<--Graduated HS in 1986.
If you grew up in that era I think that there was probably quite a bit of variation depending on where you lived.
When I was in jr. high and HS in the first half of the 80s, the "big four" were generally considered to be:
The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
The Who
The Kinks
Led Zeppelin was a band that was listened to by the guys smoking pot in the bathroom. Same for Iron Maiden. Black Sabbath was just scary. Weird kids listened to punk, mainly The Clash.
The Doors were still very popular. The biography of Jim Morrison, "Noone Gets Out of Here Alive" was popular when I was a freshman in HS.
Yes's 90125 was huge in 1983 - 84. Deep Purple's Perfect Strangers was big in 84 - 85.
VH of course was big and listened to by pretty much everyone.
When The Who reunited and toured in 1989 (I was already in college) it was FUCKING HUGE. Pete's solo stuff in the 80s was also really popular.