Guitar is the best form of self-expression I know. Everything else, and I'm just sort of tripping around, trying to figure my way through life.
Slash
The 1980s will be remembered for many things, including the American rock bands of the time. Whether it was hard rock, pop rock, glam rock, or hair metal, 80s bands were seemingly extra or opposing the flashiness with raw musicality. Here, we've picked 25 great 80s American rock bands from every part of this varied spectrum who've either found incredible success or were hugely influential in their own way. If there are any you think we've missed, let us know in the comments.
| Band | Genre | Biggest Hit | Peak Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autograph | Glam Metal / Hard Rock | Turn Up the Radio | Sign In Please (1984) |
| Bon Jovi | Glam Metal / Arena Rock | Livin' on a Prayer | Slippery When Wet (1986) |
| Cinderella | Glam Metal / Blues Rock | Nobody's Fool | Night Songs (1986) |
| Dokken | Glam Metal / Heavy Metal | Alone Again | Tooth and Nail (1984) |
| Great White | Glam Metal / Blues Rock | Once Bitten, Twice Shy | …Twice Shy (1989) |
| Guns N’ Roses | Hard Rock | Sweet Child o' Mine | Appetite for Destruction (1987) |
| Huey Lewis & the News | Pop Rock | The Power of Love | Sports (1983) |
| Joan Jett & the Blackhearts | Hard Rock / Punk Rock | I Love Rock 'n Roll | I Love Rock 'n Roll (1981) |
| King's X | Hard Rock / Progressive Rock | Goldilox | Out of the Silent Planet (1988) |
| Mr. Mister | Pop Rock / Soft Rock | Broken Wings | Welcome to the Real World (1985) |
| Night Ranger | Hard Rock / AOR | (You Can Still) Rock in America | Midnight Madness (1983) |
| Poison | Glam Metal / Hard Rock | Every Rose Has Its Thorn | Open Up and Say... Ahh! (1988) |
| Quiet Riot | Heavy Metal / Glam Metal | Cum On Feel the Noize | Metal Health (1983) |
| Ratt | Glam Metal / Hard Rock | Round and Round | Out of the Cellar (1984) |
| Skid Row | Heavy Metal / Glam Metal | 18 and Life | Skid Row (1989) |
| Stryper | Christian Metal / Glam Metal | Honestly | To Hell with the Devil (1986) |
| Tesla | Hard Rock / Blues Rock | Modern Day Cowboy | Mechanical Resonance (1986) |
| The Bangles | Pop Rock / New Wave | Walk Like an Egyptian | Different Light (1986) |
| The Go-Go’s | New Wave / Pop Rock | We Got the Beat | Beauty and the Beat (1981) |
| The Replacements | Alternative Rock / Punk Rock | Alex Chilton | Pleased to Meet Me (1987) |
| Twisted Sister | Heavy Metal / Glam Metal | We're Not Gonna Take It | Stay Hungry (1984) |
| Vixen | Glam Metal / Hard Rock | Edge of a Broken Heart | Vixen (1988) |
| W.A.S.P. | Heavy Metal | I Wanna Be Somebody | W.A.S.P. (1984) |
| White Lion | Glam Metal | When the Children Cry | Pride (1987) |
| Winger | Glam Metal / Hard Rock | Seventeen | Winger (1988) |
25. Great White
Great White was a bluesy twist on glam metal with a more grounded classic rock sound, which could have been made by some of the best bands of the 1960s or 70s. They gained mainstream attention with their biggest hit, "Once Bitten, Twice Shy". An underrated part of the American 80s rock band landscape.
24. Autograph
Autograph's infectious anthem “Turn Up the Radio” and debut album Sign In Please (1984) were full of catchy hooks and guitar. They didn't experience any long-term mainstream success, but they're worth a listen if you're looking for 80s American rock bands.
23. Mr. Mister
Mr. Mister blended rock with pop and musicianship. Their 1985 album Welcome to the Real World had two No. 1 Billboard hits: “Broken Wings” and “Kyrie”.
Like many in the 80s, their time at the top was limited, but many bands to come were inspired by their softer side of rock.
22. Vixen
In the male-dominated world of 80s hard rock, Vixen were trailblazers. Their self-titled 1988 debut album went gold, featuring tracks like "Edge of a Broken Heart" and "Cryin'".
21. Night Ranger
Night Ranger was a San Francisco band full of seasoned musicians from the California rock scene. The 1983 album Midnight Madness featured hits like “(You Can Still) Rock in America” and “When You Close Your Eyes”.
20. Winger
Winger has a sound that's like a combination of metal and pop, and singles like "Seventeen," "Headed for a Heartbreak," and "Madalaine" are full of melodic hooks.
19. The Replacements
Formed in Minneapolis in 1979, The Replacements' sound evolved from a punkier sound into alternative rock, a breath of fresh air against the glam and hair metal that dominated the 1980s. Tracks like "I Will Dare" and "Alex Chilton" weren't necessarily hits but are a great starting point for anyone wanting something different from 80s American rock.
18. Tesla
Looking for some bluesy hard rock from the 1980s? From Sacramento, California, Tesla's 1986 debut album, Mechanical Resonance, featured punchy, riff-driven tracks like "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Little Suzi".
17. W.A.S.P.
W.A.S.P. was a Los Angeles-based band famous for its theatrical brand of heavy metal. Outrageous live shows and provocative lyrics, including hits such as "I Wanna Be Somebody" and "L.O.V.E. Machine".
16. White Lion
White Lion is known for its more melodic and emotional sound in the 80s rock landscape. Their 1987 album Pride featured hits like “Wait” and “When the Children Cry”.
A great option if you're looking for a combination of hair-metal flair and heart.
15. Dokken
Dokken rode the first wave of glam-infused hard rock with their polished vocal harmonies and searing guitar solos. With several successful albums in the 80s and hits like “Alone Again”, “In My Dreams”, and “Dream Warriors” becoming staples on MTV and rock radio, they were an important American 80s rock band that often gets overlooked.
Hair Metal vs. Alt Rock
Hair Metal
- Big hair and leather
- Polished solos
- Party anthems
- MTV popularity
- Flashy visuals
Alternative Rock
- Gritty DIY feel
- Rough edges
- Lyrical depth
- Minimalist fashion
- College radio popularity
14. King's X
King's X blends hard rock, prog, and gospel-inflected harmonies. Their 1988 debut album, Out of the Silent Planet, featured a dense, soulful, heavy, and spiritual sound. This is a popular cult option that remains popular today.
13. Skid Row
Skid Row's sound was more aggressive than that of many other glam metal bands of the time, and their self-titled 1989 album included hits such as "18 and Life", "Youth Gone Wild", and "I Remember You".
MTV launched in 1981, and it changed how fans discovered new music. Bands that looked wild and theatrical suddenly had the advantage, as visual identity mattered as much as sound. This helped glam rock and hair metal explode in popularity, thanks to flashy videos, on-stage charisma, and memorable hooks.
12. Cinderella
A mix of glam metal, blues rock, and power ballads defined the late 80s sound of the Philadelphia rock scene, and one product of it was Cinderella, whose 1986 debut album Night Songs went triple platinum with hits like “Shake Me”, “Nobody's Fool”, and “Somebody Save Me”.
11. Stryper
An American 80s rock band with a spiritual edge, Stryper is a Christian glam metal band famous for a yellow-and-black aesthetic and songs like "Calling on You" and "Honestly".
10. Ratt
One of the defining bands of the Los Angeles glam metal scene, Ratt offered a polished and hard-edged sound. Their 1984 debut album, Out of the Cellar, went triple platinum and included the single "Round and Round".
9. Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot and their 1983 album Mental Health brought heavy metal to the mainstream. The first heavy metal album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200, it featured the anthemic "Cum On Feel the Noize", a cover of the Slade song.
With their glam look, riffs, and singalong choruses, the band helped pave the way for the 80s American rock bands that followed, especially those who felt that there was a way to combine hard rock and pop in new and interesting ways.
8. Twisted Sister
Famous for tracks like “We're Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock”, Twisted Sister had a glam-metal style, outrageous costumes, and the snarling vocals of frontman Dee Snider.
Theatre, rebellion, and raw power, Twisted Sister unsurprisingly enjoyed huge popularity among teenagers in the 1980s, who were looking for a way to strike back at conservative America at the time.
MTV was the first time fans really saw the bands they listened to, and video premieres became cultural events. Visual-first bands could dominate the airwaves and, as a result, rock became more glam, more outrageous, and more mainstream.
7. Poison
Poison is famous for songs like "Talk Dirty to Me", "Nothin' But a Good Time", and the hugely successful power ballad "Every Rose Has Its Thorn".
Big hair, flashy outfits, and anthems that were popular on rock radio and MTV, Poison was one of the most recognizable American 80s rock band. Regardless of what you think of them, they perfectly captured the hedonistic spirit of the era's popular rock music.
6. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Joan Jett found fame among 70s American rock bands with The Runaways, but her legacy as a rock icon truly took hold in the 1980s when she was backed by the Blackhearts.
The 1981 hit "I Love Rock 'n Roll" topped the Billboard charts and is one of the best-recognized rock anthems of the decade (and since).
Contrasting glam and hair metal with a gritty sound, many subsequent American 80s rock bands sought a distinct sound influenced by them.
5. Huey Lewis & the News
Huey Lewis & the News helped define American pop-rock. Their 1983 album Sports featured hits like “Heart and Soul”, “I Want a New Drug”, and “The Heart of Rock and Roll”.
Upbeat rock fused with rhythm and blues influences and a radio-ready sound made them popular with mainstream audiences. After that, their song “The Power of Love” is a perfect example of catchy hooks and feel-good energy and has stood the test of time.
Enjoy the music video for "The Power of Love".
4. The Go-Go’s
The Go-Go's were one of the most iconic and trailblazing American rock bands from the 80s. An all-female band that wrote their own songs, played their own instruments, and topped the Billboard album charts.
Their debut album, Beauty and the Beat (1981), featured hits such as "We Got the Beat" and "Our Lips Are Sealed". Punk roots with pop hooks brought them success, and their success helped show what rock music could be in the 80s.
3. The Bangles
The Bangles are a mix of pop, jangle rock, and new wave. Infectious melodies and great harmonies helped them create a sound that feels quintessentially 80s.
Hits include "Manic Monday", "Walk Like an Egyptian", and "Eternal Flame". Another all-female group, they stood out against the male-dominated genre not as a novelty, but as a combination of style and substance, with their songs still popular today.
2. Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is one of the most successful American rock bands of the 1980s. Best known for glam metal, arena-sized anthems, and power ballads, hits include "Livin' on a Prayer", "You Give Love a Bad Name", and "Wanted Dead or Alive".
Constantly on the radio and MTV at the time, the combination of hard rock with pop hooks made them popular not just in the US but around the world. This is one of those groups that almost defines a decade. Though the band had some incredible success in the 90s, it'd be hard to consider them best bands of the 90s, though.
1. Guns N’ Roses
Guns N' Roses's debut album, Appetite for Destruction in 1987, went on to become one of the best-selling rock albums of all time.
Their gritty looks and sound cut through some of the excess of the time, offering a raw, hard rock alternative.
Songs like “Sweet Child o' Mine”, “Welcome to the Jungle”, and “Paradise City” had bluesy riffs, punk attitude, and metal intensity.
They weren't just one of the best American 80s rock bands. They helped bookend the decade with their sound, which would inspire some of the best bands of the 00s.
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
