The 80s were a great time for music. With genres like punk rock, new wave, grunge, and electropop hitting the stages, there was no shortage of variety. However, country music was also making some pretty big waves. While we may all have our favorite artists of today, many of the artists from the 80s were extremely talented too. Here are 4 under-appreciated '80s country artists that deserve a spot on your playlist.
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The People Have Spoken
As with anything serious there is only one place to go with a poll question like this — to the fine people of Reddit. Reddit seems to have all the answers and true gems of opinions. So when a user logged on and asked "Best underrated 80's country songs/albums ?" there were no shortage of replies. Here are some of the most common answers for under-appreciated '80s country artists.
1. Dan Seals
Dan started his career in soft rock but eventually switched over to country music. It seemed to be the right choice for him as he gained popularity in that genre and had many number one hits. Many people on Reddit agree that this man deserves a spot on the under-appreciated '80s country artists list. One of the top commenters had this to say. "We don't hear much about Dan Seals anymore, but he was huge in the 80s and had many #1 hits."
2. K.T. Oslin
Another commenter made sure that K.T Oslin made it on the list as well. They wrote, "I feel like K.T. Oslin is overlooked sometimes. She had some really great music like 'I'll Always Come Back' and '80's Ladies.'" Other commenters agreed with their choice, adding their own thoughts on the country singer. Another user added, "I came here to mention KT Oslin and Ricky Van Shelton. They were big back then, but seem forgotten because they drifted away near the height of their popularity. Probably my favorite male and female country voices of that era."
3. Ricky Van Shelton
As the previous section proved, many people also argued that Ricky Van Shelton deserves a spot on the most under-appreciated '80s country artists list. While he may be under-appreciated, this country artist was not without success. He had several number one hits and many singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. One user shared how Ricky Van Shelton is often overlooked and thought of as "washed out on 80's/90's country stations" now.
4. John Anderson
Finally, last up on our list of under-appreciated '80s country artists we have John Anderson. One user wrote, "John Anderson's 80's work is some of his best in my opinion. My favorite is probably 'Your Lying Blue Eyes.'" Other commenters agreed thinking that this artist didn't get the love that he deserved. They wrote "Wish I could have been there."
