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Entertainment

From Debbie Gibson to Sheena Easton to Jody Watley — See Your Favorite 80s Female Pop Singers Then and Now

You won't believe how much these fabulous 12 women have changed – and they've still got it!

By Meredith Bodgas
Debbie, Sheena, Jody
Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/NBC/ Bob Riha Jr./ Getty

Their voices played on repeat on your walkman, and their pretty faces and big ’80s hair graced the covers of every teen magazine. Yes, 80s female pop singers were a special crew, some so beloved they went by a mononym. While these divas may no longer sport perms and leg warmers, many of them are still going strong and releasing new music today.

Over 30 years after they first hit the scene, here’s a look back at some of the most fabulous ladies of ’80s pop. Even if you don’t remember all of them, or haven’t kept up with them lately, there’s a good chance you’ve grooved to at least one of their ultra-catchy tunes!

(Click through to hear 20 early 80s songs that will take you back!)

80s female pop singers then and now

  1. Debbie Gibson

    Side-by-side of Debbie Gibson then and now
    Left: 1989; Right: 2023 Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty; Bruce Glikas/Getty
    Debbie Gibson boasted serious musical chops from a young age, and wrote all her own songs. Her 1986 debut single "Only in My Dreams," released when she was just 16, remains one of the most timeless tracks of the '80s, and she's still touring and recording today. Now 53, she released a holiday album, Winterlicious, in 2022, and has showed up in everything from Dancing With the Stars to the Hallmark movie Wedding of Dreams to The Masked Singer. 

  3. Belinda Carlisle

    Side-by-side of Belinda Carlisle then and now
    Left: 1986; Right: 2022 Paul Natkin/Getty; David Livingston/Getty
    Belinda Carlisle first rose to fame as the lead singer of The Go-Go's. The trailblazing all-woman band broke up in 1985, and Carlisle went on to have a successful solo career, with anthems like "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" and "I Get Weak." Carlisle's musical career has gone in unconventional directions since the '00s: In 2007, she released a cover album of classic French songs and in 2017, she released an album of Indian chants inspired by her passion for Kundalini yoga. Now 65, she released a new single, "Big Big Love" in 2023, and reunited with The Go-Go's when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

  5. Jody Watley

    Side-by-side of Jody Watley then and now
    Left: 1987; Right: 2021 Bob Riha Jr./Getty; Jason Kempin/Getty for NMAAM
    Jody Watley got her start in the R&B group Shalamar in the late '70s. In the '80s, she found success as a solo artist, with hits like "Looking for a New Love" and "Real Love." Today, at age 64, she still performs and has her own SiriusXM radio show. 

  6. Sheena Easton

    Side-by-side of Sheena Easton then and now
    Left: 1985; Right: 2017 Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty; David M. Benett/Getty
    Scottish singer Sheena Easton released her debut album in 1981 and soon became one of the decade's defining pop divas, with songs like "Sugar Walls" and "For Your Eyes Only." She collaborated with musicians like Prince, Kenny Rogers and Luis Miguel and appeared in five episodes of Miami Vice. Now 64, she hasn't released an album of new material since 2000, but she still performs and has even acted in plays on Broadway and London's West End.

  7. Tiffany

    Side-by-side of Tiffany then and now
    Left: 1987; Right: 2018 Michael Ochs Archives/Getty; Cindy Ord/Getty
    Tiffany became a star at 16 with her cover of "I Think We're Alone Now." Her 1987 mall tour ignited a teen frenzy, and while her success waned in the '90s, she's stayed active with appearances in reality shows and kitschy sci-fi TV movies. Now 52, she released a new album, Shadows, in 2022.

  9. Susanna Hoffs

    Side-by-side of Susanna Hoffs then and now
    Left: 1987; Right: 2023 Bob Riha, Jr./Getty; David Livingston/Getty
    There were few women cooler than Susanna Hoffs in the '80s. As the leader of the all-woman band The Bangles, she was the voice of massive hits like "Walk Like an Egyptian" and "Manic Monday." In the early '90s, she started her solo career, and she released her latest album, The Deep End, in 2023. Now 64, Hoffs also recently published a critically acclaimed novel, This Bird Has Flown. 

  10. Samantha Fox

    Side-by-side of Samantha Fox then and now
    Left: 1987; Right: 2023 Bob Riha Jr./WireImage/Getty; David M. Benett/Hoda Davaine/Getty
    Samantha Fox made an impression with sassy songs like "Touch Me (I Want Your Body)" and "I Wanna Have Some Fun." The British singer hasn't released an album since 2005, but she's stayed in the public eye with reality show appearances. Most recently, the 57-year-old appeared on Celebrity MasterChef in 2023.

  11. Stacey Q

    Left: 1988; Right: 2021 Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty; @spanosphoto/Instagram
    Stacey Q is best-known for her ultra-catchy 1986 song "Two of Hearts." Now 64, the singer, who started out as a dancer and circus performer, released her last original album in 2010. In 2022, a new deluxe edition of her debut album, Better Than Heaven, was released, showing that '80s mania never dies.

  13. Karyn White

    Side-by-side of Karyn White then and now
    Left: 1988; Right: 2022 Michael Ochs Archives/Getty; Derek White/Getty
    Karyn White hit it big with songs like "Superwoman" and "Secret Rendezvous" in the late '80s. Now 57, she took a break from music in the '90s but came back in 2012, and still performs regularly today.

  14. Taylor Dayne

    Side-by-side of Taylor Dayne then and now
    Left: 1985; Right: 2023 Tim Roney/Getty; Dave Kotinsky/Getty for iHeartRadio
    Taylor Dayne scored a big hit with "Tell It to My Heart" in 1987. Her last album, Satisfied, was released in 2008, and at 62 she's still regularly performing and showing up on reality TV shows like The Masked Singer, Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles and RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race.

  15. Brenda K. Starr

    Side-by-side of Brenda K. Starr
    Left: 1988; Right: 2023 Paul Natkin/Getty; @officialbrendakstarr/Instagram
    Brenda K. Starr's 1987 power ballad "I Still Believe" established her as a pop diva. During this time, none other than Mariah Carey sang backup for her, and Carey famously covered the song in 1998. In recent years, the 56-year-old has released a number of songs in Spanish, and she still frequently performs. In 2016, Starr's daughter, Gianna Isabella, was a top 10 finalist on American Idol's final season.

  17. Martika

    Side-by-side of Martika then and now
    Left: 1989; Right: 2022 Mike Prior/Getty; @TOY.SOLDIER.ARMY/Facebook
    Martika began her career as one of the young stars of the children's show Kids Incorporated. In 1988, she released her first album, and her song "Toy Soldiers" was a huge hit. The song was introduced to a new audience when rapper Eminem sampled it in 2005. She only released two solo albums, and in the early '00s, she and her husband began performing music together under the name Oppera. Since then, she's kept a fairly low profile. 

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