7 Post-British Invasion Acts That Kept Blues Rock Alive in the 1980s

While synths and new wave brought in the decade and glam metal closed it, there were still plenty of acts championing a blues rock sound and thriving in the 1980s.

In looking back at the roots of rock 'n' roll, so many of the great early acts often gave nods to the blues in their influence. It was a big part of the late '60s British Invasion acts and carried over into the '70s where there was still a strong presence of rock bands proudly wearing their blues rock influences.

But the '80s were a decade definitely pushing for innovation and bringing something different to the table. Rock was no longer the only game in town and it felt like for the first time in the rock era, blues rock was pushed to the background. Rather than watching it fade completely out of prominence, there were several acts making compelling presentations when it came to presenting blues rock music.

In Texas, siblings Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan were leading the way with their respective bands — Double Trouble and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. It was also a decade that also saw George Thorogood walking the fine line between modern blues originals and putting his stamp on classic blues standards.

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We should note that this list is dedicated to the acts that saw their blues rock breakouts in the '80s. That is not meant to slight several other acts who also contributed to blues rock's presence in the '80s but had been doing it significantly in the decades prior. These include '70s holdovers ZZ Top and Bonnie Raitt and veterans of the the blues-influences British Invasion era such as Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones.

But here we're giving credit to those who continued to keep the spirit alive even as blues rock had fallen out of such prominent public favor.

So without further adieu, let's take a closer look at some of the 1980s biggest blues rock breakouts.