VOTE! "B" Group - Round 2

The Voting is Here!

It's time to vote for Round 2 of 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. 

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(1) Michael Jackson vs. (8) Paul Simon

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.

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

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(5) Peter Gabriel vs.

(4) George Michael/Wham!

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.

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.

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(3) The Police/Sting vs. (11) Van Halen

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.

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.

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(10) AC/DC vs. (15) Def Leppard

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.

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.