MTV (Music Television):

Founded in 1981, MTV changed the way the industry operated, rapidly becoming the preferred method for launching a new act or promoting a superstar’s latest release.

Kenny Rogers (b. 1938):

Veteran of folk pop groups such as the New Christy Minstrels and the First Edition, star of made-for-TV movies. One of the main beneficiaries of country pop’s increasing mainstream appeal.

Lionel Richie (b. 1949):

Former member of a vocal R&B group called the Commodores. African American singer and songwriter whose career overarches conventional genre boundaries. Although his big hits of the 1980s were soul-tinged variants of adult contemporary music, Richie also placed two singles in the country Top 40 during the 1980s.

Eurythmics:

Consisted of a core of only two musicians—the singer Annie Lennox (b. 1954 in Scotland) and the keyboardist and technical whiz Dave Stewart (b. 1952 in England). Eurythmics’ first chart appearance in the United States came with the release of their second album, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),in 1983.

Tina Turner (b. Annie Mae Bullock, 1939):

Made her recording debut in 1960 as a member of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. In 1983 she was offered a contract by Capitol Records. Her first album, entitled Private Dancer (1984), reached Number Three on the album charts.

Eddie Van Halen:

Widely recognized as a primary innovator in electric guitar performance. He was the guitarist for the heavy metal group Van Halen and contributed the stinging guitar solo on “Beat It” from Michael Jackson’s 1982 album Thriller.

Peter Gabriel (b. 1950 in England):

Achieved celebrity as a member of the art rock group Genesis before embarking on a solo career. Gabriel’s best-selling single “Sledgehammer” became Number One pop and Number Sixty-one R&B in 1986. The award-winning video version of “Sledgehammer” was an eye-catching, witty, and technically innovative work that pushed the frontiers of the medium.

Michael Jackson (b. 1958):

Began his performing career as a member of the Jackson Five. He achieved unprecedented success with his 1982 album Thriller,and his elaborately produced music videos helped boost the new medium of music videos.  Jackson became the first African American artist to be programmed with any degree of frequency on MTV.

Bruce Springsteen (b. 1949):

Springsteen’s music and personal image evoked the rebellious rock ’n’ rollers of the 1950s and the socially conscious folk rockers of the 1960s. His songs reflected his working-class origins and sympathies.

Paul Simon (b. 1941):

Got his start in the 1960s as a member of the famous folk rock duo Simon and Garfunkel. His album Graceland (1986) was a global collaboration recorded in South Africa, England, and the United States. It is the album responsible, more than any other, for introducing a wide audience to the idea of world music.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo:

South African vocal group that collaborated with Paul Simon on his 1986 album Graceland. 

Madonna (b. Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone, 1958):

From the late 1980s through the 1990s, Madonna’s popularity was second only to Michael Jackson’s. She created controversial songs and music videos, including “Papa Don’t Preach” (1986), “Express Yourself” (1989), and “Like a Prayer” (1989).

Prince (b. Prince Rogers Nelson, 1958):

Prince is one of the most talented musicians ever to achieve mass commercial success in the field of popular music. He has sold almost forty million recordings. Between 1982 and 1992, he placed nine albums in the Top 10, reaching the top of the charts with three of them (Purple Rain in 1984, Around the World in a Day in 1985, and Batman in 1989).