The 80s Music- Foundation For Today

Each decade of music defined their own sound differently. They each brought out something new that the world had never heard before, and took some of the success of the past and evolved it to fit today. These rules have never failed and can present no exception. Though, while each generation is different, none stands out so boldly than the 80s.

The 80s had an impact unlike any other music had before. In 1984, the world got a taste of MTV. This television network actually allowed people to live the music, not just listen. Sure, throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s we had “American Bandstand,” “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “Solid Gold,” which allowed you to see the bands play live, but it came on only once a week.  MTV was on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It not only incorporated the music and live shows, but it showed a different artistic view to these videos. MTV took music to a whole new level, and showed how this industry was revolutionizing with the times.

The 80s gave us a huge mix of music. It was the time when Rock ‘n’ Roll split to become rock and heavy metal. Rock was more your typical sound like Phil Collins, Billy Joel, and Michael Jackson which stuck to the typical sounds of 60s and 70s rock. Heavy Metal is a more intense rock where you would see wild hair; hence the name “hair bands.” You would see these rockers in wild outfits, trashing their guitars on stage and incorporating wild pyrotechnics. Bands that fit this genre would be Twisted Sister, Poison, Warrant, Bon Jovi, Def Leopard, Van Halen and similar bands.

The rock version, even though it stuck to more of the 60s and 70s sounds, had their own unique flare in itself. It wasn’t uncommon to see some of these guys dressed in drag with flamboyant make-up. This was typical with Boy George, and Dead Or Alive. It brought out some of the greatest hard rocking women in history like Pat Benatar, The Bangles, Joan Jett, Heart and other powerful voiced, yet sexy women of the time. While talking about the rock sound, we can’t forget the strange sounds that swept the “electronic” age of America.

The 80s also brought into play some great names like “The Material Girl” Madonna, and Cyndi Lauper who helped define the “punk” fashion that made Soleil Moon Frye, better known as Punky Brewster, a huge success from 1984 to 1987. Punk was a fashion that completely branded the 80s, and is still talked about today.

The 80s gave birth to some of the most unforgettable music videos. For one, probably the most expensive video created in the 80s was Paula Abdul’s “Opposites Attract,” where she sang side by side with an animated cat. Michael Jackson came out with small movie videos. One of Jackson’s most well known was “Thriller,” where he teamed up with Vincent Price to make a well choreographed, pop horror flick. We can’t forget Madonna’s cone bra that shocked the world and when she had her music video banned in countries across the world. Another stand out video was “Land Of Confusion” by Genesis. This music video was a mix of live Genesis concert footage and some amazing puppets. Last but not least, there was Dire Straights’ amazing video that became an icon video of MTV, “Money For Nothing.” This video looked like a walking 3D video game, and at the time, the graphics were state of the art.

Today, most of these bands and videos have disappeared, as sad as it is. Some of the big 80s stars like Madonna, Phil Collins, Heart and others still perform, while some are now just dust in the wind. The years of these great videos are over; they took an evolutionary turn as well. MTV is now more news and reality shows, while music videos have taken a back seat. However, with great sites such as YouTube and the Internet, general artists can publish their music videos right on their own sites and they don’t need these channels anymore. YouTube actually has many of these great old music videos that designed a whole generation.

The 80s have never really died, instead they have evolved into some of the great music we have today. Sure, it may not be the same as it was back then, but if you listen hard you can still hear some of the influence the 80s had in our music today. The 80s music is so unique that it’s definitely worth looking into and learning more about.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq7FKO5DlV0[/youtube]