The Police

"Roxanne" and "Don't Stand So Close to Me" defined one of the greatest success stories in rock history.  The Police.

 Zenyatta Mondatta, home to "Don't Stand So Close to Me," was the band's third album with release in 1980(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenyatta_Mondatta).  This record landed two Grammy Awards (same Wikipedia source).

I chose to post "Driven to Tears" (also on Zenyatta Mondatta) especially because, quite simply, the song is a classic favorite from a decade that formed classic and lasting bands.  One interesting side note about "Driven to Tears" that I did not know is that the lyrics reflected the state of poverty at the time.

The Police produced so many songs that are well-known and popular to the present day.  This shows a testament to what a single band could offer to a legendary genre in music in a powerful way.