Daryl Hall and John Oates (Photo by Mick Rock)

Daryl Hall and John Oates broke through in the early ’70s with undeniably catchy songs of blue-eyed soul, and went on to create 18 studio albums, selling more than 40 million records. Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith formed Tears for Fears in the early ’80s, creating alternative synthpop, which also produced #1 hits (they had two while Hall and Oates had six, if we are keeping count).

The Americans and the Englishmen were both very popular in the mid-1980s, as their songs climbed the charts and their videos were in heavy rotation on MTV. Now, the two bands are touring together, and they perform at the Verizon Center in DC on Monday, June 26.

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