A Certain Ratio | If you're familiar with A Certain Ratio, you are an insane music fan. It is tough to find music by this British funk-pop band in the United States. |
Knife Slits Water | 1982 |
Wild Party | 1985 |
A-Ha | The world generally knows A-Ha as a one-hit wonder ("Take On Me", US #1/UK #2, 1985), but the band expanded from their light synthesizer pop into a more rich sound in their later years. "Summer Moved On" is a good example. |
Move To Memphis | 1991 |
Summer Moved On | 1999 |
ABC | I get the feeling record companies picked British bands at random to promote. ABC didn't seem any different than their peers."The Look of Love" (US #18/UK #4, 1982) propelled the band to brief success. But "Poison Arrow" had a lot more verve to it. "Be Near Me" is a solid, smooth pop song. |
Be Near Me | 1985 |
Poison Arrow | 1982 |
AC/DC | Where can anyone begin with AC/DC? The Australian band managed to merge blues sensibility and bombastic rock with a maladjusted sense of humour. No one could really imitate Bon Scott's vocal style, except for Brian Johnson, who joined the band after Scott's 1980 death. Most of their songs missed the US Top 40. "You Shook Me All Night Long" hit #35, and "Back in Black" peaked at #37. AC/DC had considerably more British chart success. |
Dirty Deeds, Done Dirt Cheap | |
Girl's Got Rhythm | 1979 |
Highway To Hell | 1979 |
It's A Long Way To the Top | 1976 |
Jailbreak | 1974 |
Livewire | 1976 |
Shoot To Thrill | 1980 |
Shot Down In Flames | |
The Jack | 1976 |
Thunderstruck | 1990 |
Whole Lotta Rosie | 1977 |
Bryan Adams | Yes, I know, it's Bryan Adams. But this song has one of the catchier guitar harmonies I've heard. |
Run To You | 1984 |
Aerosmith | One of the defining rock bands of the 1970s, Aerosmith continued to re-invent themselves, from blues band, to arena rockers, to ballad monsters (which I could live without). Their careers seem limitless at this point. Like AC/DC, Aerosmith knew when to poke fun at themselves. Steven Tyler's raspy, scat-style vocals, build on a solid foundation set by Mick Jagger. Their concerts are also some of the most entertaining in rock 'n' roll. |
Dream On | 1973 |
Dude (Looks Like A Lady) | 1987 |
Eat The Rich | 1993 |
Janie's Got A Gun | 1989 |
Mama Kin | 1973 |
Sweet Emotion | 1975 |
Taste Of India | 1998 |
Train Kept A Rollin' | 1973 |
Walk This Way | 1975 |
Alan Parsons Project | If there's one thing Alan Parsons knew, it was how to produce a crisp-sounding record. The man who helped engineer "Abbey Road" and "Dark Side of the Moon" started his own musical projects in the mid-1970s. The tight, driving "Games People Play" was one of the most popular of Parsons' songs. |
Games People Play | 1980 |
The Alarm | This band sounded, well, alarmingly like U2 on their first few albums. "Rain In the Summertime" showed their pop sensibility. |
Rain In the Summertime | 1987 |
Aldo Nova | This song probably has one of the coolest introductions I've heard. |
Fantasy | 1982 |
Alice In Chains | Raw, distorted guitars and thundering bass never sounded so good as it did with Alice In Chains. While the rest of the band tried to take a lot of the credit, vocalist Layne Staley's style separated the bands from their peers. It didn't matter that Staley had trouble holding notes, his mournful, screeching vocals just hadn't been heard in many bands. The depressing, often narcotic-influenced lyrics complemented the band's sound well. "Rooster" might be one of the most haunting songs I've heard. |
Angry Chair | 1992 |
Dam That River | 1992 |
Down In A Hole | 1992 |
Godsmack | 1992 |
I Stay Away | 1993 |
Man In the Box | 1990 |
Rooster | 1992 |
Sea Of Sorrow | 1990 |
Sickman | 1992 |
Them Bones | 1992 |
We Die Young | 1990 |
What the Hell Have I? | 1993 |
Would? | 1992 |
Greg Allman | A song that sonically matches its title. Here, Allman covers his own song for a solo album. |
Midnight Rider | 1973 |
Allman Brothers Band | The Allman Brothers helped define the long form blues-based rock of the 1970s, as well as the contemporary term "jam band". Their complicated arrangements and knack for improvisation made them a delight to see in concert. |
Midnight Rider | 1970 |
One Way Out | 1972 |
Revival | 1970 |
Statesboro Blues | 1970 |
Stormy Monday | 1970 |
Whipping Post | 1969 |
America | |
A Horse With No Name | 1972 |
Animotion | This is one of the best dance numbers from the 1980s (US #6/UK #5, 1985). Somehow, both members got replaced for a 1989 album. |
Obsession | 1985 |
Aztec Camera | The jangle-pop sound of this Scottish band sometimes mimicked R.E.M. No pun intended, but most Americans were oblivious to Aztec Camera's existence. |
Good Morning Britain | 1990 |
Oblivious | 1983 |
The B-52's | Drawing upon the absurdity of decades of pop culture, the B-52's created a unique art-pop style similar to Devo and the Talking Heads. Complex rhythms, and avant-garde female vocals matched with minimalist lyrics set the band apart from almost everything else in the late 1970s and early 1980s. As I once read in an article, "The B-52's aren't just a band, they're a hell of a good time". They eventually found chart success in 1989 after releasing the single "Love Shack" (US #3, 1989. |
Channel Z | 1989 |
Cosmic Thing | 1989 |
Dirty Back Road | 1980 |
Girl From Ipanema Goes To Greenland | 1986 |
Love Shack | 1989 |
Mesopotamia | 1982 |
Party Out Of Bounds | 1980 |
Planet Claire | 1979 |
Private Idaho | 1980 |
Rock Lobster | 1979 |
Song For A Future Generation | 1983 |
Strobe Light | 1980 |
Bad Company | Unfortunately, the band has become oversaturated on rock radio stations. Despite the headache-incuding numbers like "Feel Like Makin' Love", and "Shooting Star", the band has a couple of interesting songs. |
Burning Sky | 1977 |
Running With the Pack | 1976 |
Bauhaus | Bauhaus helped define the so-called "gothic" style of art rock, which drew upon David Bowie's work, and influenced bands from Sisters of Mercy to Nine Inch Nails. Vocalist Peter Murphy found more success as a solo artist. Guitarist Daniel Ash achieved brief fame as the lead vocalist for Love and Rockets. |
Bela Lugosi's Dead | 1979 |
The Beach Boys | The Beach Boys were probably the most important American band of the early 1960s. |
I Get Around | 1965 |
Beastie Boys | The Beastie Boys transformed themselves from hardcore rockers to one of the top rap groups in history. Like Run DMC, the trio originally sampled from hard rock classics, and used their humour to create a unique portfolio. "Hey Ladies" (US #36, 1989) is still one of my favorites. |
Egg Man | 1989 |
Hey Ladies | 1989 |
She's On It | 1985 |
(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party) | 1986 |
The Beatles | It's the Beatles. Their dramatic artistic progression never hurt their careers, and never came at the expense of a fine pop tune. "A Day In the Life" seems like the perfect combination of the talents of each band member. |
A Day In the Life | 1967 |
Back In the USSR | 1968 |
Come Together | 1969 |
Day Tripper | |
Eleanor Rigby | |
Golden Slumber's Medley | 1969 |
Happiness Is A Warm Gun | |
Hello, Goodbye | 1967 |
Helter Skelter | 1968 |
I Feel Fine | 1965 |
Magical Mystery Tour | 1967 |
Strawberry Fields Forever | 1967 |
While My Guitar Gently Weeps | 1968 |
Yesterday | 1965 |
Beck | This is much more polished mix of Beck's influences than his previous work. |
Where It's At | 1996 |
Belle and Sebastian | Unknown to most Americans, this Scottish group has a real knack for sonically superior pop recordings. They sound remarkably good in concert, too. |
Step Into My Office, Baby | 2004 |
Ben Folds Five | In the rush for record companies to find as many Pearl Jam-eqsue bands as they could find, Ben Folds Five slipped in under the fence. Their lyrics resembled an angry, profane update of the B-52s, with their appreciation for absurd pop culture. The piano-playing is some of the finest in rock 'n' roll, and their concerts are outstanding. "Underground" and "The Battle of Who Could Care Less" were the perfect foil for the "alternative" music economy. |
Army | 1999 |
One Angry Dwarf & 200 Solemn Faces | 1997 |
Philosophy | 1996 |
Song For the Dumped | 1997 |
The Battle Of Who Could Care Less | 1997 |
Underground | 1995 |
Berlin | "Sex (I'm A...)" screamed sensuality like no other song from the post-punk era. Too bad Terri Nunn could never recapture it. |
Sex (I'm A...) | 1982 |
Big Audio Dynamite | After the breakup of the Clash, Mick Jones formed Big Audio Dynamite as a vehicle for his experiments with dance and hip-hop. "E=MC^2" hit #11 in the UK. But the group never really had chart success in the U.S. until 1991, when they released an album under a slightly different name, with obvious samples from The Clash. |
C'Mon Every Beat Box | 1986 |
E=MC^2 | 1986 |
Big Audio Dynamite II | See above. |
Globe | 1991 |
Rush | 1991 |
Big Country | This Scottish band faded as quickly as they arrived. None of their other songs captured the spirit of "In A Big Country" (US #17/UK #17, 1983) |
In A Big Country | 1983 |
Bjork | It's safe to say there's no one like Bjork. Her swooping, screeching, yet elegant vocals resembled nothing on the pop charts when the Sugarcubes released their first albums in the late 1980s. Bjork's solo work has enchanced her avant-garde style greatly, as well as her fashion noteriety. Her music videos represent her unique songs extraordinairely well. |
Hidden Place | 2001 |
Human Behavior | 1993 |
It's Oh So Quiet | 1996 |
Joga | 1997 |
Black Flag | Low on technique, but high on message, Black Flag helped put California hard core bands on the map. Considering my line of work, "TV Party" is a hoot to listen to. |
TV Party | 1981 |
Black Sabbath | Expanding on Led Zeppelin's heavy blues style, Black Sabbath altered the lyrics to reflect the paranormal and the occult. "Ironman" has one of the most recognizable riffs in history. "Planet Caravan" is dreadfully haunting. |
Heaven and Hell | 1980 |
Ironman | 1971 |
Paranoid | 1971 |
Planet Caravan | 1971 |
Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath | 1973 |
Sweet Leaf | 1972 |
The Wizard | 1970 |
War Pigs/Luke's Wall | 1971 |
Blackfoot | Fun song, nothing more. |
Train, Train | 1979 |
Blind Faith | This beautiful song developed from a very short-lived collaboration between Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton. |
Can't Find My Way Home | 1969 |
Blondie | The attractiveness of Debbie Harry aside, Blondie managed to bridge multiple styles and maintain chart success, even though the American band had to go to England to find fame here in the U.S. You can hear the New York influence in "Atomic" (punk, US #39/UK #1, 1980), "The Tide Is High" (a reggae remake, US #1/UK #1, 1981), and "Rapture" (rap, US #1/UK #5, 1981). |
Atomic | 1980 |
Call Me | 1980 |
Dreaming | 1979 |
Hanging On the Telephone | 1978 |
Heart of Glass | 1978 |
Rapture | 1981 |
Blue Oyster Cult | Hard rock meets science fiction. |
(Don't Fear) The Reaper | 1976 |
Godzilla | 1977 |
Blur | Blur's slight transformation resulted in a separation from contemporary British bands of the early 1990s, into one of the most popular bands in the U.K. They might sound pretentious, but Blur has come up with some noteworthy singles. |
Girls and Boys | 1994 |
The Universal | 1995 |
There's No Other Way | 1991 |
Bolshoi | Their brief two-year career kept them under the radar, even in Britain. |
A Way | 1986 |
The Boomtown Rats | Lead singer Bob Geldof became more well-known for his charitable efforts (Band Aid, and so on). But the Boomtown Rats had a nice blend of musical styles. "Rat Trap" (UK #1, 1977) made them household stars. "Up All Night" is probably my favorite (unusual choice, I know). |
Banana Republic | 1981 |
Rat Trap | 1977 |
Tonight | 1985 |
Up All Night | 1981 |
Boston | Power pop meets hard rock. "Foreplay/Long Time" (as long as the two are played together), makes for a good combination. |
Foreplay/Long Time | 1976 |
Bow Wow Wow | Bow Wow Wow benfitted greatly, because the band was essentially the former members of Adam and the Ants. The band matched their African and Caribbean rhythms well with a funky female singer. A remake of "I Want Candy" (UK #9, 1982), and the raw rhythm of "Go Wild In the Country" (UK #7, 1982) gave them brief success. |
C30, C60, C90, Go! | 1980 |
Go Wild In the Country | 1982 |
I Want Candy | 1982 |
David Bowie | Seemingly, David Bowie has done it all. He's used his teetering voice in so many ways, it's sometimes unrecognizable from one song to the next. I tend to prefer the long-form artsy rock of his early 1970s work, as well as the haunting "Ashes to Ashes" (UK #1, 1980). |
Absolute Beginners | 1986 |
Ashes to Ashes | 1980 |
Big Brother | 1974 |
Cat People (Putting Out Fire) | 1982 |
China Girl | 1983 |
Fame | 1975 |
Golden Years | 1976 |
Heroes | 1977 |
Life On Mars | 1972 |
Modern Love | 1983 |
Panic In Detroit | 1973 |
Rebel Rebel | 1974 |
Space Oddity | 1969 |
Sound and Vision | 1977 |
Suffragette City | 1972 |
The Man Who Sold the World | 1970 |
TVC 15 | 1976 |
Young Americans | 1975 |
Billy Bragg | The vocal style is a little hard to become accustomed to, but Bragg's lyrics never disappoint. |
No Power Without Accountability | 2003 |
Sexuality | 1991 |
Waiting For the Great Leap Forward | 1988 |
Laura Branigan | "Self Control" (US #4, 1984) represents the occasional, unusual guilty pleasure. I never really liked anything else she did. |
Self Control | 1984 |
Brother Cane | This driving, southern rock song slipped in under the radar at a time when record companies wanted "the next Pearl Jam". |
Got No Shame | 1994 |
James Brown | No one can really add anything. James Brown defined soul and funk in the 1960s. |
Get On the Good Foot | 1972 |
Try Me | 1963 |
Kate Bush | Kate Bush is often hailed as a prodigy, and a musical genius. Unfortunately, most of her early, drolling piano melodies are a bit too exasperating. "Hounds of Love" is a sonically superior album. |
Army Dreamers | 1981 |
Cloudbusting | 1985 |
Experiment IV | 1985 |
Running Up That Hill | 1985 |
The Buzzcocks | Pete Shelley fronted this pop-punk band in the late 1970s. |
Orgasm Addict | 1977 |
What Do I Get? | 1978 |
Cake | Most of Cake's songs sound alike, in my mind. But a couple of quirky gems exist. |
Never There | 1998 |
Rock and Roll Lifestyle | 1995 |
The Call | A Christian band that really wasn't marketed as one. |
Modern Romans | 1983 |
The Walls Come Down | 1982 |
Camper Van Beethoven | This goofy band was a perfect antithesis to the standard-issue pop of the day. |
Take the Skinheads Bowling | 1985 |
Candlebox | After their debut album, some of their more melodious work went unnoticed. |
Change | 1994 |
10,000 Horses | 1998 |
You | 1994 |
The Cardigans | This is the follow-up to a minor hit, "My Favorite Game". I'm still not sure what hooked me; I just know I like it. |
Erase and Rewind | 1998 |
Paul Carrack | |
I Live By the Groove | 1989 |
The Cars | Along with the punk bands, the Cars brought a revival of 1950s-style rock 'n roll. They just did it more successfully, with a less abrasive sound. "Moving In Stereo" is still a sonic treat, especially with headphones (or by watching "Fast Times At Ridgemont High"). |
Bye Bye Love | 1978 |
Candy-O | 1979 |
Dangerous Type | 1979 |
Good Times Roll | 1978 |
Heartbeat City | 1984 |
Moving In Stereo/All Mixed Up | 1978 |
Catherine Wheel | The band managed to transform from a Roxy Music-style group to something a little harder (and thus, gained some U.S. popularity). |
Black Metallic | 1992 |
Crank | 1993 |
Chalk Farm | |
Lie On Lie | 1996 |
Tracy Chapman | Chapman gained immediate attention with her emotional, sometimes pained voice, and lyrics that drew upon influences like Bob Dylan and Bob Marley. Although Chapman still generates good songs, nothing really captures the spirit of "Talkin' 'Bout A Revolution" or "Fast Car" (US #6/UK #5, 1988) |
Fast Car | 1988 |
It's Okay | 2000 |
Mountains O' Things | 1988 |
Talkin' 'Bout A Revolution | 1988 |
Telling Stories | 2000 |
Charlatans U.K. | One of the many bands from the Manchester scene of the early 1990s, Charlatans U.K. took a long time to separate themselves. One song, "Weirdo" (UK #19, 1992), provided an exception with its stellar funk-organ riff. |
Love Is the Key | 2001 |
One To Another | 1999 |
The Only One I Know | 1990 |
Weirdo | 1992 |
Ray Charles | |
What I'd Say | 1959 |
China Crisis | China Crisis was another British band largely unknown to American audiences. |
African and White | 1982 |
Arizona Sky | 1987 |
Scream Down At Me | 1982 |
Church | This Australian band's laid-back "Starfish" album played well in the U.S. I still hear people try to sing "Under the Milky Way" (US #24, 1988) at karaoke bars. |
Metropolis | 1990 |
Reptile | 1988 |
Under the Milky Way | 1988 |
Eric Clapton | Although Clapton has had a lengthy solo career, he tends to receive more credit for his guitar work with groups like Cream and the Yardbirds. See Clapton in concert, it's a blast. |
After Midnight | 1970 |
After Midnight '88 | 1988 |
Bad Love | 1989 |
Before You Accuse Me | 1989 |
Cocaine | 1977 |
Let It Rain | 1970 |
Motherless Children | 1974 |
Traveling Light | 2001 |
The Clash | Political ideology met with punk when the Clash formed in the mid-1970s. But the Clash were more than a punk band. They expanded into reggae, country and rap-influenced rhythms. "The Magnificent Seven" (UK #34, 1981) and "Rock the Casbah" (US #8/UK #30, 1982) represent that transformation well. "London Calling" is an overtly political album everyone should hear at least once. |
Clash City Rockers | 1977 |
I'm So Bored With the USA | 1977 |
London Calling | 1979 |
Lost In the Supermarket | 1980 |
Overpowered By Funk | 1982 |
Rock the Casbah | 1982 |
Should I Stay Or Should I Go? | 1982 |
Spanish Bombs | 1980 |
The Guns of Brixton | 1979 |
The Magnificent Seven | 1981 |
This Is Radio Clash | 1981 |
Train In Vain | 1980 |
White Riot | 1977 |
George Clinton | |
Atomic Dog | 1983 |
Bruce Cockburn | Despite a 30-year Canadian career, Cockburn has very little recognition in this country. "Wondering Where the Lions Are" (US #21, 1980) has a Dylan-esque feel to it. Much of Cockburn's political lyrics can be summed up in the songs "If I Had A Rocket Launcher", and "Call It Democracy". |
Call It Democracy | 1986 |
If I Had A Rocket Launcher | 1984 |
Last Night of the World | 1999 |
Wondering Where the Lions Are | 1979 |
World of Wonder | 1986 |
The Cocteau Twins | Despite soaring, atmospheric voices, the Cocteau Twins have hardly made a ripple in the United States. |
Five Ten Fiftyfold | 1983 |
In the Gold Dust Rush | 1983 |
Coldplay | |
Clocks | 2001 |
Speed of Sound | 2005 |
Trouble | 1999 |
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions | Here's another band virtually unknown to the American audience. Cole was probably one of the more inventive singer-songwriters of the time. |
Perfect Skin | 1984 |
Rattlesnakes | 1984 |
Phil Collins | Collins developed an interesting pattern - release an album with Genesis, then release a solo album, and repeat. It's generally hard to tell the difference between the two, except for "In the Air Tonight" (US #19/UK #2, 1981), his signature song. |
In the Air Tonight | 1981 |
Paradise | 1989 |
The Colour Field | This band was a side project of Fun Boy Three, who in turn were the principal remnants of the Specials. |
Pushing Up The Daisies | 1985 |
Julian Cope | Cope was a strange fellow, falling somewhere between Iggy Pop and Syd Barrett. As a member of "A Teardrop Explodes", he got hit in the head with a bottle while on stage. He also slashed his own stomach with a broken microphone. Cope must've ticked off more than a few people; someone eventually recorded a song called "Julian Cope is Dead". |
World Shut Your Mouth | 1987 |
Cornershop | |
Brimful of Asha | 1998 |
Corrosion of Conformity | A loud, abrasive band that emulated the style of 1990s-era Pantera. |
Albatross | 1994 |
Clean My Wounds | 1994 |
Elvis Costello (and the Attractions) | "The Little Monster", they called Elvis Costello. The man has seemingly experimented with every type of pop music form, from pub rock, to reggae, to soul, to 60s-style pop, and everything in between. Costello hasn't seen much of the charts in the U.S. "Everyday I Write the Book" hit #36 in 1983, and "Veronica" peaked at #19 in 1989. |
Accidents Will Happen | 1979 |
Goon Squad | 1979 |
Less Than Zero | 1977 |
Monkey To Man | 2004 |
Moods For Moderns | 1979 |
Peace, Love and Understanding | 1979 |
Pills and Soap | 1983 |
Pump It Up | 1978 |
Radio Radio | 1978 |
Red Shoes | 1977 |
Veronica | 1989 |
Watching the Detectives | 1977 |
The Cramps | I don't know whether to call The Cramps a novelty band, some neo-rockabilly act, or "that band I only hear around Halloween." "Goo Goo Muck" is a fun, filthy song, though. |
Goo Goo Muck | 1981 |
The Robert Cray Band | Guitarist Robert Cray is probably more known to the blues community than the masses. |
Smoking Gun | 1986 |
Cream | The all-star combo of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce generated quite a few hits in a very short period. "Badge" is probably my favorite. |
Badge | 1969 |
Crossroads | 1968 |
Strange Brew | 1968 |
Sunshine Of Your Love | 1967 |
White Room | 1967 |
Creedence Clearwater Revival | Even though the band hailed from San Francisco, CCR solidified a swampy sound that gave the illusion of deep Louisiana roots. "Fortunate Son" is probably one of the best working-class protest songs of the rock era. |
Bad Moon Rising | 1970 |
Born On the Bayou | 1968 |
Fortunate Son | 1969 |
Green River | 1969 |
Run Through the Jungle | 1970 |
Marshall Crenshaw | |
Someday Someway | 1982 |
Crosby, Stills, Nash (and sometimes Young) | Perfect harmony often describes Crosby, Stills and Nash. They added more of a raw edge with Neil Young's addition on the Deja Vu album. |
Carry On/Questions | 1969 |
Long Time Gone | 1969 |
Ohio | 1970 |
Wasted On the Way | 1982 |
Woodstock | 1970 |
Crowded House | The death of Split Enz gave birth to Crowded House, who recorded some of the best pop songs of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Some writers compared them to the Beatles. |
Don't Dream It's Over | 1986 |
Kill Eye | 1988 |
Mean To Me | 1986 |
Pineapple Head | 1993 |
The World Where You Live | 1986 |
The Cult | The Cult cultivated their style with a heavy dose of metal influences, and indigenous mysticism. "Li'l Devil" (UK #11, 1987) is actually their highest-charting British single. The band never hit the U.S. Top 40 (though they came close with "Fire Woman"). |
Edie (Ciao Baby) | 1989 |
Fire Woman | 1989 |
Li'l Devil | 1987 |
Rain | 1985 |
She Sells Sanctuary | 1985 |
Sun King | 1989 |
The Cure | Style played just as much of a part of The Cure's success as their unique, gloomy melodies. Personally, I had a friend who tried very hard to mimic Robert Smith's unbalanced hairstyle. "Disintegration" was one of the best albums of the late 1980s. |
A Forest | 1980 |
Blood | 1985 |
Boys Don't Cry | 1980 |
Fascination Street | 1989 |
High | 1992 |
Let's Go To Bed | 1982 |
Love Song | 1989 |
Open | 1992 |
Why Can't I Be You | 1987 |
Dada | This Canadian band produces music without gaining a lot of attention. "Diz Knee Land" had brief rock radio airplay. |
Diz Knee Land | 1992 |
Damn Yankees | |
Mister Please | 1990 |
Danzig | "Mother" was released twice, first in 1988, then as a concert version in 1993 (that's the version you normally hear on the radio). |
Mother | 1988 |
Dave Matthews Band | Considering the instrumentation of this band, their popular success was rather surprising. But it's well deserved. The Dave Matthews Band used their rabid, energetic concert following to score a better record deal. With Top 40 radio leaning, and seeking "alternative" acts, DMB appeared at the right time with the song "What Would You Say". |
Crush | 1998 |
Jimi Thing | 1994 |
So Much To Say | 1996 |
Stay | 1998 |
David and David | Unfortunately, David Baerwald, and the other David, released just one album. The single "Welcome to the Boomtown" peaked at #37 in the U.S. |
Welcome To the Boomtown | 1986 |
De La Soul | Often called a "hippie act", De La Soul went against the new trend of abrasive and rap groups. |
Me, Myself and I | 1989 |
Dead Kennedys | With Jello Biafra's shrill vocals, and politically charged and accurate lyrics, how can you go wrong with the Dead Kennedys? Almost every song they recorded has extreme relevance today. "California Uber Alles" has multiple versions, referring to Jerry Brown and Ronald Reagan. |
California Uber Alles | 1980 |
Holiday In Cambodia | 1980 |
Kill the Poor | 1980 |
Moral Majority | 1981 |
When Ya Get Drafted | 1980 |
Deep Purple | "Machine Head" is probably one of the best hard rock albums of the 1970s. |
Highway Star | 1972 |
Smoke On the Water | 1972 |
Space Truckin' | 1972 |
Def Leppard | People might laugh at Def Leppard's clean image (and they would be right to do so in regard to some of the ballads the band released in the 1990s), but Def Leppard put out some of the more interesting hard rock songs of the 1980s ("Too Late For Love" being one of my favorites). |
Armageddon It | 1987 |
Billy's Got A Gun | 1983 |
Bringing On the Heartbreak/Switch 625 | 1981 |
Let It Go | 1981 |
Love Bites | 1988 |
Photograph | 1983 |
Rock Brigade | 1980 |
Tonight | 1993 |
Too Late For Love | 1983 |
Depeche Mode | The synthesister-based band improved with each album, up through "Violator". Depeche Mode has recorded some of the most haunting, emotionally painful and psychologically riveting songs in pop. "Enjoy the Silence" (US #4/UK #6, 1990) is one of my favorite songs of any band or genre. As was the case with most British acts, a year would often pass between an album's British release, and its American release (if released in the U.S. at all). "People Are People" (UK #4, 1984, US #13, 1985) from "Some Great Reward", is a good example. |
Behind the Wheel | 1987 |
Blasphemous Rumours | 1984 |
Dream On | 2001 |
Dressed In Black | 1986 |
Everything Counts | 1983 |
Fly On the Windscreen | 1985 |
Get the Balance Right | 1983 |
Halo | 1990 |
Master and Servant | 1984 |
My Secret Garden | 1982 |
Never Let Me Down Again | 1987 |
Nothing | 1987 |
People Are People | 1984 |
Policy of Truth | 1990 |
Route 66 | 1987 |
Shake the Disease | 1985 |
Strangelove | 1987 |
Waiting For the Night | 1990 |
Derek and the Dominoes | |
Layla | 1970 |
Devo | Nothing sounded like Devo in the late 1970s. Their stuttered, inventive rhythms were a little too complicated for mainstream America. But Devo had a heavy influence on a number of bands. Devo took their name as a shortened form of "de-evolution", and many of their first songs reflected that thesis. Moreover, the band's image represented the herd mentality of society they railed against. By the way, Devo's remake of "Satisfaction" is one of the coolest remakes I've heard. |
Freedom of Choice | 1980 |
Girl U Want | 1980 |
Got A Gut Feeling | 1978 |
Mongoloid | 1977 |
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction | 1977 |
Dio | |
Last In Line | 1983 |
Dire Straits | |
Sultans of Swing | 1978 |
The Divinyls | The band used singer Christina Amphlett's sexuality well (see the videos for "Boys In Town" and "I Touch Myself"). |
Pleasure and Pain | 1985 |
Thomas Dolby | Dolby's mad scientist image played well in the early 1980s. Unfortunately, Dolby switched to a more romantic song style, and that grew tiresome. |
Europa and the Pirate Twins | 1982 |
One of Our Submarines | 1982 |
Radio Silence | 1982 |
She Blinded Me With Science | 1982 |
The Doors | Although Jim Morrison couldn't sing that well, the Doors produced some of the breakthrough songs of the 1960s. Morrison's fascination with the sexual, the mystic, and indigenous culture meshed well with the organ riffs. |
Back Door Man | |
Break On Through | 1967 |
L.A. Woman | 1971 |
Light My Fire | 1967 |
Love Her Madly | 1971 |
Peace Frog | 1970 |
People Are Strange | 1967 |
Riders On the Storm | 1971 |
Soul Kitchen | 1967 |
The Alabama Song | 1967 |
The End | 1967 |
20th Century Fox | 1967 |
The Doves | The Doves are kind of a hypnotic band, with their sometimes tumbling, and sometimes soaring melodies in the style of Radiohead. |
Rise | 2000 |
Sea Song | 2000 |
Dream Theater | Dream Theater has a very similar style to Queensryche. |
Pull Me Under | 1992 |
Duran Duran | Between their image, and catchy pop tunes, Duran Duran had phenomenal success for a reason. "Planet Earth" (UK #12, 1981), "Girls on Film" (UK #5, 1981) and Notorious (US #2/UK #7, 1986) are my favorites. |
A View To A Kill | 1985 |
All She Wants Is | 1988 |
Come Undone | 1993 |
Girls On Film | 1981 |
Hungry Like the Wolf | 1982 |
My Own Way | 1982 |
New Moon On Monday | 1983 |
Notorious | 1986 |
Ordinary World | 1992 |
Planet Earth | 1981 |
Save A Prayer | 1982 |
Sunrise | 2004 |
Ian Dury | Ian Dury almost represented rap before the musical form became mainstream. Dury certainly had a way with words and clever beats. The BBC banned "Spasticus" from all but late-night airplay because of perceived jokes about disabled people (Dury wrote it, and Dury had disabilities from childhood polio). |
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick | 1978 |
Reasons To Be Cheerful (part 3) | 1979 |
Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll | 1978 |
Spasticus (Autisticus) | 1981 |
The Eagles | Country meets rock and a laid-back California style, with the Eagles, one of the most popular groups of the 1970s. |
Hotel California | 1977 |
Life In the Fast Lane | 1977 |
Take It Easy | 1972 |
Witchy Woman | 1972 |
Echo and the Bunnymen | The Bunnymen were another band heavily influenced by the Doors. "The Killing Moon" (UK #9, 1984) and "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo" are two exceptionally haunting songs. "Echo" was the name of their drum machine on their demo tapes. |
Bedbugs and Ballyhoo | 1987 |
Crocodiles | 1980 |
Get In the Car | 1999 |
Lips Like Sugar | 1987 |
Rescue | 1980 |
Seven Seas | 1984 |
The Cutter | 1983 |
The Killing Moon | 1984 |
Duane Eddy | |
Peter Gunn | 1960 |
Elastica | "Connection" was an interesting song. Too bad it was so short. |
Connection | 1994 |
Electric Light Orchestra | |
Fire On High | 1976 |
Electric Six | This song features Jack White on secondary vocals. The lead vocalist almost sounds like Tom Jones. |
Danger High Voltage | 2003 |
Electronic | New Order's Bernard Sumner, and The Smiths' Johnny Marr formed this group. |
Feel Every Beat | 1991 |
Get the Message | 1990 |
EMF | |
Lies | 1991 |
English Beat | Known as "The Beat" everywhere else in the world, they needed the English prefix in the U.S. to separate themselves from Paul Collins' band "The Beat". The band possessed a unique sound, combining elements of ska, jazz, reggae and pop. Check out the 1980 album "I Just Can't Stop It". When the band split, some members formed General Public, and others formed Fine Young Cannibals. |
I Confess | 1982 |
Mirror In the Bathroom | 1980 |
Save It For Later | 1982 |
Too Nice To Talk To | 1980 |
Twist and Crawl | 1980 |
Melissa Etheridge | Etheridge's husky voice blended well with her blues rock style. |
Like the Way I Do | 1988 |
Similar Features | 1988 |
The Eurythmics | Annie Lennox certainly had one of the more interesting public images of the 1980s. |
Here Comes the Rain | 1984 |
Missionary Man | 1986 |
Donald Fagen | Part of Steely Dan, Fagen's songs pretty much sounded like any Steely Dan tune. "New Frontier" has an amusing spin on cold war hysteria. |
New Frontier | 1982 |
Faith No More | This California hard core group surprisingly made it big in 1990. Multiple versions of "We Care A Lot" exist, conforming to current events. |
Epic | 1990 |
Last Cup Of Sorrow | 1997 |
We Care A Lot | 1987 |
Marianne Faithful | The doe-eyed one-hit wonder of the 1960s was gone, and a drug-addled, raspy Marianne Faithful took her place. However, it worked very well for this rare new wave album, featuring the creepy "Broken English", and the very frank "Why'd Ya Do It". |
Broken English | 1979 |
Bryan Ferry | Ferry used to sing for Roxy Music. Ferry eventually drove the band from an art-rock outfit into a crooner act. Many of his songs have the latter quality about them. |
Don't Stop the Dance | 1985 |
Kiss and Tell | 1987 |
Fifth Dimension | |
Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In | 1969 |
Fight | Former Judas Priest singer Rob Halford fronted this band. |
Little Crazy | 1994 |
Fishbone | Funk, punk and ska equaled Fishbone, a band that seems to have outlasted its contemporaries. |
Bonin' In the Boneyard | 1988 |
Everyday Sunshine | 1991 |
Ma and Pa | 1988 |
Party At Ground Zero | 1985 |
The Fixx | The Fixx had a surprising run on the charts in the United States (especially since they had no British hits). "Saved By Zero" (US #20, 1983) started it, though "One Thing Leads To Another" (US #4, 1983) was their biggest. The Fixx re-recorded many of their songs for a later compilation. |
Are We Ourselves | 1984 |
Deeper And Deeper | 1984 |
One Thing Leads To Another | 1983 |
Red Skies | 1982 |
Saved By Zero | 1983 |
Sign Of Fire | 1983 |
Stand Or Fall | 1982 |
The Strain | 1982 |
Fleetwood Mac | The band changed lineups so many times, few of their albums sounded alike. At the time, "Rumours" was one of the biggest-selling albums in pop history. 1969's "Oh Well" is often covered in concert by other acts. |
Big Love | 1987 |
Dreams | 1977 |
Gold Dust Woman | 1977 |
Hypnotized | 1973 |
Landslide | 1975 |
Oh Well | 1969 |
Rhiannon | 1975 |
The Chain | 1977 |
You Make Loving Fun | 1977 |
Flipper | It's a very simple song, but a lot of fun to listen to. |
Sex Bomb | 1981 |
Flock of Seagulls | People seem to remember the waterfall hairdos over the music. |
I Ran | 1982 |
Space-Age Love Song | 1982 |
Folk Implosion | "Natural One" was one of the catchier songs of the 1990s, featured in one of the more disturbing movies of the 1990s. It was also thought this band formed in response to former peers who had joined the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. |
Natural One | 1996 |
Peter Frampton | |
Do You Feel Like We Do | 1976 |
Frankie Goes to Hollywood | British TV banned their first video for "Relax" (UK #1, 1984), over its homoerotic imagery. "Two Tribes" (UK #1, 1984) is one of the best dance numbers of the 1980s. |
Relax | 1984 |
Two Tribes | 1984 |
Welcome to the Pleasuredome | 1984 |
Freakpower | |
Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out | 1994 |
Fun Boy Three | The principal members of the Specials formed Fun Boy Three quickly after the Specials' breakup. |
The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum | 1981 |
The Telephone Always Rings | 1982 |
Peter Gabriel | The man who made Genesis an artistic stage presence kept that philosophy alive for his solo career. In addition to interesting pop songs, Gabriel created some of the seminal videos of the MTV age. MTV often rated "Sledgehammer" as one of the best music videos ever. Gabriel didn't title many of his albums, and when he did, he gave them one-word titles like "So" or "Us". |
Bigtime | 1986 |
Biko | 1980 |
Digging In the Dirt | 1992 |
Games Without Frontiers | 1980 |
I Don't Remember | 1980 |
I Go Swimming | 1982 |
Kiss of Life | 1982 |
Mercy Street | 1986 |
Red Rain | 1986 |
San Jacinto | 1982 |
Shock the Monkey | 1982 |
Sledgehammer | 1986 |
Solsbury Hill | 1977 |
Steam | 1992 |
Garbage | I don't really know what to say about Garbage, except that you should probably watch Shirley Manson perform "#1 Crush" in concert. |
#1 Crush | 1996 |
I Think I'm Paranoid | 1998 |
I'm Only Happy When It Rains | 1996 |
Special | 1998 |
Stupid Girl | 1996 |
Marvin Gaye | Another of the defining voices of r&b and soul, Gaye made the successful transition from love songs, to political statements, and back again. |
Inner City Blues | 1971 |
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) | 1971 |
What's Going On | 1971 |
Gene Loves Jezebel | GLJ had moderate success among the few modern rock stations of the 1980s. Amazingly, this British band had no British hits. |
Desire | 1986 |
Love Keeps Dragging Me Down | 1999 |
Suspicion | 1987 |
20 Killer Hurts | 1987 |
General Public | Once again, part of the former band English Beat. |
Are You Leading Me On? | 1984 |
Tenderness | 1984 |
Genesis | Genesis scored big success worldwide, particularly in the mid-1980s, when they softened their sound a little. "Land of Confusion" (US #4/UK #14, 1986) remains one of my all-time favorites (as well as its video). |
Abacab | 1981 |
Home By the Sea | 1983 |
Land of Confusion | 1986 |
Misunderstanding | 1980 |
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway | 1974 |
Tonight, Tonight, Tonight | 1986 |
Turn It On | 1980 |
Golden Earring | Who hasn't been driving down the highway, singing "Radar Love", belting it even, to the back row? |
Radar Love | 1974 |
Twilight Zone | 1982 |
Golden Palominos | A couple of New York musicians created this project, which featured numerous "guest performers", and rarely three songs sounding the same. Michael Stipe contributed mulitple times. |
Boy (Go) | 1985 |
Ian Gomm | |
Hold On | 1979 |
Goo Goo Dolls | Everybody compared the Goo Goo Dolls to the Replacements. "We Are the Normal" vs. "Bastards of Young", hmm... |
Long Way Down | 1995 |
Only One | 1995 |
Grand Funk Railroad | |
I'm Your Captain/Closer To My Home | 1970 |
Gravity Kills | This St. Louis band backed its way into familiarity with an excellent dance-rock number on the soundtrack for "Seven". |
Enough | 1996 |
Guilty | 1995 |
David Gray | Gray brought back the singer-songwriter genre of pop to Britain. It took nearly two years for his "White Ladder" album to see airplay in the United States. However, it was worth the wait, because it's a very strong, and emotional album. |
Babylon | 1999 |
Please Forgive Me | 1999 |
Sail Away | 1999 |
Great White | Maybe not the greatest combination of rock talent, but they did generate a couple of interesting songs (though overshadowed by the annoying "Once Bitten, Twice Shy"). |
Rock Me | 1987 |
Guns 'N' Roses | Outside of Metallica, GNR was the seminal hard rock band of the late 1980s, and early 1990s. Unlike Metallica, GNR found much more mass appeal (though nearly a year after the release of "Appetite For Destruction"), with catchy singles like "Welcome to the Jungle" (US #7/UK #24, 1988), and an entertaining frontman in Axl Rose. "You Could Be Mine" contains one of my favorite percussion introductions, and of course, "Welcome to the Jungle" has one of the best guitar openers. |
Civil War | 1991 |
Estranged | 1991 |
Mr. Brownstone | 1987 |
Night Train | 1987 |
November Rain | 1991 |
Used To Love Her | 1988 |
Welcome to the Jungle | 1987 |
You Could Be Mine | 1991 |
Gus Gus | Most Americans, maybe even most Europeans, didn't know this band, even after "Ladyshave" was used in a car commercial. |
Ladyshave | 1999 |
Paul Hardcastle | |
19 | 1985 |
Wilbert Harrison | I never get tired of this song, even though I've spent much of my life in the area. |
Kansas City | 1959 |
Isaac Hayes | |
Theme From Shaft | 1971 |
Heart | Heart was another band that encountered more success after people considered them "washed up". Many of their biggest hits came from 1985-87. |
Barracuda | 1977 |
Helmet | |
Unsung | 1992 |
Jimi Hendrix | Hendrix generated the most alien and unnatural sounds from an ordinary guitar. Considering some of the music on the radio at the time, his work was mindblowing. Hendrix only released four albums before his death. |
All Along the Watchtower | 1968 |
And the Wind Cries Mary | 1967 |
Crosstown Traffic | 1968 |
Fire | 1967 |
Foxy Lady | 1967 |
Hey Joe | 1967 |
Manic Depression | 1967 |
Purple Haze | 1967 |
Red House | 1967 |
Voodoo Chile | 1968 |
Don Henley | Henley dived into songs of social commentary for his solo career. Don't tell me you've never played air guitar to the interlude in "Dirty Laundry" (US #3, 1982). |
Boys of Summer | 1984 |
Dirty Laundry | 1982 |
John Hiatt | Believe it or not, Hiatt started recording albums in the mid-1970s. Hiatt was even considered a "new wave" act in the early 1980s (see "I Spy", "I Live for Love", etc.). He's still around, his voice much more gruff than ever, definitely right for the blues. |
Something Wild | 1993 |
You May Already Be A Winner | 1983 |
Peter Himmelman | Despite a lengthy recording career, once again, most people wouldn't know this artist. |
Beneath the Damage and the Dust | 1993 |
Waning Moon | 1987 |
Hipsway | Hipsway was one of those Scottish bands that seemed to have a strange beat sensibility about them. |
Honey Thief | 1986 |
Robyn Hitchcock | Although covered in glossy production, Hitchcock writes in the style of a folk artist. |
Madonna of the Wasps | 1989 |
So You Think You're In Love | 1991 |
The Hoodoo Gurus | The Hoodoo Gurus started as a prototypical college band, writing songs dripping with pop culture sarcasm. Their 1985 album is just as much fun, but a lot more polished. |
Death Defying | 1985 |
Bruce Hornsby (and the Range) | A smart, social song that deserved every bit of success it brought for the artist. |
The Way It Is | 1986 |
The Housemartins | Fatboy Slim was once a part of this group. It's timeless pop. |
Happy Hour | 1986 |
The Hunger | |
Vanishing Cream | 1996 |
Icehouse | Icehouse was one of the first Australian pop bands to receive promotion in the United States in the 1980s. They didn't actually hit the Top 40 until 1987, but several songs dating back to 1981 just missed. Their lead singer must've listened to a lot of Roxy Music albums. |
Crazy | 1987 |
Great Southern Land | 1982 |
Hey Little Girl | 1983 |
No Promises | 1986 |
Icicle Works | I think the titles on this song are reversed in Britain (as it should be, if you know the song). A clerical error must've occurred across the Atlantic. |
Whisper To A Scream (Birds Fly)" | 1984 |
Billy Idol | Idol was one of the leaders in post-punk pop music, with his band Generation X. His look made him a natural for MTV. |
Flesh For Fantasy | 1983 |
Rebel Yell | 1983 |
White Wedding | 1982 |
Indigenous | This North Dakota band carefully duplicated the sound of Stevie Ray Vaughan, right down to the vocals. |
Little Time | 2000 |
Now That You're Gone | 1999 |
Things We Do | 1999 |
INXS | Everyone thought Michael Hutchence resembled a combination of Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison. After dabbling in synth-pop, INXS became worldwide superstars by establishing a groove more befitting of their image. |
Devil Inside | 1987 |
I Send A Message | 1984 |
Listen Like Thieves | 1985 |
Need You Tonight/Mediate | 1987 |
Original Sin | 1984 |
Suicide Blonde | 1990 |
The One Thing | 1983 |
Wishing Well | 1992 |
Iron Maiden | |
Run to the Hills | 1982 |
Chris Isaak | Although it was the video for "Wicked Game" that propelled Isaak to recognition, his vocals, somewhere between Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, stand on their own. |
Wicked Game | 1989 |
Joe Jackson | Jackson spanned a lot of music styles. In three years, he went from being one of the "angry young men" of British post-punk, to sophisticated piano man. Just compare "Got the Time" with "Breaking Us In Two" (US #18, 1983) |
Breaking Us In Two | 1982 |
Got the Time | 1979 |
I'm the Man | 1979 |
Look Sharp | 1979 |
Memphis | 1983 |
Right and Wrong | 1986 |
Stepping Out | 1982 |
You Can't Get What You Want | 1984 |
Michael Jackson | Unfortunately, Jackson's eccentricity and private life have overshadowed one of the greatest albums of the pop era. |
Beat It | 1982 |
Billie Jean | 1982 |
Wanna Be Startin' Something | 1982 |
The Jam | Defiantly British, the Jam never had an American hit, and they didn't care. They were the most popular band in England in the late 1970s and early 1980s. |
Beat Surrender | 1983 |
Going Underground | 1980 |
Modern World | 1977 |
Precious | 1982 |
Start | 1980 |
The Butterfly Collector | 1982 |
Town Called Malice | 1982 |
James | |
Laid | 1993 |
Jane's Addiction | Describing Jane's Addiction as aggressive might not do them justice. Despite creating abrasive art rock, far out of the mainstream consciousness, they landed record deals, sold albums, and singer Perry Farrell created one of the most popular (briefly) music festivals of the 1990s. |
Been Caught Stealing | 1990 |
Mountain Song | 1988 |
Stop! | 1990 |
Jefferson Airplane | Unfortunately, this band descended from a fertile psychedelia act to a musical atrocity, as further described in the Jukebox From Hell. |
White Rabbit | 1967 |
Jesus and Mary Chain | These guys represented one of the few groups of the 1980s to make a career out of distorted feedback and low-fidelity grunge. |
Blues From A Gun | 1989 |
Far Gone And Out | 1992 |
Happy When It Rains | 1987 |
Head On | 1989 |
Jethro Tull | This is the only band that made a flute sound acceptable in rock music. |
Aqualung | 1971 |
Living In the Past | |
Locomotive Breath | 1971 |
Eric Johnson | |
Trademark | 1990 |
Howard Jones | Jones hit the charts immediately in the U.S., a rarity for a British pop artist. |
The Prisoner | 1989 |
What Is Love | 1983 |
You Know I Love You, Don't You | 1986 |
Journey | You know my feelings on this band. But nobody can deny the catchy tunes they recorded. |
Girl Can't Help It | 1986 |
Joy Division | Joy Division preceded New Order, and helped define "goth" music in the late 1970s. Ian Curtis' melancholy voice is a little hard to grasp. After Curtis committed suicide, the remaining members reformed as New Order. |
Dead Souls | 1979 |
Isolation | 1980 |
Love Will Tear Us Apart | 1980 |
Transmission | 1980 |
Twenty-Four Hours | 1980 |
Judas Priest | Judas Priest provided a blueprint for some of the speed-metal bands to come along in the mid-1980s. But they also drew on a lot of Black Sabbath, with their fantasy-laced lyrics. |
Beyond the Realms od Death | 1978 |
Bloodstone | 1982 |
Breaking the Law | 1980 |
Desert Plain | 1981 |
Head Out to the Highway | 1981 |
Screaming for Vengeance | 1982 |
Solar Angels | 1978 |
Turbo Lover | 1986 |
You've Got Another Thing Coming | 1982 |
Kansas | Despite their complex and wistful arrangements, critics pretty much panned this band. The band's prime components split off in the 1980s, though the remaining members kept recording. |
Carry On Wayward Son | 1976 |
The Wall | 1976 |
Keane | With a rich and distinctive voice, Keane makes this guitarless, piano sound work. Much like the band Live, the album tracks sound better than the singles. |
Bend and Break | 2004 |
Somewhere Only We Know | 2004 |
Sunshine | 2004 |
This Is the Last Time | 2004 |
Untitled 1 | 2004 |
Greg Kihn Band | |
Jeopardy | 1983 |
Killing Joke | Definitely the opposite of many of the slick-produced records of the 1980s, Killing Joke piled on sounds as thick as molasses, giving them a muddy, gothic feel. The song "Eighties" was ripped off by Nirvana for their song "Come As You Are". |
Eighties | 1984 |
Love Like Blood | 1985 |
Nighttime | 1985 |
War Dance | 1980 |
King | No, it's not Wham. |
Won't You Hold My Hand Now | 1985 |
Carole King | "Tapestry" was one of the landmark albums of the 1970s. |
It's Too Late | 1971 |
King Missile | This novelty band doesn't really sing. They, more or less, talk with a reptitive beat. "Detatchable Penis" is amusing, as is the hard-to-find "Cheesecake Truck". |
Detatchable Penis | 1993 |
The Kinks | Many punk and new wave bands took the lead from The Kinks. Their famous songs exhibited a sound unlike anything else out there at the time. |
All Day and All of the Night | 1964 |
Destroyer | 1981 |
You Really Got Me | 1964 |
Kiss | It's pretty easy to joke about Kiss. The over-the-top band promoted themselves as the loudest band in the world, and dressed in outlandish costumes. Unfortunately, the group long outlasted its usefulness. |
Detroit Rock City | 1976 |
Deuce | 1974 |
Domino | 1989 |
KLF | The KLF were an unusual collection of musicians and DJs who recorded under several names. They also disbanded, promising not to reunite until world peace was declared. |
3AM Eternal | 1991 |
The La's | "There She Goes" has that simple feel of a 60s pop song. It's been covered quite a bit. |
There She Goes | 1991 |
Landscape | An electronic-based band owing a lot to Kraftwerk. Catchy tune, though. |
Einstein A Go-Go | 1981 |
Johnny Lang | Lang had a powerful voice at such a young age. His guitar work also resembles that of Stevie Ray Vaughan. |
Still Raining | 1998 |
Led Zeppelin | When Led Zeppelin came around, no one had a term to define their sound. Writers initially called it "Heavy Blooz", later morphing into heavy metal. Their lyrics either dealt with English mysticism and folk, or acute sexuality. I find it difficult to recommend any one song, or album, over another. |
Babe, I'm Going To Leave You | 1969 |
Black Dog | 1971 |
Communication Breakdown | 1969 |
Dazed and Confused | 1969 |
Four Sticks | 1971 |
Good Times, Bad Times | 1969 |
Heartbreaker/Livin' Lovin' Maid | 1971 |
Immigrant Song | 1970 |
In the Evening | 1979 |
Kashmir | 1975 |
Misty Mountain Hop | 1971 |
Rock and Roll | 1971 |
Stairway to Heaven | 1971 |
The Battle of Evermore | 1971 |
Trampled Underfoot | 1973 |
Travelin' Riverside Blues | 1969 |
When the Levee Breaks | 1971 |
Whole Lotta Love | 1969 |
John Lennon | Lennon took a different path than Paul McCartney after the breakup of the Beatles. While McCartney commanded the stage, with the over-the-top Wings, Lennon became something of a recluse, releasing music derived from his moods. "Double Fantasy" represented something of a final acceptance of his life, his past, and role as family man. The album came out a few weeks before Lennon's death. |
I Don't Want To Be A Soldier | 1971 |
Imagine | 1971 |
#9 Dream | 1974 |
Watching the Wheels | 1980 |
Working Class Hero | 1971 |
Level 42 | Another British pop band that bucked the trend and found American success, Level 42 might be most remembered for some crazed fan, who legally changed his name to the names of all the band members. |
Lessons In Love | 1986 |
Something About You | 1986 |
The Chinese Way | 1983 |
Live | Although Live gets lumped in with Pearl Jam and Nirvana, they had a real knack for introspective, and spiritual lyrics, accentuated by the the singer's wail. |
Iris | 1994 |
Operation: Spirit | 1991 |
Pain Lies On the Riverside | 1991 |
Rattlesnake | 1997 |
Stage | 1994 |
TBD | 1994 |
The Dam At Otter Creek | 1994 |
White, Discussion | 1994 |
Living Colour | |
Cult of Personality | 1988 |
Open Letter To A Landlord | 1988 |
Los Lobos | Los Lobos helped spark a revival of sorts, of Americana and roots rock 'n' roll in the mid-1980s. |
Will the Wolf Survive | 1984 |
Love and Rockets | Former Bauhaus member Daniel Ash formed Love and Rockets. They sounded nothing like Bauhaus, of course, instead generating a neo-psychedelic sound and a surprise hit in "So Alive" (US #3, 1989) |
Ball of Confusion | 1985 |
So Alive | 1989 |
Yin and Yang | 1986 |
Nick Lowe | Lowe was more well-known as a producer than a recording artist. |
Cruel To Be Kind | 1979 |
Madness | One of Britain's most popular bands from 1979-1982, Madness scored 13 consecutive top ten singles after reaching the UK top 20 on their first try. They didn't actually hit the U.S. Top 40 until 1983, with "Our House" (US #7, 1983/UK #4, 1982). Madness also belonged to what is commonly known as the "ska revival" class, a second generation of the original music form (and inspiration for the "third wave", which included No Doubt and Sublime). |
Baggy Trousers | 1980 |
Embarrassment | 1981 |
House of Fun | 1982 |
Mummy's Boy | 1979 |
One Step Beyond | 1979 |
Our House | 1982 |
Shut Up | 1981 |
Madonna | Her image and media relations generally overshadow her music, which initially brought disco-oriented beats back to the mainstream. |
Into the Groove | 1985 |
Sidewalk Talk | 1985 |
Vogue | 1990 |
The Mamas and The Papas | |
California Dreamin' | 1966 |
Manic Street Preachers | It's hard to peg the Manic Street Preachers into any category. Some of their songs resemble Simply Red, in my mind. Others sound like The Jam. They definitely have the political leanings of the latter. |
A Design For Life | 1997 |
If You Tolerate This... | 1998 |
Motorcycle Emptiness | 1992 |
You Stole the Sun From My Heart | 1998 |
Bob Marley and the Wailers | Reggae's most popular, and most influential artist, Marley never hit the U.S. Top 40. That should say something about the forces driving the radio and record industry in this country in the 1970s and 1980s. Many of his songs are actually love songs and religious songs, but translated well to new nations seeking peace at the end of colonial rule. Marley also rivals John Lennon in the number of posthumous songs released. |
Buffalo Soldier | 1983 |
Could You Be Loved | 1980 |
Exodus | 1977 |
Get Up, Stand Up | 1973 |
Iron Lion Zion | 1992 |
Is This Love | 1979 |
Jamming | 1977 |
Three Little Birds | 1980 |
Waiting In Vain | 1977 |
Ziggy Marley | Bob Marley's son. |
Look Who's Dancing | 1988 |
Tomorrow People | 1988 |
Curtis Mayfield | |
Superfly | 1972 |
Ian McCulloch | McCulloch formerly sang with Echo and the Bunnymen. |
Lover Lover Lover | 1992 |
Megadeth | Along with Metallica, Megadeth was one of the premier heavy metal bands of the second half of the 1980s, and early 1990s. Megadeth focused more on speed metal and nihilist lyrics, whereas Metallica focused on timing, and complex composition. We always make the comparison, because Dave Mustain started out as Metallica's guitarist. |
Almost Honest | 1997 |
Angry Again | 1993 |
Crush 'Em | 2000 |
Foreclosure Of A Dream | 1992 |
Peace Sells | 1986 |
Sweating Bullets | 1992 |
Symphony of Destruction | 1992 |
Train of Consequences | 1994 |
Trust | 1997 |
Men At Work | |
Overkill | 1983 |
Metallica | Metallica became the most influential heavy metal band of the 1980s, and eventually, the most popular. The combination of thrash metal, and lengthy, complex compositions, kept them off the radio. However, the albums sold very well. "Master Of Puppets" certainly shows Metallica at the top of their game. 1991 brought Metallica into the mainstream. Metallica also toned down their sound in the 1990s, leading to cries of "sellout". |
Blackened | 1986 |
Breadfan | 1989 |
Creeping Death | 1984 |
Enter Sandman | 1991 |
Fade to Black | 1984 |
For Whom the Bell Tolls | 1984 |
Four Horsemen | 1983 |
King Nothing | 1996 |
Master of Puppets | 1986 |
One | 1988 |
Orion | 1986 |
Ride the Lightning | 1984 |
Sad But True | 1991 |
Seek and Destroy | 1983 |
The Unforgiven | 1991 |
Welcome Home (Sanitarium) | 1986 |
Wherever I May Roam | 1991 |
Midnight Oil | When Midnight Oil achieved popularity in the late 1980s, folks were probably surprised to find out just how long the band had been around. Midnight Oil formed in the early 1970s. Most of their music had a strong populist, anti-war message. |
Armistice Day | 1981 |
Beds Are Burning | 1988 |
Blue Sky Mine | 1990 |
Dreamworld | 1988 |
Truganini | 1993 |
When the Generals Talk | 1985 |
Mike and the Mechanics | This wonderful song will probably never feel antequated. As long as power attracts the people least qualified to hold it, the lyrics in this song remain relevant. |
Silent Running | 1985 |
Ministry | With faux British accents, Ministry crafted a sound far different from other bands of the first half of the 1980s. Lead vocalist Al Jourgensen denounced the disco-tinged beats, and drove Ministry to a much more grinding, industrial sound in the late 1980s. Anything Nine Inch Nails did can be traced back to Ministry. |
Cold Life | 1982 |
Effigy | 1983 |
Everyday Is Halloween | 1984 |
Jesus Built My Hot Rod | 1991 |
Missouri | Missouri sounded a lot like the Allman Brothers Band. |
Moving On | 1978 |
Moby | Moby probably did as well as anybody bringing the techno/mix culture into the mainstream. Generally, Moby has a terrible voice. But it works really well for "Porcelain". |
Porcelain | 1999 |
Mocean Worker | Funk meets jazz meets swing |
Right Now | 2005 |
Molly Hatchet | |
Flirting With Disaster | 1980 |
Monaco | Monaco is the partial remnants of New Order. |
What Do You Want From Me | 1996 |
Monster Magnet | Monster Magnet were a bit like comic books meeting heavy metal. "Negasonic Teeange Warhead" was a good hard rock track, at a time when the form was becoming stale. |
Negasonic Teenage Warhead | 1994 |
Powertrip | 1998 |
Space Lord | 1998 |
The Moody Blues | |
Story In Your Eyes | 1971 |
Van Morrison | Blues, Irish folk, Celtic, jazz, and rock were all part of Van Morrison's sound. |
Gloria | 1964 |
Moondance | 1970 |
Wild Night | 1971 |
Morrissey | Morrissey if the former lead singer for The Smiths. Much of his solo work retains the same sound (as well as the long song titles). |
November Spawned A Monster | 1990 |
Suedehead | 1988 |
Tomorrow | 1992 |
The Motels | |
Only The Lonely | 1982 |
Motley Crue | Motley Crue's wild image, and their publicity, had just as much to do with their success as their sound. |
Dr. Feelgood | 1989 |
Home, Sweet Home | 1985 |
Live Wire | 1981 |
Looks That Kill | 1983 |
Wild Side | 1987 |
Motorhead | |
Ace of Spades | 1980 |
Mountain | |
Mississippi Queen | 1970 |
Peter Murphy | The former singer for Bauhaus, Murphy expanded his musical base as a solo artist. "Cuts You Up" was one of the best songs of the early 1990s. |
All Night Long | 1988 |
Cuts You Up | 1990 |
Gary Myrick and the Figures | This is one of the many post-punk and new wave songs that ended up on the Valley Girl soundtrack. |
She Talks In Stereo | 1980 |