1. Bryan Adams
   Paul McCartney
2. Huey Lewis
   Michael Jackson

The 1980s is definitely Michael Jackson's big breakout decade, especially as a solo artist, having performed with his brothers previously, ever since he was small! The success of his 1982 "Thriller" album solidified his mark as the burgeoning King of Pop back then, especially with the many hits that came out of that spectacular album, as well as the accolades it got from the Grammys.

1. Joan Jett
   Madonna
2. Pat Benatar
   Stevie Nicks

Born Madonna Louise Ciccone, Madonna came to be the great innovator of '80s style and music during that era. Album to album, her artistic styles keep getting reinvented, from her self-titled 1983 album to 1984's "Like A Virgin." Then came the "True Blue" look, and then the "Like A Prayer" look - this lady has many personas in there, and we all love 'em!

1. Aerosmith
   Culture Club
2. Def Leppard
   Van Halen

The English band called Culture Club started out in London, but their music transcended continents, and they also hit it big worldwide. Some of their classic songs include the danceable "Karma Chameleon," the groovy "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me," and the peace-loving dance tune "The War Song."

1. Duran Duran
   Motley Crue
2. Run-D.M.C.
   Spandau Ballet

The British Invasion was alive and kickin' back in the '80s, with the boys of Duran Duran at the forefront, making every teenybopper scream with delight at the sight and sound of these cuties. The synth-pop meets new wave group is composed of Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Nick Rhodes, and Dominic Brown.

1. Bob Dylan
   Eric Clapton
2. Bryan Adams
   Prince

The very talented and eclectic Prince may have died suddenly back in 2016, but the world never forgot his legacy in music, one that helped sculpt the landscape of '80s music. Out of his 39 albums, some of the '80s ones are: "Purple Rain," "Sign o' the Times," "Lovesexy," the "Batman" soundtrack, and of course "1999."

1. The Human League
   Metallica
2. Eurythmics
   The Rolling Stones

The Eurythmics was basically a musical duo, composed of Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, who were both British. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is the title of their worldwide '80s hit, as well as the title of their second album, which was released in 1983, and gave them international stardom.

1. Ozzy Osbourne
   Rod Stewart
2. Billy Idol
   Bruce Springsteen

Nicknamed The Boss, Bruce Springsteen has been making music since the '70s, but he hit it big in the '80s, too, especially with the release of his album called "Born in the U.S.A.," which was also the title of the single that became a hit. Another hit from that album is "Dancing in the Dark," where you can see "Friends" star Courtney Cox in the music video as a relatively unknown person, and that moment helped push her acting career further.

1. The Police
   Pink Floyd
2. ZZ Top
   Talking Heads

The Police is another British band that joined the second wave of British Invasion of the U.S. during that era (the first wave being the Beatles' time), but they have been making music since the 1970s. Their greatest '80s achievement is the release of their 1983 album called "Synchronicity," which contained some of their classic hits such as "King of Pain," "Every Breath You Take," and "Wrapped Around Your Finger."

1. AC/DC
   Whitesnake
2. Dire Straits
   Wham!

WHAM was another British act that crossed over to the Americas and the world in general, with their quintessential hit "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" as well as that very sexy tune called "Careless Whisper." To this day, their 1984 hit single "Last Christmas" still gets heavy airplay when the yuletide season is here.

1. Scorpions
   A-ha
2. Men at Work
   Led Zeppelin

The world got a taste of Norway when the band A-ha hit it big during the '80s, especially with their debut album called "Hunting High and Low." Two of their hits became '80s anthems, namely "Take on Me" and "The Sun Always Shines on TV," which also featured innovative music video animation.

1. Fleetwood Mac
   New Order
2. Beastie Boys
   Genesis

The English band Genesis actually started their career in the '60s, because they were formed in 1967 in Surrey. Singer Peter Gabriel came from this band and went solo later, which is what drummer Phil Collins also did later on.

1. Pet Shop Boys
   Pretenders
2. Heart
   REO Speedwagon

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are the British dudes that made up the Pet Shop Boys, which had a synth-pop sound back then, and they became massively popular, selling more than 50 million of their records all over the world. Interestingly enough, their hit songs were written using gender-neutral language so they would appeal more to varied genders, but it could have also been part of Tennant's way to introduce same-gender-oriented songs since he is gay (but he only came out in the '90s).

1. Journey
   U2
2. The Cars
   Eagles

U2 is an Irish band that was formed back in the '70s and hit it big with songs that carried social issues. The four members - Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. - are all still active today, going on tour and recording new songs, plus making new music videos and performing in many kinds of advocacy events.

1. Chicago
   Foreigner
2. Depeche Mode
   Dire Straits

If you wanted new wave and dance music with great lyrics and catchy tunes, then Depeche Mode is certainly for you. Their style was embraced by many people in the '80s when they first came out in 1981. Members Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, and Andy Fletcher are all legends in British music now, and newer generations are enjoying their distinct sound since they never stopped making new music up to now.

1. INXS
   Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2. Simple Minds
   Toto

If you don't know how to pronounce INXS, it's "in excess," not "inks" or anything like that. INXS was Australia's contribution to global pop culture in the '80s, producing many hits that defined that decade, such as "Original Sin," "What You Need," "Devil Inside," "New Sensation," and their signature sexy song, "Need You Tonight."

1. Beastie Boys
   ABBA
2. Electric Light Orchestra
   The Smiths

The Smiths is considered a very influential musical band, then and now, even though they were only actively making music during that decade. The thought-provoking lyrics of their songs, as well as the way Morrissey sang them, made a mark that earned them their musical legacy worldwide.

1. Carlos Santana
   Paul Simon
2. Robert Palmer
   Elton John

British musician Sir Elton John received his knighthood back in 1998, as given by Queen Elizabeth II to outstanding British people who made great contributions in their fields. Aside from his musical legacy, he is also active in many advocacies and charitable institutions, even creating the Elton John AIDS Foundation since fighting HIV-AIDS has been one of his lifelong advocacies.

1. Iron Maiden
   Hall and Oates
2. The Go-Go's
   Cheap Trick

The pop-rock duo of Hall and Oates is composed of Daryl Hall (the tall blonde one) and John Oates (the short dark-haired one). Some of their very popular songs include the very pop-sounding "Out of Touch," "Kiss on My List," "I Can't Go For That," and "Maneater," which all reached the top spot in the Billboard Hot 100 list.

1. Poison
   Survivor
2. Black Sabbath
   The Bangles

The LA-based pop-rock band The Bangles contributed to the early image of women rockers back in the '80s, since it was still rare to see mainstream all-women bands back then, just girl groups (doing vocals). Aside from the two mentioned songs, some of their greatest hits include "Eternal Flame" and their cover of "Hazy Shade of Winter" which was part of the soundtrack for the film "Less Than Zero."

1. Billy Joel
   Freddie Mercury
2. Bob Seger
   Don Henley

Billy Joel has been actively singing and playing the piano since the '60s, but the '80s was also a shining decade for him, due to the many hits he had. Some of those hits are: "You May Be Right," "Sometimes a Fantasy," "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," Tell Her About It," and "The Longest Time," to name a few.

1. Kool and the Gang
   Queen
2. Bananarama
   Rush

The legendary British band Queen was formed in the '70s, had many hits and garnered success in their homeland, even before Freddie Mercury and the band crossed continents and sang to worldwide fans. You can see a rather fictionalized biopic of their beginnings, as well as their performances/interactions, in the 2018 film called "Bohemian Rhapsody," starring "Mr. Robot's" Rami Malek as the flamboyantly talented lead singer.

1. Janet Jackson
   Cher
2. Kate Bush
   Tina Turner

Tina Turner has been making music since the '60s as part of a tandem that included former husband, Ike Turner. But after they divorced, she made a great comeback in the '80s, producing hit albums and hit songs, which you can also see in the biopic called "What's Love Got To Do With It," the 1993 film that starred Angela Bassett in the role of Tina Turner.

1. Kiss
   Roxette
2. Tears for Fears
   Twisted Sister

Tears for Fears is another English pop-rock duo that defined the sound of the '80s, churning out pop songs laden with social issues/messages, enveloped in very danceable tunes. Some of these great hits include "Pale Shelter (You Don't Give Me Love)," "Change," "Mothers Talk," "Head Over Heels," and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," to name a few.

1. Bon Jovi
   Frankie Goes to Hollywood
2. The Cult
   Crowded House

Bon Jovi was fronted by Jon Bon Jovi, and they started this band in their home state of New Jersey back in the '80s. Some of their other '80s greatest hits include "Bad Medicine" and "I'll Be There for You," and they also hit it big in the '90s and 2000s.

1. Bonnie Tyler
   Whitney Houston
2. Paula Abdul
   Belinda Carlisle

Whitney Houston was an '80s fixture in the pop music scene, with soulful and catchy hit songs such as "You Give Good Love," "All at Once," "How Will I Know," "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "Didn't We Almost Have It All," "One Moment in Time," and the karaoke favorite "Where Do Broken Hearts Go." Due to her musical hits and legacy, the world mourned her untimely accidental death in 2012.

1. Talk Talk
   The Clash
2. Mr. Mister
   A Flock of Seagulls

Another British group that was popular in the '80s actually started their careers in the '70s: The Clash. This punk rock band's successful '70s albums include "The Clash" and "London Calling," and their '80s hit album "Combat Rock" contained the worldwide hit "Rock The Casbah."

1. Enya
   Tiffany
2. Cyndi Lauper
   Debbie Gibson

Since she came out in the '80s as a solo female act, Cyndi Lauper was always pitted against Madonna who also debuted during that era, but their musical styles were very distinct back then, as they earned their respective fanbase as their careers progressed. Some of Lauper's most notable '80s hits include "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "Time After Time," "She Bop," "All Through the Night," "True Colors," and "Change of Heart," and she also became a Broadway musical composer in 2012 with "Kinky Boots."

1. Billy Ocean
   David Bowie
2. Bob Marley
   Gary Numan

David Bowie was another of those pivotal musicians that redefined the musical landscape of the '70s and '80s, who also blurred the lines of gender representations in his artistic visual expressions. His '80s hits include "Ashes to Ashes," "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)," "China Girl" and "Modern Love" as well as that classic collaboration with Queen entitled "Under Pressure" and his cover duet with Mick Jagger of "Dancing in the Street."

1. Blondie
   Boston
2. Thompson Twins
   Ramones

Debbie Harry is the very identifiable blonde that fronted the band Blondie back in the '80s. They started their musical career in the '70s and continued to make music in the current decade, with new album releases and tours to boot.

1. The Cure
   Erasure
2. Jefferson Starship
   Styx

The Cure was formed back in the mid-'70s, and Robert Smith is the identifiable lead singer of this English band, who somehow helped popularize the gothic rock look with his get-up and make-up. Their '80s hits were not that dark nor rock-sounding, as they hit the charts with pop-sounding tunes such as "In Between Days," "Just Like Heaven" and "Lovesong," and re-released their '70s hit "Boys Don't Cry" in a newer album.

1. Guns N’ Roses
   The J. Geils Band
2. Simply Red
   UB40

The American rock band Guns N’ Roses was formed in the 1980s, and their first album was called "Appetite For Destruction" containing the hit songs "Welcome to the Jungle," "Paradise City" and "Sweet Child o' Mine," solidifying their claim on the hard rock stage.

1. Air Supply
   Devo
2. The B-52’s
   Alphaville

The very retro-looking B-52’s is a band that was formed in the late '70s and had many danceable hits in the '80s and '90s, which they picked up again in the late 2000s, as they continue playing to this day. Some of their classic '70s-'80s hits are "Rock Lobster," "Private Idaho," Love Shack," and "Roam."

1. 10,000 Maniacs
   Judas Priest
2. Men Without Hats
   Alabama

The early heyday of the American alternative band 10,000 Maniacs had the distinct voice of lead singer Natalie Merchant, who was with the group from their early '80s creation, up to their early '90s MTV Unplugged performance. She got out of the band after that, and recorded solo albums, so another singer replaced her, named Mary Ramsey, who still performs with the band today.

1. Richard Marx
   Johnny Cash
2. Lionel Richie
   Roy Orbison

Lionel Richie hit it big as part of the group called The Commodores back in the late '60s and '70s, but he decided to go solo during the early '80s and had hits that also contributed to the musical landscape of the era. His '80s hits include "Truly," "All Night Long (All Night)," "Stuck on You," "Say You, Say Me," that unmistakable "Hello," and that popular duet with Diana Ross called "Endless Love."

1. Kenny Rogers
   Meat Loaf
2. Jackson Browne
   John Cougar Mellencamp

John Cougar Mellencamp was his stage name during the '80s, but he prefers to be called John Mellencamp these days. The country rock-folk rock sound of Mellencamp helped propel him to stardom back then, and he used that popularity to uplift causes, notable helping in the founding of Farm Aid in the mid-'80s to help out family farms and American farmers.