The 80’s was an important time in music history. MTV brought about the music video, giving us a whole new way to enjoy pop music; rap became mainstream and exploded into what we know today as hip hop; the term “one hit wonder” would enter into the vernacular; hair metal bands would rule the country; and pop superstars like Madonna, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and others were borne.
Here’s a look back at several of the musical elements that defined a decade:
Video killed the radio star
The date was August 1, 1981 and the band was the Buggles, a one hit wonder. At 12:01 on that date the first video, “Video Killed the Radio Star” was played on a fledgling television network called MTV. The event sparked a whole new way to enjoy music and would help define the decade musically. Throughout the 80’s and beyond, the video vehicle gave musical acts a new way to be seen and heard, and created stars in their own right.
New Wave.
One of the biggest movements of the early eighties grew out of the punk movement of the late seventies. New Wave music was part punk, part dance, and part kitsch and made for some great pop music. The synthesizer was the instrument of choice, and the music was danceable and fun. Some of the notable New Wave groups of the eighties include Culture Club, Duran Duran, New Order, Human League, the B-52’s, Eurythmics, Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode, INXS, the Police and many, many more. (see Top Ten New Wave Songs of the 80’s)
Another big piece of the eighties puzzle is the heavy metal that was so popular at the time. Bands like Def Leopard, Poison, Motley Crew, Cinderella, Quiet Riot, Whitesnake, the Scorpions, and so many more were not known only from their hard rocking music, but they all had big hair, thus the term “hair bands.
Many classic rock acts hit the big time during the decade as well. Bon Jovi, U2, Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., and Aerosmith all had hot strings of memorable hits in the 80’s. John (Cougar) Mellencamp hit it big with his Midwestern style of rock. Soloists Bryan Adams, Eddie Money, Sammy Hagar, Billy Joel, Tina Turner, Elton John, and Stevie Nicks all added their sounds to the mix, as well. More pop-sounding acts to hit it big included J. Geils Band, Huey Lewis and the News, Men at Work, and Stray Cats.
One Hit Wonders
During the 1980’s, there were many so called “one hit wonders.” Who can forget such pop ditties as Corey Hart’s “Sunglasses at Night”, the Vapors’ “Turning Japanese”, Devo’s “Whip It”, Toni Basil’s “Mickey”, Tracey Ullman’s “They Don’t Know”, the Waitress’ “I Know What Boys Like”, and many more?
Pure Pop
Certain acts of the time were pure pop music at its best (or worst, depending on the music fan). Olivia Newton John’s “Physical” was one of the top hits of the decade. Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield and Aha’s “Take on Me” were pure pop craftsmanship. Paula Abdul hit it big with such ditties as “Straight Up” and “Cold Hearted Snake.’
Pop Superstars
The 80’s saw the breakout success of many pop superstars, each of whom would leave indelible marks on the world of music. Such pop superstars borne out of the decade include Madonna, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, George Michael, and Prince. Each of these artists made a huge impacts on the music scene for the 80’s and beyond.
Rap to Hip Hop
At the beginning of the decade, rap music was just beginning to take its’ hold on the music scene, as well. Early rap acts such as Sugar Hill Gang, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and Kurtis Blow crossed over with such rap classics as “Rapper’s Delight”, “The Message”, and “The Breaks”, respectively. The genre really took off in 1986 when a rap threesome from Queens, NY, Run DMC, collaborated with the classic rock band Aerosmith on their standard “Walk This Way.” The tune was a smash hit and paved the way for other rap artists like LL Cool J, Salt n Pepa, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, and Biz Markie to come to the fore. By the end of the decade, the term “hip hop” would be the new moniker for the genre as it continued to expand musically.
Freestyle
In the dance music scene, another genre of music would take hold during the 80’s. The movement was known as “Freestyle.” Freestyle was rooted in a Latin style, uniquely identifiable for its’ synthesized sound, and emanating mainly from artists of Puerto Rican background who’d come from New York City. The music hit the dance floors by storm throughout the decade and produced such hit-making artists as Judy Torres, the Cover Girls, Sweet Sensation, Stevie B, and TKA.
Clearly, the 1980’s was a monumental time for music. As with any decade, music of various styles and genres crossover into the mainstream, but this decade was unique in that it spurred hits and fans in such a widespread manner, changing the face of music forever.
*Stay tuned for some new top ten’s and a look at the nineties.
Sources:
http://www.angelfire.com/fl/boltman/80.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Wave_music
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run-D.M.C.
http://www.onehitwondercentral.com/80s.cfm
http://uk.real.com/music/genre/80s_Rap_Hip-Hop/allartists/
http://www.i80s.com/80s_metal/metal_main.html
