Which rock band had the most number one songs in the 1980s?
The 1980s were a difficult time for rock ‘n’ roll. While the genre was still very much alive and well, cultural and musical changes meant that it was difficult for bands to know what kind of creative direction they should go in.
In fact, when you look at the ‘80s, it tends to be a period when a lot of bands made some of their worst material. There was something in the air, and that something was blatant confusion. As other genres started to take precedence, such as R&B, pop and even the beginning of hip-hop, it became hard for rock bands to know what direction to go in. The result was a lot of music which sounded, to put it simply, directionless.
Heart were one of the rock bands who struggled with this new direction within music and ended up making one of their worst albums as a result. As the band were attempting to find their form in the changing creative world.
“The band was in a period of transition,” said Ann Wilson when discussing their 1982 album Private Audition. “And that was reflected on the record. It wasn’t a bad record. It just wasn’t a commercial record.” Nancy Wilson was harsher when she discussed the album, saying, “Probably weren’t in our right minds very well […] I know I was doing a lot of partying in those days.”
Of course, as is always the case with the arts, there are exceptions to the rule. While some rock bands struggled to adjust to the new styles and genres that were dominating the music scene, other bands managed to thrive. They were proof that while music was changing, rock ‘n’ roll certainly wasn’t dead, far from it. The genre still managed to find form in various different acts, with some managing to get multiple number ones throughout the decade.
It begs the question, which band during such a period of uncertainty managed to get the most number one rock songs throughout the decade? Let’s have a look.
So, what rock band had the most number ones in the 1980s?
It’s always difficult to answer which artist had the most number ones throughout a period because of how different charts mean that the answers can vary. If we look at the US mainstream charts, however, the clear winner of the most number one singles throughout the decade was Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. While a lot of other artists were attempting to find their sound, Tom Petty revelled in creating something that he had already well and truly locked in on.
His relationship with guitarist Mike Campbell helped him establish a subconscious style of sound, one which wasn’t influenced by what else was happening in music. “Mike really is the best in rock and roll,” said Petty. “I’d be lost without him. I’ve played with Michael since 1970, so I wouldn’t understand playing with anyone else. We write together, and we’ve developed a whole style of playing together.”
So many of Petty’s songs he describes as a stream of consciousness, and this kind of attitude to creativity is much sought after, as it allows artists to tap into what they want to make rather than what the world is listening to at that moment. For Petty, that confidence resonated in great success throughout the decade.
