The 80s had solo artists and bands releasing a wide variety of music. But the decade also had several duos, including these four, which all consistently released some of the best music in the 80s.
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Wham!
Made up of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, Wham! formed in England. Their freshman Fantastic album came out in 1983, the first of three albums the duo would release in the 80s.
Wham! had several hits in both the United Kingdom and the United States, including “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”, their first No. 1 single, which stayed at the top of the charts for three weeks. Other hit singles include “Careless Whisper”, “Freedom”, and “Last Christmas“.
In 1986, the duo split, and Michael pursued a solo career.
Tears For Fears
Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith formed Tears For Fears in 1981. Their freshman album, The Hurting, was released in 1983.
Throughout the 80s, Tears For Fears had numerous hit singles, including “Shout”, “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”, and “Sowing The Seeds Of Love”, among others.
In 1991, Tears For Fears split, with Orzabel continuing to release music under the duo name. They later reunited, releasing Everybody Loves A Happy Ending in 2004.
Hall & Oates
Daryl Hall and John Oates created Hall & Oates in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the 70s. Their first album, Whole Oats, came out in 1972. But it wasn’t until the 80s that Hall & Oates began having a string of hit singles.
“Kiss On My List”, their second No. 1 single, came out in 1981. Other No. 1 songs released in the 80s by Hall & Oates include “Private Eyes”, “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)”, and “Maneater”.
Hall & Oates continued to make music into the early 2000s, although not consistently. In 2023, Hall reportedly filed a lawsuit after Oates was planning on selling part of his publishing rights. As of 2025, the lawsuit was amicably resolved.
Pet Shop Boys
Chris Lowe and vocalist Neil Tennant formed Pet Shop Boys in 1981. In 1984, Pet Shop Boys released “West End Girls”. Although it failed to do well at radio, they included it on their debut Please album, which came out in 1986, becoming a No. 1 hit. Other Pet Shop Boys hits include “It’s A Sin”, “Always On My Mind”, “Heart”, and others.
According to the BBC, Pet Shop Boys were named as the most successful duo in the UK in the Guinness Book of World Records. Their latest album, Nonetheless, came out in 2024.
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images
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