4 Powerhouse Pop Vocalists From the 1980s That Don’t Get Their Flowers as They Should

These powerhouse vocalists were popular back in the 1980s, but not enough people are talking about how impressive they were today. We have a short list of names from pop in this era that still get discussed (Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Tina Turner, to name a few). But the three voices below are strong examples of their genre, yet don’t get the flowers they deserve.

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Laura Branigan

Sometimes, when a song is too fun, it can obscure the artist’s technical prowess. That’s the case for Laura Branigan. This vocalist earned massive 1980s pop hits like “Self Control” and “Gloria,” yet doesn’t often get her flowers as a top-tier vocalist.

In “Self Control”, she showed marked control over her voice, hitting staccato notes and long, drawn-out riffs. In “Gloria”, she gave her vocals a little more space to run freely. These two tracks are diverging examples of the diversity of her vocal talent.

Vesta Williams

Vesta Williams had a strong vocal agility that earned her several hits throughout the 1980s. In her signature track, “Congratulations”, she hits a run that many modern mainstream vocalists would find a chore. She hits them effortlessly, though, putting Williams in a league of her own.

Williams’ voice could be intimate and small or powerful and booming. Those kinds of dynamics aren’t really found in pop music much anymore, making Williams a testament to a sorely missed era of the genre.

Taylor Dayne

Taylor Dayne earned massively fun pop hits in the 1980s. Grounding them all was her powerhouse, gritty vocals. Her anthems might’ve been blithe back in this era, but her vocals packed a serious punch. Her songs are the perfect mix of floor-filling energy and awe-inspiring technical talent.

Dayne’s top hits include “Tell It To My Heart”, “Prove Your Love”, and “Love Will Lead You Back”. Each of these songs is great on paper, but in practice, with Dayne’s robust vocals leading the way, they get a major bump that couldn’t have been predicted in the writer’s room.

Alison Moyet

When listening to one of Alison Moyet’s signature tracks, “Invisible”, the listener is instantly struck by how powerful her voice is. Deep and rich, Moyet’s voice stands out from the pop crowd in the 1980s. Her earthy vocals deserve more praise from the mainstream than they are often given.

While many in her genre were using breathy, new-wave-style vocals during this era, Moyet was proving that power never goes out of style. The hits she earned in the 1980s were indicative of that.

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