VOTE! "D" Group - Round 1

The Voting is Here!

The full bracket voting is live! And we've got the "D" 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) Prince vs. (16) Billy Ocean

Prince

The case for Prince: If you have to ask, maybe you’re not qualified to vote.

The 80s albums:

Dirty Mind  - Gold
Controversy - Platinum
1999 - 4x Platinum
Purple Rain - Diamond (13x Platinum)
Around the World in a Day - 2x Platinum
Parade (Music from the Motion Picture Under the Cherry Moon) - Platinum
Sign ‘O’ the Times - Platinum
Lovesexy - Gold
Batman - 2x Platinum

The 80s singles:  “1999,” “Little Red Corvette,” “When Doves Cry,” “Purple Rain,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Raspberry Beret,” “Kiss,” “Delirious,” and many more. And don’t forget the singles Prince gave to others, like “Manic Monday,” “When You Were Mine,” and “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and more.

Billy Ocean

Pop star with an island flavor from his roots in Trinidad and Tobago. Billy scored multiple #1 singles and incredible international success.

The 80s albums:

City Limit
Nights (Feel Like Going Down)
Inner Feelings
Suddenly - Gold
Love Zone - Gold
Tear Down These Walls - Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run),” “Loverboy,” “Suddenly,” “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going,” “There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry),” “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car,” and more.

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(8) Tears for Fears vs.

(9) The Commodores/Lionel Richie

Tears for Fears

British synth pop masters with a brain and two ubiquitous mid-80s singles. These guys were, and continue to be, staples on the radio.

The 80s albums:

The Hurting - Gold
Songs from the Big Chair - 5x Platinum
The Seeds of Love - Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Shout,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Mad World,” “Head Over Heels,” “Sowing the Seed of Love,” “Woman in Chains,” and more.

The Commodores/Lionel Richie

Outrageous! A solo run of 13 consecutive Top Ten hits following a stellar R&B upbringing with the Commodores, and he had the key to so many hearts.

The 80s albums:

(With the Commodores)
Heroes - Platinum
In the Pocket - Platinum
(Solo)
Lionel Richie - 4x Platinum
Can’t Slow Down - Diamond (10x Platinum)
Dancing on the Ceiling - 4x Platinum

The 80s singles: “Lady (You Bring Me Up,” “Oh No” with the Commodores.“ Solo: “All Night Long (All Night),” “Running with the Night,” “Hello,” “Stuck on You,” “Penny Lover,” “Say You, Say Me,” “Dancing on the Ceiling,” “Ballerina Girl, “Truly,” “You Are,” “My Love,” and more.

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(5) Hall & Oates vs. (12) Chicago

Hall & Oates

Blue-eyed Philly soul personified, with incredibly catchy hooks. Hall & Oates were more than just polished pop stars--they were (and still are) stellar musicians.

The 80s albums:

Voices - Platinum
Private Eyes - Platinum
H2O - 2x Platinum
Big Bam Boom - 2x Platinum
Live at the Apollo - Gold
Oooh Yeah! - Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Kiss on My List,” “You Make My Dreams,” “Private Eyes,” “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do,” “Maneater,” “One on One,” “Adult Education,” “Method of Modern Love,” “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling,” and more.

Chicago

Combining albums and singles (and spanning beyond just the 80s), Chicago is the second most successful American rock band in history, just behind the Beach Boys.

The 80s albums:

Chicago XIV
Chicago 16 - 2x Platinum
Chicago 17 - 6x Platinum
Chicago 18 - Platinum
Chicago 19 - Platinum
Greatest Hits 1982-1989 - 5x Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” “Hard Habit to Break,” “You’re the Inspiration,” “Stay the Night,” “Along Comes a Woman,” “Love Me Tomorrow,” “Will You Still Love Me?,” “If She Would Have Been Faithful,” and more.

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(4) Elton John vs. (13) Billy Idol

Elton John

From his Rocket like start in the 70s, Sir Elton John continued strong through the 80s, releasing 9 albums of new material plus live and compilation albums. If the 70s made Elton a star, the 80s moved him into icon territory.

The 80s albums:

21 at 33 - Gold
The Fox
Jump Up - Gold
Too Low for Zero - Platinum
Breaking Hearts - Platinum
Ice on Fire - Gold
Leather Jackets 
Reg Strikes Back - Gold
Sleeping With the Past - Platinum

The 80s singles:  “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues”, “I’m Still Standing”, “Sad Songs”, “Passengers”, “Nikita”, “Wrap Her Up”, “I Don’t Want to Go on With You Like That”, “Sacrifice”, and many more

Billy Idol

The asymmetrical sneer started rocking MTV, and the rest was history, including a well-placed cameo in The Wedding Singer.

The 80s albums:
Billy Idol - Gold
Rebel Yell - 2x Platinum
Whiplash Smile - Platinum

The 80s singles: “Dancing With Myself,” “Mony Mony,” “Hot in the City,” “White Wedding,” “Rebel Yell,” “Eyes Without a Face,” “Sweet Sixteen,” and more.

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(6) Journey vs. (11) Alabama

Journey

Steve Perry. Neal Schon. Enough said. Maybe you’ve heard “Don’t Stop Believin’?” 

The 80s albums:

Departure - 3x Platinum
Dream After Dream
Captured - 2x Platinum
Escape - 9x Platinum
Frontiers - 6x Platinum
Raised on Radio - 2x Platinum

The 80s singles: “Any Way You Want It,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Open Arms,” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” “Faithfully,” “Send Her My Love,” “Be Good to Yourself,” and more.

Alabama

The most successful country band of the 80s, with an incredible 21 number one hit country singles. 

The 80s albums:

My Home's in Alabama - 2x Platinum
Feels So Right - 4x Platinum
Mountain Music - 5x Platinum
The Closer You Get... - 4x Platinum
Roll On - 4x Platinum
40-Hour Week - 2x Platinum
Christmas - 2x Platinum
The Touch - Platinum
Just Us - Platinum
Southern Star - Platinum

The 80s singles: ”Mountain Music,” “Feels So Right,” “My Home’s in Alabama,” “Love in the First Degree,” “The Closer You Get,” “Dixieland Delight,” “Song of the South,” “Take Me Down,” Lady Down on Love,” and more.

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(3) Duran Duran vs. (14) Public Enemy

Duran Duran

A band made for the music video who brought synth and new wave to the masses. These guys could easily be the face of the decade.

The 80s albums:
Duran Duran - Platinum
Rio - 2x Platinum
Seven and the Ragged Tiger - 2x Platinum
Arena - 2x Platinum
Notorious - Platinum
Big Thing - Gold

The singles: “Reflex,” “The Wild Boys,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Rio,” “Save a Prayer,” “Girls on Film,” “Is There Something I Should Know?,” “A View to a Kill,” “Notorious,” “I Don’t Want Your Love,” “New Moon on Monday,” “Union of the Snake,” and more.

Public Enemy

One of the most influential rap groups of the 80s, controversially moving the cultural needle. Chuck D and Flavor Flav, and the rest were hip-hop pioneers.

The 80s albums:

Yo! Bum Rush the Show - Gold
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Platinum 

The 80s singles:  “Public Enemy No. 1,” “Don’t Believe the Hype,” “Fight the Power,” “Black Steel in  the Hour of Chaos,” “Bring the Noise,” and more.

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(7) Guns N' Roses vs.

(10) Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Guns N' Roses

Rock band that crashed the pop party in a big way with a monster debut album. (You read that right, EIGHTEEN TIMES Platinum!) Axl Rose, Slash, and the band are absolute icons of the 80s.

The 80s albums:

Appetite for Destruction - Diamond (18x Platinum)
G N’ R Lies - 5x Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” “Paradise City,” “Patience,” and more.

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Genuine heartland rock that played counter to much of the prefab gloss of the decade. Tom was one of our greatest songwriters, and he and the Heartbreakers always appealed to our best sensibilities.

The 80s albums:

Hard Promises - Platinum
Long After Dark - Gold
Southern Accents - Platinum
Pack Up the Plantation
Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough) - Platinum
Full Moon Fever (solo) - 5x Platinum

The 80s singles: “I Won’t Back Down,” “Refugee,” “Runnin’ Down a Dream,” “Free Fallin’,” “Here Comes My Girl,” “The Waiting,” “You Got Lucky,” “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” “So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n Roll Star,” “Jammin’ Me,” and more.

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(2) Janet Jackson vs. (15) REO Speedwagon

Janet Jackson

So much more than Michael’s little sister (and the only sibling to mount a solo career to almost eclipse his). Janet took pop music in a whole new direction. We are a part of the rhythm nation!

The 80s albums:

Janet Jackson
Dream Street
Control - 5x Platinum
Rhythm Nation 1814 - 6x Platinum

The 80s singles: “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” “Nasty,” “When I Think of You,” “Control,” “Let’s Wait Awhile,” “The Pleasure Principle,” “Miss You Much,” “Rhythm Nation,” and more.

REO Speedwagon

Arena rock band that hit it big in the 80s with some all-time great power ballads. Their sounds just screams “80s.”

The 80s albums:

Hi Infidelity - Diamond
Good Trouble - 2x Platinum
Wheels Are Turnin’ - 2x Platinum
Life as We Know It - Gold

The 80s singles:  “Can’t Fight this Feeling,” “Keep on Loving You,” “Take it on the Run.” “Keep the Fire Burnin’,” and more.