Best Synthpop Bands of the 1980s
Vote for the best band to use keyboards and electric guitar so you would be able to dance on the disco floors!
Depeche Mode are an English electronic and synth-pop band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher, and Vince Clarke. Martin Gore is a genius. We need Alan Wilder. Without him, they sound a bit blunt. Dave Gahan continues to reinvent himself. Not that he's not alright, it's for the now generation to see how great this band is!
DM are the number one band in the world. They are the best live band. There is nothing else even close. They are the most consistent band still kicking ass today while others fade into obscurity or tour on old hits. Dave Gahan is the greatest frontman of all time. Putting A-ha above them is shameful.
A-ha is a Norwegian band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket, Magne Furuholmen and Pål Waaktaar-Savoy. Best band ever. Great lyrics, great melodies, and compositions, and on top of that, the best male voice. So many songs got to me by hearing them for the first three or four times.
Of all the bands from this genre, A-ha stands out the best! The best '80s band indeed. They sound much better and more impressive in their live shows. This band needs to be on the top!
Norwegian band, one of the most well-known bands of the decade!
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of singer and songwriter Andy Bell and songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke. They are the definition of synthpop. Vince Clarke was an electronic music pioneer. Erasure may be the least critically acclaimed of all the bands he created, but it embodies the essence of synthpop the most.
Erasure is just amazing and is probably one of the most underrated bands in the history of pop music.
My favorite band of the '80s. I find it very surprising that they never made it that big in the United States.
Duran Duran are an English new wave/synthpop band formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were a successful band of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the US. I think one of the reasons why Duran Duran deserves a high spot is because they were the right band at the right time. They were a part of the New Romantic movement, which was a backlash to the UK's punk scene during the late '70s, where everything was about being aggressive, looking torn up, and "play as fast as you can!"
The New Romantic movement was society's way of trying to be more innovative, elegant, and flamboyant, like, "Hey, it's a couple of straight guys trying to look all glamorous and be more reinventive (like back in the early '70s glam scene)." It was literally a backlash against punk. The only difference is that Duran Duran were the top dogs of the movement. They brought that scene to the mainstream and adapted it to the MTV generation. People wanted it, loved it, and fell in love with it. It changed a lot of people's hearts and minds, and that was partly the sound of the '80s.
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980, currently comprising Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert, Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman. Oh, you've got green eyes. Oh, you've got blue eyes. Oh, you've got gray eyes...
Eurythmics were a British music duo consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart. Stewart and Lennox were both previously in the band The Tourists, who split up in 1980; Eurythmics were formed that year in London. Who has a mind to disagree? I've traveled the world and the seven seas. Everybody's looking for something.
This is a tough one for sure. DM's Some Great Reward cassette was my first, and I was crazy over them. I loved their stuff until Alan Wilder left, and to me, they have never been quite the same. On the other hand, OMD has grown ever since I saw them open for DM in 1988. I really enjoy all their music, early and new stuff. They should be number two on the list.
DM's Some Great Reward tape was my first from them, and I was all aboard. I saw OMD on the Music for the Masses tour in May of '88, and I couldn't believe it. Still my favorite concert ever to this date. Both bands are the very best of the synth bands of the '70s, '80s, and '90s. Nothing compares.
INXS were an Australian rock and pop band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Best live. A proper band, tight as heck and sexy as hell.
Tears for Fears are an English pop/rock band formed in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the new wave synthesizer bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into mainstream rock... read more Their first album, "The Hurting," is one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Two international hits and literally every other song on the album moves you in one way or another.
The quality and depth of their compositions were above the bands that are at the top here.
They are great! I think they deserve a higher place, but everyone has a right to their opinion.
Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo, formed in London in 1981 and consisting of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. Absolutely the number one synth-pop band of all time! No question about it. Their new album, the third in a trilogy with Stuart Price, will be released in January 2020. They have two stage shows out at the moment and have produced music for the new show My Beautiful Launderette. They have not stopped since 1985! No splits, just consistent high-quality output. Collaboration with Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander is the next release.
From spinning around my parents' living room at age 7, I've loved them. They still get my vote for the number of top-flight songs they've written (both for themselves and others), with lyrics that reach far beyond most bands. I should say synthpop is my passion, and I also love pretty much all the other bands on this list.
The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. After signing to Virgin Records in 1979, the band released two albums and a string of singles before attaining widespread commercial success with their third album Dare in 1981. The album contained four hit singles, including... read more Should be in the Top 3. Why is A-ha, a one-hit wonder, even on this list?
How are they so low? These guys are the best.
Incredible band. Just awesome.
Kraftwerk is a German electronic music band formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970 in Düsseldorf. The band was fronted by both Hütter and Schneider until Schneider's departure in 2008. Basic band but with interesting tracks!
Modern Talking were a German synth-pop duo formed in 1983 by singer/pianist Thomas Anders and chorus singer/producer/composer/guitarist Dieter Bohlen best known for their hits "You're My Heart, You're My Soul", "Cheri Cheri Lady" and "Brother Louie", that broke up in 1987 before rejoining in 1998 with... read more
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s, consisting of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball.
Alphaville is a German synthpop/new wave band which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were lead singer Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd, and Frank Mertens. For the synthpop German-based band!
Marian Gold is still forever young!
A Flock of Seagulls are an English new wave and synthpop band originally formed in 1980 in Liverpool by Michael "Mike" Score and his brother Alister "Ali" James Score; with their most famous line-up consisting of the Score brothers along with Francis Lee "Frank" Maudsley and Paul Reynolds. This is the synthpop band! Lead guitarist Paul Reynolds was a pioneer who others copied. They were at the forefront of the era.
This band was basically Ziggy Stardust for the '80s New Wave era. That's just awesome!
Blondie is an American rock band founded by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American new wave and punk scenes of the mid-late 1970s. The ultimate dance-punk driven band! A pearl of the New Wave culture!
Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer and only original member Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a new wave synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the mid-1980s. In late 1990s and after that, Ministry have explored other metal genres, most notably... read more They were a synthpop band before becoming an industrial metal band.
Mick Karn's progressive improvisational basslines were indescribable. David Sylvian's vocals had a blissful, unique tone. Barbieri was incredible on the synthesizers. This band was literally insane. Mick Karn moved around the stage like he was walking on water, and the funny thing is they were biggest in Japan, not the country in which they formed, England.
They played with an understanding of how to create really interesting melodies and structures. Their songs weren't necessarily catchy all the time. They were made for real music fans and developed their style over time, which is why they weren't really accepted up there with the commercial likes of Duran Duran (who completely and utterly ripped Japan off). There will never be another Japan. One of the greatest bands of all time.
Still going strong. "Love In The Age Of War" is Ivan's best album to date!
Great with Foxx, but better with Midge. Billy Currie and Midge were also involved in Visage. Great albums and singles from both bands!
Ultravox was my and my father's favorite band before he sadly died. Some of this band's songs were played at the memorial.
Best band ever. Mark and Tim created some of the greatest music ever.
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in 1977. They achieved commercial success in the 1980s and, despite various personnel changes, continue to record and tour.
One of the greatest German bands ever! They are still making music and should be in the top 5 for sure!
They are my all-time favorite synth band. They should be in the top 3!
Another 'Duran Duran' kind of music! Hope you like it.