6 80s pop groups who are still going strong
As far as decades go, we have a lot to thank the 80s for. Most notably: the music.
Some of our favourite bands experienced stratospheric success over 30 years ago and seemingly haven't slowed down since. We had The Fizz in the studio very recently talking about their plans for the future.
Following their skirt-ripping interview on Radio 2, here are six bands you love that are still just as brilliant (and busy!) all these years later...
The Fizz
The Fizz perform a tasty cover of DNCE’s Cake By The Ocean
The unmistakable sound of Bucks Fizz – now known as The Fizz perform live!
Bucks Fizz / The Fizz
Considering Bucks Fizz were formed to compete in the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest, it's an incredible feat that 36 years later the line up that we knew may have split but they're still performing, in two different guises.
It was worth getting together for the contest; they won of course, and will be remembered for both one of the UK's most memorable entries ever and 'that' skirt-ripping dance routine.
Between 1981 and 1986, they scored 14 UK Top 40 hits, including three number one singles and have been touring these hits (including The Land Of Make Believe and My Camera Never Lies) ever since.
However, the timeline gets a little complicated after Jay Aston quit the group in 1985. In the following years, line-up changes and law-suits made it a complicated time for the band - but gave them a fascinating story to tell.
Today, there are two (Sliding Doors style) groups in operation. Bucks Fizz is led by founding member Bobby G and three newcomers, while Cheryl Baker, Jay Aston, Mike Nolan tour as The Fizz along with their newest recruit Bobby McVay.
Bananarama
Lauren Meets Bananarama
Lauren chats to the most successful girl group of all time, Bananarama
They've achieved a chart career spanning 23 years (albeit with a little break), scoring Top 40 hits between 1982 and 2005.
The original line-up, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward, soundtracked the eighties with hits such as Robert De Niro's Waiting and Love In The First Degree, before Siobhan Fahey jumped ship in 1988 (later forming Shakespears Sister).
After briefly replacing Siobhan (Hi Jacquie, bye Jacquie), Sara and Keren decided to continue as a duo, releasing albums and touring together through the nineties and the noughties. They single handedly kept the spirit of the eighties alive for pop fans everywhere.
In 2017, it was announced that Siobhan had returned to the Bananas, making the year feel like 1982 all over again. They are currently working on new music and tour the UK in November.
Bros
Chris and Bros reminise about signed cars and orange trees in the 80s
Matt and Luke aka Bros tell Chris about their huge new comeback show.
We’re flying the flag for Bros who reformed in 2017 for their first tour as a duo in 28 years, with the promise of more to come - so watch this space.
Matt and Luke Goss and Craig Logan first caused hysteria in 1987 with their single When Will I Be Famous, and filled the hearts, minds and bedroom walls of teenagers until the early nineties.
The group unofficially ended in 1991 (two years after Craig quit due to bad health), but there is promise of a new single, Love Can Make You Fly, which the band performed at their 2017 shows. We're just waiting for it to drop and to see what happens next for Matt and Luke.
Duran Duran
OK, so technically Duran Duran formed in 1978 but it was the 80s that saw the wild boys truly tear up the music scene.
Consisting of Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Andy Taylor, Roger Taylor and Nick Rhodes, the fivesome have sold over 100 million records worldwide since they formed (not bad going, we'd say), as well as racking up 14 Top 10 UK singles. Although the group have never officially disbanded, there have been a fair few personnel changes. The original five members rode their wave of success throughout the 80's before Andy and Roger bowed out and made way for Warren Cuccurullo and Sterling Campbell.
Fast forward to the early 00s and the original fivesome came back together, creating quite a bit of buzz as they did. Shortly after, Andy left the group and Dom Brown has been touring with them ever since. Their latest big gig was as recent as this month and saw them headline on the final night of Singapore's Grand Prix alongside Calvin Harris.
It's safe to say that Duran Duran aren't going anywhere soon.
Erasure
Andy Bell Live in Session
Andy performed his new single and one of Erasure's biggest hits, Sometimes
Erasure had their chart peak in the late 80s and early 90s with hits such as Sometimes, A Little Respect, Stop and Love To Hate You.
But duo Vince Clark and Andy Bell are two of the hardest working men in pop and have released 17 studio albums during their 31 year career, including 2017s Top Ten release, World Be Gone.
Erasure hit the road in early 2018, with support from Radio 2 favourite Bright Light Bright Light, for a huge UK tour.
Pet Shop Boys
Which legendary jazz singer once called the Pet Shop Boys "you cats" at London's Savoy?!
The Pet Shop Boys recall hanging out with Ol' Blue Eyes Sammy Davis Jnr and Lisa Minnelli
And now for two of the other hardest working men in pop, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. Pet Shop Boys formed in 1981 (the same year as Bucks Fizz) and first conquered the UK charts in 1985 with their iconic hit, West End Girls.
32 years later, they're still hard at it. Their most recent album, Super, reached No.3 in the UK charts in 2016 and they've been touring the record for a year since, the Super Tour coming to an end in September 2017.
Pet Shop Boys were awarded NME's Godlike Genius Award in 2017, with Neil Tennant saying he accepted the award "on behalf on electronic music, dance music and shiny pop music."
The band are currently remastering their early albums for re-release, bringing classic eighties 'shiny pop music' back for a new generation.
Rick Astley
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park 2017)
Performing live at Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park
If you've ever clicked on a link online, only to find you've been re-directed to a video of Rick Astley singing his unforgettable hit Never Gonna Give You Up then you've been 'Rickrolled'.
That online trend may have been a bit annoying, but it did make the hit (and Rick) cool for a new generation and helped him win the Best Act Ever at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards. It's not a bad title to be taking thanks to a song you released 21 years previously.
Never Gonna Give You Up was the first in a string of hits for Rick in the late eighties, and while his days in the singles chart may be over, he proved his staying power in 2016 when his album 50 hit No.1 in the UK.
He toured the UK in early 2017, including a date at London's iconic Royal Albert Hall and this summer performed as part of Radio 2’s Proms in Hyde Park.
And it would be remiss not to mention here his recent collaboration with none other than the Foo Fighters! Dave Grohl caught up with our very own Jo Whiley to chat all things 'Never Gonna Give You Up'...
Rick Astley and Dave Grohl on their fantastic 'Never Gonna Give You Up' collaboration!
Rick Astley and Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters tell Jo how they ended up sharing the stage!