7 Album Tracks from 1980s lead singers who left us too soon 

The music from the 1980s has a wholesale, magnetic presence in today's modern culture. We can’t seem to get away from it. A lot of the music had really good vibes, which is probably why corporate stores push it on consumers while they are making purchasing decisions. We hear ‘80s songs consistently while shopping in all kinds of grocery stores and department stores. It is the mall and elevator music of our time. And there are plenty of reprises on the radio, or also in contemporary shows and movies. 

The connectivity to nostalgia of the 80s lingers on with us like company or an old friend. We cherish the music, and still feel the power these 1980s lead singers fronted in their glory years, and how some of these songs helped define rock music.

Each fronted a band that had specific influence on American pop and rock music from the 80’s. These bandleaders deserve as much tribute as we can give them. Jimi Jamison of Survivor died in 2014. Tony Lewis of The Outfield died in 2020. Kevin Dubrow of Quiet Riot died in 2007. Stuart Adamson of Big Country died in 2001. Michael Been of The Call died in 2010. Benjamin Orr of The Cars passed in 2000, and the global icon Michael Hutchence died in 1997.

Architects and drivers for shaping a band's sound

Make no mistake about it. The lead singer of a band matters. They are the architects of the band, or driver's of the band's image. Their style, substance and voice are mostly how the band is shaped, and the band's arc for success has to do with who they are with their sound and who they are with their stage presence. Each of their deaths were distinct, some more tragic than others.

INXS

Michael Hutchence is still remembered by fans for his heartthrob, youthful qualities, and because of the huge world-wide popularity of the band. We treasure the triumphant trove of music he and his band left for us.

INXS is a key missing part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. The band had several successful world-wide albums. They sold out stadiums on concert tours all over the world. They won all kinds of Grammys, and other music awards. This was one of the iconic MTV bands of the decade, and their songs still can wow TV audiences today.

There are so many outstanding deep album cuts to choose from for this band that you could get lost in their prolific catalog and stuck for a few hours figuring out. From Kick in 1987, "Calling All Nations" fits the bill as a deep album track. It was a crowded selection: "Guns in the Sky," "Devil Inside," "New Sensation," "Never Tear Us Apart," "Mystify," "Mediate" and "The Loved One" were on that album. Michael Hutchence figured out things quickly as a lead singer. His intelligence pushed boundaries as a lead. He died at the age of 37.

The Cars

The only co-lead singer on this list is Benjamin Orr of The Cars. Ric Ocasek was the other lead for the band. Orr sang lead on four top 40 songs: "Just What I Needed," "My Best Friend's Girl" (a song Nirvana performed at their final concert), "Let's Go, "and "Drive," which reached #3 on Billboard. There are quite a few others of his lead songs that rock and rollers should know, including: "Bye Bye Love," "It's All I Can Do," and "Moving In Stereo," which was made famous in the fantasy-masturbation scene from the movie, Fast Times At Ridgemont High. "All Mixed Up" is another Orr-led song that was often played on radio stations as a segue from Moving In Stereo.

The Cars produced two excellent albums in the 1970s and a few more excellent ones in the 1980s. "Don't Tell Me No" is from their third album,1980's Panorama. Benjamin Orr died at the age of 53.

Quiet Riot

Of course, we know the bluesy Quiet Riot scored big on their 1983 Metal Health album. Kevin Dubrow, as the band's power broker lead singer, really brings it on their famous hit songs, "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)" and "Cum On Feel the Noize." Kevin knew a lot about bringing a band alive to the public. The second album, Condition Critical from 1984, wasn't as successful as their first album, but it banged too. Have a listen to "Party All Night." Kevin Dubrow died at 52.

The Call

The Call had college airplay hits with "The Walls Came Down,," "I Still Believe," "Everywhere I Go," and "Let The Day Begin," which was Al Gore's campaign theme song for his presidential run of 2000. And one irrefutable deep album cut of theirs is "I Don't Wanna." Wow, what a song. Michael Been was the prime songwriter for the band, and he led with a tone of solid confidence. This guy brought it...man, did he bring it. From their 1989 album, Let The Day Begin, the song "You Run" shows how stable, in control, and passionate he sang. Michael Been died at the age of 60.

Survivor

Jimi Jamison is the only lead singer on this list to take over the duties. And, he took over from a guy who had been pretty successful. The band, Survivor, had Dave Bickler singing lead on some pretty decent hits, "American Heartbeat" and "Poor Man's Son," and one grand smash of a hit, "Eye Of The Tiger." But Jamison comes in to Survivor and nails it with four top tens, "Is This Love," "High On You," "The Search Is Over," "Burning Heart" (from Rocky IV) and another that hit #13, "I Can't Hold Back." In 1986, Survivor released the album When Seconds Count. This album track, "How Much Love," has the Jimi Jamison signature sound. He died at the age of 63.

Big Country

The Scottish band, Big Country, might seem like a one-hit wonder, as the band caught fire with their song, "In A Big Country," from their first album, The Crossing. The timing of a hit like that in 1983 was impeccable because MTV took videos like theirs at that time, and provided an everlasting image. They never charted big again on U.S. Billboard. But, that album had plenty of deep album tracks, including "Harvest Home," "Fields Of Fire, "and "1000 Stars." As a lead, Stuart Adamson's role cannot be overstated. He's an easy, poetic listen. "Chance" has a melodic, relaxed, idyllic Adamson style. He died at the age of 43.

The Outfield

The Outfield jumped the scene bigtime in 1985 with its album Play Deep. It was chock full of singalongs: "Say It Isn't So," "Your Love," "Every Time You Cry, and "All The Love." The album was a huge success. Their subsequent albums produced one more major hit with "Since You've Been Gone" and a minor hit with "Voices Of Babylon." The band's leader, Tony Lewis, proves his muscle on the slow ones and the ditty ones. His voice is a one-of-a-kind presence. "61 Seconds" comes from Play Deep. Tony Lewis died at the age of 62