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Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

topic posted Wed, February 25, 2004 - 3:31 PM by  		Share/Save/Bookmark
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1. Tenpole Tudor - strange, boisterous pub-rock/new wave band from the UK.

2. Orange Juice - Scottish band featuring Edwyn Collins (he had that solo hit: "A Girl Like You' a few years ago). Their first album "Can't Hide Your Love Forever" is fab.

3. Dolly Mixture - All-girl sort of twi-post-punk UK band. Rough but sweet.

4. Fun Boy Three - Most people know their song "Our Lips Are Sealed" (made famous by the Go-Gos) but their two full length albums are swell.

5. The Names - These guys were kind of the Belgian Joy Division - they got pretty experimental with dischordant guitar sounds n stuff.

Bonus: Mathematiques Modernes - Either French or Belgian duo who had this fantastic single called "Rough-Disco" (which Stereolab "borrowed" from on one of the songs on "Emperor Tomato Ketchup")

Opinions? Additions?

(P.S. I'm new here so I hope I'm not being redundant)
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  • JD
    JD
    offline 9

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Fri, February 27, 2004 - 8:25 AM
    Way back in the day, Icehouse was really cool. Before the commercial zenith of Man of Colours. After that, all has been pretty sucky mainstream with the exception of "Berlin" which ranks high still on my playlist.
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    • tser...
      tserafina
      offline 80

      Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

      Sat, February 28, 2004 - 6:11 PM
      I am pleased to see that someone else out there appreciated Icehouse. I saw them in concert when I was travelling through Australia many years ago, when they were at the height of their commercial zenith. I still enjoyed though.
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  • Mich...
    Michelle B.
    offline 33

    here's another...

    Wed, August 25, 2004 - 8:00 PM
    Throwing Muses
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    • matthew
      matthew
      offline 10

      Re: here's another...

      Thu, March 16, 2006 - 10:43 PM
      Some I've not seen on here (amybe I scanned too quickly and missed)

      1)Jesus and Mary Chain (one of the best bands of the era woefully underappreciated)
      2)Felt (Am I the only 1 who cares?)
      3)Wolfgang Press
      4)Modern English (other than I melt with you)
      5)Front 242- sure they get props from the industrial crew but their brilliance is largely unappreciated
      6)Nina Hagen
      7)Yello
      8)the Pogues
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  • The ...
    The Quake
    offline 19

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Sun, September 5, 2004 - 8:36 AM
    1. Japan
    2. The Mutants--This was a band that had great pop hooks. They used played in Places like The Mabuhay Gardens, The Stone, Key Stone Berkeley.
    3. The Offs--Billy Hawks band Best bay area ska/punk band ever.
    4. The Nuns
    5. Essential Logic
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    • Edwin
      Edwin
      offline 152

      Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

      Sat, September 11, 2004 - 11:39 PM
      The Nuns were never underappreciated during the late 70's. In fact, they could announce they were playing somewhere in a half hour and in a half hour there were lines down the block.

      But yes, during the 80s, after Alejandro Escovedo left the band, and after I stopped managing them, they sort of disbanded. Now former punks Jennifer Miro and Jeff Olener are doing it goth-style in the Big Apple.

      Because they never had a major label, they were underappreciated by the next several waves of bands. I think they will be remembered, thanks to the Sex Pistols and The Ramones, as one of the greatest punk bands LIVE!!!
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      • Unsu...
         

        Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

        Sun, September 12, 2004 - 8:01 PM
        * Altered Images
        *Bow Wow Wow
        *Fun Boy Three
        *The Bellestars
        *The Bodysnatchers
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        • Ursy...
          Ursyoola ™
          offline 27

          Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

          Sun, September 12, 2004 - 8:06 PM
          The biggest tragedy of the 80s, to me, is all that music I heard on the radio and really liked, but not enough to buy (and didn't have the presence of mind nor the knowledge to realize that it would go away at some point). Most of it didn't make the compilations, and I didn't pay enough attention to even know what they were so I can't find it...

          I listened to WLIR, 92.7 in New York....which has recently been taken over by a Spanish station....::::sigh:::::
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  • Unsu...
     

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Tue, September 14, 2004 - 10:26 AM
    BTW- Von David- you may be interested to know that Debs from the Dolly Mixtures provided joint lead vocals on Saint Etienne's fabulous 'Who Do You Think You Are?', and most recently was seen as half of the fantastic band, Birdie.

    Cheers

    HuwsKi
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    • Wayne
      Wayne
      offline 39

      Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

      Tue, September 21, 2004 - 6:08 PM
      My top 5 underappreciated bands (in no order):
      -Oingo Boingo
      -Yes (In the 70s...not the 80s...what the hell was "Owner of a Lonely Heart about?)
      -Nils Lofgren (not a band, but still)
      -Todd Rundgren; Utopia
      -Dexy's Midnight Runners

      Ok, I'll probably revise and what not...but here's the first draft.
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  • ß®1@ñ
    ß®1@ñ
    offline 15

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Sun, November 14, 2004 - 6:56 PM
    1. Limited Warranty - Minneapolis's answer to Duran Duran.

    2. Face To Face - The original 80s band from Boston with the name. Female fronted pop/rock band.

    3. Prefab Sprout - Produced mostly by Thomas Dolby. I love almost everything they've ever done- except the last album.

    4. Eight Seconds - Their first album ALMACANTER was brilliant. Sounds similar to The Fixx, but more synth-based.

    5. The Godfathers - Rock/Pop. Kind of fit in with The Call

    A few others who I thought never got the attention they deserved...

    XTC

    Blancmange

    Japan/David Sylvian

    Scritti Politti - Everything they've done has been excellent. Perfect pop.

    Oingo Boingo - One of my favorite bands of all time. Amazing energy. "Weird Science" doesn't do them justice.

    Split Enz

    Nick Heyward (his solo stuff)

    The Art Of Noise

    Yellow Magic Orchestra - Japan's Kraftwerk

    Blake Babies - Juliana Hatfield's early band

    The Call

    Kim Wilde (In the US at least)

    Squeeze - Never got the attention they should have other than "Tempted".

    The The - Gotta love Matt Johnson. I think he was bigger overseas, but did virtually nothing here in the US.
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    • Edwin
      Edwin
      offline 152

      Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

      Sun, November 14, 2004 - 7:11 PM
      You're so right on, Brian. Espeically about Oingo Boingo, Split Enz (who went on to become, as you know, Crowded House), Yellow Magic Orchestra (they opened for us <The Tubes> once at the Hollywood Bowl), The The and, number one of your picks: SQUEEZE. Man, were they great!
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      • Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

        Sun, November 21, 2004 - 10:17 AM
        Squeeze had three excellent and thoroughly underappreciated albums: Cool for Cats, Argybargy, and East Side Story.

        Split Enz was one of the first "New Wave" bands I discovered (in 1980 or so). I got to see them at the Kabuki in SF a couple of years later and they incorporated a delightfully dorky spoon solo into the show. Now my kids love "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" because Neil Finn performs it with The Wiggles on one of their videos. Hee hee.
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        • Edwin
          Edwin
          offline 152

          Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

          Sun, November 21, 2004 - 12:55 PM
          David, I saw Split Enz at the old Boarding House on Bush Street in '77 and was mostly impressed with their 12-foot high headshots surrounding the audience. (Something I had done for Sperm Whale and also The Nuns, though the latter thought it was "too Kiss.") Their hair-doos resembled Alfalfa on STP, quite revolutionary; but their set, if I recall, was not quite as dynamic as one had hoped. Thought Crowded House was the better of the two.
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          • Edwin
            Edwin
            offline 152

            Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

            Sun, November 21, 2004 - 1:21 PM
            Although, I must add, "Six Months In A Leaky Boat" is probably as good as anything they would one day do as Crowded House, including the latter's hit "Hey Now, Hey Now."
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            • Edwin
              Edwin
              offline 152

              Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

              Sun, November 21, 2004 - 1:27 PM
              Interesting, I'm playing "Something So Strong" by Crowded House, then "I Got You (I Get Frightened)" by Split Enz, and interweave various cuts by "Squeeze" and must emphasize the fact that these three (or, should I say, technically TWO) bands are up there with the all-time UNDERappreciated!!!
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              • Mari...
                Marie Therese
                offline 62

                Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

                Sun, November 21, 2004 - 8:56 PM
                Edwin, I'm not too sure about this as I was never a really big fan of either Split Enz or Crowded House, but wasn't Tim Finn only a member of Crowded House for a very brief period? From what I understand, Neil founded Crowded House and it first debuted as a trio without Tim. Tim only joined for the band's third album 'Woodface' and then in true ever-contentious Finn brothers' fashion, left when artistic and personal difficulties arose. Therefore I'm not really sure it's totally accurate to say that Split Enz and Crowded House are essentially the same band. But then again, I could be wrong...

                As for my top 5 underappreciated bands:
                The Church (still going strong almost 25 years later!)
                The Soft Boys
                The Triffids
                The Raincoats
                The Teardrop Explodes
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                • Edwin
                  Edwin
                  offline 152

                  Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

                  Sun, November 21, 2004 - 9:41 PM
                  Perhaps you're right. Sort of like saying Derek and the Dominoes is also Cream. However, I wasn't too far off, either.

                  Here's a lil' bio. (Check out the newly posted pics of Split Enz.) Thanks, Marie. Guess you can say I was 50% right?

                  "Crowded House formed in 1985 when Neil Finn dissolved Split Enz rather than carry on after his brother Tim, the group's founding member, left to pursue a solo career. Instead of carrying through with the new wave direction of latter-day Split Enz, Neil moved in favor of a stripped down, back-to-basics combo featuring ex-Enz drummer Paul Hester, bassist Nick Seymour and, guitarist Craig Hooper. Initially, the group dubbed themselves after Finn's middle name, touring Australia and recording demos under the name the Mullanes; Hooper was dropped shortly after this formative period. In June of 1985, the group headed to Los Angeles to shop for a record label, eventually signing with Capitol Records. Capitol requested that the band change their name and the group settled on Crowded House, a reflection of their living conditions in L.A. Late in 1989, Neil added his brother Tim, as a fourth member of Crowded House."


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                    Mari...
                    Marie Therese
                    offline 62

                    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

                    Sun, November 21, 2004 - 10:41 PM
                    Thanks for the info on Crowded House, Edwin. It's more than I knew before. And yes, I think we can certainly agree that you were at the very least 50% right. ;-)
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                  • This is the maximum depth. Additional responses will not be threaded.
                    ß®1@ñ
                    ß®1@ñ
                    offline 15

                    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

                    Mon, November 22, 2004 - 8:10 PM
                    Yep. That's all correct and it's also correct that Tim left after the Woodface Tour. Mainly because Tim is somewhat of a stage hog and always wants to be the leader.
                    I'm thinking that despite Tim's obvious talents he's possibly felt somewhat overshadowed by his little brother Neil. It wasn't until Neil joined Split Enz and started writing that the band had their first hit "I Got You". In my opinion Neil was always the better writer- which is really hard to say because Tim writes some great stuff. Most of Tim's solo stuff has been outstanding.
                    The Woodface shows I saw were good, but not as "fun" as the first tour with just the three piece + Eddie Rayner (Enz keyboardist).
                    The band later added an american guy Mark Hart (who also was part of Supertramp at some point). I always thought he didn't fit in well with the three original members. Paul Hester left the band afetr that album. It was sad. The shows really lacked something after he left. I always felt that had a little something to do with Neil ending Crowded House.
                    Oh well. Neil's solo albums are good also. There are also two Finn Brothers albums (Neil and Tim). I haven't heard much of the second one, but the first is really good. In fact... I'm gonna go listen to it right now....
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                    • The ...
                      The Quake
                      offline 19

                      Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

                      Mon, January 3, 2005 - 2:28 PM
                      I going to post 5 more.

                      1. Pearl Harbour and the Explosions (Shut Up and Dance is just the Funnist Song)
                      2. X-Ray Spex
                      3. Graham Parker
                      4. Gang of Four (Communism's Chief Apologists)
                      5. Klark Kent (Stewart Copland is the Best)

                      why is thier no love for the NUNS!!!
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    • Bowen
      Bowen
      offline 7

      Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

      Sun, April 3, 2005 - 5:50 PM
      Hi folks, new here. Thanks Brian for mentioning The Godfathers. In college I consistely listened to Birth, School, Work, Death. Besides The Godfathers I would like to mention the following: Concrete Blonde, Gene Loves Jezebel, Robyn Hitchcock (and the Egyptians) and The Smithereens. I would also like to through in The Church, XTC, PIL and Dexy's Midnight Runners.
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    • jared
      jared
      offline 0

      Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

      Wed, April 6, 2011 - 1:47 AM
      YES YES, scrittit politti are brilliant, I listen to them all the time. my sister and I met Green in new york when he played the bowery ballroom! how's that! he was sooooo nice, we talked for a while about music, he was just too cool. split enz are killer time and tide is just wonderful, XTC are great, it's always amazing that so many of these bands aren't bigger than you think cause their music is so awesome, you just assume they're huge.
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  • The ...
    The Quake
    offline 19

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Mon, January 3, 2005 - 2:30 PM
    going to post 5 more.

    1. Pearl Harbour and the Explosions (Shut Up and Dance is just the Funnist Song)
    2. X-Ray Spex
    3. Graham Parker
    4. Gang of Four (Communism's Chief Apologists)
    5. Klark Kent (Stewart Copland is the Best)

    why is thier no love for the NUNS!!!
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  • Unsu...
     

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Mon, January 3, 2005 - 3:34 PM
    So my criteria is one hit wonders kind of dont count. These are not too obscure -- but amazing and underappreciated:

    Howard Jones
    The The
    Dream Academy (maybe not new wave, but in my mind, same category)


    Some might say that Howard Jones is not underappreciated -- I chose him because there were several songs he did that I hadn't attributed to him. I am, by and large, clueless about artists, so maybe it was just me.
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  • Unsu...
     

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Mon, January 3, 2005 - 4:10 PM
    Hi I'm new to this tribe, so here's my list(s) :D

    the Dbs
    Let's Active
    Pylon
    Echo & the Bunnymen
    the Plimsouls

    So many more worth mention....like Los Lobos(props to youguys that put them in), Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Joy Division, Art Of Noise, the Blasters, Slow Children, Heaven 17, Pere Ubu, Rank and File, Wall of Voodoo, Gary Neuman, Television, Talkingheads, to name a few....
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  • Unsu...
     

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Mon, January 3, 2005 - 9:22 PM
    Better give my .02!

    1. COIL
    2. Diamanda Galas
    3. Strawberry Switchblade
    4. Klaus Nomi
    5. Fad Gadget
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    • Eileen
      Eileen
      offline 47

      Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

      Tue, January 4, 2005 - 12:10 PM
      Holy shit - like walking down memory lane. so many of you have picked incredible bands. Here are my humble suggestions...

      - APB (Simon, you are one of the few people that I have "met" that know them.)
      - Hoodoo Gurus
      - Dead Milkmen
      - Nik Kershaw
      - Camouflauge

      to name a few. Icehouse and Alphaville also come to mind, but I think several of you have covered them and I was trying to keep it to five.

      Ursyoola - I am so sad to hear about the demise of WLIR. They had already started to plummet when they changed the call letters to WDRE a few years before I moved to SF. I owe them alot for giving me good music to listen to. sigh.
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      • Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

        Tue, January 4, 2005 - 12:28 PM
        Aw heck, don't bother keeping it to five. It's fun to read people's lists.

        In case anybody's interested, Rhino recently released a box set called "Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the 80's Underground," an expanded version of 3 compilations they had put out a few years ago. The box includes a lot of our beloved 80's bands, but, of course is missing a lot of great ones, too.
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  • ż€₪ż€₪
    ż€₪ż€₪
    offline 725

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Wed, March 2, 2005 - 1:35 PM
    Gary Numan (as far as I'm concerned, he's the one who started it all for me)
    Blancmange
    Echo & The Bunnymen
    Lene Lovich
    Tones On Tail/Love & Rockets
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    • Unsu...
       

      Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

      Fri, March 25, 2005 - 4:15 PM
      Amen on Blancmange! Innovators not only in synth (check out their early instrumental bsides) but way ahead of the whole bhangra/world music trends. And Neil Arthur's solo album is a gem.

      Cabaret Voltaire can never, ever be appreciated enough.

      The The seems to be fading from people's memory these days, unfairly.

      Cristina. What IS a girl to do?

      Billy McKenzie - am I the only person who likes his solo stuff better than the Associates?
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      • Autu...
        Autumn Stone
        offline 26

        Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

        Fri, March 25, 2005 - 5:14 PM
        Travers - right behind you on Blancmange - last night I watched the 'Don't Tell Me' video again.. happy, cheesy, passionate, of the time, the incredible Neil Arthur grin, and of course THE BEATS! The The are up there too: 'This is your Captain calling, with an urgent warning...!!!'

        China Crisis are worth a shout as well - King in a Catholic Style, Working With Fire & Steel, Hannah Hannah, and Christian all killed me.
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        • Unsu...
           

          Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

          Fri, March 25, 2005 - 7:16 PM
          AS - Wow, I've only ever seen I think 2 Blancmange videos: Living on the Ceiling and Lose Your Lose. What do they do in Don't Tell Me?

          I do, however, remember hearing that song in the background of a nightclub scene in some old Charlie Sheen / Emilio Estevez movie about serial killers!

          Seeing as how a DVD collection is highly unlikely...
          - Trav
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          • Autu...
            Autumn Stone
            offline 26

            Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

            Sat, March 26, 2005 - 11:07 AM
            Trav, in the Don't Tell Me vid Mr Arthur finds him amongst some beautiful woman wearing traditional costume - where these woman are from and where the video was shot, i'm not sure. Could be Kazakstan, somewhere like that.. Basically our friend wonders through the streets singing and smilings at the girlies taking part in a town precession. There are glimpes of Stephen Luscombe in the mix too. A great vid, and you're right it probably won't show up on a DVD sadly. There is a video collection which only comprises Living on the Ceiling, Waves, and Blind Vision.

            I haven't heard 'Suitcase' yet, but I will def look out for a copy.
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            • Unsu...
               

              Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

              Tue, April 5, 2005 - 11:35 PM
              Suitcase is a pain to find - or at least I had bad luck, took me a year or so of Gemm alerts to find one for only $30. There's also some great non-LP tracks from the singles I was able to snag in the glory days of Napster.

              And to expose myself as a really OTT Blancmangege fan, there were also some vinyl-only remixes from Neil's singles as well I finally tracked down.

              Message me if you wanna do a trade! - Trav
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  • Helt...
    HelterSkelter
    offline 7

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Wed, March 23, 2005 - 7:15 AM
    The Bollock Brothers is the only group that hasn't already been listed. Remember "Harley David Son Of A Bitch"
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    • Unsu...
       

      Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

      Wed, March 23, 2005 - 12:07 PM
      Hell yes, lol! Whenever I see the rich kids here riding their farting Harleys, I recall it again, lol!
      Bollock Brothers are mostly recalled also for "Faith Healer" (cover) too....

      What about The Abecedarians?
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      • Nari
        Nari
        offline 589

        Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

        Tue, March 29, 2005 - 8:21 PM
        Gang of Four
        Ultravox
        The Replacements
        Cocteau Twins
        Dead Can Dance

        Though some may disagree, these bands were never mainstream popular at all, as far as I know.
        And I thought The Stone Roses were pretty big, at least where I lived they were.
        I also loved Suicidal Tendencies in their "Instituationalized" days, TSOL before the metal stuff, and Agent Orange.
        I also think Joe Jackson is a freakin' genius! I love "Be my number two" and "Breaking us into".
        And what about The Bolshoi, Throbbing Grissle, and Grace Jones? They were all so fabulous! Yea! *humming ... memories, like the corners of my mind..*
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  • Random
    Random
    offline 266

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Sat, January 28, 2006 - 9:57 PM
    1. Japan
    2. XTC
    3. Shriekback
    4. King Crimson (3rd generation with Adrian Belew)
    5. The Ocean Blue

    I could go on and on...

    Gang of Four
    Mission of Burma
    Dead Kennedys
    Tackhead
    The Beatnigs
    Consolidated
    The Normal
    Plastique Bertrand
    The Damned!
    The Dickies
    Fear
    Rank & File
    Hoodoo Gurus
    Dead Milkmen
    The Toy Dolls
    That Petrol Emotion
    Black Uhuru
    The Blasters
    The Monochrome Set
    The Style Council
    The Teardrop Explodes
    Michael Penn
    Shona Laing
    Translator
    World Party
    Dream Academy

    Jeezus, the list goes on and on...

    -Random
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    • Pickle!
      Pickle!
      offline 27

      Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

      Sun, January 29, 2006 - 6:09 AM
      Wow, you guys are awesome! I can't list just 5 though, and many have already been listed.

      On my current playlist are:

      Nina Hagen - she introduced me to New Wave.
      Sparks - "I Predict" is one of the smartest songs out there!
      Art of Noise
      Gary Numan
      Joe Jackson
      Shriekback
      XTC
      Altered Images
      Yello
      Toy Dolls (I love Olga!)
      Devo (sorry gotta put them on!)
      The Waitresses
      B-52s (early stuff)
      Mojo Nixon
      Big Audio Dynomite
      too many others to list but my alltime favorite: THE THE!! Matt Johnson is my hero!
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      • Random
        Random
        offline 266

        Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

        Sun, January 29, 2006 - 2:32 PM
        Ack! How could I have forgotten Gary Numan, Joe Jackson, Yello, and the Waitresses!

        I kid you not, that Christmas song of theirs (the Waitresses) gets me every time. "You mean you forgot cranberries too?!"

        Who did that "Hope Road" song, btw?

        -Random
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        • Pickle!
          Pickle!
          offline 27

          Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

          Sun, January 29, 2006 - 7:20 PM
          Was is Martha and the Muffins that did Hope Road?

          I had a chance to see Joe Jackson in Santa Rosa last year, tickets and all. But couldn't find the ride out there. Come to find out his health is not good? ?

          Saw Devo in Oakland last year! Fricking awesome!
          And ok I admit it, I spent $250 for row 16 seats for Duran Duran in San Jose. We were close enough to see the make up Simon was wearing!!!
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  • Sean...
    SeanSkee
    offline 46

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Sun, February 12, 2006 - 2:15 PM
    i figure since i've been playing these bands and songs in clubs since...um...1980-ish all over the country (where ever someone will hire me to do it! lol); i might finally chime in...

    finally someone mentioned:

    Yello (Bostitch, Vicious Games, Lost Again...)
    Psychedelic Furs (Alice's House!)
    Book of Love
    Everything But The Girl
    Anne Clark
    Big Audio Dynamite
    Dramarama (i still play Last Cigarette, Haven't Got A Clue )
    Blancmange
    The Tubes

    what about:

    Front 242
    Nitzer Ebb
    Haircut 100
    Heaven 17
    Missing Persons (guilty pleasure)
    Pet Shop Boys
    The Flirts
    Vicous Pink (Cccccan't You See/8:15 to Nowhere 12")
    D.A.F.
    Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark (O.M.D.)
    Kraftwerk
    Talk Talk (Living in Another World, Life's What You Make It)
    Sisters of Mercy
    Bronski Beat (for all your high-energy falsetto needs)
    Danse Society
    KING
    Yaz and/or YAZOO
    Pete Shelley
    Boxcar
    Information Society
    *does Electronic count?
    Paul Young
    The Farm
    Faith No More


    i could go on for days, as well...
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    • Maxwell
      Maxwell
      offline 8

      Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

      Sun, February 12, 2006 - 7:34 PM
      I'm a deejay too, and I REALLY love all of those bands/artists a lot.

      Glad to know someone else is keeping it 80's on the dance floor.
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      • Sean...
        SeanSkee
        offline 46

        Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

        Sat, February 18, 2006 - 12:37 PM
        BUZZCOCKS!!!

        it's been bothering me for days that i couldn't remember the name of pete shelley's band, and the fact they are quite under rated (and i don't recall anyone mentioning them yet).

        okay. i feel better now.

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        • Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

          Sat, February 18, 2006 - 12:46 PM
          Buzzcocks were great and fairly underrated, though they were appreciated enough for Toyota to use their song "What Do I Get" in a commercial in 1999.
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          • Pickle!
            Pickle!
            offline 27

            Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

            Sat, February 18, 2006 - 5:59 PM
            Buzzcocks selling cars. Blech!

            Worse for me was hearing The The in a Dockers commercial. My faith in everything good died when I heard it. . .
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            • Sean...
              SeanSkee
              offline 46

              Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

              Sat, February 18, 2006 - 7:24 PM
              i look at it this way - although some would call it 'selling out' that some of our better musics have been 'commercialed' or whatever - it might put an extra dollar or 2 in the writer's and/or performer's royalty checks. and that could make a difference to them.

              still - it sucks to see a good band/song in a car commercial. kinda like a john lennon song in a sneaker ad. wtf? if it goes against the wishes of the originator of the work, something could and should be done about it (by whomever is administering that particular piece of artistry.)

              i can't sweat it - i've no control over it. i'll just adjust my headphones, press play and enjoy the tunes.
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              • Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

                Sat, February 18, 2006 - 7:33 PM
                I have to agree with SeanSkee. As much as I hate seeing a song I love used to sell product (I'll never forgive McCartney for selling the rights to Buddy Holly's "Oh Boy" to Buick - "Oh Buick!") t's not easy for a lot of musicians to sustain themselves in their waning years, so I can't get all high and mighty aboiut them making a few bucks off a commercial. It will still make me cringe, though.
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                • Maxwell
                  Maxwell
                  offline 8

                  Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

                  Sun, February 19, 2006 - 2:58 PM
                  I just remembered one more incredibly underappreciated band...

                  T'Pau.

                  Their debut, Bridge of Spies, is a fantastic album through and through. It's a shame that no one ever saw past "Heart and Soul" (or, I guess you could argue "China in Your Hand" also).
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  • Suza...
    Suzanne Bella
    offline 202

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Tue, June 5, 2007 - 3:32 PM
    Hands down, Danse Society. Really high energy, psychedelic in a way, anomoly of a band with one of the hottest, most charismatic lead singers ever (yummy, pretty Steve Rawlings...prrrr!) Great musicianship, with ahead of their times innovations such as tabla drums on 2000 light years from home they came out of post-punk and inspired the goth movement before there was one. They achieved moderate fame and could have become huge if not for major label mismanagement/bunglings, restrictions and ensuing rifts that were caused which ultimately broke up this killer band. Perhaps their best known album is "Heaven is waiting" ( title song is great by the way, also love "Angel", overall, a very solid, listenable album) We last heard of them with the single radio hit "Say it again" which was their most commercial success yet ironically the downfall of their career and the last thing they put out. It's kind of a long story but that's where the aforementioned bunglings of record companies and whatnot occurred. It's such a shame, as they really had everything going for them for international superstardom. In a way, that song was sort of a sell out and not really the kind of thing that had gained their audience, however I am sure that given some time, they would have not abandoned their true roots and continued to continue exploring that certain hypnotic, wild, almost pagan sensibility that made them so unique. Actually, I quite like "Say it again". It's definately catchy, in the pop/new wave hit kind of vein and I like the slightly sarcastic lyrics, adrogynous sensuality of Steve off set with his masculine vocal delivery. Then poof! They never put out another song.

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  • Spar...
    Sparkina
    offline 0

    Re: Top TEN Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Wed, August 1, 2007 - 1:05 PM
    I have a topTEN
    10 -- Delta 5
    9 -- Classix Nouveau
    8 -- Fad Gadget
    7 -- M (The fella who did "Pop Muzik")
    6 -- D-Day,who did the delightfully racy "Too Young to Date"
    5 -- Sector 27, Tom Robinson's post-TRB (Tom Robinson Band) Group. He always was one of my heroes. Also, Tom Robinson himself.
    4 -- Furniture, the band who did "Brilliant Mind"
    3 -- Boys Don't Cry (I wanna Be a Cowboy)
    2 -- Japan
    1 -- DEPARTMENT S, who may be remembered for "Is Vic here" which is a cool tune, but one of my faves from them is "Going Left Right"
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  • kal
    kal
    offline 0

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Sat, June 7, 2008 - 11:20 PM
    This is a great question and I've been extremely impressed by the post, after an hour of reading through them I just had to add my 2 cents worth. Forgive me if I stretch the 80's a little to late 70's to early 90's. 1) Husker Du 2) Lime Spiders 3)Crash Test Dummies (forget God Shuffled His Feet, listen to I Don't Care) 4) The Replacements 5)Cracker. Ok I do need to add 3 more or I wouldn't feel right (sorry) The Suburbs, Squeeze, The Names. Thanks all for the memories.
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  • nick
    nick
    offline 0

    Re: Top 5 Underappreciated Bands of the 80's

    Mon, August 18, 2008 - 7:56 AM
    What a great topic. By the way, does anyone remember the eighties song "When it Hits"? And who did it?

    Here's a few:
    1. The Jim Carroll Band
    2. Joy Division
    3. Echo and the Bunnymen
    4. Aztec Camera
    5. Nick Gilder
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