Popular Female Singers in the 1980s
There were many popular female singers in the 1980s, but a few stand out. These include Donna Summer, Cyndi Lauper, and Stevie Nicks. If you’d like to know more about the female singers from the 80s, read on.
Stevie Nicks
As one of the first female rock stars, Stevie Nicks was both respected and controversial. She first gained widespread fame in the 1970s and was dubbed the “Reigning Queen of Rock” by Rolling Stone in 1981. However, her popularity waned in the mid to late 80s, when her albums were not selling as well as they once had. Nicks’ lyrics often portrayed women as mysterious, strong, and wise. Her persona was a mix of vulnerability and hard-core strength.
Nicks began her solo career with her first album Bella Donna, which was a worldwide hit and sold more than three million copies. It also yielded three Top 20 singles, two of which were duets with Don Henley of the Eagles and Tom Petty. Her next album, Wild Heart, featured the hit single “If Anyone Falls.”
Donna Summer
Donna Summer was one of the most successful female singers of the 1980s. She released a number of chart-topping albums, including the number one single “Could It Be Magic.” Summer also won multiple Grammy Awards, including album of the year. In 1979, she was voted the best female singer by Cashbox magazine. Her songs also won Golden Globe and Academy Awards.
Donna Summer was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and developed an early interest in music. As a child, she sang in church choirs and city-wide choruses. In her early twenties, she began performing professionally in musical theater. She won parts in Godspell, Hair, and Showboat, and she also performed with the Viennese folk opera. In 1971, Donna Summer released her first single, “Sally Go Round the Roses.” She later met Italian producer Giorgio Moroder, and the song “Hostage” was released. It became a huge hit in the Netherlands.
Cyndi Lauper
As a child, Lauper grew up in Queens, New York, where she eventually dropped out of high school to pursue a musical career. She had success singing in nightclubs and eventually trained under a vocal coach. In 1977, she teamed up with John Turi to form the rockabilly band Blue Angel. She wrote and performed songs for the band, and soon won a recording contract. She went on to become one of the most popular female singers of the ’80s.
Her career has spanned four decades. She first rose to fame as a member of the rockabilly group Blue Angel before launching her solo career. Her hit albums from this period were extremely popular and Lauper received numerous awards. Her songs epitomized the spirit of the ’80s.
Pat Benatar
One of the most successful female artists of the 80s was Pat Benatar. Her lovely crystalline voice was well-suited to chanteuse and Cole Porter standards, but she knew her calling was rock. She wanted to use her voice for gritty belting and spent time on the beach near her hometown screaming at the waves to “rough up” her vocal cords.
Benatar carved a niche for herself in a male-dominated industry and overcame misogyny to reach success. She was also an inspiration for the character in the 80s comedy Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Benatar earned nine Grammy nominations for her music, including Best Rock Vocal Performance. She won the award four times in a row between 1980 and 1983. She has three platinum and five gold albums, as well as 15 Billboard Top 40 singles.
Bananarama
Bananarama were an iconic group of female singers in the 1980s, with hits such as “Love, Truth and Honesty” and “Bleeding Heart”. Their popularity reached the height of the Eighties, and their albums were widely regarded as pop classics. However, the group split up in the mid-80s, and they were reunited in 2005. They continued to chart in the U.K., reaching the Top 10 twice and even recorded the Beatles’ “Help!” for Comic Relief. Their reunion was the result of a highly successful collaboration.
Before forming the trio, Bananarama were roommates and former schoolmates from Bristol. They were just 18 years old when they joined forces with Siobhan Fahey to perform as a backing vocalist in a band. Their first demo was a cover of “Aie a Mwana” by the Black Blood, which was a UK club favorite. By 1981, the trio’s success had reached such heights that they were signed to a record label and remained there until 1993.