3 Bands Whose Legacy Never Made It Out of the 80s

For music fans whose taste favors 60s and 70s music, the 80s certainly wasn’t your decade. Nothing wrong with that, as the 80s are a unique decade both to a benefit and to a fault. Though between that juxtaposition is a mighty fine quality. The mighty fine quality is that 80s music is unmistakable and arguably the most easily recognizable genre of music in the latter half of the 20th century. Generally speaking, this is a good thing. However, it is also a bad thing in the sense that the sound didn’t carry on well into the future. In other words, the sound belonged to the decade and the decade alone. Consequently, these three bands never made it out of the 1980s because of their strictly 80s sound.

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Europe

Europe was the epitome of 80s glam rock. They utilized synthesizers, indulged heavily in grand pagentry, and as a result, they rode the fads of the 80s to success. In their catalog of songs, their most commercial success is, without a doubt, “The Final Countdown”. Which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 following its release in 1986.

Throughout the 80s, Europe had enormous success, as they had several hit songs and hit albums both domestically and internationally. However, when it was time to say goodbye to big hair and hello to flannel shirts, their mass popularity dwindled significantly. However, they’re still on the road and giving their 80s fans what they want.

A Flock of Seagulls

The original line-up of A Flock of Seagulls literally didn’t make it out of the 80s, as the band broke up in 1986. However, before their breakup, A Flock Of Seagulls cemented themselves as an 80s staple thanks to their hit song “I Ran (So Far Away)”, “Space Age Love Song”, and “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)”.”

By the time 1986 rolled around, A Flock of Seagulls saw an immense decline in their commercial appeal. Particularly, their 1986 album, Dream Come True, was, for lack of a better term, a commercial failure. As a result, the original band and their legacy never really escaped their prime 80s years and their song “I Ran (So Far Away)”.

Soft Cell

Despite breaking up in 1984 and reuniting in the early 2000s, the infamous Soft Cell was never able to outperform its former self. Nevertheless, they had a great run in the 80s, as they had multiple top 40 hits, which include “Torch”, “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye”, “What”, and “Bedsitter”.

An impressive run of hits, but the song that continues to positively haunt them is, of course, “Tainted Love”. Released in 1982, the hit single peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 1 in the United Kingdom. To this day, “Tainted Love” is arguably the identity of Soft Cell.

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