First of all, I’d place The Korgis in this category.
They had success in the '80s (more in the U.K. than the U.S. as far as I can tell) with a brand of pop-rock vocal harmonizing that included a few songs I liked but were overall too sucrose-infused for my taste. I much preferred the progressive rock group David and Warren sprang from, Stackridge (which had a brief minor vogue in the early '70s with albums like “Pinafore Days” and "Extravaganza). The issue got a bit confused in later years what with various demises/reincarnations of The Korgis and revival(s) of Stackridge, to the point where some version or other apparently is still touring.
Then there’s Eurythmics, whose members (Annie Lennox and David Stewart) were originally in a late '70s spacy power-pop group called The Tourists, whose music I enjoyed far more than that of Eurythmics, who always struck me as a modern but mediocre updating of Sonny and Cher (or to be even crueler, The Captain and Tennille).
Feel free to agree/disagree/groan in disgust/pick your own.
I’ve always much preferred the Green/Kirwan/Spencer Fleetwood Mac over everything that followed. I’m not very knowledgeable about their middle period, though I heard some albums and liked them, but the Nicks/Buckingham Mac don’t do much for me. That was a very different beast.
Blood, Sweat and Tears. The original Al Kooper version put out a great album of blues-based rock that the David Clayton- Thomas group couldn’t match.
Renaissance. The first incarnation (with a couple of ex Yardbirds) was a rocking meld of rock and baroque classical with a terrific piano player in John Hawken. By the time of their second album, everyone had left and the music lost the hard edge.
i could fill up a whole thread about the argument “which was better joy division or new order?” considering fans have been arguing about it it for 30 years…
The Steve Miller Band. Their first five albums are classic, with great songs like “Space Cowboy,” “Living in the USA,” and “Your Saving Grace.” After a couple of flops, Miller emerged with The Joker and one lousy top-40 hit after another.
I didn’t expect anyone to mention Journey. Yeah, pre Steve Perry Journey, when they were essentially an offshoot of Santana, was a much better band than the 80s version.