Quick: name your favorite rock bands of the 1980s. Well, many of the acts you just named in your head were honored at the 1981 American Music Awards show, celebrated for the songs they released the year before at the dawn of the new decade.
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Here below, we wanted to highlight three of those classic rock all-timers. We wanted to illustrate just why they were in the AMA limelight at the start of the new era and why their songs have subsisted ever since. Indeed, these are three classic rock AMA winners from 1981 we still stan today.
Eagles
The Los Angeles-born rock band Eagles released six albums in the 1970s, culminating with their final one of the decade, the 1979 LP, The Long Run. Given the rock group’s prowess in the decade and the sense at the time that The Long Run might just be the band’s final album ever, the American Music Awards honored Eagles with the trophy for Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group at the 1981 show, beating out Queen and The Rolling Stones. Sadly, for fans, Eagles wouldn’t release another album until decades later—their 2007 offering, Long Road Out Of Eden.
Queen
Speaking of Queen, while the British-born rock band lost out on the trophy for Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group, Freddie Mercury and company did take home the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Song for their iconic tune, “Another One Bites The Dust”, from the 1980 LP, The Game. If there was one thing that Queen could always do, it’s rouse a crowd. And “Another One Bites The Dust” is perhaps the best example of that in the band’s catalog.
Chuck Berry
When it comes to rock music awards, Chuck Berry should get them all. Or they should all be named after him. Whatever the outcome, the artist is one of the most important rock artists of all time. Without him, who knows where the genre would be? And that’s exactly why the St. Louis, Missouri-born artist took home the trophy for Merit at the 1981 AMAs. The award, given for a lifetime of achievement, is a perfect nod for the man who gave the world the song “Johnny B. Goode”.
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