Like Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, Samantha Fox, Jody Watley, Pebbles, Taylor Dayne, Stacy Q, etc?

I like all of the above, but I like Debbie, Samantha Fox and Taylor the best.

Samantha I think is the most underrated. I think she's better than most people give her credit for being. And it's too bad that she never really caught on in the U.S. I think she's better than Debbie of Tiffany who were sucessful here.

I like Tiffany's debut...Alot better than I thought I would. I didn't expect to like it as much as Debbie's debut.

Jody Watley was pretty cool. She had a nice Minneapolic Prince-y sound. A few of the songs on her debut are rip offs of tracks off Janet Jackson's Control album, but it's pretty good....

Taylor Dayne has a great voice.

Debbie Gibson wrote her own songs, which was great. I like her debut the best out of the three album's of hers I have....

I think Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar and Olivia Newton-John might be considered part of this group.....I love all three of them.

I wouldn't call Deborah Gibson as "hasbeen" since she's still working as a stage actress and still releases albums despite that she's nolonger mainstream

i knew you were gonna say that  ;)

Like Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, Samantha Fox, Jody Watley, Pebbles, Taylor Dayne, Stacy Q, etc?

I like all of the above, but I like Debbie, Samantha Fox and Taylor the best.

Samantha I think is the most underrated. I think she's better than most people give her credit for being. And it's too bad that she never really caught on in the U.S. I think she's better than Debbie of Tiffany who were sucessful here.

I like Tiffany's debut...Alot better than I thought I would. I didn't expect to like it as much as Debbie's debut.

Jody Watley was pretty cool. She had a nice Minneapolic Prince-y sound. A few of the songs on her debut are rip offs of tracks off Janet Jackson's Control album, but it's pretty good....

Taylor Dayne has a great voice.

Yeah Taylor is my favorite too. About Jody...she was in the Pop/R&B Group "Shalamar" in the early 80's before she had a solo career spanning mainly 1987-1991. I like Pebbles too: "Giving You The Benefit" was a good song. I liked Karen White too she sounded like a female version of Bobby Brown I thought.

We had a singer in Canada named Candi.  She was like a Canadian version of Tiffany and had 8 hits between 1988-1991.  I had such a crush on her back in the day.  I've no idea what she's doing now, but to my knowledge, she only released 2 albums

A Flock of Seagulls' Mike Score

This guy just doesn't quit!

He's had rotating personnel in the band for nearly 20 years and plays dives from hell to breakfast...but he still makes a go of it and you gotta admire tenacity!
8)

I think Taylor Dayne was awesome. She had such a strong, beautiful voice. It's a shame we don't get to hear from her very often.  :(

Knowing my corny taste in music, the question is probably more which ones don't I like? ;D

Seriously though, I was thinking about what really defines a "has been" (which isn't meant to be a negative connontation towards them, merely a way of categorizing). I think it probably refers more to the popularity status of the artists themselves today, not so much their actual songs. For instance, alot of synthpop/new wave bands made the most recognizable '80s music ever. Yet despite being pretty much one hit or one-album wonders, they probably would count.

On the other hand, there's artists like Prince, Bon Jovi, Madonna, U2 and Bryan Adams, who, even if they're not as popular on mainstream music as they were before, still are producing music and touring. They wouldn't count at all.

We tend to relate obscure/more forgotten songs and non-successful artists the same way, but it's really not the same thing when you think about it.

I think Taylor Dayne was awesome. She had such a strong, beautiful voice. It's a shame we don't get to hear from her very often.  :(


I loved her too...she was great! She needs to make a comeback!!

Here's my categorization, btw (I like pretty much all of these):

-Has-beens:

Tears For Fears
Huey Lewis
Steve Winwood
Men At Work
Foreigner
Police (although they did recently reunite and tour, so maybe not anymore)
The Cars
Loverboy
Peter Cetera
Whitesnake
Survivor
Irene Cara
Journey (the new lead singer doesn't count probably, lol)
Kool and the Gang
Starship
Eddie Money

-Tied to the "eighties music period" (1982-1990), but not has beens:

Genesis/solo Phil Collins
Lionel Richie
Paula Abdul (sort of inbetween really, she's definitely got some '90s credit and lasting musical influence, but wasn't as commercially successful after Spellbound)
Bruce Springsteen
Rod Stewart
Duran Duran
Van Halen (hasbeens now, but kinda popular through c. 1996 when Sammy Hagar left the band)
Hall and Oates
Richard Marx
Billy Idol
Don Henley
Pat Benatar

-Transcending eras in both ways (even if their sound is different):

Weird Al Yankovic (he's '80, '90s and '00s kinda equally! 8) )
Madonna
Michael Jackson (influential, but only relevant in a modified way through the mid '90s)
John Mellencamp
Prince
Bon Jovi
Tom Petty (he's more classic rock, but his biggest full decade was the '80s)
U2
Def Leppard (sort of)
Janet Jackson
REM
Bryan Adams
Whitney Houston

^That sounds about right. I think you could also add most of the hair bands into the "Has been" catagory. The only one of those groups that I can think of that really transcended the '80s is Bon Jovi.

I also think you could lump some of the c. 1990 artists into that category as well, since most of them are most identified with the '80s, and most had a few hits in the late '80s. For example:

Milli Vanilli
Nelson
New Kids on the Block
MC Hammer
Vanilla Ice 

Just to name a few.

^That sounds about right. I think you could also add most of the hair bands into the "Has been" catagory. The only one of those groups that I can think of that really transcended the '80s is Bon Jovi.

I also think you could lump some of the c. 1990 artists into that category as well, since most of them are most identified with the '80s, and most had a few hits in the late '80s. For example:

Milli Vanilli
Nelson
New Kids on the Block
MC Hammer
Vanilla Ice 

Just to name a few.
I don;t think Milli Vanilli had a single hit in 1990 I think all their hits were in 1989. Did Mc Hammer have a hit in 1989 I don;t think he did he was big mostly from 1990-1992. Music from 1989-1991 had very slick production to it: think Hammer, Madonna, Paula Abdul, and C&C Music Factory.

I loved her too...she was great! She needs to make a comeback!!
I;ve been saying this since 1999 that she needs to make a comeback but she just had a baby I think.

Let me ask a quick question...

if you had a Milli Vanilli cover band, does it make it more authentic if you lip-sync?  Or should you really sing the music?

Here's my categorization, btw (I like pretty much all of these):

-Has-beens:

Tears For Fears
Huey Lewis
Steve Winwood
Men At Work
Foreigner
Police (although they did recently reunite and tour, so maybe not anymore)
The Cars
Loverboy
Peter Cetera
Whitesnake
Survivor
Irene Cara
Journey (the new lead singer doesn't count probably, lol)
Kool and the Gang
Starship
Eddie Money

-Tied to the "eighties music period" (1982-1990), but not has beens:

Genesis/solo Phil Collins
Lionel Richie
Paula Abdul (sort of inbetween really, she's definitely got some '90s credit and lasting musical influence, but wasn't as commercially successful after Spellbound)
Bruce Springsteen
Rod Stewart
Duran Duran
Van Halen (hasbeens now, but kinda popular through c. 1996 when Sammy Hagar left the band)
Billy Idol
Don Henley


-Transcending eras in both ways (even if their sound is different):

Weird Al Yankovic (he's '80, '90s and '00s kinda equally! 8) )
Madonna
Michael Jackson (influential, but only relevant in a modified way through the mid '90s)
John Mellencamp
Prince
Bon Jovi
U2
Def Leppard (sort of)
Janet Jackson
REM
Bryan Adams
Whitney Houston
Ah Deff Leppard was relevant still in 1993 I think but after that not really even though they did score a hit with "Promises" in 1999. REM was big up until 1996 but they faded once 1997 came in. Bryan Adam-see REM explanation up above but till 1995 he was still relevant. John Cougar did score a hit with "Peaceful World" in 2001-2002 so he was still relevant into the 00's I'll give you that. Prince is still relevant. Whitney Houston has had a terrible 00's and it has nothing to do what so ever with her music. I think the last hit was "Its Alright but Its Okay" in late 1999 too bad for her troubles in the 00's man she had a voice with so much range instead she spends her 00's as tabloid fonder instead of making hits. Whitney I am not such a big fan of but you can't deny what a singing voice she had in the 80's and 90's.

Van Halen-Their 1998 album flopped but they did score a hit this decade with "Its About Time" I think.

Ah Deff Leppard was relevant still in 1993 I think but after that not really even though they did score a hit with "Promises" in 1999. REM was big up until 1996 but they faded once 1997 came in. Bryan Adam-see REM explanation up above but till 1995 he was still relevant. John Cougar did score a hit with "Peaceful World" in 2001-2002 so he was still relevant into the 00's I'll give you that. Prince is still relevant. Whitney Houston has had a terrible 00's and it has nothing to do what so ever with her music. I think the last hit was "Its Alright but Its Okay" in late 1999 too bad for her troubles in the 00's man she had a voice with so much range instead she spends her 00's as tabloid fonder instead of making hits. Whitney I am not such a big fan of but you can't deny what a singing voice she had in the 80's and 90's.

Van Halen-Their 1998 album flopped but they did score a hit this decade with "Its About Time" I think.

Good points. On that note, I actually really liked Def Leppard's "Promises". It was like a soft hair metal/pop song done over in a 1999 production style. Yeah, Whitney Houston transitioned into the '90s an an AC/R&B star, but hasn't been at all relevant in the '00s except for in the tabloids.

I'll chime in with my usual Five Star and The Jets! Though they both still make great music!  :)

What about REO Speedwagon, WhiteSnake, Billy Ocean, or Lisa Lisa & the Cult Jam? Any info on how long these guys were around? I really loved the music/ singing of alot of the formentioned groups/singers. Way too many big stars, and lots and lots of "has beens/one hit wonders" (so to speak) to even name them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

^those would qualify....in my book  :)

i've been listening to alot of Marika lately. i don't have any of her cd's yet, but i've been watching her videos alot on youtube, and i really want both her albums....i think she has a pretty underrated voice, and i think she's still beautiful.

eminem totally butchered toy soldiers for that crappy song  >:(....

I'll throw one in...

Terence Trent D'Arby...

Back in 1987, the guy could do no wrong...hits almost everywhere around the globe (including a US #1), big sell-out tours, one of the fastest-selling debut albums in British history, then...

Bonk! Totally off-radar!

What didn't help was his second LP was markedly different to the first and certainly didn't have nothing resembling a hit single...poorly promoted by him and the record company, it soon died a death...

Tel kept popping his head up every now and again, but by then, Joe Public had moved on...

I gather he's changed his name now...probably to Joe Public!

I loved Quarterflash when they came out with a couple of hits in the early 80's...

Man, that Rindy Ross could sure play the saxophone!  8)

I'll throw one in...

Terence Trent D'Arby...

Back in 1987, the guy could do no wrong...hits almost everywhere around the globe (including a US #1), big sell-out tours, one of the fastest-selling debut albums in British history, then...

Bonk! Totally off-radar!

What didn't help was his second LP was markedly different to the first and certainly didn't have nothing resembling a hit single...poorly promoted by him and the record company, it soon died a death...

Tel kept popping his head up every now and again, but by then, Joe Public had moved on...

I gather he's changed his name now...probably to Joe Public!
Terrance Trent D'Arby that guy had alot of talent but I was looking at clips of interviews that he did in the 80's man back in the early 00's he had a ego problem he was saying he was better than Prince. Terrance Trent D' Arby was a new artist at the time and he thought he was better than Prince? He just got too full of himself due to his quick success. I think D' Arby looking back on those interview clips from the late 80's he regretted the way he acted back then. Even Pop/R&b singer Craig David said people will never even remember who Terrance Trent D' Arby was and thats the truth in my opinion.

I loved Quarterflash when they came out with a couple of hits in the early 80's...

Man, that Rindy Ross could sure play the saxophone!  8)


I know she was still doing music at least until the mid-'90s.  Poke around on the Internet, you'll probably find her. 

Another one of my favorites is
Midge Ure from Ultravox