Best Singers From the 80s

abhimanyukhanna

The Top Ten

1 Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, dancer, and songwriter born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana and passed away on June 25, 2009. He donated (at least) a remarkable 500,000,000 dollars to charity. Michael is also known as The King of Pop (a title given to him by Elizabeth Taylor) or under ...read more.

My favorite is bad

He had the best selling album not just of the 80s but of ALL TIME. He created the most groundbreaking music video of ALL TIME - thriller and the most groundbreaking dance called the moonwalk which looks like he is walking backwards. Who can forget his amazing songs like Billie Jean, Beat It, Bad, Man In The Mirror, Dirty Diana and Smooth Criminal? Michael was a phenomanal singer, dancer, songwritter and entertainer. He had it ALL. He was also the greatest humanitarian. He gave away ALL his money from his BAD tour to charity. He is the most generous celebrity the world has seen as well as the most humble thoughtful and kind. Michael Jackson was too good for this world. People were so jealous of his success and talents that the slandered and ruined his reputation saying He molested children when Michael Jackson will never do such a thing He loved children. Years later those children came out saying they lied because their parents wanted money. The media also slandered him saying He ...more

He's the best singer in the whole world I hope everyone remembers him because he was awesome...

He is the best singer in histery plus he is cute, too

19 Comments
2 Tony Hadley

I was afraid that this man wasn't on the list, for me, he's the voice!

Great power, control, and conviction in Tony Hadley’s voice. In the 1980’s he was hot: tall, handsome, with amazing vocal talent.

Difference with Hadley compared to others is that he can sing absolutely out and sound great

At the moment Tony is 14th. Reality others may have been commercially better, but not vocally.

7 Comments
3 Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara, 5th September 1946 - 24th November 1991) was a Zanzibari-born British singer of Indian descent, songwriter and record producer, known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the British rock band Queen. He also became known for his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave ...read more.

MJ was great, but this list is about "singers", and in singing Freddie Mercury was much much better than MJ. Sure MJ was a godd entertainer, a great dancer, an innovator, a good singer, but if we just see "singing skills" Freddie wins that competition.

Like what, how is mj first, is the world dead or something,? freddie mercury is the best singer ever lived in this world, theee best, mj was good but not as good as freddie mercury

His voice was amazing and he composed some amazing songs along with it - abhimanyukhanna

Although he was more 70's, Freddie is still a legend! He was the Elvis of the 70's and was so talented. Sadly he died before I was born, and I didn't get to live in his generation.

11 Comments
4 Madonna Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone, known professionally as Madonna, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. She influenced a lot of singers such as: Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Beyonce Knowles and Britney Spears. She is known as Queen of Pop and at modern pop culture specifically ...read more.

She had such a beautifull voice and all her songs have meaning behind them. My favourite songs are 'La Isla Bonita' and 'Like a Prayer'. They both have very good background stories which fit the music perfectly. When you look at her then and look at her now she has changed quite a lot.

Saw her in concert best night of my life go see her so amazing changed my life she is to me like David Bowie was to her

She is the queen! She must be 2th! ❣👑

5 Prince Prince Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 - April 21st, 2016) was an American musician, best known for being one of the most popular and influential artists from the 80s, with songs such as "Purple Rain", "Little Red Corvette", "1999", and "When Doves Cry" .

Prince has more talent than any other artist in history. He sings, dance, writes, composes, and also the master of over twenty seven instrument. It's obvious why they call him the purple yoda, he's truly a master of the force.

How is he not at least at #2, you guys have no culture.

Very distinguished and life style.

Even though I'm more of a Michael Jackson fan, I love Prince's music. R.I.P.

6 George Michael George Michael Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, known professionally as George Michael, was an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and philanthropist who rose to fame as a member of the music duo Wham!.

#1, no question

Best singer songwriter that ever lived

Number 1. Best vocalist in the world!

His voice is second to none. Freddie mercury had an amazing, powerful voice it didn't have the purity of GM's. Plus can you see anyone else able to pull off 'somebody to love' at Freddie's tribute concert and not sound awful in comparison to the original artist?!

7 Comments
7 Simon Le Bon

He's gay but he has an angel face

8 Bruce Dickinson Bruce Dickinson Paul Bruce Dickinson, known professionally as Bruce Dickinson, is an English musician, airline pilot, and broadcaster. He is most well known for being the lead singer in heavy metal band Iron Maiden and his solo career.
9 Tom Araya Tom Araya Tomás Enrique "Tom" Araya Díaz is a Chilean American musician, best known as the bassist and vocalist of the American thrash metal band Slayer.

You may not think he has a good singing voice, but his way of rap-yelling influenced the whole death metal genre, and is still unique to this day.

10 Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, Guinness World Records cited her as the most awarded female act of all time. Houston is one of pop music's best-selling music artists of all-time, with an estimated 170–200 ...read more.

I love her so much, she was the greatest!

She is amazing!

Love. Whitney

The Newcomers

? Cher Cher Cher is an American singer and actress. Her song Believe was the first song to use autotune. Described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industry, she is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice and for having worked in numerous areas of entertainment, as well as adopting a variety ...read more.

The Contenders

11 Cyndi Lauper Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years.

I know Cyndi Lauper is the One of the biggest Pop Star in the universe

CYNDI LAUPER IS THE BEST

Go to one of her show and then explain why she's not number 1.

She's sung 4 octaves live.

4 Comments
12 Rick Astley Rick Astley Richard Paul "Rick" Astley (Born February 6, 1966 in Newton-le-Willows, U.K.) is a British singer/songwriter, also known for "Rickrolling" . However before that he started in a church choir and a couple of local bands, before attaining success as a popular singer in the late 80s and early 90s, known ...read more.

Never gonna give you up

Legend!

He is a goddess in his
Songs I love him so much

13 Steve Perry Steve Perry Stephen Ray "Steve" Perry is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known as the lead singer of the rock band Journey during their most commercially successful periods from 1977 to 1987 and again from 1995 to 1998.

This man has a voice like no other. Everything I have ever heard him sing, and I own all of Journey's albums as well as Perry's Street Talk, has been amazing. One of the very best things I can think of happening is for him to rejoin Journey. To attend one of their concerts would be a dream come true, and I would very much like to hear a new album... or two... or ten. He was a very important factor in turning Journey into something special. Journey with Steve Perry is a combination that is perfect in every way.

My opinion on this will never ever change, Steve Perry is the best singer I have ever heard. He is capable of so much emotion, and you can hear the passion he has in every note. He is amazingly talented, and has an insane range. Listening to certain songs, like the earlier ones from Infinity and Evolution, often leave me breathless. He never ceases to amaze me, even when I have heard all of his songs several dozen times.

Seriously, Steve Perry is the best singer EVER! Maybe you are unaware, HE IS JOURNEY! He has amazing range, and has such power with his voice. However, the most unique thing about his singing is the passion he puts into it, no one can compare with that.

Steve Perry is an AMAZING singer, no one can compare to him. He can hit high notes like no one else. He is outstanding in everyway. I love him. I love listening to Journey and his Solo albums. I'm only 17 and I respect him in every way.

8 Comments
14 Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and humanitarian. He is known for his work with the E Street Band. Nicknamed "The Boss", Springsteen is widely known for his brand of poetic lyrics, Americana, working class and sometimes political ...read more.

The Boss, even though he doesn't have the most beautiful voice, has managed to bring to the mainstream some of the greatest rockers and ballads about the American working class and the dismantlement of the American Dream. No other artist in history has had the same consistency, passion and truthfulness towards his beliefs and that is why Bruce Springsteen deserves a spot at the top of the charts. Also, the 3-hour shows he delivers night after night after night are just as electrifying as ever. Out of all the artists listed here, The Boss is definitely the one who can still bring it.

Still here, still selling to sold out crowds, still the Boss!

15 Dave Gahan

Good to see Dave Gahan on the list. Depeche Mode are often overlooked on "Best of" lists but they have made an enormous contribution to electronic music and Gahan has a distinctive voice.

His charismatic performance and deep baritone push him over the top.

He great because his voice touch me and
Make me feel relaxed.

16 Bryan Adams Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, guitarist, photographer, philanthropist and activist.
17 Sting Sting Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner CBE, known professionally by his stage name Sting, is an English musician, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, activist, actor, and philanthropist. He is best known as the lead singer for the English band The Police

Sting had a range like no other. He could sing any song he wanted to.

18 Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer-songwriter, musician and humanitarian activist who rose to fame as the original lead singer and flautist of the progressive rock band Genesis.
19 Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain was born February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. In 1987, he started the grunge band Nirvana, which became one of the most successful bands ever. He was a talented yet troubled grunge performer. Kurt Cobain became a rock legend in the 1990s with his band. He committed suicide at his ...read more.

I think Kurt and his band Nirvana was more towards the 90s than the 80s

20 Klaus Meine Klaus Meine Klaus Meine is a German vocalist, best known as the lead singer of the hard rock band Scorpions. He and guitarist Rudolf Schenker are the only two members of the group to appear on every Scorpions album.
21 Robert Smith Robert Smith Robert James Smith is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is the lead singer, guitarist, lyricist and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure. He is the band's only constant member since its formation in 1976.

He's amazing

22 Neil Young Neil Young Neil Percival Young is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician, producer, director and screenwriter.
23 Ian Curtis Ian Curtis Ian Kevin Curtis (15 July 1956 – 18 May 1980) was an English musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the post-punk band Joy Division. ...read more.
24 Morten Harket Morten Harket Morten Harket is a Norwegian musician, best known as the lead singer of the synthpop/rock band A-ha, which released ten studio albums and topped the charts internationally after their breakthrough hit "Take on Me" in 1985.

Exceptional singer.

Singer from the Norwegian band A-ha, the voice behind "Take On Me". He has a beautiful, soothing voice, and a very expansive voice range. It's hard not to love it.

He's great and has a beautiful voice. And I think I'm hardly the only one to find him handsome, besides everything else!

Try and sing 'take on me'. Ever wondered why one of the most popular songs of all time is not a Karaoke classic. Because it's impossible to sing 'well' unless your name is Morten Harket. Oh yes, then try and sing 'summer moved on' and hold 'that' note. Bloody impossible.

1 Comment
25 Jon Bon Jovi Jon Bon Jovi John Francis Bongiovi, Jr., known as Jon Bon Jovi, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, philanthropist, and actor, best known as the founder and frontman of rock band Bon Jovi, which was formed in 1983. He is famous for his band's hit song “Livin’ On A Prayer“ released in 1986. He ...read more.

Should be a lot higher

Best singer ever!

26 Axl Rose Axl Rose William Bruce Rose Jr., better known as 'Axl Rose', is an American singer born on February 6, 1962, in Lafayette, Indiana. He Is the founder and lead singer of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses. He is a celebrated but controversial figure in the world of rock.

Axl Rose is the best of course! His unique voice CAN NOT be accurately imitated by anyone, his dances, He can really move and does snake dance and other dances so smoothly

Unique rock voice from the last great rock singer in history - he closes an era

27 Richard Marx Richard Marx Richard Noel Marx is an American adult contemporary and pop/rock singer, songwriter, musician and record producer who has sold over 30 million records.
28 James Hetfield James Hetfield James Alan Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963. He is an American musician, singer and songwriter known for being the co-founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and main songwriter for the American heavy metal band Metallica.

Hetfield's voice back then was indeed awesome... One of the contributing factors in Metallica's success, I suppose...

GOAT

29 Roland Orzabal

The best singer from the new wave. So much talent. He has a very vast vocal range. Also he sound the same in live performances then he would in a regular song

30 Bonnie Tyler Bonnie Tyler Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer. She is known for her distinctive husky voice, resulting from an operation to remove vocal nodules in the mid-1970s.

I love her smoky voice

Amazing!

31 Tina Turner Tina Turner Tina Turner, née Anna Mae Bullock, is a singer, dancer, actress and author, whose career has spanned more than half a century, earning her widespread recognition and numerous awards.
32 Michael Bolton Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin, known professionally as Michael Bolton, is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, both on his early solo albums and those he recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack.

The best is tina and Michael jackson

33 David Bowie David Bowie David Robert Jones, known professionally as David Bowie (January 8, 1947 - January 10, 2016) was an English singer born in London, the son of a fundraiser and a waitress. He is credited for his experimental and creative musical discography which has won praise and accolades for many critics and fans. ...read more.

A great singer and symbol of 80s music, and a great actor in a few films.
He has a great voice and is what a lot of people today would think to if someone asked about 80s music.

34 Peter Cetera Peter Cetera Peter Paul Cetera is an American singer, songwriter, and bassist best known for being an original member of the rock band Chicago, before launching a successful solo career.

One of the best voices of all time!

PETER ALL THE WAY

35 King Diamond King Diamond Kim Bendix Petersen, better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Danish heavy metal musician. He is known for his extensive vocal range, usually sung in falsetto. King Diamond was originally known as the vocalist for Mercyful Fate, but has become notorious for his horror themed Concept albums ...read more.
36 Morrissey Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (born 22 May, 1959), known as Morrissey, is an English singer, songwriter and author, rose to prominence as the lead singer of The Smiths, an indie rock band - which was active from 1982 to 1987 . Since then, Morrissey has had a solo career making the top ten of the UK singles ...read more.

Beautiful voice and lyrical genius, Everyone in the world should be like Morrissey.

37 Lionel Richie Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and actor. Beginning in 1968, he was a member of the funk and soul band the Commodores and then launched a solo career in 1982.

For me he had dominated the 80's

38 Michael Hutchence Michael Hutchence Michael Kelland John Hutchence (22 January 1960 – 22 November 1997) was an Australian musician and actor. He was a founding member, lead singer and lyricist of rock band INXS from 1977 until his death in 1997.
39 Boy George Boy George Boy George is an English singer, songwriter, DJ and fashion designer. He is the lead singer of the pop band Culture Club.

The best voice ever! Love him.

Culture club superstar with massive hits like 'karma chameleon', 'do you really want to hurt me church of the poison mind miss me blind and time (clock of the heart)

Love him!

40 Daryl Hall

One of the best vocal tone qualities of the 80s. Check out Hall & Oates Live 1983

41 Paul Simon Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon is an American musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Simon's fame, influence, and commercial success began as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, formed in 1964 with musical partner Art Garfunkel.
42 Joey Ramone Joey Ramone Jeffrey Ross Hyman, professionally known by Joey Ramone, was an American musician and singer-songwriter, lead vocalist of the punk-rock band The Ramones.
43 Black Francis Black Francis Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the influential alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis.
44 Nik Kershaw
45 Sebastian Bach Sebastian Bach Sebastian Philip Bierk, known professionally as Sebastian Bach, is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987-96. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted in Broadway plays, and leads a solo career.
46 Rob Halford Rob Halford Robert John Arthur "Rob" Halford is an English singer and songwriter, who is best known as the lead vocalist for the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band Judas Priest and famed for his powerful wide ranging operatic voice.
47 Bono Bono Paul David Hewson, known by his stage name Bono, is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician, venture capitalist, businessman, and philanthropist. His original nickname was Bono Vox which means "big voice".
48 Kai Hansen Kai Hansen Kai Michael Hansen is a heavy metal guitarist and vocalist. Hansen is the founder, lead guitarist, and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray. He is also the co-founder and former member of German metal band Helloween.
49 Gary Numan Gary Numan Gary Anthony James Webb, professionally known as Gary Numan, is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer and artist.
50 Brian Johnson Brian Johnson Brian Johnson is an English singer and songwriter. Since 1980, he is the lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC, with whom he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. As of April 2016, Johnson is not participating in the remainder of the Rock or Bust World Tour due to hearing ...read more.
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List StatsCreated 14 May 2012
Updated 23 Oct 2019

900 votes
77 listings
7 years, 192 days old

Top Remixes (4)

1. Michael Jackson
2. Rick Astley
3. Whitney Houston
80sgirl
1. Prince
2. Madonna
3. Michael Jackson
german76
1. Simon Le Bon
2. Bruce Dickinson
3. Tom Araya
listfreak

WRemix
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