10 Greatest Classic Rock Singers Of The '80s

The beginning of the '80s saw the introduction of hair metal into the mainstream. Though bands like Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith were setting the benchmark for what would become the sound of the Sunset Strip, acts like Van Halen and Motley Crue were pioneering what would become the ideal mix of pop hooks and gritty instrumentation. On the other hand, if you couldn't really mesh with the harsher tones, you could easily just throw on the Cars for good measure.

Starting in the late '70s, The Cars went from being a fun pop rock act to the face of power pop in the next decade, with Ric Ocasek leading the charge. Much like David Byrne, Ocasek's frail physique and nerdy demeanor makes him the ideal candidate for a non-rockstar, but the real magic came when he started to play his guitar. Though Benjamin Orr's more rubbery voice was also a big draw, no other artist could make a song like "Magic" or "Shake It Up" jump like Ocasek's voice could.

Along the way, Ocasek ended up becoming an expert on all things power pop, going on to become a producer for bands like Weezer and No Doubt. Ric Ocasek may not have looked the part, but the quality behind his songs made him classic rock's anti-hero.