VOTE! Round 3 - Groups A & B

It's Time for the Sweet Sixteen!

Voting is open for the A & B Groups! 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) Madonna vs. (5) The Cars

Madonna

The case for Madonna: Do we really need to make a case for Madonna? The Material Girl owned the 80s.

The 80s albums:

Madonna - 5x Platinum

Like a Virgin - Diamond (10x Platinum)

True Blue - 7x Platinum

Like a Prayer - 4x Platinum

Who’s That Girl? (soundtrack) - Platinum

The 80s singles: “Holiday,” “Lucky Star,” “Borderline,” “Like a Virgin,” “Material Girl,” “Crazy for You,” “Into the Groove,” “Papa Don’t Preach,” “Open Your Heart,” “La Isla Bonita,” “Who’s That Girl,” “Like a Prayer,” “Express Yourself,” “Cherish” and a bunch more!

The Cars

Ric Ocasek and The Cars took synth-pop and perfected it. They also perfected the music video game, doing things that MTV had never seen before. 

The 80s albums:

Panorama - Platinum
Shake it Up - 2x Platinum
Heartbeat City - 4x Platinum
Door to Door - Gold
Greatest Hits - 6x Platinum

The 80s singles:  ”Shake it Up,” “You Might Think,” “Magic,” “Drive,” “Heartbeat City,” and a bunch more.

---

(3) Genesis/Phil Collins vs. 

(2) Bruce Springsteen

Genesis/Phil Collins

Phil Collins led Genesis from the drums, and he led them to the pop Promised Land. Then, when he went solo, he only got better, becoming one of the biggest acts of the 80s (seriously… look through those singles).

The 80s albums (Genesis):
Duke - Platinum
Abacab - 2x Platinum
Genesis - 4x Platinum
Invisible Touch - 6x Platinum
Three Sides Live - Gold

The 80s albums (Collins):
Face Value - 5x Platinum
Hello, I Must Be Going - 3x Platinum
No Jacket Required - Diamond (12x Platinum)
…. But Seriously - 4x Platinum

The singles (Genesis): “No Reply At All,” “Mama,” “That’s All,” “Invisible Touch,” “In Too Deep,” “Land of Confusion,” and many more.

The singles (Phil Collins): “In the Air Tonight,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “Against All Odds,” “Easy Lover,” “Sussudio,” “One More Night,” “Don’t Lose My Number,” “Take Me Home,” “Separate Lives,” “A Groovy Kind of Love,” “Two Hearts,” “Another Day in Paradise,” “I Wish it Would Rain Down,” and lots more.

Bruce Springsteen

The case for Springsteen - He’s THE BOSS for cryin’ out loud. Is there a more iconic voice? A more iconic sound? A more iconic image than the cover of Born in the USA?

The 80s albums:

The River - 5x Platinum
Nebraska - Platinum
Born in the USA - Diamond (15x Platinum)
Tunnel of Love - 3x Platinum
Live/1975–85 - 13x Platinum

The 80s singles:  “Hungry Heart,” “The River,” “Cadillac Ranch,” “Atlantic City,” “Dancing in the Dark,” “Cover Me,” “Born in the USA,” “I’m on Fire,” “Glory Days,” “Brilliant Disguise,” and a bunch more.

---

(1) Michael Jackson vs.

(4) George Michael/Wham!

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.

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.

---

(3) The Police/Sting vs. (10) AC/DC

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.

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.