Big Country

Scottish band Big Country reflected all the giddy, open-hearted optimism of the 1980s, with their gigantic barn-raising anthems and airborne '80s hair. Late of the seminal Scottish punk band the Skids, Stuart Adamson formed Big Country as an outlet for his poppier songcraft and distinctively textured guitar style. Their first album, 1983's THE CROSSING, was a hit in both the U.K. and the U.S., thanks to the smash single "In a Big Country." The band continued to release strong albums into the late '90s, and their popularity remained consistent in Europe if not the U.S. However, Adamson's alcoholism and chronic depression proved to be fatal to both the band and himself. He committed suicide in 2001, ending the band's glorious tenure.