15 Most Important Figures in 1980s Rock (Musician Edition)

Who were the most important figures in 1980s rock? Here at Loudwire we're ready to take a look at the musicians who consistently kept themselves in the headlines, on the radio and stuck in your public consciousness.

It wasn't always the singer who was the most important figure, either, as much as the ones behind the mic are often at the forefront of everyone's minds.

For example, you'd be hard pressed to not recognize the impact of what Eddie Van Halen did in the '80s. He graced the cover of many music magazines, had an inventive technique that many tried, but had trouble replicating and was also frequently in the public eye as part of an '80s celebrity couple. And we haven't even mentioned the string of '80s hits that spanned two different singers fronting the group.

Who was arguably the busiest and most omnipresent rocker of the '80s? That honor would go to Phil Collins, who started the decade as the singing drummer for '70s prog rock favorites Genesis and ended the decade as one of the most in-demand performers. He launched his solo career in the '80s, but bounced back and forth with Genesis keeping them in the public spotlight as well. Meanwhile, Collins duetted with Philip Bailey and Marilyn Martin, sat in on songs from Robert Plant, Adam Ant and Howard Jones and still managed to find time to act both on the small (TV's Miami Vice) and big screen (Buster).

The '80s was also a decade in which public activism was lauded and acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Bono and John Mellencamp made causes part of their public persona. Did they enact change? They most certainly tried.

READ MORE: The Top 80 Hard Rock + Metal Albums of the '80s

Who were the most important figures in 1980s rock? Let's take a closer look at who pushed the needle in the '80s.

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