80s bands who are still going?

Cafe Society
41

Already beat me to The Cure and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (though I don’t know if all the Bad Seeds count since the line-up is constantly changing and expanding). I don’t know if The Cure is technically still together or not, but you know if they were called upon to do a song for a soundtrack or something they would totally come together to do it. The band seems like an addiction for Robert: he always says he’s going to quit and then keeps it up for a little longer.

Does Tom Waits count, since he’s been going since the '70s?

Oh, and here’s one noone but me will recognize: Negativland!!! Just received Death Sentences of the Polished and Structurally Weak for Christmas, and it’s classic Negativland all the way.
“Christianity is stupid! Communism is good! Give up!”

42

Actually, Woeg, there are many of us DM fanatics on the boards :slight_smile:

43

  1. Styx is performing pre-game, not halftime. I sure hope its televised, but if it isn’t somewhere I read that you can go to their official website afterwards and download the audio files.

  2. Yup, new album Feb. 18th. Listen to a streaming version of the entire thing here:

http://mysite.verizon.net/res0b6uq/

Styx still rocks, friends. So far as I can tell from the stream this is a mighty fine album. I am a happy fan.

44

I listened during the AOL listening party, and the album is classic Styx, with a little modern spunk. It’s a great album, and I can’t wait for the SUperbowl performance (right before the player intros). WHen it comes to classic 80’s rock, Styx are unbeatable. Interesting sidenote, Bon Jovi, the other band mentioned in the first post of the thread, is also playing at the Superbowl. Guess Straight Dope knows what’s going on!

45

I thought Camper Van Beethoven changed their name to Cracker and put out that one-hit album a few years back?

“To be with you girl/is like bein’ low/hey, hey, hey I like bein’ stoned!”

That wasn’t CVB?

46

Cracker is still around. It’s former CVB frontman Dave Lowery’s slightly newer band.

47

Cyndi Lauper is still performing.

48

Enuff Z’nuff is still making CDs and touring.

Unfortunately, so is Slaughter.

Don’t forget about Great White, WASP, Motley Crue and Twisted Sister.

49

Concerts that I’ve seen in the past few years:

Tesla (twice), Vince Neil from Motley Crue, Jackyl, Skid Row (minus Sebastian Bach), Poison, Cinderella, Faster Pussycat, Rick Springfield (twice), REO Speedwagon, and Styx.

KISS (minus Ace Frehley) and Aerosmith are about to embark on a tour together. Blondie made a minor comeback a few years ago. Cyndi Lauper was touring with Cher. Debbie (now Deborah) Gibson is still making music. Janet Jackson is still going strong. Billy Joel and Elton John (although not exclusively 80s, but neither are Styx, from the OP) are currently touring together. Journey is still around, minus Steve Perry, and I hear that the new lead singer is awesome. Sting is still releasing music. I saw Survivor in 95, don’t know what they’re doing now. And hey, Weird Al Yankovick!

Don’t know if she’s actually releasing music, but Paula Abdul has regained popularity from American Idol. And don’t forget Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness and Prime Time TV.

I think a lot of artists are still around, but if they’re not mainstream we don’t hear much about them.

50

Bad Religion, dammit! Slayer and Metallica are also still active.

51

D’oh! Almost forgot Agnostic Front and Sick Of It All.

52

Tracy Chapman, I believe, put out an album just recently.

Same with Canadian bands Blue Rodeo and 54-40.

53

Yep, just released an album last year. It’s mellower (for DL) than their other ones. They must be getting old.

And, Bearflag70, you’ve spent waaaaaay too much time thinking about the different styles of Duran2.

54

<hijack> That would be Minor Earth Major Sky. They’ve released another album since then, Lifelines, and most of the songs on that were written by Magne. Which would be good, except that at some point during the song-writing process aliens apparently took over his brain and told him to write adult contemporary music. It’s not bad, but it’s not what you might expect from a-ha and certainly not from Magne, fer cryin’ out loud.

But Minor Earth Major Sky is good. It’ll probably never be released in the States, unfortunately. </hijack>

55

Rush started out in the 1970s, but they had a couple of big albums in the 80s. They’re still around.

56

Yeah, I know it seems that way, but it really only takes me one listen of a new album to draw these conclusions.

57

Pat Benatar still tours, I saw her three times in the last four years, and she sounds good as ever. Word is she’ll have an album out this year.

58

I would say Depeche Mode also, but like interface2x said, I wouldn’t consider them to be an 80’s band. It’s kinda like calling Aerosmith a 70’s band. Depeche Mode has been going strong from 82 til now. Other bands I would say (most already mentioned) are REM, U2, Erasure, and Pet Shop Boys.

Some of the 80’s bands still around are more like reunion tours. Nice if you like them, but sorta pathetic.

59

come to my home province…every summer we have classic rock weekend…all the 80s hosers in their acid-wash and fringed leather come out to unjulate horribly to Trooper, Kix, Poision, Great White, Lee Aaron, The Romantics and other treats.

tour guides available for extensive mullet-viewing packages

i think the 80s have shown that those with quality of some sort (Madonna) and obvious geniuses (Bowie, Bruce) always transcend time anyway.

That being said time to put on some Ready For The World and Scritti Politti

60

I noticed nobody mentioned The Flaming Lips, who just put out a CD that topped a lot of critics’ lists and who also toured with Beck.
Also, my band opened for one-hit-wonders Gene Loves Jezabel last year.