3 Modern Bands That Sound Like the 1980s

Some of the world’s greatest bands use old sounds to create something new. Oasis drew from the British guitar bands of the 1960s, while Guns N’ Roses emerged from the Sunset Strip with 1970s blues riffs.

You also hear modern bands looking to the 1980s for inspiration. They study Talking Heads, The Cure, New Order, and others, crafting retro tunes out of what was then emerging technology. And there’s something to the earnestness of the neon decade—the bright clothes, big hair, impassioned lyrics, and rigid drum machines—that instantly brings a feeling of nostalgia. Few do it any better than the bands listed here.

The War On Drugs

You can hear echoes of Bruce Springsteen’s 80s period on The War On Drugs’ “I Don’t Live Here Anymore”. Band leader Adam Granduciel is a Springsteen fan and seems to use “Dancing In The Dark” as his sonic blueprint. You can hear it in the hazy synths and how the guitars are drenched in chorus. Granduciel blends heartland rock with space rock, and songs like “Red Eyes” and “Thinking Of A Place” also recall the 80s neo-psychedelia of Spacemen 3.

Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory

Sharon Van Etten wanted to jam with her band. The longtime solo artist grew tired of her own voice and wanted to create a more collaborative record. Van Etten has steadily moved away from her indie folk roots, and her fifth album, Remind Me Tomorrow, seemed like a reinvention, as heard on the wistful anthem “Seventeen”. But on her 2025 album with The Attachment Theory, Van Etten’s band resembles the goth post-punk of Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Bleachers

For superstar producer Jack Antonoff, the Roland Juno-6 synthesizer is as crucial to his sound as any guitar. His band project Bleachers makes heavy use of the Roland synth, and like The War On Drugs, Antonoff borrows heavily from The E Street Band. When you hear Taylor Swift singing over dreamy synths, chances are Antonoff was by her side. Check out the Bleachers’ song “Rollercoaster” for a dose of 80s nostalgia.

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