Yes were a popular prog band in the 70's, went through lots of lineup changes.

Morphed into 80's pop-prog Yes, and had their big commercial hit in Owner of a Lonely Heart. Chased that success for the rest of the 80s, but never matched it.

Vacillated between prog and pop-prog ever since, mostly back to prog nowadays but not really very good in comparison to the 70's stuff. Plus there's not a single original member left in the band. And only Steve Howe from the classic lineup.

It can be argued that 80s Beach Boys was more successful than 70s Beach Boys, though their music was better in the 70s.

YouBet said:

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maroon barchetta said:

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YouBet said:

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bonfarr said:

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GrapevineAg said:

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Journey is a great example of a band that spanned both decades well. Personally I'd prefer their earlier stuff with Greg Rollie to the newer stuff with Jonathan Cain, but that's just a matter of taste.

I'd include Rush as a band that did well in both decades.

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I'm not sure you can discuss Journey without mention of Steve Perry's vocals. Once he took the mic their music changed from progressive rock to power ballads and they became one of the most popular bands in the World.

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I had no idea Journey had two lead singers before Steve Perry and then Asian Steve Perry.

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He's technically a Pacific Islander.

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Asians live in the Pacific. Close enough.

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Uhh they've had more than that. there were two more between Steve Perry and Arnel Pineda

Greg Rolle - first 4 years
Robert Fleischman - about 6 months
Steve Perry - 1977 to 1998
Steve Augeri - 8 years
Jeff Scott Soto - less than a year
Arnel Pineda - since 2007

Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship was awesome in the 80s.

phil collins/genesis

U2 first released a single in '78. Not sure they qualify as a 70's band, but they sure blossomed in the 80s

Others:

The Cars
The Police
Squeeze
Talking Heads

NoahAg said:

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Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship was awesome in the 80s.

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Well the first two sure... but Starship sucked.

maroon barchetta said:

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NoahAg said:

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Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship was awesome in the 80s.

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We Built This City is so bad it's played on a loop in Hell

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I've never tried it, but If I hear that song back-to-back with the theme from St. Elmos Fire (Man in Motion), I'm pretty sure I would time-travel back to 1986. No Delorean needed.

As for 70s/80s bands who changed, my pick is ZZ Top. The cool thing about them is you almost get three totally different bands. First the gritty, Texas Boogie 70s version, which I love. Then the studio, MTV, and synth powered 80s version, which I like a whole lot. Then the 90s version that tried to get back to the 70s version, but playing with their upgraded 80s equipment and updated recording technology.

Aerosmith, completely different band but with same personnel from the 70's to 80's.

The amazing thing about Aerosmith is how it tops a rap band to resurrect their career and how they really took off after that. It didn't hurt that MTV was part of that. Everyone suddenly saw Steven Tyler for the first time.

Psychag said:

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Dire Straits adapted well (despite Money for Nothing). Foreigner 4 is a solid album from 80s (early), although they didn't last too far into the 80s. Billy Joel had quality albums during 70s and 80s. Tom Petty transitioned extremely well 70s to 2000's. Scorpions and Bob Seger also.

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I was thinking of Tom Petty as well. Just a really solid catalog.

Michael Jackson

Duran Duran
INXS
Thompson Twins
Flock of Seagulls
Simple Minds
Human League
OMD
Siouxsie and the Banshees
Oingo Boingo
The Cure
Men At Work
Psychadelic Furs
B-52s
Echo and the Bunnymen

You probably need to look into this a little more if it means that much to you. The new wave genre in particular is almost, to the t, defined by the op's post. You may remeber it as a primarily 80's genre (most of the more recognizable hits are from the 80's), but new wave music was a hodgepodge of mid 70's punk, pop, rock, syth pop, and industrial music that couldn't really figure out where it fit until it gained traction in the early 80's as what is now recognized as new wave / classic alternative or whatever. The first album date off wikipedia is probably not a true reflection on how the bands evolved their sound from the mid to late 70's into what became mainstream in the 80's. Kinda like what the op posted.

MJ20/20 said:

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You probably need to look into this a little more if it means that much to you. The new wave genre in particular is almost, to the t, defined by the op's post. You may remeber it as a primarily 80's genre (most of the more recognizable hits are from the 80's), but new wave music was a hodgepodge of mid 70's punk, pop, rock, syth pop, and industrial music that couldn't really figure out where it fit until it gained traction in the early 80's as what is now recognized as new wave / classic alternative or whatever. The first album date off wikipedia is probably not a true reflection on how the bands evolved their sound from the mid to late 70's into what became mainstream in the 80's. Kinda like what the op posted.

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I'm well aware of the evolution of the music in that time. I was there and into it.

Defined by the OP's post????

He actually mentioned three different transitions

First he mentioned "there are some bands whose body of work from the 70s is superior to their work from the 80s" - specifically ZZ Top , Aerosmith, Heart specifically. Nobody you mentioned is anything like those.

Then he said "Is there a band that was "ok" in the 70s that blossomed in the 80s?" I mean some of the ones you listed might qualify there but it certainly wasn't the entire point the OP made. At best it was 1/3 of his points. And I personally don't think those bands made much of a dent at all in the 70s... as you said yourself that genre did not gain traction until the 80s. So to me those bands are not representations of the 70s which I thought was what he was after.

Lastly he asked "Or any other bands aside from the ones I mentioned that were better in the 70s vs the 80s?" and I don't think any band you mentioned would fall in that category as none were really good right out of the gate imo and all of their success was in the 80s for good reason.

I just think he was after something else not fledgling new wave bands that might have formed in the 70s.

Plenty were mentioned like Petty, VH, Queen, Journey, Cars, Genesis, Dire Straits that fit.

Just a different question I think. Certainly nothing with knowing or appreciating that genre and it's beginnings.

Blondie is another for me that had a distinct 70s sound and made that transition - they were an early influence on the new wave genre of course and also adapted themselves (along with Debbie Harry solo stuff). But she/they are a better example as she was huge in the 70s and 80s. imo.

Heck I'd go with Ultravox if you want a real established new wave band that carried over into the 80s. I think they had 3 albums in the 70s and another 4-5 in the 80s. As I recall.

Kraftwerk maybe another good one. Well established in the 70s and big influence and carried over into the 80s. Might have been bigger in the 80s.

One Louder said:

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Is there a band that was "ok" in the 70s that blossomed in the 80s?

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MJ20/20 said:

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One Louder said:

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Is there a band that was "ok" in the 70s that blossomed in the 80s?

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I addressed that 1/3 of the discussion.... again though exactly how were they "ok" when they had not even released an album yet (most of them)? And I gave better examples of established 70s bands in my follow up.

Ultravox is a good example. Kraftwork influenced just about every new wave band of the 80's but if I remember right they were pretty much done by the end of the 70's. Awesome band that were so innovative at the time.

I don't know how old you are but I lived in a village outside LIverpool, on the Birmingham side, from late 1974 - 1983. I watched many of the bands I listed , first hand, go from ok to sellling out Wimbley, to coming to the US.

Even though these bands didn't have an album they had big to huge followings that included radio time that the band members or, if they had one, their managers would get on the air. Most of them didn't have a clue what kind of music they wanted to make, they just wanted to be heard and were pretty ok trying to navigate the (in hindsight) weird times, pop musically, of the mid to late 70's.

As an example, we used to watch Duran Duran ('77 or '78 John Taylor, Nick and I don't remeber the singer) try to imitate the Ramones sound over and over in a pub that held about 60 people at most. They were ok at the time, had a nice following but they had yet to evolve their sound to become what they became.

Siouxsie Sioux used to have people three deep in the street while she played Tammy Wynette covers trying to figure out what she was going to do.

The list goes on. All of those bands were ok even without albums. They were never bad. They definitely evolved in a narrow 5-6 year (1976 - 1982) window that resulted in a sound that caught fire and defined a huge chunk of the 80's. A sound that, as you mentioned, Ultravox and Kraftwork were some of the pioneers (Along with The Cars, The Clash, etc..) but didn't really round out until the early 80's.

So no, they probably didn't have records or tapes on the shelf in Snook, but they were alive and well trying to figure out what they wanted to sound like and do. Kinda just being ok before they were good/great. I saw a ton first hand. I liked beer more than music and was arond it way more than I probably should have been.

Sure but I thought the point was bands people knew - like lots of people - not just local bands, club bands or garage bands. I'm sure we all knew some local bands before they got big.

Like for me in Dallas in the early 80s it was Pantera. First album in 1983 but I had seen them a few times before that.

And back in KC area where I lived before that I went to same HS as Melissa Etheridge who played local country bars in HS and early college years. But her first album was not until 1988.

MJ20/20 said:

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Kraftwork influenced just about every new wave band of the 80's but if I remember right they were pretty much done by the end of the 70's. Awesome band that were so innovative at the time.

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You don't remember right. I don't think Kraftwerk were necessarily any better in the 80''s than the 70's, but they certainly weren't done. Their two 80's albums (Computerwelt and Electric Cafe) were in regular rotation in my stereo throughout the 80's and after.

Electric Cafe came out in 1986, and was a constant listen in our cars when we drove down to Lake Somerville from College Station. Even got pulled over once by DPS, and the guy liked the music enough to let us go with a warning.

yep. beat me to it.

Heck I think they were bigger in the 80s but I was listening to college radio so maybe that skewed my perspective.

Does Joy Division / New Order count?

Houston Lee said:

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You guys all missed a big one:

Daryl Hall & John Oates

They had some big top 10 hits in the 1970's (Sara Smile and Rich Girl) and made some changes to fit the times and they blew away the charts in the early 1980's with huge hit, after huge hit. Kiss on my List, You make my Dreams, Private Eyes, I can't go for that, Maneater, Out of Touch, Say it isn't So and others.

Daryl Hall is regarded as one of the best vocalists in the industry. Eddie Van Halen even approached him to become the lead singer to replace David Lee Roth. He turned him down and they ended up brining Sammy Hagar in…

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I agree that H&O transitioned well into the 80s and was equally or more successful although I personally prefer their 70s sound.

I forgot to mention in my OP that 70s Chicago >>>>>> 80s Chicago when they become a generic 80s ballad band. Their 70s sound was completely unique and unmistakable.

beanbean said:

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Every time I listen to Fool in the Rain by Led Zeppelin, I wish I could've heard what the 80's version of them would've sounded like. Because to me that song was them transitioning into the 80's.

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Listen to Plants early solo stuff.

Chicago had a good run inthe 80s, too.

Talking Heada come to mind,as well.

One Louder said:

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Houston Lee said:

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You guys all missed a big one:

Daryl Hall & John Oates

They had some big top 10 hits in the 1970's (Sara Smile and Rich Girl) and made some changes to fit the times and they blew away the charts in the early 1980's with huge hit, after huge hit. Kiss on my List, You make my Dreams, Private Eyes, I can't go for that, Maneater, Out of Touch, Say it isn't So and others.

Daryl Hall is regarded as one of the best vocalists in the industry. Eddie Van Halen even approached him to become the lead singer to replace David Lee Roth. He turned him down and they ended up brining Sammy Hagar in…

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I agree that H&O transitioned well into the 80s and was equally or more successful although I personally prefer their 70s sound.

I forgot to mention in my OP that 70s Chicago >>>>>> 80s Chicago when they become a generic 80s ballad band. Their 70s sound was completely unique and unmistakable.

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Agree with Chicago. Like they were two completely different bands. IMO, there was no resemblance.

Bruce Almighty said:

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Does Joy Division / New Order count?

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Yeah interesting transition Joy Division was a post punk pioneer in the late 70s and ended in 1980 with their second album. Most people don't even know they were essentially the same band with the exception of their lead singer who committed suicide in 1980. He suffered epilepsy, depression, stage fright and seizures which made it increasingly hard to perform. They released a non album single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" after his death and then disbanded effectively. But they reformed as New Order and had a very successful 80s run which was more new wave. I think they added some other members as well during that time and somewhat shared vocals as I recall.

If you consider them one band certainly they would count. They had apparently agreed early on that if anyone left they would go on with a different name. And they then had no choice but to do that.

They were inducted in the R&R HOF as one act Joy Division / New Order.

bonfarr said:

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NoahAg said:

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Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship was awesome in the 80s.

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We Built This City was an abomination and an insult to the legacy that was White Rabbit. Even Grace Slick admitted it was a blatant cash grab on her part.

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I have always wondered if the Steve Miller Band felt that way about Abracadabra…and they would be an example of an act that, outside of that one song, pretty much disappeared from being mainstream popular in the 80s after a great run in the 70s.