What are the best 80s underground bands and songs you still love today?

12 comments

1. Can we call The Replacements underground? Cause the entirety of Pleased to Meet Me is a masterpiece.

2. “Something About You” by Level 42.

   “Big in Japan” by Alphaville.

   “Living in a Box” by Living in a Box, from the album… *Living in a Box*.

3. Butthole surfers

4. [The Crusade](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16FSBugEq14) by Pink Turns Blue

   They’re an 80s post-punk band from Germany.

5. [Bob Childers](https://youtu.be/3x5CsF_tZoo) is my absolute favorite underground artist from that era

6. Dead Can Dance. Listening to them made me feel like there had to be other people out there on the same wavelength.

7. Listened to my share of Cocteau Twins, Ministry, Moev, Mortal Coil, Dif Jus, Style Council, Art of Noise, Jean-Michel Jarre, Young Fresh Fellows, Echo & the Bunnymen, Chameleons UK, Melting Fish, etc., back in the day. Nowadays I’m catching up on all the rock I wasn’t listening to back then.

8. Dr Know – Watch it Burn

   Aggression – Locals only

9. King Missile. Although I wasn’t aware of them until about 1993… so I have a hard time thinking of them as being an 80’s band. Definitely not new wave.

   Mostly the 80’s sucked. I’m looking forward to the 30 year cycle moving us into the new 90’s now.

10. XTC – Not really underground but not nearly as big as they should have been in the US.

11. The The – not well known in the US in the early 80’s

    Spliff- great German band in the early 80’s not known in US

12. Human Sexual Response local Boston band. I want to be Jackie Onassis is probably their best known song.