Devo

 

Here's one by request! [albeit probably requested years ago] Devo were true innovators in style and sound and helped introduce quirkiness to the image of New Wave music, making it okay, or even preferable, to market your style, the weirder the better.

The Mighty Lemon Drops

Drawing early comparisons to Echo & The Bunnymen, TMLD created 1 of my favorite albums of the 1980s.  When the '90s hit, they changed to a more Madchester-inspired sound, with very mediocre results and broke up soon after.

Oingo Boingo

Growing up in Southern California, Oingo Boingo were a staple of Alternative radio.  Sometimes bands are bigger regionally than nationally, much less internationally.  That's a shame because Boingo was one of the most inventive, exciting acts of the 1980s.  Lead singer Danny Elfman, of course, subsequently found fame and fortune as a film composer.

Camper Van Beethoven

 

 

Another staple on College Rock radio in the '80s, CVB were the consummate band of Smart Alecs - from their name, to the album titles, to the often leftfield/surrealist lyrics. 

Guadalcanal Diary

 

Guadalcanal Diary hailed from Georgia and often had "jangly" guitars, so they couldn't escape comparisons to REM. They were reasonably popular on College Radio, but never did breakthrough to the mainstream and folded in 1989.

James "Midge" Ure

 

 

Midge Ure's career has been stunningly successful and yet, his profile outside of the UK has been relatively under the radar.  In 1979/80, he was the singer/songwriter of Ultravox, songwriter/keyboard player in Visage, and guitarist for Thin Lizzy(!). He also co-wrote Band Aid's huge single "Do They Know It's Christmas (Feed the World)" and helped organize Live Aid with Bob Geldof. Oh, and he's done quite a bit of solo work, to boot!

Hoodoo Gurus

 

 

Long-running Aussie band, Hoodoo Gurus, have a knack for pop melodies, rock music, and a quirky sense of humor.  They're still around, too, recently having done a worldwide trek.