Artists of the 80's or after who continue to stand the test of time?

pringtef

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Thought i'd start a thread to see folks thoughts on artists and their albums, whose music will continue to stand the test of time.

But criteria being that their first album was released in the 80's or after, they must have done more than one album.

For me, first one that springs to mind would be Radiohead. Already over 20 years since their first album, and they still sound great.
 
Depeche Mode
 
Metallica
 
Metallica, Radiohead, Muse, REM, U2, Foo Fighters, Depeche Mode, Tool, Opeth, Megadeth Slipknot. All are still selling albums well, all are still big draws and have been since they came out.

The electro and pop bands of the 80's, the hair metal acts etc all stopped selling long ago, and while some make 'comebacks', they haven't been consistent.
 
Depeche Mode is one band i've always wanted to investigate their back catalogue but never have. Might take a trip down the record store this weekend and pick up a couple of their CDs.
 
I can't stand them myself, but their popularity and success is undeniable.
 
OMD. Their release of English Electric was my favourite album of last year.

Totally agree. Must listen to that again soon.
 
Metallica, Radiohead, Muse, REM, U2, Foo Fighters, Depeche Mode, Tool, Opeth, Megadeth Slipknot. All are still selling albums well, all are still big draws and have been since they came out.

The electro and pop bands of the 80's, the hair metal acts etc all stopped selling long ago, and while some make 'comebacks', they haven't been consistent.

Surely quite a few of those weren't even around in the 80s? Muse, Foo Fighters, Slipnot? Was Radiohead even 80s, I remember them from Creep onwards but think that was 90s?...

For me the 80s was one of the greatest decades in music, probably because it was when I grew up. Metallica, US are still doing well, albeit a former shadow of themselves unfortunately but I guess that happens with pretty much all musical artists over time.
 
thought the same...just off the top of me head

foo fighters after nivarna ....90's.....REM...sure they were around in the very late 70's..U2....78 or 79

depech mode formed in the late 70's but don't know when their debut album was released.
 
Surely quite a few of those weren't even around in the 80s? Muse, Foo Fighters, Slipnot? Was Radiohead even 80s, I remember them from Creep onwards but think that was 90s?...

For me the 80s was one of the greatest decades in music, probably because it was when I grew up. Metallica, US are still doing well, albeit a former shadow of themselves unfortunately but I guess that happens with pretty much all musical artists over time.
The title of the thread is :- Artists of the 80's or after who continue to stand the test of time.

Hence Muse, Slipknot etc are included.

I hated the 80's after 1981. Once the NWOBHM had fizzled out snyth pop, the new romantics, hair metal, thrash, took over and I can't stand any of it. Even the albums from bands I like in the 80's are ruined by the emphasis on synths rather than guitars and the hideous 'shiny' 80's production. Like 80's fashion, the music of the 80's is best forgotten.
 
Ah missed the 'or after' bit ;)

But I definitely disagree, the 80s were amazing for music. Yes there was some very dodgy stuff but even that better than anything that has come out this century.

The 80s gave us Thriller, Appetite for Destruction, Ride the Lightning, Rattle and Hum and many more.

I don't see many artists lasting out very well with the exception of say Muse, Greenday, Foo Fighters and a select few others. Even they have struggled or will struggle to keep great work coming.

It's the way music is, all the best songs are albums are created in the early days when artists are young, angry or at odds, inventive and creative. Unfortunately that rarely lasts much more than a few years.
 
The 80s gave us Thriller, Appetite for Destruction, Ride the Lightning, Rattle and Hum and many more.
:eek:...surely you mean The Joshua Tree, Unforgettable Fire or other eralier 80's works rather than R&H ? :)
 
Possibly, don't know why I mentioned U2 as I'm not a big fan really, apparently other people are ;)
 
It all depends on what you like. Personally I can't stand any of those albums. Thriller is commercial garbage, and after 'Off the Wall' probably the biggest comedown in musical history. Apettite has one track on it I like, early Metallica was a breakthrough for them and kept metal going in into the 1990's, but I find thrash just boring noise.

The 90's and noughties gave us the likes of Tool, Opeth, Isis, Agalloch, Katatonia, Clutch, Stone Sour. Slipknot, Fear Factory, Korn, all of whom wipe the floor with 80's metal (and anything else that decade literally threw up), and Metallica cast off the shackles of thrash and produced their finest work, the black album. I'd even rather listen to Britslop than the rubbish from the 80's. And that, believe me, is saying something...
 
Just a couple for you although formed in the late 70's there first album's were both 1980 so Echo & the Bunnymen & Killing Joke as to whether they still stand the test of time depends on which circles you move in I guess...

Thought of a few more "The Cult" aka southern death cult & the Pixies, The Cure, Gary Numan & of course Prince & of course Madonna .. if I start to think about it theres quite a few...
 
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It all depends on what you like. Personally I can't stand any of those albums. Thriller is commercial garbage, and after 'Off the Wall' probably the biggest comedown in musical history. Apettite has one track on it I like, early Metallica was a breakthrough for them and kept metal going in into the 1990's, but I find thrash just boring noise.

The 90's and noughties gave us the likes of Tool, Opeth, Isis, Agalloch, Katatonia, Clutch, Stone Sour. Slipknot, Fear Factory, Korn, all of whom wipe the floor with 80's metal (and anything else that decade literally threw up), and Metallica cast off the shackles of thrash and produced their finest work, the black album. I'd even rather listen to Britslop than the rubbish from the 80's. And that, believe me, is saying something...

As you said it's all personal opinion and what people like and know. All those you listed I can't stand (out of the ones I've even heard of) and my choice of music is infinitely better than yours :p

How dare you even mention Britslop by the way..... :)
 
As you said it's all personal opinion and what people like and know. All those you listed I can't stand (out of the ones I've even heard of) and my choice of music is infinitely better than yours :p

How dare you even mention Britslop by the way..... :)
In your dreams... ;)
 
The 90's and noughties gave us the likes of Tool, Opeth, Isis, Agalloch, Katatonia, Clutch, Stone Sour. Slipknot, Fear Factory, Korn, all of whom wipe the floor with 80's metal (and anything else that decade literally threw up), and Metallica cast off the shackles of thrash and produced their finest work, the black album. I'd even rather listen to Britslop than the rubbish from the 80's. And that, believe me, is saying something...

That album is solely responsible for getting me into metal when I was at school :) I prefer AJFA now but I won't ever knock the black album.
 
That album is solely responsible for getting me into metal when I was at school :) I prefer AJFA now but I won't ever knock the black album.
Tough call for me there. AJFA helped get me through a very rough time in my life, so I hate to have to choose between it and the Black album. But for me the latter edges it.
 
I've always been for Rid the Lightning as the best album....
 
Oh, it's no contest - Pet Shop Boys all the way!

31 years' later with a truly unsurpassable back catalogue, yet they are still cutting-edge, contemporary, selling records and playing sold out gigs all over the world.

Other 80's bands I loved like Everything But The Girl, The Bible, Crowded House and The Blue Nile have now devolved into solo acts. I like Tracey Thorn's (EBTG), Boo Hewerdine's (The Bible), Neil Finn's (Crowded House) and Paul Buchanan's (The Blue Nile) solo work, but they're all somehow missing that magical alchemy of their band output.

Same goes for Eddi Reader (Fairground Attraction), Claudia Brucken (Propaganda) and, of course, Morrissey (nothing he's done solo comes anywhere near the majesty and magic of The Smiths).

Billy Bragg still puts out good albums and his voice has weathered nicely over the years. Marc Almond has become a very interesting, eclectic solo artist. Shame that the Pixies' new album is (apparently) so average, but what can you expect with such a stunning back catalogue like theirs?
 
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