80s Electronic Music Bands You Need to Know About

The ’80s were a golden age for electronic music, with a wide range of bands exploring new sounds and styles. Here are some of the most important groups from that decade that you need to know about.

Introduction

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Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode is an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group’s original line-up consisted of Vince Clarke (keyboards, guitar), Andy Fletcher (keyboards), Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, vocals, chief songwriter after 1981), and Alan Wilder (drums, keyboards, occasional guitar). Depeche Mode released their debut album Speak & Spell in 1981. Editing the album’s artwork himself, Clarke drew a man from a photograph—which ended up beoming the band’s mascot: Alan Parsons Project with a disfigured face caused by Rath Gone Wrong.”

The band made a shift towards more synth-based arrangements with their second album A Broken Frame in 1982. Gore took over as the primary songwriter and, following the departures of Clarke (who left to form Yazoo with Alison Moyet) and Wilder (who went on to form Recoil), Alan Wilder became an official member of the group in late 1982. The group’s next two albums were mega-successful: 1983’s Construction Time Again and 1984’s Some Great Reward both reached #1 in the UK charts and produced several hit singles.

The group continued to enjoy success throughout the 1980s and 1990s with albums such as Black Celebration (1986), Music for the Masses (1987), Violator (1990) and Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993). However, relations between band members became strained during this period, particularly between Gore and lead singer Dave Gahan; Gahan was hospitalized for cocaine intoxication and nearly died from his resulting injuries in 1996.

In 1998, Wilder left Depeche Mode amid rumours of disagreements with Gahan over the direction of the band’s sound; he was replaced by session musician Peter Gordeno. The band released two more albums—2001’s Exciter and 2005’s Playing the Angel—before going on hiatus again in 2006. They returned in 2009 with their 12th studio album Sounds of the Universe. In 2010, David Gahan was diagnosed with cancer, forcing Depeche Mode to cancel several tour dates; he recovered fully by early 2011 and resumed touring with the band later that year.”

New Order

New Order is an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris. The band’s classic lineup also included Gillian Gilbert on keyboards. Originally a continuation of Joy Division after the death of lead singer Ian Curtis, New Order’s unique blend of post-punk, synth-pop, and dance music made them one of the most acclaimed and influential bands of the 1980s. The group’s 1983 hit “Blue Monday” is the best-selling 12-inch single of all time.

The Cure

If you were to make a list of the most influential bands of the ’80s, The Cure would have to be near the top. Hailing from England, The Cure was one of the first gothic rock bands. Their dark and ethereal sound was a marked departure from the more pop-oriented music that was popular at the time. The Cure’s music has stood the test of time, and they continue to be a hugely popular band today.

The Smiths

The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. The band consisted of lead singer Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce.

The Smiths rose to prominence in the UK music scene in the mid-1980s, with their debut album The Smiths (1984) reaching number two on the UK Albums Chart and their second album Meat Is Murder (1985) topping the chart. The band were revered by the music press and are considered one of the most influential acts of the 1980s.

The group broke up in 1987 after several disagreements between Morrissey and Marr, with Marr subsequently forming Electronic with New Order’s Bernard Sumner.

Erasure

Erasure is an English synth-pop duo, consisting of singer and songwriter Andy Bell and songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke. They formed in London in 1985 and released their first single, “Who Needs Love (Like That),” in November that year. The duo are known for their distinctive, catchy songwriting andBell’s powerful, high-pitched voice.

Erasure has released 16 studio albums, including their most recent album The Violet Flame, as well as four compilations and two live albums. They have sold over 25 million albums worldwide and have achieved 38 dancechart hits in the United States, including “A Little Respect,” “Chains of Love,” “Always,” “Stop!,” “Oh L’amour,” and “Breathe.” In the UK, they have achieved 19 Top 40 hit singles, with their most recent being “From Moscow to Mars” in 2014.

Pet Shop Boys

Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic music duo, formed in London in 1981 and consisting of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. Pet Shop Boys have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and are one of the best-selling musical groups of all time. They are also one of the most successful dance music acts of all time, having achieved 41 Top 30 singles in the UK – including four Number Ones – as well as 22 Top 10 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Yaz

Yaz was an English new wave duo from Basildon, Essex, consisting of singer Alison Moyet and musician Vince Clarke. They formed in late 1981 after Clarke responded to an advertisement Moyet placed in a British music magazine looking for musicians to form a band with.

The duo had eight UK Top 40 singles and their debut album Upstairs at Eric’s sold over two million copies. They are best known in the US for their song “Situation”, which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the dance chart. Yaz’s second album, You and Me Both, was released in 1983 and peaked at number two in the UK.

A-ha

A-ha is a Norwegian synth-pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The group’s original lineup consisted of lead vocalist Morten Harket, guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, and keyboardist Magne Furuholmen. The band achieved global success with their debut album, Hunting High and Low (1985), which sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. The album’s second single, “Take on Me”, reached the U.S. top 10, fishing the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 28th Annual Grammy Awards in 1986. A-ha went on to release nine studio albums before disbanding in 2010.

Duran Duran

duran Duran was one of the most successful pop bands of the 1980s. They were originally from Birmingham, England, and their musical style was a mix of new wave, synth-pop, and post-punk. The band’s biggest hits include “Rio,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” and “Save a Prayer.”