Bands That Defined the 80s Rock Sound
During the 1980s, rock music took a clear turn towards bombast, which many seen as style over substance. That’s not really true, as even major metal acts were bombastic during this time. What happened was hard rock found its place in the mainstream. Call it what you want, rock pop, glam metal, hair metal, or cock rock, but what happened was bands took the disparate elements of the rock world and combined them.
The 80s hard rock world had the heavy riffs of metal, the style of glam, and the swing and melody of old school rock n’ roll. During this time, many giant bands emerged, but only a few would come to truly define the era. In this article, we’ll touch on those bands that came to epitomize the 1980s hard rock trends.
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It is worth mentioning there are some clear omissions from our list. Bands like Poison, White Lion, Warrant, Dokken, and Skid Row. However, while we love those bands too, it’s fair to say they were part of the scene and not definers of it. So, without further ado, below are the definitive 80s pop rock bands:
Bon Jovi
Any list in which Bon Jovi appears causes controversy, so we expect plenty of blowback for placing them as the most definitive 80s rock band. However, while we can debate the quality of Bon Jovi’s music (it’s largely excellent, by the way), what cannot be denied is the band was the frontrunner of the 80s rock scene. Led by Jon Bon Jovi and backed by guitarist Richie Sambora, Bon Jovi sold more records than their peers, had more number one singles, and are still one of the biggest bands on the planet today.
In the 80s, Bon Jovi delivered a slick sound on its mega albums Slippery When Wet and New Jersey, the latter managed a still record five top 10 singles for a hard rock album. Make no mistake, while Bon Jovi built on the sound of Van Halen and Def Leppard, the band defined a genre that took over MTV and album sales between 1986 and 1990.
Indeed, Bon Jovi is the only band from the 80s hard rock stable that enjoyed lasting success into the 1990s and 2000s. In fact, the band’s biggest ever single (Always) was released in 1994 and in the 2000s Bon Jovi recorded the largest grossing tour of the year twice.
Def Leppard
Def Leppard is the only other band from the 80s hard rock stable that can match Bon Jovi in of success during the era. While all 80s arena rock music delivered a sound manufactured in the studio with slick production values and multi-layered choruses, Def Leppard took the style and run with it.
Pyromania and Hysteria are the bands defining albums of the 80s and both were long recording processes that delivered a unique sound. Def Leppard songs are as distinct as they are catchy and have helped the band to have a lasting legacy deep into the 21st centuries. Big choruses and electrifying guitars, Def Leppard are a gold standard 80s hard rock band.
Van Halen
Original Van Halen singer David Lee Roth would probably refute the idea that Van Halen was an 80s glam metal band, although he would be missing the irony that he himself became a quintessential glam artist. Yes, Van Halen started as a straight up rock band, but with their party style and embracing of synthesizers on the album “1984”, the band arguably pioneered the glam metal style.
When David Lee Roth left Van Halen after the success of 1984, he embraced glam fully as a solo artist. As for Van Halen, it recruited Sammy Hagar as lead singer and too embraced a slicker style with soaring vocals and catchy melodies.
Motley Crue
All three bands listed so far have arguably transcended the glam metal scene. During the 1990s and especially into the 21st century, all largely left behind those glam rock roots, particularly Bon Jovi. If there is one band that encapsulated the glam metal scene back then and has continued to live the lifestyle ever since, it’s Motley Crue.
We’ll let you decide whether the band’s antics then and now are “cool” or just downright embarrassing, but there’s no doubt Motley Crue embraced the genre. From their make-up and clothes, to their explosive stage shows and excessive backstage personas, the band was a picture of indulgence. Behind all the bravado lied some excellent albums and songs, but Motley Crue will always be ed as “that” 80s metal band.
