The Top Electronic Dance Music Bands of the 1980s

In the 1980s, electronic dance music was just beginning to take off. Here are some of the top bands of the era that helped to shape the genre.

Introduction

electronic dance music (EDM), also known as dance music, club music, or simply dance, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres made largely for nightclubs, raves and festivals. It is generally produced for playback by disc jockeys (DJs) who create seamless selections of tracks, called a mix, by segueing from one recording to another. EDM producers also perform their music live in a concert or festival setting in what is sometimes called a live PA..

Kraftwerk

German electronic music band founded by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970 in Düsseldorf. Widely considered as innovators and pioneers of electronic music, they were among the first successful acts to popularize the genre. The group began as an artistic experimentation project called Organisation. Their style combines elements of avant-garde, pop music, and traditional German folk music, making use of sound synthesis andElectronic percussion.

Kraftwerk’s breakthrough came with the release of Autobahn in 1974, an electronic pop song which topped various international radio station charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975—making it the first song by a German band to do so—and was a hit across Europe. The album peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1975 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The success of Autobahn led to a worldwide tour, during which guitarists Schneider and Hütter would exchange parts depending on what instrument each was playing; for example, Schneider would occasionally join Hütter on stage to play keyboards during performances of “The Model”.

The band’s next album, Radio-Activity (1975), was also successful; its title track was a Top 20 hit in several countries. The album peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1976 and was certified gold by the RIAA. Following their tour for Radio-Activity, Kraftwerk took a break from public performances; they began work on their next album after more than two years had passed. Responding to growing dissatisfaction with contemporary Western society’s coldness and materialism (which they explored on previous albums), Trans-Europe Express (1977) focused on themes inspired by outdated modes of travel such as railroads and automobiles.

Trans-Europe Express became Kraftwerk’s most successful album outside Germany; it peaked at number 16 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1978, received critical acclaim from publications such as Rolling Stone magazine, and won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance that year. The album features several tracks that would later gain enduring popularity as examples of early techno music: “Showroom Dummies”, “Trans-Europe Express”, “Metal on Metal”, “Abzug”, and “(Faraway) Trains”.

New Order

By the early 1980s, bands like New Order were increasingly influenced by electronic dance music and incorporated it into their own sound. New Order’s track “Blue Monday” is one of the most iconic and influential dance tracks of all time, and the band’s fusion of synth-pop, new wave, and post-punk styles laid the groundwork for much of the dance music that would follow in the next few decades.

Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode is an English electronic dance music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group’s original line-up consisted of Vince Clarke (keyboards, songwriting), Andy Fletcher (keyboards), Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, songwriting), and lead singer Dave Gahan. Depeche Mode released their debut album Speak & Spell in 1981, bringing the band onto the British new wave scene. pioneers of synth-pop and electronic dance music, they have had fifty songs in the UK Singles Chart and thirteen top 10 albums in the UK Albums Chart. They have sold over 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the world’s best-selling music artists.

Yaz

Yaz was a British synthpop band formed in Manchester in 1982. The band members were Alison Moyet (vocals) and Vince Clarke (keyboards). They had four UK Top Ten singles: “Only You”, “Don’t Go”, “Situation” and “Nobody’s Diary”.

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. By 2009, after the release of their 16th album Nights Breeze, they had sold over 25 million albums worldwide.

Clarke had been part of several bands, including Depeche Mode, Yazoo, and the short-lived project The Assembly with producer Eric Radcliffe. After the disbandment of Yazoo, he formed The Army of Lovers with Swedish vocalist Camilla Henemark and American keyboardist La Camilla Denmark. However, after a few UK singles the project was abandoned by Warner Brothers records.

Bell was a fan of Clarke’s work with Depeche Mode and Yazoo, and approached him after a Yazoo concert in 1982 to ask if he would consider working together on some music. Initially Clarke was reluctant, but after much persuasion from Bell they began writing tracks for what would become Erasure’s debut album Wonderland.

Pet Shop Boys

Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo, formed in London in 1981 and consisting of Neil Tennant (lead vocals, keyboards, occasional guitar) and Chris Lowe (keyboards, vocals). Pet Shop Boys have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. They are listed as the most successful duo in UK history by The Guinness Book of World Records.

The group’s musical style has varied over the years, but they are most commonly associated with synth-pop and dance music. Pet Shop Boys have achieved 36 top 30 singles in the UK (including four number ones), as well as 44 top 40 singles in the US (including three number ones). They have also released 12 studio albums (nine of which have reached the UK top ten), three live albums and 24 compilation albums. In 2004, Billboard magazine named Pet Shop Boys the #1 dance act of all time.

Duran Duran

Duran Duran is a British band that was originally formed in Birmingham in 1978. The band became one of the most successful groups of the 1980s, thanks to their unique blend of new wave and synth-pop sounds. Over the course of their career, Duran Duran has released 14 studio albums, selling over 100 million records worldwide. The band has also been nominated for four Grammy Awards and three Brit Awards.

Soft Cell

Soft Cell was a British musical duo who gained prominence in the early 1980s, consisting of singer Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The duo are principally known for their 1981 hit single “Tainted Love” as well as their platinum-selling debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.

Spandau Ballet

Formed in London in 1979, Spandau Ballet initially achieved success with a mix of post-punk and new wave-influenced music. Their 1982 hit single “True” reached No. 1 in several countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, and the band went on to release a string of hits throughout the 1980s. Although they initially broke up in 1990, Spandau Ballet reunited in 2009 and continue to perform and tour today.