10 Amazing '80s Bands That Everyone Forgot About

While some of the acts on this list never found much in the way of mainstream attention or commercial success, London’s The Woodentops enjoyed a brief but profitable run in the late ‘80s. They only released two records in their heyday but both sold well, and a couple of singles, including highlight “Well Well Well”, topped the UK indie chart.

It’s hard to see exactly why they’re not well remembered, but one theory would be that they simply didn’t fit into a scene. They’re a little too soft for the rockers but too weird for the pop scene, and don’t fit into an obvious movement. At times they have a sound reminiscent of Glasgow’s Postcard Records bands (Orange Juice et al), but they lack the swagger or literary ambition of an Edwyn Collins.

What they are, then, is just a band who make excellent songs, and sometimes that’s strangely hard to market. To that end, the music has aged very well - the production’s obviously enough ‘80s, but not enough to date the work. Giant, their first album, is a great collection ending on the subtly synthy “Everything Breaks”, but arguably better still is 1985 EP Straight Eight Bush-Waker.