• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees have their names underlined (click on the underlined name to see their Hall of Fame inductee biography).

• Click the yellow "L" icon next to a song's title to see its words.

• Click the "AMG bio" button for more info on the artist from the All-Music Guide website, which has biographies, short musical excerpts (click "Songs" tab, then the small speaker icon next to a song title), an extensive interactive discography, charts and awards information, and album credits.

CHAPTER 8: The 80s--MTV and The New Wave

Early New Wave

ELVIS COSTELLO and The Attractions (Costello [Declan McManus] born 1955):

• Alison (1977)--Time/Life Video 9
• Radio Radio (1980; with THE ATTRACTIONS)--Time/Life Video 9
• Jackson, Monk & Rowe (1980)--Time/Life Video 9 [Classic music influenced]

THE PRETENDERS (formed 1978):

• Message of Love (1980)--Time/Life Video 9
• The Adultress (1981)

BLONDIE (formed 1974/disbanded 1982; featuring Deborah Harry):

• Heart of Glass (1978)

THE POLICE (formed 1977/disbanded 1985; featuring Sting):

• Roxanne (1979)
• Every Breath You Take (1983)--Time/Life Video 9

MTV Glam Rock and New Wave

DEVO (formed 1976):

• Whip It (1980)--Time/Life Video 10

MICHAEL JACKSON (1958-2009)

• Billie Jean Thriller (1982)--Time/Life Video 1
• Beat It Thriller (1982; with Eddie Van Halen on lead guitar)

THE GO-GOS (formed 1978/disbanded 1985)

• Our Lips Are Sealed (1982)--Time/Life Video 10

BOY GEORGE & CULTURE CLUB (formed 1981/disbanded 1986):

• Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? (1982)--Time/Life Video 10

THE EURYTHMICS (formed 1980/disbanded 1990):

• Sweet Dreams Are Made of This (1983)--Time/Life Video 10

MADONNA (born 1958):

• Like a Virgin (1984)
• Justify My Love (1990)--Time/Life Video 10

DIRE STRAITS (formed 1977/disbanded 1993) & STING (born 1951) :

• The Sultans of Swing (1978)--Time/Life Video 8
• Money for Nothing --Brothers In Arms (1985)--Time/Life Video 10

WHAM! (featuring George Michael; formed 1981/disbanded 1986):

• Careless Whisper (1985)
• Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (1985)

GENESIS (featuring Phil Collins; formed 1966):

• Tonight, Tonight, Tonight --Invisible Touch (1986)

THE BANGLES (formed 1981/disbanded 1989):

• Walk Like an Egyptian --Different Light (1986)

80s-90s Soul-Pop

LIONEL RICHIE (born 1949; formerly of THE COMMODORES):

• All Night Long (1984)

WHITNEY HOUSTON (1963-2012):

• I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (1987)
• I Will Always Love You (1992)

MARIAH CAREY (born 1970) with BOYZ II MEN (formed 1988) :

• One Sweet Day (1995)

80s-90s Heavy Metal

VAN HALEN (formed 1974):

• And The Cradle Will Rock --Women & Children First (1980)

GUNS N' ROSES (formed 1985):

• Sweet Child O' Mine -- Appetite for Destruction (1987)--Time/Life Video 7
• Civil War --Use Your Illusion II (1991)

Socially-Conscious Rock Returns

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and THE E STREET BAND (born 1949):

• Born To Run --Born to Run (1975)--Time/Life Video 1
• Born in the USA --Born in the USA (1984)
• My Hometown --Born in the USA (1984)--Time/Life Video 10
• Quarter to Three --Time/Life Video 8

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS featuring Tom Petty (born 1953):

• Refugee --Damn The Torpedos (1979)

DAVID BYRNE (born 1952) and BRIAN ENO (born 1948) :

• America is Waiting--My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (1981)
• Dinosaur -- (1981; with Brian Eno)

U2 (formed in 1976):

• I Will Follow --Under a Blood Red Sky (1983)--Time/Life Video 9
• Bullet the Blue Sky --Joshua Tree (1987)--Time/Life Video 7
• With or Without You --Joshua Tree (1987)--Time/Life Video 1
• Even Better Than the Real Thing --Achtung Baby (1991)--Time/Life Video 10

USA FOR AFRICA:

• We Are the World (1984; co-written by Michael Jackson & Lionel Richie)

PAUL SIMON (born 1941) and LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO :

• Graceland --Graceland (1986)

GARTH BROOKS (born 1962):

• Friends in Low Places --No Fences (1990)

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Last revised on August 9, 2016