Introduction
The music songs made by Madonna, Kenny Rogers, U2, Tracy Chapman, and Guns N Roses and songs like Blondie’s Tide is High or Pat Benatar’s Love is a Battlefield were made during the 1980s. The decade saw an innovative revolution, and the emergence of new artists. It is the decade embracing a variety of genres, with the popularity of new wave, synthpop, electronic music, hair metal, post-punk, and evolution of dance music.
History
Although the start of the decade saw the death of Bob Marley and assassination of John Lennon, it also saw the rise of the music songs icons and the birth of a new generation. In August 1981, Music Television or MTV was introduced and revolutionized the industry with its first video released on air, Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles. Artists who decided to use the new video age were played multiple times due to the lack of video content during its early days; this proved to be a smart marketing decision, as shown through the success of Michael Jackson’s album Thriller.
The introduction of MTV gave the biggest boost to the pop industry with the rise of Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna. One of the music songs genres defining the 1980s is the new wave, a softened punk rock with glitz and glamour. The new wave emerged as an essential transition in between decades and was heighten by the exposure given to it by MTV, although it laid low after 1984. New wave acts were mostly guitar-based with artists like A Flock of Seagulls, Culture Club, Duran Duran and The Police.
Features
Throughout the decade, alternative rock was a powerful movement. It was built by independent record labels and fueled by an underground following with its American city tours and constant release of low-budgeted albums which laid foundation for the future of alternative rock. The most successful indie rock would be the introspective narrative songs made by R.E.M.
Another movement that was popular during the 1980s was hip-hop. It was defined by break dancing, rap and street art and was dominant within African American and Hispanic communities in America with leading artists like LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, NWA and Public Enemy. During the 1980s, it saw an innovation with its embrace of beat boxing with the pioneers like Doug E. Fresh.
Hardcore punk dominated the early part of the 1980s with bands like Minor Threats and Suicidal Tendencies. The latter of the 1980s saw the peak of hard rock in the music songs, pop metal and the New York hardcore scenes with acts such as Queen, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Europe, Iron Maiden, Metallica and Whitesnake. The last year, 1989, saw the transition with the state of R&B fading and the rise of alternative rock and the surfacing of grunge with acts like Skid Row, The Indigo Girls and The Cure.
Tips and comments
For the music songs enthusiast who would want to start exploring on to the 1980s, take note and listen to the variety of music genres and the songs that defined the 80s.
