Here Today, Gone Today : The Great Imploders

Least you think these guys don't matter a whole bunch, these artists made history with 1 album or song that excited people to no end.

Thomas Dolby : This man created a New Wave, funky, danceable tune in "She Blinded Me With Science" that, all dorkness aside in topic and visual, was a master stroke of performance from the voice on down to the production technique.  The Golden Age Of Wireless is a great record.  After this album, only "Hyperactive" could capture the magic again.

Gary Numan : To people who were already buying his stuff before The Pleasure Principle, I guess they might not have been surprised when he hit even bigger with the song "Cars".  But, with every album after, one has to wonder why he continued on the record-making path.  By the time he makes an album where he's dressed like Mad Max, you know it's time to put the career on hold.

Tears For Fears : Not only is The Hurting a great record for New Wavers, it's great for music overall.  It's infused with so much musical beauty and power. How could they not have great records to come ?  Well, exchange the New Wave fashion & jerky dance moves for sweaters and make a Yuppie album (although a good one) and presto ! Career over.

Missing Persons : When a band comes around with so much to offer ... strong, quirky female vocal, tough, but smooth and original guitar, masterful and exciting drumming and synths, and smarts words, you wonder how you could lose. Well ... write something anyone else could write and then disband.  That should do it !  Note-for-note this band, with one record, might just made the most exciting sound of the '80's, leaving even Duran Duran and The Fixx to sound like cult bands after these guys come to show everyone how to wrap up every great '80's idea into one group.

Men At Work : All hail the everybody-knows-they're-great-white-reggae-popsters from down under ! But although I loved when they went "dark" in '85, no one else did, including themselves ... end result ... disband.

Yes [Cinema] : With the infusion of master player, but writing hack, Trevor Rabin, the reborn Yes comes roaring back to blow radio up with the Trevor Horn produced masterpiece "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" from the great 90125 album.  Can't wait for more to come !  But, when it does it's the "what-the-hell-is-this?" mediocrity of Big Generator too many moons later.

The Vapors : A masterpiece in "Turning Japanese", a good album (that doesn't sound as exciting as that great single though) and an even better second album (mature and majestic).  But, the writer got upset with record company & career and called it quits.  A very sad disappearance from a group with so much purpose.

Madness : Not a band that messed-up really, but bad timing to make an album like Mad Not Mad when fans stateside probably didn't know how much music they had already made before "Our House" and for some reason didn't hear that they were going that direction with the warning of some of the songs from Keep Moving.  A great band always, whether in fashion or not.