4 Chart-Topping Bands From the 1980s Who Disappeared Without a Trace

The 1980s were a great time for pop and rock. Plenty of huge names from that era are still remembered today, and some of them are still producing music today, too. However, a few too many bands slipped under the radar after they finally made it big during that decade, and I think they deserve some love in the 2020s. Let’s look at just a few bands from the 1980s that topped the charts before they virtually disappeared without a trace.

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‘Til Tuesday

Remember ‘Til Tuesday? This alternative rock new wave outfit from Boston was all the rage in 1985. They’re best known for their chart-topping single from that year, “Voices Carry”. The tune peaked at no. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

While the band continued to release music through the 1980s and gained quite a bit of critical praise, their later releases failed to chart very well. The band eventually broke up in 1990. According to lead singer Aimee Mann, she had lost interest in new wave pop and wanted to focus more on acoustic music, making ‘Til Tuesday a quintessential 1980s hitmaker to have since disappeared.

Warrant

Warrant was a glam metal band best known for their 1989 hit song “Heaven”. That rockin’ track made it to no. 2 on the Hot 100 and was heavily praised by Rolling Stone. They enjoyed quite a bit of success through the early 1990s as well, particularly after releasing the album Cherry Pie.

Sadly, too many lineup changes affected the band negatively, and the onset of the grunge movement left the era of glam metal in the dust. Warrant is still together today, though their music has changed quite a bit.

The Outfield

This English pop-rock outfit was huge in the 1980s, particularly after the release of their hit single “Your Love” from 1985. That track hit no. 6 on the Hot 100 chart and did similarly well on other charts. They charted, toured, and produced new music throughout the 1980s. However, their popularity took a dip in the 1990s. After their drummer left in 1989, the band more or less broke up in the 1990s before getting back together in the 2000s.

The Men They Couldn’t Hang

This entry on our list of 1980s bands that disappeared was a pretty big deal in England. The folk punk and roots rock group came to fame in 1985 with their hit single “Ironmaster”. After getting a ton of airplay (although the tune was censored to a degree) on BBC Radio 1, the song peaked at no. 1 on the UK Indie chart. 

Despite getting signed to a lucrative record label in 1985 and 1987, the band couldn’t quite find dependable chart success. Their debut 1985 studio album and the 1989 release Silver Town did quite well, but their singles after 1985 failed to chart very well. The Men They Couldn’t Hang eventually broke up in 1991, though they reunited a few years later. Core member Stefan Cush passed away in 2021.

Photo by Estate Of Keith Morris/Redferns/Getty Images

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