3 Classic Rock Artists That Personify the 1980s

What happened in the 1980s? It’s like all the musical artists collectively made a left turn and decided to be as different from the past as they could. It also seems like they tried to be as unique as possible when they would inevitably be compared to future bands. It’s not that the 1980s were bad, it’s just that classic rock from that era sticks out so dramatically when compared to everything else from the 20th century.

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Here below, however, we wanted to explore three acts from the decade that just scream 80s. These trio of artists had a special kind of rock prowess that has lasted through the years and will continue to stand the test of time. That’s because of, or perhaps, in spite of the time in which they rose to fame. Indeed, these are three classic rock artists who personify the 1980s.

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Prince

Prince would have stood out in whatever decade he popped up in. The Purple One knew how to write songs that got your juices flowing and your mind working. He was romantic and he was dynamic. But it just so happened that his breakout classic rock and pop album dropped dead center in the middle of the 1980s, making him an incandescent star.

Indeed, that was the power of Purple Rain, which also spawned a movie and a hit song of the same name. Combining the yearning from synths and the howling of a guitar, Prince was as of the era as anyone.

Eddie Van Halen

Not only did Eddie Van Halen and his self-titled rock band rule the airwaves in the 1980s, but he famously contributed to one of the most quintessential songs of the era from perhaps the quintessential 1980s artist, Michael Jackson. It was Eddie who played the mind-bending guitar solo on Jackson’s 1982 hit “Beat It” from the iconic LP, Thriller.

Like Prince, Van Halen had released several albums leading up to the middle of the decade. But it was in 1984 when the band dropped its seminal LP 1984, which featured songs like “Jump” and “Hot For Teacher”.

Guns N’ Roses

If you are wearing a hat, hold onto it, because Guns N’ Roses knew how to blow it. Beginning later in the decade in 1987, the group released its debut LP Appetite For Destruction. That record featured iconic songs like “Paradise City”, “Welcome To The Jungle”, and “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.

The band followed that up a year later with G N’ R Lies, which included the beautiful and somber “Patience”. And while their career continued on into the 1990s, they didn’t lose that element that made them special. It was like the 1980s bled into the new decade, and GNR made sure to keep the party going.

Photo by Ross Marino/Rock Negatives