Top 20 Artists of the 80s - Part 1 20-11

This being my first real post, I figure I should start at the beginning of music for me. As I said in my intro, I grew up on Top 40 radio in the 80s. I don't, and will not apologize for it, it was just the time I grew up in. I was discovering music on my own, and finding my own way. These are not the artists who my favorite at the time, shit, I don't remember back that far! Some of these artists I didn't even know existed back then, but have come to define the decade to me. These are the artists I NOW consider the best of that decade. 

*DISCLAIMER*

I am NOT including any hair bands or metal bands here. There will be plenty of posts dedicated to just them.

20.  Michael Jackson - Any 80s list without MJ is bullshit! I had Thriller and Bad when I was a kid. We     ALL wanted to be MJ growing up. He could sing and dance like a motherfucker, nobody was cooler.

19. Madonna - See above, same thing. Arguably the biggest female artist OF ALL TIME. She was on MTV around the clock, and was the source of many fantasies I had as a young lad. Musically, you never had a chance to get bored, as she changed things up just as the copycats latched on to what she was doing.

18. Bruce Springsteen - There weren't many albums of the 80s as big as Born In The USA. The title track gave me my first twinge of patriotism, even if I didn't know it wasn't a very patriotic song. The Boss, along with Bon Jovi, made New Jersey sound like a cool place to be.

17. Huey Lewis & The News - For the middle part of the 80s, they were THE biggest band in the world on Top 40 radio. Blue eyed soul, the ultimate party bar band. I tend not to like horns in my music, unless it's Jazz, but Johnny Colla made me want to be a sax player.

16. Phil Collins/Genesis - Such a distinctive voice. His solo material, along with the Genesis album Invisible Touch, were in constant rotation on MTV and radio. This was pure, pop bliss without the artsy fartsy Prog and fucking flower costumes. "It's supposed to be about Rock N Roll man, not the Phantom of the fucking Opera!" That being said, I do love So by Peter Gabriel.

15. Violent Femmes - Quirky, smart, dark, and funny all rolled into one. The Femmes had a sound that nobody before, or since has been able to pull off. This kind of thing happens when you do things DIFFERENT without TRYING to be different. I've always loved how Gordan Gano sounds like he is on the verge of a serious physical, mental, and emotional breakdown.

14. The Cure - Robert Smith. What can I say besides, "Cheer up, you pale bastard!"? Regardless, I NEVER wanted to be Goth, but there were some great songs come from this mopey son of a bitch.

13. The Cars - Weird looking bunch of fuckers, but hard to hate them. They had a way of writing hooks that stick in your head FOREVER. To this day, I come up with guitar or vocal melodies that I really dig, then realize it's because these guys already wrote it. I'm sure I have plagiarized them on more than one occasion. 

12. The Replacements - Ahh yes. One of the most underrated bands in history (that will be another list later). Discovered The 'Mats because of the Goo Goo Dolls. Without these guys, a LOT of music I loved from the 90s would NEVER have been written. It is my opinion you either love them, have never heard of them, or you are a fucking musical wasteland.

11. Prince - The Purple One. He is arguably the greatest MUSICIAN in history, and possibly the most prolific songwriter in modern times. Influenced EVERYONE. Prince is just a badass, that is all.

Part 2 will be coming up later. Be prepared for some surprises!