# 80s bands who are still going? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 22, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241 "2003-01-22T16:38:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/21 "2003-01-22T20:57:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Both Styx and Bon Jovi are on tour now. I saw Styx on tour last year (or was it 2001? It wasn’t a memorable event). The new lead singer has a good voice and does a great job with their classic hits, but he’s a total goofball. At one point he urged the audience to compete via loud cheering for who had the most spirit - the people sitting on the left side of the small arena or the people sitting on the right side. “I think the left side has more spirit!” “WOOOOOOOOOOO!” Corny as hell, but then I guess their music was always sort of like that in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/22 "2003-01-22T21:07:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ivar \* > \*\*Mike Watt, master of the bass, still tours incessantly. \*\* I saw Mike Watt a few months ago. Good set, but regrettably not enough Minutemen in there. **Sonic Youth** also still tours. I caught their show about six months ago. They have a new album out, so they played several songs from that album, but there were plenty of older songs in there to keep me happy. And Kim Gordon still looks hot. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/23 "2003-01-22T21:08:57Z")
Does Nine Inch Nails count? He started in '89 didn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/24 "2003-01-22T21:22:58Z")
I met Mike Watt a few months back. He was at a friend’s house after our local street festival. Nice guy. My addition: the beautiful **Butthole Surfers**. And Kim Gordon will always be hot. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/25 "2003-01-22T22:25:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Motorgirl \* > \*\*I was unexpectedly impressed with Medazzaland (98? 99?). “Electric Barbarella” was catchy and not even the best song on the album, IMHO. I bought it because…well…I buy D2 albums out of habit, and was shocked and pleased that it was so good. YMMV \*\* [D2 “I can’t believe I’m writing this” Hijack] YMMV, indeed. Granted, D2 has managed to scrounge up one or two GOOD tracks on each album in the 90’s (e.g., “Serious”, “Perfect Day”, “Ordinary World”, “Come Undone”, “Big Bang Generation”, “So Long Suicide”, “Sombody Else Not Me”). The rest of their 90’s material, IMHO, is mediocre or just plain crap (e.g., Pop Trash album). Medazzaland is “ok”, but none of it lives up to their 80’s stuff, when the singles were better and the B-sides were solid (e.g., “Anyone Out There”, “Cracks in the Pavement”, “Lonely in Your Nightmare”, “Hold Back the Rain”, “Shadows on Your Side”, “American Science”). The band took a big nosedive after the Notorious album and has never quite recovered. They lost themselves with the change to a dance sound in Big Thing. They adopted everyone else’s sound with Thank You. They tried soft rock with The Wedding Album. They went sorta techno/electronic with Medazzaland. Then, they went sorta edgy rock/psychadelic with Pop Trash. “Hallucinating Elvis”??? BLECH! I commend them for attempting to branch out, but I don’t think they’ve managed to pull off other sounds very well. I await the reunion album… but the new sample on [www.duranduran.com](http://www.duranduran.com) doesn’t bode well. The drum beat seems like a cheesy hybrid of “Rio” and “Some Like It Hot” (Power Station). Let’s keep our fingers crossed, **Motorgirl**. [/D2 “I can’t believe I’m writing this” Hijack] Apologies to the OP, but I couldn’t imagine starting a whole thread on this… ---
**Author:** ![Cation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Cation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cation)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/26 "2003-01-22T22:43:40Z")
Just saw the Violent Femmes a couple months ago. Saw Halford (from Judas Priest), Queensryche, and Iron Maiden 2 years ago…made it back stage and thought I was in a scene from Spinal Tap. LA Guns and Poison dropped by shortly after the Maiden tour. The Toasters were probably around in 80’s but have never had much commercial success i think. The Almond Bros. have been touring non stop since their original incarnation albeit i think only one orig. member is left. Maybe not even one. The front man from Bauhaus has been touring and releasing albums as of two years ago. And GWARs been terrorizing since 88 although they claim to be millions of years old. The Chili Peppers since 84. ---
**Author:** ![jools](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b3f665/32.png) [@jools](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jools)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/27 "2003-01-23T00:20:51Z")
Scorpions, Whitesnake and Dokken are coming to town in March or February… I’m still debating if I’m going to go. I saw Iron Maiden 3 years ago and it was not as fun as in the 80’s, well then again that’s probably because I was sober!! ---
**Author:** ![dead0man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@dead0man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dead0man)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/28 "2003-01-23T00:32:41Z")
Journey, Cheap Trick, Eddie Money, Jack Russell, Poison and Quiet Riot (they didn’t show) were all in Omaha this past summer. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/29 "2003-01-23T01:29:05Z")
Isn’t Styx performing at half-time at the Super Bowl? CJ ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/30 "2003-01-23T01:34:16Z")
The Cure was still going as of a year or two ago. Does anyone know if they’re still together? I hope so, I love The Cure. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/31 "2003-01-23T01:36:29Z")
Def Leppard is still going. Sorry but Styx, INXS, Journey or any other bad that’s changed lead singer doesn’t count in my book… ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/32 "2003-01-23T01:40:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hail Ants \* > \*\*Sorry but Styx, INXS, Journey or any other bad that’s changed lead singer doesn’t count in my book… \*\* You must have hated Van Hagar than.,… ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/33 "2003-01-23T01:46:18Z")
Bruce Springsteen. He got his big break in the 80’s, at least… ---
**Author:** ![HalberMensch242](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecb155/32.png) [@HalberMensch242](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HalberMensch242)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/34 "2003-01-23T03:44:38Z")
Holy crap…i can’t belive you people forgot **DEPECHE MODE**!!! some others not mentioned: Skinny Puppy(newley reunited) Einsturzende Neubauten The The Death in June ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/35 "2003-01-23T03:54:04Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by 5-HT_ > The Cure was still going as of a year or two ago. Does anyone know if they’re still together? I hope so, I love The Cure. Their most recent album is _Bloodflowers_ (2000). It was quite good. At the time, Robert Smith announced that it would be their last, but I read recently (no cite, sorry) that they’re back in the studio, so we might see new stuff soon. Also, still going from the 80s: Gang of Four The Go-Betweens De La Soul Public Enemy Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds The Church ---
**Author:** ![AchimbaProphet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@AchimbaProphet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AchimbaProphet)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/36 "2003-01-23T06:56:06Z")
Siouxsie & The Banshees. They performed on a small tour in the last year. Toad The Wet Sprocket will be playing shows soon. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/37 "2003-01-23T07:03:52Z")
**The Tragically Hip** **George Thoroughgood and the Delaware Destroyers** **The Jayhawks** ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/38 "2003-01-23T13:41:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HalberMensch242 \* > \*\*Holy crap…i can’t belive you people forgot **DEPECHE MODE**!!! > \*\* I was avoiding bringing them up because it’s one of my pet peeves when people refer to them simply as “an 80’s band”. Especially when their most popular material was released in the 90’s (well, 1990, anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Woeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Woeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Woeg)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/39 "2003-01-23T13:58:04Z")
Good god, THANK YOU HALBERMENSCH242!!! I was beginning to think I was the only DM fan on the SDMB! They are AWESOME in concert, BTW…outstanding performances, and they did encore after encore. The last concert of theirs I went to had Stabbing Westward opening as well (and they kick ass too). The Cure, from what I heard, officially retired with their last tour, much to my wife’s lament. She has to be the biggest Robert Smith fan in the galaxy. I swear that the only reason she married me is that I used to have a rather uncanny resemblence to him. If it’s true that they are back in the studio, she will be one very happy Mrs. Woeg. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241/40 "2003-01-23T15:54:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Splanky \* > \*\*Bruce Springsteen. He got his big break in the 80’s, at least… \*\* Huh? I would think that landing on the cover of **Time** and **Newsweek** simultaneously in 1975 constituted Springsteen’s “big break.” If you mean “Born in the USA” (1984) as the album that put Bruce in the stratosphere once and for all, I agree. But I saw Springsteen for the first time in '78, and to my mind anyhow, he was already a superstar. “Born to Run” did that in '75! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-bands-who-are-still-going/150241.md?page=3)