3 Rock Bands From the 1980s That Vanished Almost Overnight

The following three rock bands seemingly vanished after scoring some success in the 1980s, and I still don’t think it was fair. These groups were stellar, and the charts weren’t as kind to them as they should have been.

Videos by American Songwriter

Glass Tiger

Talk about an iconic Canadian band. Glass Tiger was huge in the 1980s for their pop-rock stylings with a touch of new wave synth-y goodness. Songs like “Don’t Forget Me When I’m Gone” and “Someday” from 1986 were crossover hits in the States, among others. Then, after one last Top 40 hit in Canada in 1993 (“Touch Of Your Hand”), Glass Tiger seemingly vanished. They went on a decade-long hiatus, their members pursuing new projects. They have since reunited but haven’t released a hit single since. What a shame. This band really was quite amazing back in the 80s.

Age Of Chance

Age Of Chance was a British alt-rock and dance group from Leeds that was only around from 1983 to 1991. Their original music was iconic, but they gained the most attention for their cover of Prince’s song “Kiss”. Their high-energy version of the song hit No. 1 on the UK Indie Chart back in 1986. They had all the makings of greatness: a solid label (Virgin) and a lot of love in the local press. Sadly, they never quite took off. They never had another UK hit after “Kiss”, and by 1991, the band decided to pack it up. I’m still sad about this one. They really could have been something incredible.

Diesel Park West

Diesel Park West never quite took off, and fans are still scratching their heads over it. This English alt-rock outfit had some really great songs in the late 1980s that came so close to hitting the Top 40 in the UK. And yet, by the early 1990s, their singles stopped charting, and they never really made it to international fame. This group makes it to our list of rock bands that “vanished” after the 1980s, but they didn’t really “vanish.” They’re still together today, but the charts unfairly ignored them after 1989 had come and gone. Some might say this band was doing Britpop before Britpop was even a thing.

(Photo by Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Images)