by Paula S. Thompson

Created on: November 18, 2011   Last Updated: November 21, 2011

The 1980s music scene was a time of musical diversity, from hard rock to hair bands to country-pop and many acts in between mixing genres. These five acts had stellar careers in the 1980s, many of which carried on into the 1990s and even today.

R.E.M. was formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980 and is considered one of the first bands in the Alternative Rock genre. The built a following thanks to college radio stations and constant touring in support of albums like Murmurs, Reckoning and Fables of the Reconstruction. In September 2011, the band announced its official breakup, after touring off and on for 30-plus years.

Def Leppard was part of the late 1970s-early 1980s heavy metal movement out of England. Formed in 1977, Def Leppard hit the mainstream with the release of High ‘n’ Dry in 1981 and followed it up with Pyromania in 1983. The mid-1980s and early 1990s saw the band survive in spite of drummer Rick Savage losing his left arm in a car crash in 1984 and the death of guitarist Steve Clark in 1991. In 2011, the band is still touring and recording.

Duran Duran came from a different British musical movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s: the New Romantic movement. Formed in 1978, they were credited with leading the “second British invasion” in music, dubbed the “Fab Five” in reference to the Beatles’ “fab four” moniker. One of the first video bands, their splashy videos were all over MTV in the early 1980s thanks to hits like “Hungry Like the Wolf” and controversial flicks like “Girls on Film.” After many splits and replacements, the five band members from the 1980 lineup got back together in 2001, and four of those members are still touring and recording today.

Alabama was the country music supergroup of the 1980s era, even though they were formed back in 1969. After years of touring and recording for independent labels, the group signed with RCA Records in 1980 and never looked back. A string of number one singles followed, starting with “Tennessee River” in 1980 and ending with “Reckless” in 1993. The band retired from touring after their 2003-04 tour, reuniting on stage only recently for a performance of “Old Alabama” with Brad Paisley on the 2011 Academy of Country Music Awards.

U2 was formed in 1976 in Dublin, Ireland, drawing on punk influences but eventually going on to influence a whole generation of artists on their own. The band signed with Island Records in 1980 and had their first hit, “I Will Follow,” later that year. With 1983’s War album, their lyrics had a decidedly political flavor with songs like “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “New Year’s Day.” They achieved their greatest commercial success in 1987 with the release of The Joshua Tree and its hits “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” U2 is still one of the top touring bands in the world, having grossed more than $730 million on their recent U2 360 Tour.

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