kennedys - Holiday in Cambodia (1980)
Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime (1980)
Peter Gabriel - Biko (1980)
George Jones - He Stopped Loving Her Today (1980)
Go-Go's - We Got the Beat (1980)
Joan Jett - Bad Reputation (1980)
Motörhead - Ace Of Spades (1980)
Bob Marley - Redemption Song (1980)
Devo - Whip It (1980)
Judas Priest - Breaking The Law (1980)
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (1980)
Luther Vandross - Never Too Much (1981)
Black Flag - TV Party (1981)
Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight (1981)
The Specials - Ghost Town (1981)
Rick James - Super Freak (1981)
The Go-Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed (1981)
Stevie Nicks - Edge Of Seventeen (1981)
Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure (1981)
R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe (1981)
Rush - Limelight (1981)
Stray Cats - Rock This Town (1981)
Michael Jackson - Beat It (1982)
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (1982)
Afrika Bambaataa - Planet Rock (1982)
Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing (1982)
Culture Club - Time (Clock of the Heart) (1982)
Toto - Africa (1982)
George Clinton - Atomic Dog (1982)
Prince - 1999 (1982)
Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf (1982)
Prince - Little Red Corvette (1982)
Grandmaster Flash - The Message (1982)
Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City (1982)
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday (1983)
Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun (1983)
ZZ Top - Legs (1983)
John Cougar Mellencamp - Authority Song (1983)
The Police - Every Breath You Take (1983)
Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time (1983)
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (1983)
John Cougar Mellencamp - Pink Houses (1983)
New Order - Blue Monday (1983)
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Pride And Joy (1983)
Van Halen - Jump (1983)
Hüsker Dü - Turn on the News (1984)
Prince - Purple Rain (1984)
Depeche Mode - People Are People (1984)
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
Prince - When Doves Cry (1984)
U.T.F.O. - Roxanne, Roxanne (1984)
Tina Turner - What's Love Got to Do With It (1984)
Bruce Springsteen - Dancing in the Dark (1984)
The Smiths - How Soon is Now? (1984)
The Replacements - I Will Dare (1984)
U2 - Pride (In the Name of Love) (1984)
The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now (1984)
Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah (1984)
Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls (1984)
Madonna - Like a Virgin (1984)
Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World (1985)
Miami Sound Machine - Conga (1985)
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Cities in Dust (1985)
Madonna - Into the Groove (1985)
The Replacements - Here Comes a Regular (1985)
The Replacements - Left Of The Dial (1985)
Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes (1986)
Prince - Kiss (1986)
Janet Jackson - Control (1986)
The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (1986)
Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle (1986)
Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)
Beastie Boys - (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party) (1986)
Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning (1987)
Public Enemy - Bring The Noise (1987)
INXS - Never Tear Us Apart (1987)
The Cure - Just Like Heaven (1987)
Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full (1987)
U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (1987)
U2 - With Or Without You (1987)
Guns 'N' Roses - Welcome To The Jungle (1987)
Tom Waits - Hang on St. Christopher (1987)
Lucinda Williams - Passionate Kisses (1988)
The La's - There She Goes (1988)
Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock - It Takes Two (1988)
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car (1988)
N.W.A - Fuck Tha Police (1988)
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton (1988)
Pixies - Where Is My Mind? (1988)
Ministry - Stigmata (1988)
Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot (1988)
Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance (1988)
Madonna - Like a Prayer (1989)
Nine Inch Nails - Head Like a Hole (1989)
Beastie Boys - Hey Ladies (1989)
Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation (1989)
The Cure - Pictures of You (1989)
Public Enemy - Fight the Power (1989)
Biz Markie - Just a Friend (1989)
| ⇦ 1970s | 1990s ⇨ |