The 1980s were known for being a decade of shoulder pads, big hair and big music, with the country rocking out to bands like Bon Jovi, The Police and Motley Crue. In the 80s, there were popular icons and pop stars of the time that included elusive, magnetic figures, such as Michael Jackson and Madonna. Some have prevailed even until today, while others chose to step away from the limelight. Either way, these icons still evoke an enormous amount of interest from the public.
Michael Jackson
The King of Pop was born on August 29, 1958 and passed away on June 25, 2009. His pop-culture legacy is so iconic that even though he has not released any new albums in years, his music continues to be played worldwide by radio stations and television shows alike.
He was one of the first artists to have a multi-million dollar catalog, spanning ten studio albums and accumulating over 400 million albums sold around the world. He is credited with being one of the most influential artists in music history for his huge influence. His most popular songs include “Thriller”, “Billie Jean”, and “Smooth Criminal.”
Bruce Springsteen
Few rockers of the 1970s have made it to the 1980s as effortlessly as Bruce Springsteen does. During the time that many of his peers struggled to find their way through the MTV era, Springsteen reached a level of massive fame that even he could not imagine. That was especially true at the peak of his career, which is the era of Born to Run.
His songs have been featured on television shows and radio stations, and he’s become a fixture of the 1980s. In addition to being a very popular musician, he also has been nominated for several Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.
Madonna
Famous for her rawness and sexually liberate concepts, Madonna is credited with having one of the most influential bodies of work in music history. Though she has not released any new albums recently, she still has a very large fan base worldwide.
Her songs have been featured on radio stations such as BBC Radio 1 and MTV. She has won many awards, such as Favorite Dance Single for “Vogue” in 1991 and International Artist of the Year in 2001 by the AMAs.
Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston is one of the most popular artists in music history. Some of her popular songs include “I Will Always Love You”, “I’m Every Woman,” and “One Moment in Time”. She has won eight Grammy Awards and two awards from the Emmys, alongside other accolades.
She is known for her soulful singing and her popularity in the 1980s, with her “Whitney” album which had five tracks in it that made it to the top 10 in the Billboard Hot 100 at the time. Sadly, she passed away due to suspected substance abuse in 2012 at the age of 48. Even so, she remains a staple in the music industry.
