Welcome to this article guys, In this article, we will be looking for the best famous singers and musicians of the 80s era. The 1980s was an exhilarating decade for music, with a wide variety of genres and artists making their music. From the birth of the MTV video revolution to the rise of musical stars, the 80s was a time of great change for famous music.
It’s no wonder that some of the most iconic singers of all time made their start in the 80s. From Madonna to Michael Jackson to Whitney Houston, the 80s saw the emergence of some of the most iconic singers and songwriters of all time. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the most influential 80s singers, from pop divas to rock legends.
20 Best Famous Singers & Musicians Of The 80s Ever
1 – Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone is a famous 80s American singer and musician, born on August 16, 1958. Madonna pursued her profession in modern dance in 1978. After performing as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist in the rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy, she rose to solo stardom with her debut studio album, Madonna (1983). Madonna is the best-selling female recording artist of all time.
Madonna dropped many chart-topping singles Including:
- “Like a Virgin”,
- “La Isla Bonita”,
- “Like a Prayer”,
- “Vogue”,
- “Take a Bow”,
- “Frozen”,
- “Music”,
- “Hung Up”,
- “4 Minutes”.
2 – Kate Bush
Catherine Bush is one of the famous English singers, songwriters, and record producers, born on 30 July 1958. Bush started writing music at 11. She released her debut album, The Kick Inside, in 1978. She was the first British solo female artist to top the UK album charts and the first female artist to enter the album chart at number one.
Bush has released 25 UK Top 40 singles, The Top 10 hits:
- “The Man with the Child in His Eyes”,
- “Babooshka”,
- “Running Up That Hill”,
- “Don’t Give Up” (a duet with Peter Gabriel)
- “King of the Mountain”.
3 – Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was a popular 80s American singer, and musician, born on August 29, 1958 – died on June 25, 2009. Regarded as one of the most noteworthy artistic figures of the 80s and 20th century. He is the most awarded recording artist in pop music history.
Jackson started his solo profession in 1971 while at Motown Records. He made his public debut in 1964 with his older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5. His music videos, including “Beat It”, “Billie Jean”, and “Thriller” from his 1982 album Thriller, are credited with breaking racial barriers.
4 – Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams is one of the most prominent 80s Canadian singers, songwriters, and guitarists, born on November 5, 1959. He rose to fame in North America with the 1983 top-ten album Cuts Like a Knife. His 1987 album Into the Fire, with its US and Canadian top ten songs, “Heat of the Night”, rose to number two in Canada and the top ten in the US and several different countries.
Adams has won 20 Juno Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television amongst 16 Grammy nominations and has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and three Academy Awards for his songwriting for films.
5 – Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John is a popular 80s British singer, and composer, born on 25 March 1947. John is one of the most successful artists of all time, having sold over 300 million records globally in a six-decade profession in music. He released his debut album Empty Sky in 1969, and a year later formed the Elton John Band and unleashed his first hit single, “Your Song”.
John has received numerous awards, including five Grammy Awards, five Brit Awards; including for Outstanding Contribution to Music; two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, a Disney Legend Award, and the Kennedy Center Honor.
6 – Diana Ross
Diana Ross is one of the 80s American singers and musician, born on March 26, 1944. She gained popularity as the lead singer of the vocal group The Supremes. Ross is the only female artist to have had number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist.
She achieved several more global number-one singles including:
- “Upside Down” (1980),
- “Endless Love” (1981),
- “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” (1982),
- “Chain Reaction” (1986),
- “If We Hold on Together” (1988)
- “When You Tell Me That You Love Me” (1991).
7 – Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston was an American singer and actress, born on August 9, 1963 – died on February 11, 2012. She is the only artist to have had seven consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, from “Saving All My Love for You” in 1985 to “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” in 1988. She has won many awards, including two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, and 28 Guinness World Records.
8 – Tina Turner
Tina Turner (“Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll”) is one of the most popular American 80s Swiss retired singer, dancer, and actress, born on November 26, 1939. She gained popularity as the lead vocalist of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before launching a successful career as a solo performer. She won 12 Grammy Awards, which include eight competitive awards, three Grammy Hall of Fame awards, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
9 – George Michael
George Michael was a famous English 80s singer, and songwriter, born on 25 June 1963 – died on 25 December 2016. Best known as a leading creative force in music production, songwriting, vocal performance, and visual presentation. Michael won multiple music awards, including two Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards, three American Music Awards, twelve Billboard Music Awards, and four MTV Video Music Awards.
10 – Annie Lennox
Ann Lennox is one of the 80s Scottish singers and songwriters, born on 25 December 1954. Her 1995 studio album, Medusa, includes cover versions of songs such as “No More ‘I Love You’s’” and “A Whiter Shade of Pale“. In addition to her career as a musician, also Lennox is a political and social activist, raising money and awareness for HIV/AIDS as it affects women and children in Africa.
11 – Prince
Prince Rogers Nelson was an American singer and record producer, born on June 7, 1958 – died on April 21, 2016. Widely regarded as one of the greatest 80s musicians of his generation. Best known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona, and his wide vocal range. His music included a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, pop, jazz, and hip-hop.
Prince sold over 100 million records worldwide, ranking him among the best-selling music artists of all time.
12 – Huey Lewis
Hugh Anthony Cregg III aka Huey Lewis is an American singer and actor, born on July 5, 1950. Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band, Huey Lewis and the News. The band is perhaps best known for their third, and best-selling, album Sports, and their subsidy to the soundtrack of the 1985 feature film Back to the Future.
13 – David Bowie
David Robert Jones aka David Bowie was a popular 80s decade English singer and actor, born on 8 January 1947 – died on 10 January 2016. regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. His record sales are estimated at over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time.
14 – Olivia Newton-John
Dame Olivia Newton-John was a British and Australian singer, and actress, born on 26 September 1948 – died on 8 August 2022. In 1978, Newton-John starred in the musical film Grease, which was the highest-grossing musical film at the time and whose soundtrack remains one of the world’s best-selling albums.
Her super hit singles include:
- “If Not for You” and “Banks of the Ohio” (both 1971),
- “Let Me Be There” (1973),
- “If You Love Me (Let Me Know)” (1974),
- “Have You Never Been Mellow” (1975),
- “Sam” (1977),
- “Hopelessly Devoted to You”,
- “A Little More Love” (1978),
- “Twist of Fate” (1983),
- “Magic” and “Xanadu” (with the Electric Light Orchestra).
15 – Phil Collins
Philip David Charles Collins is an English singer, and record producer, born on 30 January 1951. Between 1982 and 1990, Collins achieved three UK and seven US number-one songs as a solo artist. He was the drummer and later lead singer of the rock band Genesis.
He has won eight Grammy Awards, six Brit Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, one Academy Award, and a Disney Legend Award.
His most successful singles from the period include:
- “In the Air Tonight”,
- “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)”,
- “One More Night”,
- “Another Day in Paradise”.
16 – Pat Benatar
Patricia Mae Giraldo aka Pat Benatar is one of the popular American rock singers and songwriters, born on January 10, 1953. In the United States, she has had two multi-platinum albums, five platinum albums, and 15 Billboard top 40 singles. Also, she is a four-time Grammy Award winner. Her sound started to move towards more atmospheric pop in 1983. The track, “Love Is a Battlefield” (1983) was her biggest hit in most countries, reaching No. 1.
17 – Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. is one of the famous American singers, and record producers, born on June 20, 1949. In 1980, he wrote and produced the number-one single “Lady” for Kenny Rogers. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead songster of the Motown group Commodores.
Also, In 1982, he officially launched his solo profession with the album Lionel Richie. During his solo profession, Richie became one of the most successful balladeers of the 1980s and has sold over 100 million records globally.
18 – Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (nicknamed the “Piano Man”) is an American 80s decade singer, pianist, and songwriter, born on May 9, 1949. He commercially rose to fame successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s, having released 12 pop and rock studio albums from 1971 to 1993.
His 1985 compilation album, Greatest Hits Vol. 1 & 2, is one of the best-selling albums in the United States. In 1987, he became one of the first artists to hold a rock tour in the Soviet Union following the country’s alleviation of the ban on rock music.
19 – Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (Nicknamed “The Boss”) is a famous 80s American singer, and musician, born on September 23, 1949. He has released 21 studio albums. Best known for his poetic, socially conscious lyrics and vibrant stage performances, sometimes lasting up to four hours. Seven of its singles gained the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100, including the title track.
He has earned numerous awards for his work, including 20 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and a Special Tony Award (for Springsteen on Broadway).
20 – Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney is a famous 80s English singer, and songwriter, born on 18 June 1942. He gained worldwide fame with the Beatles. He is one of the most flourishing composers and instrumentalists of all time, best known for his melodious approach to bass playing. Many of his Beatles songs, including “And I Love Her”, “Yesterday”, “Eleanor Rigby”, and “Blackbird”, rank among the most covered songs in history.
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