Artists - W
W.A.S.P.
On stage, they drank fake blood from a human skull, whipped a half-naked woman tied to a torture rack and threw raw meat at their audience.
Yes, W.A.S.P. were the naughtiest rock band of the 80s.
Their...
Wa Wa Nee
In 1986, Australian band Wa Wa Nee were in the unusual position of having a recording contract (with CBS records) but never having played a live gig.
Nevertheless, their debut single Stimulation (June 1986) reached #2 on...
Wackers, The
Anglophile guitarist and singer/songwriter Bob Segarini formed The Wackers in northern California in 1970 before relocating to Montreal, Canada, two years later.
The Wackers released their debut album, Wackering Heights, in 1971 on Elektra. Produced by sunshine pop icon...
Wah!/Wah! Heat/The Mighty Wah!
This Liverpool band formed in 1979 and kept modifying their name from release to release - Wah!, Wah! Heat and The Mighty Wah!
Pete Wylie
Vocals, guitar
Colin Redmond
Guitar
King Bluff
Keyboards
Oddball Washington
Bass
Joe Musker
Drums
Waitresses, The
Formed in 1978, The Waitresses existed for the purpose of performing the witty, often female-oriented songs of guitarist Chris Butler, who had previously led a series of new wave bands in Cleveland, Ohio.
The line-up of the band...
Walker Brothers, The
They weren't British, they weren't brothers and their real names weren't Walker, but Californians Scott Engel, John Maus (a one-time child actor) and Gary Leeds were briefly huge stars in England, and small ones in...
Wall Of Voodoo
Releasing its first effort (a self-titled EP) in 1980, this Los Angeles punk dance band offered a serious version of Devo's new wave. Led by Stan Ridgway's unmistakably wired voice, Wall Of Voodoo combined western...
Wanda Jackson
Wanda Jackson started her career as a dare. Her church friends dared her to audition for a local radio station's talent spot when she was 12 years old.
She took the dare and won, and ended...
Wanderers, The
Another doo-wop group which was quite popular on the US East Coast but otherwise obscure, The Wanderers began as The Barons in 1952.
Lead singer Ray Pollard, Frank Joyner, Robert Yarborough, and Sheppard Grant were the...
Wang Chung
The London-based new wave group Wang Chung had a handful of hits in the mid-80s, achieving their greatest popularity in America.
Originally called Huang Chung, the band consisted of vocalist/guitarist Jack Hues, bassist Nick Feldman and...
War
War traces its roots back to a Californian high school band formed by bass player and keyboard player BB Dickerson, drummer Harold Brown, woodwind player and pianist Charles Miller and bassist/trumpet player Howard Scott.
The band...
Ward 13
Australian band Ward 13 started out as a brash 1960s-influenced rock & roll band, working the Sydney pub circuit for 19 months before issuing the EP Robot Wizards in 1980.
The EP sounded like a cross between The...
Warhorse
Warhorse was formed in 1969 by original Deep Purple bassist Nick Simper who had been dismissed from the band prior to their transformation into a heavy rock tour de force with the recruitment of singer...
Warm Sounds
Warm Sounds were a harmony duo comprising Barry Husband (aka Barry Younghusband), formerly of Tuesday's Children, and Denver Gerrard. The pair teamed up just in time to greet the Summer of Love with a psychedelic-pop classic called Birds...
Warrant
With a pair of double-platinum albums, Warrant were one of the most popular glam-metal bands of the late 80s.
Formed in Los Angeles in the mid-80s, the group featured vocalist Jani Lane, guitarist Erik Turner, guitarist...
Warren Smith
It's astonishing the sheer amount of talent that was beating a path to Sam Phillips' door in 1956 wanting a contract with Sun Records. Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Sonny Burgess and Billy Lee Riley all got...
Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon was born in Chicago, the son of a Russian-Jewish boxer turned professional gambler. He spent most of his childhood in Arizona and California, before eventually leaving high school to become a folk singer...
Warumpi Band, The
This Australian band was formed in 1980 by Neil Murray (a white Victorian working in the Papunya region of the Northern Territory as a schoolteacher and labourer), George Burarrwanga (an aboriginal from Elcho Island) and...
Was (Not Was)
Was (Not Was) played contemporary R&B dance music, with lyrics that ranged from satire to completely bizarre.
The group was led by Detroit-natives David Weiss (David Was) - who wrote those lyrics - and Don Fagenson...
Wasted Youth
Formed in the summer of 1979, this East London band forged a style with punk and psych roots. Their singles and albums were released on the Bridgehouse label, which was operated by bassist Darren Murphy's dad, Terry,...
