1980s: Legendary Western Rock Bands’ Classic and Hit Songs
When it comes to the 1980s, it’s often called the “golden era” of Western rock music.
From the perspective of rock bands, it was a time when many veteran groups—still active today—made their debuts, and countless worldwide hits that went down in history were born.
This time, we’re spotlighting hit songs and classics by Western rock bands from that very 1980s!
Alongside energetic, quintessentially ’80s rock numbers and stadium-ready ballads, we’ve assembled a varied lineup that also reflects the era’s birth of the so-called New Wave—unbound by traditional rock—and the alternative rock that would lead into the 1990s.
- Legendary Western rock masterpieces and hit songs of the 80s
- Top Western Music Artists of the 1980s: Ranking [2025]
- [1980s Western Music] Nostalgic 80's Best Hit Songs
- Nothing but classics! A nostalgic collection of ’80s Western ballads
- [Definitive Edition] Masterpieces and Hit Songs of 80s Disco
- Love songs in Western music that were hits in the 1980s. World-famous classics and popular tracks.
- Golden age of Western music! Recommended summer songs that were hits in the 80s
- Great Western rock classics and hit songs of the ’90s
- [Grabs Your Heart] A Compilation of Western Songs with Cool Intros [2025]
- Hidden gems of Western music. Lesser-known songs.
- 90s Rock Revolution! A Collection of Masterpieces by Western Bands That Colored the 90s
- [Western Music] Cool Three-Piece Bands: Recommended Trios Roundup [2025]
- [A Collection of Classics] Nostalgic 70s Western Hit Songs
[1980s] Legendary Western Rock Bands’ Famous and Hit Songs (111–120)
Let’s Go CrazyPrince & The Revolution
Prince, the legendary artist whose sophisticated musicality has earned him extremely high acclaim from dedicated music aficionados around the world.
Prince and The Revolution is the band he produced and performed with, releasing numerous hit songs.
Their hit “Let’s Go Crazy,” released in 1984, blends genres such as R&B, rock, disco, and funk—a sound that captured popularity worldwide.
[1980s] Masterpieces and hit songs by legendary Western rock bands (121–130)
Rock This TownStray cats
Speaking of the ’70s and ’80s, it was common to stick words like “neo” or “post” in front of genre names, and the Stray Cats are a prime example with “neo-rockabilly”! Using period-correct gear, they revived the rockabilly of the ’50s and ’60s, and this “Rock This Town” is the result.
It’s a top-notch neo-rockabilly number.
Their fashion is amazing too!
The Queen Is DeadThe Smiths
The Smiths’ signature song, “The Queen Is Dead,” by the British band led by Morrissey and Johnny Marr.
The track appears on their third, self-titled album released in 1986.
The Smiths are regarded as a band that greatly influenced the alternative boom that would emerge in the 1990s.
KokomoThe Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are a band that has been active since the 1960s.
From rock and roll to experimental music, the breadth of their sound is immeasurable, and each era has its share of their classic songs.
Among their career highlights, the 1988 hit “Kokomo” is a track that evokes a tropical vibe.
You can really sense the depth of a band that has outlasted The Beatles by far.
Digging Your SceneThe Blow Monkeys
In the UK during the New Wave era, many bands emerged with a style known as blue-eyed soul, influenced by Black music, and The Blow Monkeys are exactly one of those bands.
Their signature track, Digging Your Scene—featuring frontman Dr.
Robert’s unmistakably British, velvety vocals, a funky rhythm section, and irresistibly romantic sax—was released in 1986 and became a hit not only in their home country but worldwide.
It still sounds incredibly stylish today, and I think even young music fans can enjoy it with a fresh sense of discovery.
Freak SceneDinosaur Jr.
When it comes to Dinosaur Jr.
, they’re best known for thriving amid the grunge boom of the ’90s, but with a 1983 debut, you could say they were a late bloomer of a band.
Their 1988 track “Freak Scene” has a raw sound that absolutely feels like the ’90s, yet it’s a late-’80s work that clearly shows they were pioneers of alternative rock.
You Made Me RealiseMy Bloody Valentine
It was in the early 1990s that they established the genre known as “shoegaze,” where beautiful melodies emerge from a wall of noise.
This track, You Made Me Realise, dates back to 1988, but it’s quintessentially shoegaze and was also the song that set them on the path to their breakthrough.
This flood of sound paired with the laid-back vocals—this contrast is irresistibly satisfying, making it one of the greatest masterpieces in rock history.