The 'Big 4' Bands of '80s Rock

Which bands would make up the "Big 4" of '80s rock?

The Big 4 phrase was originally coined to describe the four pillars of the thrash metal scene: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax. But we've created our own Big 4 for a variety of eras and subgenres, so next up is the '80s.

The 1980s were when heavy music started to really splinter off in a bunch of different directions. On the rock side, there were still classic rock giants that crossed over from the '70s, there was "hair metal" (which is often considered a type of rock despite its name), alternative rock and some other big groups that had less of a definable sound.

Countless influential bands rose to fame in the 1980s, especially thanks to MTV and the radio. In order to keep it a bit closer to home, our Big 4 '80s rock bands lean more hard rock than pop rock — and you'll notice there are a few particularly massive bands we didn't include for that reason.

The four bands that best represent rock 'n' roll in the '80s were all incredibly influential for different reasons, whether they spearheaded a new genre, survived a pretty substantial member change or started a revolution.

Check out our picks for the Big 4 of '80s rock below.