VOTE! Group "C" - Round 1

The Voting is Here!

The full bracket voting is live! And we've got the "C" 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) Bon Jovi vs. (16) Heart

Bon Jovi

Take some arena rock, add a bit of pop metal, throw in some glam, and you get a Jersey band that made their own genre. And Slippery When Wet has sold 28 million copies worldwide!

The 80s albums:

Bon Jovi - Platinum
7800 degrees Fahrenheit - Platinum
Slippery When Wet - 12x Platinum
New Jersey - 7x Platinum

The 80s singles: “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Runaway,” “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Bad Medicine,” “I’ll Be There for You,” “Lay Your Hands on Me,” and more.

Heart

Transitioned from 70s rock to 80s pop and managed top ten albums in each of their four decades. Ann and Nancy Wilson fronted this trail-blazing band.

The 80s albums:

Bebe le Strange - Gold
Greatest Hits/Live - 2x Platinum
Private Audition
Passionworks
Heart - 5x Platinum
Bad Animals - 3x Platinum

The 80s singles: "Alone," "What About Love?," "These Dreams," “Never,” “Tell it Like it is,” “This Man is Mine,” and more.

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(8) Don Henley vs. (9) R.E.M.

Don Henley

Eagles front man with the strongest solo career, whose “Boys of Summer” won the second ever MTV VMA for Music Video of the Year. He was the voice of a generation.

The 80s albums:

I Can’t Stand Still - Gold
Building the Perfect Beast - 3x Platinum
The End of the Innocence - 6x Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Boys of Summer,” “The Last Worthless Evening,” “All She Wants to Do is Dance,” “The End of the Innocence,” “Dirty Laundry,” “Not Enough Love in the World,” “Sunset Grill,” and more.

R.E.M.

College band that made the Athens sound famous. They helped define “alternative” and developed a massive cult following behind Michael Stipe’s iconic vocals and lack of enunciation.

The 80s albums:

Murmur - Gold
Reckoning - Gold
Fables of the Reconstruction - Gold
Lifes Rich Pageant - Gold
Dead Letter Office
Document - Platinum
Eponymous
Green - 2x Platinum

The 80s singles:  “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” “The One I Love,” “Stand,” “Orange Crush,” “Pop Song 89,” “Radio Free Europe,” “So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry),” “Superman,” “Talk About the Passion,” and more.

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(5) John Cougar Mellencamp vs.

(12) The Clash

John Cougar Mellencamp

Some people call him a poor man’s Springsteen, but tell me you don’t know all the words to “Jack and Diane.” John Cougar Mellencamp was the champion of the small town and we loved him for it.

The 80s albums:

Nothin’ Matters and What if it Did - Platinum
American Fool - 5x Platinum
The Kid Inside
Uh-Huh - 3x Platinum
Scarecrow - 5x Platinum
The Lonesome Jubilee - 3x Platinum
Big Daddy - Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Hurts So Good,” “Jack and Diane,” “Pink Houses,” “Authority Song,” “Small Town,” “ROCK in the USA,” “Paper in Fire,” “Cherry Bomb,” and lots more.

The Clash

This is British punk rock: loud, brash, political, and a lot of fun. These songs are absolutely indelible. (Note: if you’re looking for London Calling, it was released in December 1979).

The 80s albums:

Sandinista! - Gold
Combat Rock - 2x Platinum
Cut the Crap
The Story of the Clash, Volume 1 - Platinum

The 80s singles:  ”Rock the Casbah,” “Train in Vain,” “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” “London Calling,” and more.

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(4) Rush vs.

(13) The Go-Go's/Belinda Carlisle

Rush

Brilliant rock musicians with legions of fans. Neil Peart’s literate lyrics were backed by more sound and power than a trio should be able to create.

The 80s albums:

Permanent Waves - Platinum
Moving Pictures - 4x Platinum
Exit… Stage Left - Platinum
Signals - Platinum
Grace Under Pressure - Platinum
Power Windows - Platinum
Hold Your Fire - Gold
A Show of Hands - Gold
Presto - Gold

The 80s singles:  “Tom Sawyer,” “The Spirit of Radio,” “Time Stand Still,” “The Big Money,” “New World Man,” “Subdivisions,” “Mystic Rhythms,” “Distant Early Warning,” Red Sector A,” and more.

The Go-Go's/Belinda Carlisle

The Go-Go’s blazed brand new musical trails, as one of the most successful all-female bands of all time. And then Belinda Carlisle went on to have a phenomenal solo career too.

The 80s albums (The Go-Go’s):
Beauty and the Beat - 2x Platinum
Vacation - Gold
Talk Show

The 80s albums (Belinda Carlisle):
Belinda - Gold
Heaven on Earth - Platinum
Runaway Horses - Gold

The 80s singles (The Go-Go’s): “Our Lips are Sealed,” “We Got the Beat,” “Vacation,” “Head Over Heels,” Turn to You,” and more.

The 80s singles (Belinda Carlisle): “Mad About You,” “Heaven in a Place on Earth,” “I Get Weak,” “Circle in the Sand,” “Leave a Light On,” and more.

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(6) U2 vs. (11) Beastie Boys

U2

The Irish boys that changed the entire direction of rock music. And Bono’s unplanned walkabout during “Bad” at Live Aid was a seminal moment for a generation. 

The 80s albums:

Boy - Platinum
October - Platinum
War - 4x Platinum
Under a Blood Red Sky - 3x Platinum
The Unforgettable Fire - 3x Platinum
The Joshua Tree - Diamond
Rattle and Hum - 5x Platinum

The 80s singles:  ”With or Without You,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “Pride (In the Name of Love),” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Gloria,” “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “Desire,” “In God’s Country,” “All I Want is You,” “Angel of Harlem,” New Year’s Day,” “I Will Follow,” and more.

Beastie Boys

The three boys from Brooklyn started as a punk band, then Rick Rubin got his hands on them, they released Licensed to Ill, and the legend was born. 

The 80s albums:

Licensed to Ill - Diamond (10x Platinum)
Paul’s Boutique - 2x Platinum

The 80s singles: “Brass Monkey,” “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!),” “ No Sleep till Brooklyn,” “Girls,” “Hey Ladies,” “Shadrach,” and more.

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(3) Billy Joel vs. (14) The Pointer Sisters

Billy Joel

Long Island piano man whose 23x Platinum greatest hits collection indicates how his songs became a part of so many people’s stories.

The 80s albums:
Glass Houses - 7x Platinum
Songs in the Attic - 3x Platinum
The Nylon Curtain - 2x Platinum
An Innocent Man - 7x Platinum
Greatest Hits - Volume I and Volume II - Diamond (23x Platinum)
The Bridge - 2x Platinum
КОНЦЕРТ - Platinum
Storm Front - 4x Platinum

The singles: “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” “Tell Her About It,” “Pressure,” “Allentown,” “Uptown Girl,” “An Innocent Man,” “The Longest Time,” “Don’t Ask Me Why,” “You May Be Right,” “Leave a Tender Moment Alone,” “This is the Time,” “You’re Only Human (Second Wind),” “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” and many more.

The Pointer Sisters

Talented siblings who made their name doing BGVs for a variety of artists, which helped seed their multi-genre versatility. The Pointers were a constant on 80s radio and soundtracks.

The 80s albums:

Special Things - Gold
Black & White - Gold
So Excited! 
Break Out - 3x Platinum
Contact - Platinum
Hot Together 
Serious Slammin’ 

The 80s singles:  ”He’s So Shy,” “Slow Hand,” “Automatic,” “Jump (For My Love),” “I’m So Excited,” “Neutron Dance,” and more.

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(7) Huey Lewis and the News vs.

(10) Tina Turner

Huey Lewis and the News

Huey Lewis & The News
A working man’s bar band who made it big with lighthearted MTV videos, relatable songs, and a key spot on the soundtrack of another 80s icon: “Back to the Future.”

The 80s albums:

Huey Lewis and the News
Picture This - Gold
Sports - 7x Platinum
Fore! - 3x Platinum
Small World - Platinum

The 80s singles:  “The Heart of Rock & Roll,” “I Want a New Drug,” “Back in Time,” “If This is It,” “Stuck With You,” “Do You Believe in Love,” “Hip to be Square,” “The Power of Love,” “Jacob’s Ladder,” “Workin’ for a Livin’,” and more.

Tina Turner

Going into the 80s, Tina was considered a nostalgia act after splitting from husband Ike. In 1983 she released Private Dancer and the rest, as they say, is history. Tina became a bonafide solo star winning Grammys, headlining tours, and selling millions of albums.

The 80s albums:

Private Dancer - 3x Platinum
Break Every Rule - Platinum
Foreign Affair - Gold

The 80s singles:  “What’s Love Got to Do With It?,” “Better Be Good to Me,” “Private Dancer,” “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome),” “Typical Male,” “The Best,” and more.

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(2) Whitney Houston vs. (15) Bob Seger

Whitney Houston

The voice! The biggest single in history! The first artist with seven consecutive #1 hits! And one of the strongest voices pop music has ever heard. It’s all Whitney.

The 80s albums:

Whitney Houston - Diamond (13x Platinum)
Whitney - 9x Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Saving All My Love for You,” “The Greatest Love of All,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “Didn’t We Almost Have it All,” “So Emotional,” “One Moment in Time,” “You Give Good Love,” “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” and more.

Bob Seger

A megastar who became ubiquitous in the 80s when “Old Time Rock & Roll” showed up in Risky Business and Chevy played “Like a Rock” in every truck commercial for 20 years.

The 80s albums:

Against the Wind - 5x Platinum
Nine Tonight - 4x Platinum
The Distance - 2x Platinum
Like a Rock- 3x Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Like a Rock,” “Old Time Rock and Roll,” “Roll Me Away,” “Shakedown,” “Against the Wind,” “You’ll Accompany Me,” “Hollywood Nights,” “ Even Now,” “Shame on the Moon,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” and more.