80s in the 90s: 1982

Continuing the look at whether 80s acts succeeded in the 90s here's a look at the 1982 debutants:

Adam Ant: Adams & the Ants were huge in 1981 but they abruptly came to an end in 1982. As a result Adam Ant topped the charts with his debut solo single "Goody Two Shoes" that same year. By 1984 his solo career seemed to fizzle out but then in 1990 he returned to the Top 40 with "Room At The Top" which made number 13. Then 5 years later came his final Top 40 hit to date "Wonderful" which made 32. Not really much of a 90s chart career then.

Verdict: Miss

Tears For Fears: In 1989 Tears For Fears topped the albums chart with their "Seeds Of Love" album. The final Top 40 hit from that album "Advice For The Young At Heart" came out in early 1990 and only made number 36. Then in 1991 Curt Smith left and it effectively became a Roland Orzabal solo project under the Tears For Fears Name. 3 further Top 40 hits came in the 90s and the highest charting of these "Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down)" reached number 17.

Verdict: Miss

Bananarama: They made the Top 10 with their first 6 Top 40 hits. Then came a blip but then they were given a new lease of life by hooking up with Stock, Aitken & Waterman. Siobhan Fahey left and Jacquie O'Sullivan but that appeared to do no harm as they had their joint highest charting single in 1989 with "Help". Their first single of the 90s "Only Your Love" only made 27, follow up "Preacher Man" made 20 and was their highest charting single of the decade and then "Long Train Running" made 30. Then Jacquie O'Sullivan left and they became a duo and they released the singles "Movin' On" and "More More More" which both made number 24. The latter came in 1993 and that's the last we'd see of them in the Top 40 until 2005.

Verdict: Miss

Yazoo: This is a good example of why chart longevity isn't as simple as time between first and last hits or even setting a certain criteria. Yazoo have done the bare minimum required to make this list, 4 Top 40 hits in the 80s and a solitary Top 40 hit in the 90s. That solitary Top 40 hit "Situation" was the b-side of debut single "Only You" so was 8 years old by the time it charted. The fact is Yazoo only existed for 18 months and they never even attempted to be a successful 90s chart act.

Verdict: Miss

Simple Minds: No doubt there are people who only know Simple Minds for "Don't You (Forget About Me)". Many people would know them for several records though. Their only number one "Belfast Child" probably isn't one of them. On the other hand "New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)" and "Theme for Great Cities" are pretty well known but neither were hits. The point is they're a band whose popularity you can't really measure by chart positions. They had 8 Top 40 hits in the 90s, 4 of which came in 1991 and despite the high chart placing of the first of these "Let There Be Love" I don't think it's that well known. One I'd say is was 1995 single "She's A River". All things considered I'd say they were successful in the 90s charts.

Verdict: Hit

Midge Ure: He's had chart success with multiple groups most notably Ultravox. All bar one of his solo Top 40 hits came before the final original Ultravox Top 40 hit with the biggest being chart topper "If I Was". That one solo Top 40 hit was his final one in 1991 with "Cold Cold Heart" which made number 17. Only 2 of his 80s Top 40 hits charted higher but that really means despite the string of hits his solo career was really about 1 song.

Verdict: Miss

Culture Club: They were one of the biggest pop acts of the early 80s and then in 1987 came Boy George's briefly successful solo career. By the 90s though he was better known for being a DJ than a singer. Then in 1998 Culture Club reunited and reached number 4 with "I Just Wanna Be Loved". This wasn't an 80s group still being relevant in the 90s though, it was nostalgia for an 80s group. The album that followed flopped and their final Top 40 hit "Your Kisses Are Charity" only made 24.

Verdict: Miss