3 Classic Rock AMA Winners From 1986 We Still Love To Hear

The American Music Awards celebrated an eclectic list of artists during the 1986 show. But that makes sense—the 1980s was an era full of characters. If you close your eyes and think about it, you can probably think of a dozen big-name artists from the era who are also indelible personalities.

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That’s just what we wanted to highlight here below. We wanted to showcase three distinct songwriters with three distinct styles who took home three important awards in 1986. Indeed, these are three classic rock American Music Award winners from 1986 we still stan.

Tina Turner

Tina Turner boasts one of the greatest singing voices ever, especially when it comes to rock music. You might not think it when she takes the stage, but not only does Turner have a voice that can fill a room in a nanosecond, but her voice also offers that essential quality when it comes to rock—her instrument sounds like it was shaped with electrified gravel. Indeed, Turner can growl as much as she can howl. She can offer vocal bursts as much as buoyant lyrics. And for that, she took home the AMA trophy in 1986 for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist, beating out Madonna and Whitney Houston. Turner took home the award thanks largely to her 1984 LP, Private Dancer, which included the indelible tune, “What’s Love Got to Do with It”.

Bruce Springsteen

The Boss took home three coveted AMA trophies during the 1986 show. Not only did Bruce Springsteen win Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist at the pageant, but he also garnered awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Video Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Album for his 1984 LP, Born In The U.S.A.

More than 40 years later, Springsteen is still writing songs about the United States and its fraught relationship with its citizens.

Wham!

Wham! was a sensation in the 1980s. Blending live rock instrumentation with pop sensations, the group wrote songs that were impossible to forget. And at the 1986 American Music Awards, the group took home the trophy for Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group Video Artist, beating out bands like Eurythmics and Tears For Fears for the honor. The group won the trophy for their song “Careless Whisper”.

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