A friend and I were having this discussion recently. A super group is a very loose definition- obviously a few bands fill it- Beatles, Stines, Eagles, Slade- pick your own. Immensely popular, and I guess a bit of longevity.
However, I could not recall one from the 80’s.
My memory is deficient.
Help me.
Actually, when I’ve heard the term “super group” it’s usually meaning a band that’s formed by people who are already successful and well-known before the band formed. For example, Damned Yankees.
If you’re just looking for bands that were hugely popular in the 80s, I submit Van Halen.
As much as I hate them, U2 is the only group from the 80’s with the endurance to be called a supergroup. It seems like all the other supergroups in the 80’s were carryovers from earlier times.
Let’s see if my brain can spew forth something… some groups were started in the 70s, but fit your criteria of being very popular in the following decade:
Prince
Genesis/Phil Collins/Peter Gabriel
The Police
INXS
U2
Duran Duran
REM
Eurythmics
Tears for Fears
Elton John
Billy Joel (I was just thinking about his “Uptown Girl” phase yesterday)
The Go-Go’s
Talking Heads
Bruce Springsteen
The Cars
Basically, I’m flipping through my memory files of videos that appeared on MTV way back in the day. I could name lots more, but they’re mostly one hit wonders.
upon review: I didn’t see “longevity” in your post. Skip over the groups I mentioned that aren’t still at least somewhat popular. :smack:
I’m with Turek regarding definition. Asia is the first ‘super group’ of the 80s that came to my mind; Damned Yankees also fits.
An earlier supergroup that continued to perform throughout the 80s and still does so is King Crimson. I’ll include them because the current ‘official’ lineup has 3 of 4 members from the 80s quartet (surprising, considering the speed at which they rotated band members in the 70s).
My friend had a cd of Asia- who I must admit I had never heard of. I wish I never had- I just didn’t like the music.
GTR
U2. They are really the only super group of the 80’s. Actually I think they were the last supergroup. I can’t think of one that huge and successful and enduring since they came out.
I thought the definition of a super group had nothing to do with popularity alone. They HAVE to comprise members of other big-name groups and ALSO be very popular. I don’t think any of the bands here qualify.
Supergroup has a definition already, and it’s been referred to.
The OP asked for “super groups,” so I assume mean musical groups that were totally awesome.
Going into my iTunes 80s collection, I looked for bands that qualified for most of the following:
a) Reached their commerical peak between 1980 and 1989 (for example Beastie Boys is not included because while License to Ill was released in 1987, they really hit their peak in the 90s)
b) Continued to consistantly produce quality, commercially successful work (no one cares if Tears for Fears has a new album)
c) Their work continues to be remembered as classic by all generations.
d) Sizable body of work (ie a massively successful one hit wonders are excluded)
e) Considerable influence on the music industry
So here’s what I came up with:
AC/DC
Aerosmith
Bon Jovi
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Dire Straits
Genesis
Guns N’ Roses
INXS
Journey
Motley Crue
NWA
Ozzy Ozzborne (post Black Sabbath)
Peter Gabriel
Poison
The Police
REM
Run DMC
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
U2
Van Halen
Yes
No Air Supply?
I was going to drop Bon Jovi, possibly Guns n Roses?
Sorry for my mistake… I hadn’t been awake enough to fully digest the OP’s question. I should have removed my post entirely, obviously. My bad.
Actually, I think the OP needs to clarify: Cicero, were you looking for “supergroups” or groups that were super?
They’re still producing new work?
I interpreted it as groups that were super, hence The Beatles, Stones, Eagles, etc.
But hey, I could be wrong.
Anybody remember HSAS? I guess they fit the technical definition, but IMO was so crass that they have founded a whole new category of group: the “Money band”.
Actually, I find the Wikipedia article on “supergroup” hilarious; again IMO, terms like “supergroup”, “superstar”, and “supermodel” were all created by market-savvy agents who were trying to separate their run-of-the-mill offerring from the rest of the herd. “Too many stars, you say? Well my clinet is different; he/she’s a superstar.” 
The Scorpions
I do, but I have a lot of bad memories from my childhood.
I think HSAS may have been the band I was watching a special about on MTV once when some promoter/producer guy was explaining why he liked bands with short names: “You put HSAS or GTR or YES on a poster and you can see it from down the block. You can’t do that with The Fabulous Thunderbirds.”