VOTE! "B" Group - Round 1


The Voting is Here!


The full bracket voting is live! And we've got the "B" Group! Below, you'll be able to vote for each of the matchups. You'll also find detailed information about each artist's 80s music, so if you need your memory jogged on these artists, we've given you summaries of their 80s accomplishments, and a YouTube video to boot. 




(1) Michael Jackson vs. (16) The B-52s


Michael Jackson

He’s the King of Pop. What more justification do you need? How about having the highest selling album of all time? Does that do it?

The 80s albums:
Thriller - 3x Diamond (33x Platinum)
Bad - Diamond (10x Platinum)


The 80s singles: “The Girl is Mine,” “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin,’” “Human Nature,” “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing),” “Say Say Say,” “Thriller,” “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Bad,” The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Man in the Mirror,” “Dirty Diana,” “Smooth Criminal,” and more.



The B-52s

New wave with a throwback beat and infectious fun. They pulled from punk, rock, and humor to create their own brand of genius. Tin roof, rusted!

The 80s albums:
Wild Planet - Gold
Party Mix!
Whammy! - Gold
Bouncing Off the Satellites
Cosmic Thing - 4x Platinum

The 80s singles: “Love Shack,” “Legal Tender,” “Roam,” “Deadbeat Club,” and more.






(8) Paul Simon vs. (9) Mötley Crüe


Paul Simon

Rhymin’ Simon proved he was no One Trick Pony with a remarkable reinvention in the middle of the decade. On the SNL stage with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Simon surprised the world and gifted it with one of the greatest albums of all time.

The 80s albums:
One Trick Pony - Gold
Hearts and Bones
Graceland - 5x Platinum
Negotiations and Love Songs - Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Graceland,” “You Can Call Me Al,” “The Boy in the Bubble,” “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes,” “Late in the Evening,” “Under African Skies,” and more





Mötley Crüe

Nikki Six, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, and Vince Neil. These guys are nothing short of rock gods. They’ve sold over 100 million albums worldwide, and they’re still rocking.

The 80s albums:
Too Fast for Love - Platinum
Shout at the Devil - 4x Platinum
Theatre of Pain - 4x Platinum
Girls, Girls, Girls - 4x Platinum
Dr. Feelgood - 6x Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Smokin’ in the Boys Room,” “Girls, Girls, Girls,” “Dr. Feelgood,” “Kickstart My Heart,” and more.






(5) Peter Gabriel vs. (12) INXS


Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel did not look back after leaving Genesis in the late 70s. All he did was become the voice of a generation via John Cusack and his boom box and then have the most played video ever on MTV (Sledgehammer). 

The 80s albums:
Peter Gabriel/Melt - Gold
Peter Gabriel/Security - Gold
So - 5x Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Biko,” “Shock the Monkey,’ “Solsbury Hill (Live),” “Sledgehammer,” “Big Time,” “In Your Eyes,” “Red Rain,” and more.




INXS

Blending rock, pop, dance, and even a little funk INXS displayed one of the more unique styles of the 80s. They were a true chart force late in the decade and whether their fans chose to rock out or dance, they weren’t choosing wrong. 

The 80s albums:
INXS
Underneath the Colours
Shabooh Shoobah - Gold
The Swing - Platinum
Listen Like Thieves - 2x Platinum
Kick - 6x Platinum

The 80s singles:  “The One Thing,” “Don't Change,” “Original Sin,” “What You Need,” “This Time,” “Need You Tonight,” “Devil Inside,” “New Sensation,” “Never Tear Us Apart,” and more.







(4) George Michael/Wham! vs.

(13) Weird Al Yankovic


George Michael/Wham!

From the borderline Bubble Gum beginnings of Wham! to his much more sexually charged solo debut, few artists exemplify the 80s evolution of pop music better than George Michael. He clearly was in touch with the fans as his lowest selling album still went platinum and his solo debut went double diamond.

The 80s albums (George Michael):
Faith - 2x Diamond (20x Platinum)

The 80s albums (Wham!):
Fantastic - 3x Platinum
Make it Big - 6x Platinum
Music From the Edge of Heaven - Platinum

The 80s singles (George Michael):  “Careless Whisper,” “I Want Your Sex,” “Faith,” Father Figure,” “One More Try,” “Monkey,” “Kissing a Fool,” and more.

The 80s singles (Wham!):  “Bad Boys,” “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” “Careless Whisper,” “Freedom,” “Everything She Wants,” “Last Christmas,” “I’m Your Man,” “The Edge of Heaven,” and more.




Weird Al

Listen…. If you need a case made for Weird Al, you probably aren’t going to vote for him anyway. He basically took all of the bands in this bracket and made a living off making fun of them. An absolute legend. Oh, and he made a cult classic film in the 80s too. 

The 80s albums:
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Gold
"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D - Platinum
Dare to Be Stupid - Platinum
Polka Party!
Even Worse - Platinum
UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff


The 80s singles:   "Another One Rides the Bus," "Eat It," "I Lost on Jeopardy," "Like a Surgeon," "Living with a Hernia," "Fat," "I Think I'm a Clone Now," "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies," and more.







(6) Metallica vs. (11) Van Halen


Metallica

The 80s saw Metallica bring true heavy metal to the masses. Whether lead guitar was played by Dave Mustaine or Kirk Hammett the band showed they were more than three chords and screaming by going multi-Platinum on all of their releases during the decade. 

The 80s albums:
Kill ‘Em All - 3x Platinum
Ride the Lightning - 6x Platinum
Master of Puppets - 6x Platinum
...And Justice for All - 8x Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Whiplash,” “Jump in the Fire,” “Fade to Black,” “Creeping Death,” “Master of Puppets,” “One,” and more.



Van Halen

Van Halen absolutely owned hard rock in the 80s. All they did was put out 4 albums that went multi-platinum, one of which is one of the biggest albums of the decade and then fire their lead singer and proceed to finish the decade with two more multi-platinum efforts. 

The 80s albums:
Women and Children First - 3x Platinum
Fair Warning - 2x Platinum
Diver Down - 4x Platinum
1984 - Diamond (10x Platinum)
5150 - 6x Platinum
OU812 - 4x Platinum

The 80s singles: “Jump,” “I’ll Wait,” “Panama,” “Hot for Teacher,” “Why Can’t This Be Love,” “Black and Blue,” “When It’s Love,” “Feel So Good,” and more.







(3) The Police/Sting vs. (14) Bryan Adams


The Police/Sting

With reggae-tinged music and lyrics from an English teacher, this trio crafted tight, smart songs. And classic stalker song “Every Breath You Take” is one of the biggest hits this country has ever seen.

The 80s albums (The Police):
Zenyatta Mondatta - 2x Platinum
Ghost in the Machine - 3x Platinum
Synchronicity - 8x Platinum
Every Breath You Take: The Singles - 5x Platinum

The 80s albums (Sting):
The Dream of the Blue Turtles - 3x Platinum
...Nothing Like the Sun - 2x Platinum

The singles (The Police): “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da,” Invisible Sun,” “Everything Little Thing She Does is Magic,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Wrapped Around Your Finger,” “King of Pain,” and more.

The singles (Sting): “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free,” “Fortress Around Your Heart,” “Russians,” “We’ll Be Together,” “Be Still My Beating Heart,” and more.




Bryan Adams

20-time Juno Award winner, Canada’s own Bryan Adams’ broke worldwide in the mid-80’s, waxing nostalgic about the summer of ‘69 (when he was nine years old). Fun fact: Adams wrote the music and lyrics for Broadway musical Pretty Woman in 2018.. 

The 80s albums:
Bryan Adams 
You Want It You Got It
Cuts Like a Knife - Platinum
Reckless - 5x Platinum
Into the Fire - Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Straight From the Heart,” “Cuts Like a Knife,” “Run to You,” Somebody,” “Heaven,” “Summer of ‘69,” “It’s Only Love,” “Heat of the Night,” and more.







(7) Kenny Rogers vs. (10) AC/DC


Kenny Rogers

Through the years, this Gambler was a country/pop crossover superstar with over 120 hit singles and 100 million records sold. He basically owned country and pop in the 80s.

The 80s albums:
Gideon - Platinum
Share Your Love - Platinum
Christmas - 2x Platinum
Love Will Turn You Around - Platinum
We’ve Got Tonight - Platinum
Eyes That See in the Dark - 2x Platinum
What About Me? - Platinum
Once Upon a Christmas (with Dolly Parton) - 2x Platinum
The Heart of the Matter - Gold
They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To
I Prefer the Moonlight
Something Inside So Strong - Gold
Christmas in America - Gold
Greatest Hits - Diamond (12x Platinum)
20 Greatest Hits - 4x Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer,” “Lady,” “I Don’t Need You,” “Through the Years,” “Love Will Turn You Around,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” “Islands in the Stream,” “What About Me?,” and more.




AC/DC

These Australians absolutely redefined hard rock in the 80s. With a double diamond album, and a signature style, punctuated by Angus Young’s incendiary guitar playing, AC/DC are rock legends.

The 80s albums:
Back in Black - 2x Diamond (25x Platinum)
For Those About to Rock We Salute You - 4x Platinum
Flick of the Switch - Platinum
Fly on the Wall - Platinum
Blow Up Your Video - Platinum


The 80s singles:  "You Shook Me All Night Long," "Back in Black," "Danger," "For Those About to Rock," "Let's Get It Up," "Who Made Who," "Jailbreak," and more.







(2) Run DMC vs. (15) Def Leppard


Run DMC

Run DMC did as much to move rap into mainstream culture as any group before or after them. The 80s sales figures of the Adidas Superstar are enough to attest to that. Not to mention the monster hit they had with one of the most memorable cross genre cover songs of all time.

The 80s albums:
Run-D.M.C. - Gold
King of Rock - Platinum
Raising Hell - 3x Platinum
Tougher than Leather - Platinum

The 80s singles:  “King of Rock,” “Can You Rock it Like This,” “My Adidas,” “Walk This Way,” “You Be Illin,” “It’s Tricky,” “Mary, Mary,” and more.




Def Leppard

What has 9 arms and rocks? We all know the answer is Def Leppard. Every album was huge and every single one of us knows at least some of the words to “Pour Some Sugar on Me.” And man... look at those album sales.

The 80s albums:
On Through the Night - Platinum
High ‘n’ Dry - 2x Platinum
Pyromania - Diamond (10x Platinum)
Hysteria - Diamond (12x Platinum)

The 80s singles:  “Hello America,” “Rock of Ages,” “Animal,” “Hysteria,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Love Bites,” and more.





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