The 80's ruined many a 60's and 70's great like Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, The Who, The Stones, ZZ Top, Aerosmith, The Allman Brothers, Neil Young (to name a few). I think the 80's was the testing ground for most aging bands to prove or disprove that rock doesn't age well... and the 80's proved that rock clearly does not age well at all. Some people still like to blur the lines between the late 70's and 80's with relation to music. The Jam, The Clash, The Police, The Specials, Grandmaster Flash, early Joy Division and even Van Halen are important 70's artists (that remained influential in the 80's) because they helped run diso into the ground, amongst other things. Also, guys like Booche, Davey Boy and I who were in our teen years during the 80's, well, we are/were influenced by 60's and 70's bands and (if I can speak for them, and I can) hated and still hate, hate, hate most of the music that dominated the airwaves back then. That being said, the 80's wasn't all bad. These bands come to mind: Sonic Youth, The Replacements, The Pixies, Stevie Ray Vaughan, 54-40 (underrated as hell), The Hip, Galaxie 500, Husker Du (formed in '79), Tears for Fears and even that little weasel Prince.