80s | Musicosity

80s

Status Quo

Status Quo are a british rock band with strong boogie line. The group was founded by bassist Alan Lancaster and guitarist Francis Rossi in 1962. They began as a rock and roll freakbeat band called The Spectres. By 1967, with very little commercial success, they discovered psychedelia and changed their name to Traffic (later Traffic Jam, to avoid confusion with Steve Winwood's Traffic.) At this time the line-up also included organist Roy Lynes and drummer John Coghlan.

RPM

RPM (Revoluções por Minuto) was a successful Brazilian rock/new wave band formed in 1983 by Paulo Ricardo (vocals, guitar) and Luiz Schiavon (keyboard) with Fernando Deluqui (guitar) and Charles Gavin (drums). Gavin (formerly of Ira!) soon left to join Titãs and was replaced by Paulo P.A. Pagni. RPM was extremely popular between 1986-87, breaking numerous records in the Brazilian music industry and eventually selling over 3 million albums.

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Olivia Newton-John

Born in Cambridge, England in1948, the youngest child of Professor Brin Newton-John and Irene, daughter of Nobel Prize winning physicist, Max Born, Olivia moved to Melbourne, Australia with her family when she was five. By the age of fifteen, she had formed an all-girl group called Sol Four. Later that year she won a talent contest on the popular TV show, “Sing, Sing, Sing,” which earned her a trip to London.

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Uncanny X-Men

Uncanny X-Men formed in Melbourne as a guitar pop band in 1981 and worked the pub rock circuit. Original line-up included Chuck Hargreaves on guitar, Steve Harrison on bass guitar, Brian Mannix as lead singer, Nick Manthandos on drums and Ron Thiessen on guitar. Mannix became known for his mischievous and comical send-ups of other artists. The band was signed by Mushroom Records early in 1982 and released their debut EP Salive One in November, which peaked at #15 on the Kent Music Report. They toured Australia in support of US rock act Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

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Joy Division

Joy Division were a post-punk band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester, UK. The band dissolved in May 1980 after the suicide of its lead singer, Ian Curtis. Much of their popularity/reputation arguably resulted from frequent playings on air by iconic DJ John Peel, but it is easy now to overlook the impact that the first album, Unknown Pleasures, had on post-punk music at the time, as reference the number of prominent bands that cited this album as an influence. The remaining members reformed as New Order and they have gone on to achieve much critical and commercial success.

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Fugitive

There is more than one "Fugitive": (1) Fugitive was formed in November 1990 inspired by such groups as Led Zepplin, Whitesnake, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Mororhead, iron Maiden to name a few - firmly planting their roots in the british rock scene. As bands like Thunder and Skin appeared on the scene, Fugitive found like minded musicians willing to give it all to keep the "British Rock" band alive.

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Prince

Prince Rogers Nelson (born June 7, 1958), known from 1993 to 2000 as an unpronounceable symbol (or informally, The Artist Formerly Known as Prince, Tafkap, or simply The Artist), is a popular American musician. He had 1984's biggest hit song in the US with "When Doves Cry" and is best known for his album and movie "Purple Rain". During the 1980s Prince was comparable with the "mega-superstars" of Michael Jackson & Madonna in terms of star power and sales.

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Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi is a hard rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Fronted by lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi (born John Francis Bongiovi, Jr.), the group originally achieved large-scale success in the 1980s. Bon Jovi formed in 1983 with lead singer Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Alec John Such, and drummer Tico Torres. Other than the departure of Alec John Such in 1994 (which pared the lineup down to a quartet), the lineup has remained the same for the past 27 years.

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Dire Straits

Dire Straits was a british rock band, formed in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (guitar and vocals), his brother David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass), and Pick Withers (drums), and subsequently managed by Ed Bicknell. Dire Straits emerged during the post-punk era of the late '70s, and while their sound was minimalistic and stripped down, they owed little to punk. If anything, the band was a direct outgrowth of the roots revivalism of pub rock, but where pub rock celebrated good times, Dire Straits were melancholy.

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Pat Benatar

Pat Benatar, considered a certified rock 'n' roll superstar, is a four-time Grammy winner with six platinum and four gold albums to her credit as well as such hit singles as "I Need a Lover", "Heartbreaker", "Fire and Ice", "Treat Me Right", "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", "Hell Is For Children", "Shadows of the Night", and "Love Is a Battlefield". Benatar is acknowledged as one of the leading female rock vocalists in the industry.

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