The 1970s built rock’s temples, but the 1980s proved to be the decade when many of its greatest gods stumbled and occasionally outright fell.
For titans like Pink Floyd, Santana, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the transition into the MTV era was a jarring descent from creative peak to commercial and critical confusion. The seamless, sophisticated narratives of the '70s suddenly felt bloated and out of step with the synthesizer-driven, image-conscious new decade.
The reasons for this decline are complex: some acts, like the progressive behemoths, simply refused to adapt, clinging to increasingly irrelevant sounds and structures. Others, like Dylan and Young, actively tried to adapt and failed, often making awkward, genre-hopping attempts at modernization that alienated their core fanbases without winning over a new generation. The decade revealed that creative genius, however immense, is always at the mercy of the cultural zeitgeist.
1. Pink Floyd
Few bands defined the 1970s like Pink Floyd, whose conceptual ambition and sonic innovation culminated in The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. But the transition into the 1980s proved difficult. Internal tensions, creative burnout, and Roger Waters’ increasing dominance fractured the group’s dynamic.
The Final Cut (1983), effectively a Waters solo album in all but name, lacked the collaborative spark and expansive soundscapes that had elevated their earlier work. Its bleak, overtly political tone alienated some fans, while David Gilmour’s contributions were sidelined(although brilliant where they appeared - see the title track below).
Waters’ departure in 1985 sealed the fracture, and although Gilmour-led Floyd would return later in the decade, the sense of artistic unity that had defined their 1970s output was lost. While they remained commercially viable, their 1980s presence felt more like a coda than a continuation. For a band so rooted in introspective grandeur, the new decade proved a more uncertain, fractured landscape.
2. Neil Young
Neil Young’s transition from the 1970s to the 1980s was bold, unpredictable – and often divisive. While the ’70s saw him produce a string of landmark albums that fused folk, rock, and introspective lyricism, the 1980s found him veering into stylistic experimentation with mixed results.
Trans (1982), his most radical departure, introduced vocoders and synths in a bid to explore communication and technology, partly inspired by his son’s speech difficulties. Though fascinating in concept, it baffled many fans and critics. His subsequent releases under Geffen – ranging from rockabilly to country to R&B – were eclectic but uneven, and at times seemed more like provocation than reinvention.
Legal disputes with his label only added to the turbulence. While Young’s creative spirit remained intact, the consistency and cohesion of his ’70s work gave way to a decade marked by confusion and misfires. Nevertheless, the seeds of future resurgence were already quietly being sown amid the chaos.
3. Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan’s 1980s were a rollercoaster – creatively restless, occasionally brilliant, but often inconsistent. While not his most celebrated decade, it was far from without merit.
He began the ’80s in the throes of his Christian period, releasing Saved (1980) and Shot of Love (1981), which received mixed reactions. Infidels (1983), featuring Mark Knopfler and Mick Taylor, was a return to secular themes and is now considered a highlight of the era. But albums like Empire Burlesque (1985) and Knocked Out Loaded (1986) were uneven, suffering from dated production and patchy songwriting.
However, his 1989 album Oh Mercy, produced by Daniel Lanois, marked a late-decade comeback, showcasing a renewed lyrical focus and atmospheric sound. Throughout the decade, Dylan remained a vital presence, touring constantly and taking creative risks – even if the results didn’t always land.
So, while Dylan’s 1980s output was erratic, it also included flashes of his enduring genius.
4. Santana
Santana entered the 1980s having already redefined Latin-infused rock, but the decade proved challenging. As musical trends shifted towards synth-pop, MTV aesthetics, and slicker production, the band struggled to retain its distinctive sound. Albums like Zebop! and Shangó had commercial moments but lacked the creative spark of earlier work. Carlos Santana experimented with radio-friendly styles that diluted his trademark guitar-driven fusion.
The band’s identity became less focused, and critical acclaim waned. While Santana’s musicianship never faltered, the 1980s saw the band navigating industry pressures rather than setting trends – resulting in a dip both artistically and culturally before their 1999 comeback with Supernatural.
5. Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, titans of 1970s progressive rock, faltered in the 1980s as musical tastes shifted sharply. Their virtuosic, classically inspired epics felt increasingly out of step in a decade dominated by synth-pop, new wave, and streamlined rock. The rot had already set in, to be fair: 1978's Love Beach marked a creative low for ELP.
Rushed to fulfil contractual obligations, its uninspired soft rock felt far removed from their prog roots. The cringe-worthy album cover – featuring the band awkwardly shirtless on a beach – only deepened the sense that this was an artistic misstep best forgotten.
After a hiatus, they attempted a comeback with 1986’s Emerson, Lake & Powell, replacing Carl Palmer with Cozy Powell. While the album had moments of flair, it lacked the inventive spark and cohesion of their prime. Overblown production and dated songwriting further alienated critics and fans. The era revealed the limits of prog excess in a changing musical landscape – and ELP, once innovators, struggled to evolve.
6. Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton’s 1970s heyday, crowned by the phenomenal success of Frampton Comes Alive! (1976), saw him hailed as a guitar hero and arena rock sensation. That double live album captured his melodic flair, charming vocals, and crowd-pleasing energy, becoming one of the best-selling live records of all time.
But the 1980s proved far less kind. As musical tastes shifted and his star faded, Frampton (pictured above with David Bowie, 1987) struggled to reinvent himself artistically. Albums like Breaking All the Rules and The Art of Control failed to connect, with slick production and unfocused songwriting replacing the heartfelt rock of his earlier work. His association with the ill-fated Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band film also hurt his credibility.
The decade saw him drifting into creative limbo – never quite irrelevant, but far from inspired. It wasn’t until later years that Frampton began to rebuild his artistic reputation with more mature, blues-tinged work.
7. Paul McCartney
OK, a controversial one now. The Beatles were the greatest band of the 1960s, but McCartney's post-Beatles outfit Wings were probably not, it's fair to say, the best band of the 1970s. That said, Wings were a big commercial success, in both album and single form, and their 1973 LP Band on the Run is an undoubted Seventies classic. So, all told, it's a tick alongside the 1970s in the Macca report book.
The 1980s, however, proved creatively bumpy. While albums like the George Martin-produced Tug of War (1982) offered high points, the decade was peppered with highly questionable choices. The overly saccharine 'Frog Chorus', the theme to the 1985 spy comedy Spies Like Us, and 1982's polarizing Stevie Wonder duet 'Ebony and Ivory' (1982) remain low points for many fans.
Even the boldly experimental McCartney II (1980) mixed gems perfectly crafted pop gems like 'Coming Up' with more oddball fare such the hard-to-like 'Temporary Secretary' (see what you think, below). The decade saw less consistent quality and more critical missteps compared to his triumphant 70s run.
8. The Who
The Who dominated the 1970s, delivering classic albums like Who's Next and Quadrophenia while transforming into one of the world's premier arena rock acts. They successfully weathered the death of their mercurial drummer Keith Moon, proving their enduring musical core. However, the 1980s saw their creative engine sputter.
Following Moon's passing and the subsequent introduction of Kenney Jones, The Who's final studio album of the decade, It's Hard (1982), was widely criticized as tired and uninspired, lacking the band's signature fire and innovation. They officially broke up in 1983, and subsequent tours felt like a retrospective rather than a forward-looking creative force, marking a period of artistic decline for the legendary group.
9. Deep Purple
If you're looking for a band who defined the sound of 1970s classic rock, Deep Purple would have to be on the shortlist. Their complex, heavy rock sound showcased some spectacular musicianship, particularly from guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and keyboardist Jon Lord, on seminal albums like Machine Head, and they were instrumental – alongside Black Sabbath – in establishing the blueprint for early heavy metal.
The band fragmented in the mid-70s, but their highly anticipated 'Mark II' reunion in 1984 with the album Perfect Strangers offered a glorious, though all too temporary, return to form. This was quickly followed by The House of Blue Light (1987), which was criticized for sounding generic and awkwardly attempting to modernize their classic sound with synthesizer textures. Essentially, the band trued valiantly, but failed to recapture the sustained creative potency of their seventies heyday.
10. Grateful Dead
Across the Seventies, Jerry Garcia and co. were the ultimate American 'jam band', delivering critically acclaimed records like American Beauty while transforming their touring machine into a legendary cultural phenomenon. Their live act was untouchable, but their studio output in the early to mid-1980s was notably inconsistent.
The band struggled for years to produce definitive new material, suffering from health issues and creative fatigue. This studio drought was only broken by the surprise global hit 'Touch of Grey' from the 1987 album In the Dark, a major commercial success that provided a much-needed late-decade boost but underscored the general artistic lag of the preceding years.
11. Chicago
Chicago achieved superstar status in the 1970s by seamlessly blending complex rock, jazz, and funk arrangements, leveraging their powerful horn section on hits like '25 or 6 to 4'. They were known for their progressive musical ambition. However, the 1980s saw them execute a radical commercial pivot.
Following the success of the Peter Cetera-sung ballads like 'Hard to Say I'm Sorry' (1982), the band increasingly abandoned their signature brass-rock sound for polished, soft-rock power ballads. Albums like Chicago 17 sold millions but alienated their original, musically sophisticated fanbase, sacrificing their instrumental identity for mainstream commercial appeal.
12. Yes
Yes reached the absolute artistic and commercial peak of progressive rock in the 1970s with ambitious concept albums like Close to the Edge, relying on intricate instrumental prowess and fantasy themes. The band's 1980s, meanwhile, proved both commercially successful and deeply divisive. Following internal fracturing, Yes attempted a massive commercial reinvention with the 1983 album 90125, featuring the global smash 'Owner of a Lonely Heart'.
While this album was commercially successful, its sharp departure toward simpler, synth-driven pop-rock was viewed by many purist fans and critics as a betrayal of their intricate, adventurous prog rock roots. This new direction traded complexity for accessibility, losing much of the musical soul that defined their brilliance.
Pics: Getty Images. Additional reporting by Hayden Jones
