Adam and The Ants vs Madness

Let's dig into how these two acts developed simultaneously and represented competing visions of early '80s British pop.

The breakthrough period (1980-1981):

Adam and The Ants had a fascinating evolution. They'd started as an arty punk band in the late '70s, but everything changed when Malcolm McLaren (Sex Pistols' manager) poached most of Adam's band in 1979. Rather than giving up, Adam reinvented himself completely. He recruited new musicians, developed the "dandy highwayman" image, and released "Kings of the Wild Frontier" in late 1980. It was absolutely massive - the album spent weeks at #1 and spawned multiple hit singles.

Madness had formed in 1976 as The North London Invaders, part of the late '70s Two Tone ska revival alongside The Specials and The Selecter. Their debut "One Step Beyond" (1979) established them immediately. By 1980-81, they were releasing hit after hit: "Baggy Trousers," "Embarrassment," "Return of the Los Palmas 7."

So in 1980-81, you had both acts absolutely dominating British pop charts and TV, but representing radically different aesthetics.

Competing visual languages:

Adam's look was pure theatricality - Native American war paint, 18th-century highwayman coats, pirate shirts, elaborate makeup. Every appearance was a costume drama. The videos were mini-movies with narratives. He was creating a fantasy world you could escape into. This appealed massively to teenagers who felt like outsiders - Adam gave them armor, a uniform, war paint to face the world.

Madness wore smart-casual working-class gear - Fred Perry shirts, Harrington jackets, porkpie hats, loafers. They looked like they'd just come from a football match or a ska club. Their videos were often comedic sketches set in recognizable British locations - terraced houses, corner shops, suburban streets. They were inviting you into their world rather than creating a fantasy.

Musical evolution:

Adam's sound from 1980-82 was remarkably consistent - that tribal double drumming (two drummers playing complementary patterns), chanting vocals, guitar hooks that sounded like bugle calls. Marco Pirroni's guitar work was distinctive and melodic. Songs like "Ant Music," "Dog Eat Dog," and "Stand and Deliver" all had that same swaggering, marching band energy. It was pop music as call-to-arms.

Madness showed more musical range album by album. They started with pure ska revival but quickly incorporated music hall, vaudeville, pop, and even hints of psychedelia. "Absolutely" (1980) was still ska-heavy.

By "7" (1981), they were experimenting more - "Grey Day" was melancholic, almost Beatles-esque. Their sound was more playful and varied, moving between upbeat party songs and genuinely poignant social commentary.

Media presence and persona:

Adam was intensely serious about his image and message, even while being theatrical. Interviews showed someone who'd thought deeply about identity, bullying, and self-invention. He positioned himself almost as a youth movement leader - "Antmusic for sexpeople!" There was a manifesto quality to it. He was charismatic but controlled, everything carefully constructed.

Madness were the opposite - seven lads who seemed like they were having a laugh. Their interviews were chaotic, funny, self-deprecating. They'd appear on kids' TV shows and genuinely seem to be enjoying themselves rather than marketing an image. But this casual exterior masked real musical craftsmanship and lyrical depth - Suggs and Mike Barson were writing clever, observational songs about British life, loneliness, family dysfunction, and nostalgia.

Chart competition (1981-1982):

This period saw them directly competing for chart positions and TV slots. Both were fixtures on Top of the Pops, often appearing on the same episodes.

Adam and The Ants' "Prince Charming" (album and single) in late 1981 was huge, but by this point Adam was already planning to go solo. The final Ants single "Ant Rap" in late 1981 showed him experimenting with hip-hop influences.

Madness released "Complete Madness" (a hits compilation) in 1982 that went to #1, while continuing to release new material. "House of Fun" gave them a #1 single in May 1982 - a song about a teenage boy trying to buy condoms, disguised as a jaunty music hall number. This exemplified their approach: accessible surface, subversive underneath.

The solo transition vs. band continuity:

1982 was pivotal for both. Adam disbanded The Ants and went solo with "Friend or Foe," which was successful and showed him maturing musically - "Goody Two Shoes" was more polished pop. But something was lost without The Ants' tribal energy. His subsequent albums got progressively less successful as the look and sound that had been so fresh in 1980 felt increasingly dated.

Madness continued as a band, which proved strategically wise. "The Rise & Fall" (1982) showed real artistic growth, dealing with darker themes while maintaining accessibility. They were maturing as songwriters in a way that kept them relevant.

Cultural impact in real-time:

In youth clubs, schoolyards, and record shops, these represented genuine lifestyle choices. You were either painting stripes on your face or wearing a porkpie hat. Adam's fans were more likely to be goths-in-training, New Romantics, kids who'd go on to love Duran Duran. Madness fans overlapped with the mod revival crowd, people who'd also like The Jam, more traditional pop fans.

Both appeared in the same teen magazines - Smash Hits, Number One - but the coverage was different. Adam got fashion spreads and intense interviews about his philosophy. Madness got group photos and jokes.

Live performance styles:

Adam's shows were theatrical productions with costume changes and choreography. He was a performer in the David Bowie sense - creating a spectacle, maintaining the mystique.

Madness gigs were rowdy, fun affairs that could border on chaos. They'd have their "Nutty Dance" (the distinctive skip-step they did), audience singalongs, and a party atmosphere. They felt more accessible, less distant from their audience.

The declining years (1983-1986):

Adam's commercial decline was steeper. By 1984-85, the look that had been so exciting felt like costume rather than innovation. "Vive Le Rock" (1985) flopped, and he struggled to reinvent himself for the changing mid-'80s landscape where synth-pop and new romantic sounds dominated.

Madness adapted better initially, though they too struggled as the '80s progressed. "Keep Moving" (1984) and "Mad Not Mad" (1985) showed a band trying to mature, incorporating more sophisticated production and serious themes, but their audience was fragmenting. They split in 1986, though more amicably than Adam's implosion.

Different kinds of nostalgia:

What's fascinating is how these acts are remembered. Adam and The Ants represent a very specific, intense period - 1980-82 - that burns brightly in memory but is contained. It's almost like a fever dream of British pop, this pirate-highwayman moment.

Madness spread their impact across more years and more songs, so they became embedded in British culture differently - as a soundtrack to everyday British life rather than a theatrical moment. They're "Our House," weddings, football chants.

The legacy collision:

Both acts are now seen as quintessentially early '80s British, but they've aged differently. Adam remains a more cult figure, appreciated for his boldness and the specificity of his vision. His struggle with mental health issues in later years added a poignant layer to his story of self-invention and survival.

Madness became national institutions - they still tour large venues, headline festivals, and new generations discover them. They never tried to be anything other than what they were, and that authenticity aged well.

In the end, they represented two viable paths for British pop acts in that post-punk, pre-MTV moment: theatrical reinvention versus authentic evolution. Both worked brilliantly for a time, capturing different aspects of what young British people wanted in the early Thatcher years - escapist fantasy or knowing humor about real life.

2.6bn all-time streams (1 Nov '25)

55.4m all-time streams (5 Oct '25)