Toronto rock singer Alannah Myles spent several years struggling unsuccessfully to secure a Canadian record deal, so she and songwriting partner Christopher Ward set their sights south of the border. Myles recorded a demo and video for the song "Just One Kiss," which got the attention of several companies and ended up on her self-titled 1989... [+] Read More

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During a short hiatus in late 1984 and early 1985, three Duran Duran members -- lead singer Simon LeBon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, and drummer Roger Taylor -- formed Arcadia, a short-lived splinter group which offered an artier version of Duran Duran's new wave synth pop. Arcadia released their only album, So Red the Rose, in 1985, just after... [+] Read More

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Cyndi Lauper was one of the biggest stars of the early MTV era, selling five million copies of her debut album, She's So Unusual, as well as scoring a string of four Top Ten hits from the record, including the major hits "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Time After Time." Lauper's thin, girlish voice and gleefully ragtag appearance became one... [+] Read More

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Eurythmics were one of the most successful duos to emerge in the early '80s. Where most of their British synth pop contemporaries disappeared from the charts as soon as new wave faded away in 1984, Eurythmics continued to have hits until the end of the decade, making vocalist Annie Lennox a star in her own right, as well as establishing... [+] Read More

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Pop singer/actress Laura Branigan was born on July 3, 1957, in the upstate New York town of Brewster. It wasn't until her senior year in high school that Branigan thought of pursuing a musical career, after she landed a lead role in a school musical, which led to her acceptance at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City by the... [+] Read More

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After one year as vocalist for the Stripes (who disbanded after just one unsuccessful album in 1980) Nena Kerner assembled a new band in Berlin, called Nena, with herself as vocalist, Carlo Karges on guitar, Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen on keyboards, Jürgen Dehmel on bass, and Rolf Brendel on drums. Their debut single "Nur Geträumt" became a number... [+] Read More

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During the mid-'80s, Nik Kershaw managed to score a handful of pop hits and, in doing so, establish himself as a profitable commercial songwriter. Kershaw began his musical career by learning to play guitar when he was a teenager. In 1974, he joined his first band, Half Pint Hogg, which played nothing but Deep Purple covers. However, his musical... [+] Read More

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Pat Benatar's polished mainstream pop/rock made her one of the more popular female vocalists of the early '80s. Although she came on like an arena rocker with her power chords, tough sexuality, and powerful vocals, her music was straight pop/rock underneath all the bluster. Born Patricia Andrzejewski on January 10, 1953, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn,... [+] Read More

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The Divinyls' Christina Amphlett is the most dynamic live female performer Australia has ever produced, let alone sent out into the world. With the help of an ever changing Divinyls lineup, Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee have created a legacy of powerful pop records.

Amphlett's whole life seems to have pointed towards a... [+] Read More

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Synth pop's first international superstars, the Human League were among the earliest and most innovative bands to break into the pop mainstream on a wave of synthesizers and electronic rhythms, their marriage of infectious melodies and state-of-the-art technology proving enormously influential on countless acts following in their wake. The group... [+] Read More

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