Even though it's tempting to say they're a Seventies holdover, I would call them an eighties band.  They sound like a precursor to hair metal, and I Want To Know What Love Is sounds very very 1980s.

Foreigner are a 70's band who existed in the 80's :)

Even though it's tempting to say they're a Seventies holdover, I would call them an eighties band.  They sound like a precursor to hair metal, and I Want To Know What Love Is sounds very very 1980s.


Yeah. I would call them halfway Journey-ish pop/rock and halfway metal/hard rock.

Stylewise per decade they're kinda like The Cars. Their early hits were "70s" but not so much to date themselves. Even some of those, such as "Double Vision" I always thought, kinda sounded like they were pointing towards the '80s.

Yeah. I would call them halfway Journey-ish pop/rock and halfway metal/hard rock.

Stylewise per decade they're kinda like The Cars. Their early hits were "70s" but not so much to date themselves. Even some of those, such as "Double Vision" I always thought, kinda sounded like they were pointing towards the '80s.


Come to think of it, they're kind of similar to the Cars musically, aren't they?  They're rock and roll-ish, but with a synthy touch.  They're not as new wavey as the Cars are, but they're kind of the same sort of thing.

^ More on their later stuff, but I agree. They're a more guitar oriented Cars, especially on their three '80s albums (although "4" sounded a bit '70s still).

^ More on their later stuff, but I agree. They're a more guitar oriented Cars, especially on their three '80s albums (although "4" sounded a bit '70s still).


I agree.  "Drive" by the Cars is kind of the same vibe as "I Want To Know What Love Is", but more synthy.

^ More on their later stuff, but I agree. They're a more guitar oriented Cars, especially on their three '80s albums (although "4" sounded a bit '70s still).


Foreigner kind of adapted their sound to fit in with the 80's.  '4' was riding high on the early 80's, as most of what was in the top 40 was the pop rock style of the 70's.  On their 1987 release 'Inside Information', you can certainly hear their 80's sound on the hit 'Say You Will'

Even on Lou Gramm's 1989 solo album 'Long Hard Look' and it's top hit 'Just Between You and Me' sort of fit in with that mid 80's sound as the songs of 1989 were taking on a more rap/dance style and didn't sound like what 'Just Between You and Me' ended up sounding like

^ Good point. I always thought "Just Between You and Me" sounded more like 1985 than '89. For whatever reason, the synthline reminds me of The Police's "King of Pain".

He had another hit called "Midnight Blue" which kinda sounded like early '80s AOR.

They are a 70's band that became really big in the 80's, and pretty much faded away later.

He had another hit called "Midnight Blue" which kinda sounded like early '80s AOR.
I love that song. They are definatly a 70's band who became bigger in the 80's.