15 Underrated 1980s Bands We Still Love
In the 1980s, New Yorkers were treated to the underground sounds of the origins of indie rock, Britpop, and even glam metal thanks to a little-known station called WDRE. Helmed by Malibu Sue, WDRE (later WLIR) influenced an entire generation of Gen Xers who wanted more from their music than what the mainstream could offer.
So influential was WDRE/WLIR that it became the subject of a hit Showtime documentary, Dare to be Different, in 2017. The documentary, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival the previous year, featured the likes of Miles Copeland (manager of The Police), Pete Byrne (Naked Eyes), and Blue Oyster Cult singing its praises about the influence it had on the pop culture zeitgeist.
These 15 bands — and many others — were just a few of the many featured on the radio station during its halcyon days. While these bands may be known by a collection of musical cultists nationwide, they deserve more than a little bit of mainstream recognition in the 21st century and beyond.
1. Transvision Vamp
Wendy James’ sexually charged image and nasally vocals propelled Transvision Vamp into Britpop superstardom. Beginning in 1986, the quartet — rounded out by Nick Christian Sayer, Tex Axile, and future Bush bassist Dave Parsons — had hit after hit with “Sister Moon,” “Baby I Don’t Care,” “Tell That Girl to Shut Up,” and “Velveteen.”
1992’s Little Magnets vs. The Bubble of Babble, however, threw the brakes on the band’s string of hits, though “I Just Wanna (B With U)” from the album would later appear on an episode of Daria.
2. The Fixx
Lead singer Cy Curnin of The Fixx all but told Dare to Be Different that his band wouldn’t have any level of success in the United States were it not for the efforts of stations like WDRE/WLIR. It was the band’s second album, Reach The Beach, that made the biggest impact on American shores, with songs like “Saved by Zero” and “One Thing Leads To Another” climbing the Billboard charts back in the day.
The Fixx’s best track, however, is 1982’s “Red Skies,” which is found on their 1982 debut album, Shuttered Room.
3. The Jesus and Mary Chain
Formed by Scottish brothers Jim and William Reid back in 1983, The Jesus and Mary Chain are considered the pioneers of the so-called “shoegazing” subgenre of rock’n’roll with their depressive, droning lyrics and seemingly monotonous melodies.
The Reid brothers claimed their music was written in direct response to the loud, aggressive British punk movement in the 1970s, and their lasting impact on the current spate of 21st-century rock’n’roll is evident on classic tracks like “Head On” and “April Skies.”
4. Vixen
Vixen is a “hair metal” band that should have been much bigger than they were. Unfortunately, they were guilty of bad timing. By the time “Edge of a Broken Heart” hit the charts in 1988, their brand of music was on the decline, and would soon make way for the so-called “Seattle Sound” of the 1990s.
Through the years, the “Female Bon Jovi” reunited with various lineup changes, but founding member and lead guitarist Jan Kuehnemund died in 2013 after a long battle with cancer. As of June 2024, the Vixen lineup consists of original drummer Roxy Petrucci, Britt Lightning, Julia Lage, and Rosa Laricchiuta.
5. Violent Femmes
The Midwestern “punk folk” band known as the Violent Femmes were a staple on MTV’s classic Sunday night show, 120 Minutes, and for good reason. Their string of unique, simple, and symphonic hits — “Gone Daddy Gone,” “Add It Up,” and “Blister in the Sun” — influenced countless alt-rock bands of the era.
The band, however, angrily split up after bassist Brian Ritchie sued lead vocalist Gordon Gano for selling the commercial rights of “Add It Up” to Wendy’s. Shortly before the inter-band lawsuit, however, Gnarls Barkley released a fun, catchy cover of “Gone Daddy Gone” in 2006.
6. The Replacements
Paul Westerberg is, perhaps, the most universally revered man in alternative rock, and his band The Replacements is considered a pioneer in alternative rock. Initially forming as a punk band in the late 1970s, Westerberg steered the proverbial ship into more anthemic rock waters in the 1980s.
The result was a string of classic hits, including the fun, upbeat “Alex Chilton,” “Unsatisfied,” and “Willpower.”
7. Lisa Lisa (& Cult Jam With Full Force)
A full decade before J-Lo claimed ownership of the “Latin Explosion,” Lisa Velez (a/k/a Lisa Lisa) was infusing her unique brand of dance and pop music with her Puerto Rican heritage.
When Lisa Lisa teamed up with Cult Jam and Full Force, they created a classic string of hits including “Lost In Emotion,” “Can You Feel The Beat,” and “I Wonder If I Take You Home,” which all but defined the Nuyorican sound of the 1980s. Si los sabes, los sabes!
8. Siouxsie and the Banshees
Sonically, Siouxsie and the Banshees defied genres, gender norms, and expectations. Fans couldn’t decide if the collective — comprised of Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin in all its incarnations — was goth, pop, punk, or some combination of all of the above.
Whatever the preferred classification, though, Siouxsie and the Banshees released a string of classics including “Kiss Them For Me,” “Cities in Dust,” and a languorous cover of The Beatles’ “Dear Prudence.”
9. Love and Rockets
Named after a series of “alternative comics” by the Hernandez brothers, Love and Rockets were formed from the remnants of synth-goth pioneers Bauhaus after the band split in 1983.
Much like their predecessor, Love and Rockets preferred exploring the darker side of life, despite one of their earlier hits being a pop cover of The Temptations’ “Ball of Confusion.”
They are, however, best known for their creepy 1989 hit, “So Alive.”
10. They Might Be Giants
When they first started, They Might Be Giants (or TMBG) recorded a string of “nerd rock” classics, including “Don’t Let’s Start,” “Istanbul,” “Particle Man,” and “Birdhouse in Your Soul.”
These days, however, They Might Be Giants are most likely your favorite child’s favorite band, as they’ve written and recorded songs for shows like The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (including the theme song and the “Hot Dog!” song), and the SpongeBob SquarePants musical.
11. Erasure
Originally co-founded by a former member of Depeche Mode, Erasure — consisting of Andy Bell and Vince Clarke — had a string of danceable hits in the mid-1980s, including “Chains of Love,” “A Little Respect,” “Oh L’amour,” and the crowd favorite “Blue Savannah.”
Throughout their career, Erasure has sold nearly 30 million albums, and written more than 200 songs.
12. Peter Murphy
When Bauhaus split in 1983, lead singer Peter Murphy didn’t sit on his hands wondering what to do next. Instead, the Godfather of Goth dusted himself off and recorded a series of gorgeously heartbreaking solo albums featuring some of the most contemplative songs of love and loss ever recorded.
His best-known solo hit is “Indigo Eyes” from 1988, but he is also known for songs like ‘”Cuts You Up,” “I’ll Fall on Your Knife,” and the Arabic-tinged “Seven Veils.”
13. Public Image Ltd
After the S*x Pistols exploded in 1978, lead singer Johnny Rotten (or John Lydon, depending on the day of the week) formed Public Image Limited (often abbreviated PiL), claiming he wanted a more “experimental” sounding band.
Although PiL has kept fans and bandmembers fed with songs like “Public Image,” “Low Life,” and “Rise,” it is nowhere near as volatile as Lydon’s erstwhile collective. And that’s not a bad thing.
14. Echo & the Bunnymen
Liverpudlians Echo & the Bunnymen have released a myriad of gorgeous tracks in the midst of some incredible tragedies, including the passing of original drummer Pete de Frietas in a motorcycle crash in 1989.
Songs like “The Cutter,” “Bring on the Dancing Horses,” and the smash love song “Lips Like Sugar,” delight audiences to this day.
15. The Alarm
Welsh rock band The Alarm formed under the tutelage of lead singer Mike Peters back in the late 1970s. At the turn of the 1980s, though, the band embraced “arena rock” and a more pop feel to their sound, while infusing their obvious Welsh heritage into the music.
The result was a unique blend of melodies, as heard in “Sixty-Eight Guns,” “Rain in the Summertime,” and “Sold Me Down The River.”
