Music of the 1980s

A thread for any and all music which is any way related to the 1980s.

Something to get people started:

I'm so sorry that my avatar doesn't appear fully in the shot, but the cat was threatening the photographer.

A lot of people tend to dismiss the 80s unfairly, and perhaps it's because they tend to look at the mainstream stuff only (in spite of people like Prince or Kate Bush).

It was also one of the best decades, in terms of new genres. Hip-Hop solidified its aesthetic, House and Techno music was born in this decade, there was the second phase of Post-Punk (from New Order to the New Pop phase (e.g. ABC), for example), there was also the beginning and rise of Electro, Madchester or Shoegaze...

The birth of death metal. 1987 eternal.

• obligatory comment about the 80's being the golden age of metal

edited 6th Feb '14 7:26:42 PM by StillbirthMachine

Only Death Is Real

When you hear "80s music" you normally think of the pop hits.

But nobody remembers the alternative scene. NOBODY.

As a proof, I bet nobody here knows these things:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMW5cH3oOr8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJRO0guayb0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNZpkimAZSI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFKRONJM8cE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cah3_jJ0MbM

Because 5 is a good number.

edited 6th Feb '14 7:30:22 PM by KlarkKentThe3rd

My angry rant blog!

What about the alternative songs that where pop hits?

Put me in motion, drink the potion, use the lotion, drain the ocean, cause commotion, fake devotion, entertain a notion, be Nova Scotian

I still hear songs from this decade that I'd never heard before and subsequently get hooked on. Most recently it's been "Hard Times by The Jetzons. 80's New Wave and synthpop are my favorites of the decade, plus some alternative and metal.

Speaking of 80's alternative, I believe this one counts, an old favorite of mine. I thought it came out in the 90's for the longest time, lol.

edited 6th Feb '14 9:30:00 PM by Surenity

My tropes launched: https://surenity2.blogspot.com/2021/02/my-tropes-on-tv-tropes.html

That's nonsense. Most of the good that came out of the late '80s was from either the alternative scene or the cassette underground.

Speaking of which, have some weird cassette culture detritus: Déficit Des Années Antérieures, Hirsch Nicht Aufs Sofa, The Legendary Pink Dots, Controlled Bleeding, Ptôse, Scram Ju Ju, Portion Control, F/i, MSBR...

I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.

Best thing about the '80s? NWOBHM.

Sure, as Saxon say in Denim and Leather, the 'dam began to burst' in '79, but the zenith of the movement was '81-'82.

'All he needs is for somebody to throw handgrenades at him for the rest of his life...'

My 1980s song of the moment: "Secrets" by Albert One.

edited 8th Feb '14 6:07:11 PM by ctempire

@Surenity: But "Hard Times" wasn't actually released until decades later.

Nobody except for music historians and fans of alternative music, the latter of which is a massive number of people.

Insert witty 'n clever quip here.

My only issue with it is that people tend to forget that good British 80's metal existed beyond Priest/Motorhead/Sabbath/Maiden/Venom. It's only recently bands like Cloven Hoof, Omega, Pagan Altar, Satan, Blitzkrieg, and Holocaust are getting their much needed recognition.

edited 8th Feb '14 9:58:25 PM by StillbirthMachine

Only Death Is Real

"It's the 80s, So Where's Our Rocket Packs?"

True. I was recently pleasantly surprised to see that many of the bands I thought had lived and died entirely during that first wave of NWOBHM are actually still out there: Tank, Angelwitch and the Tygers of Pan Tang are all still producing new albums. Hell, even Praying Mantis are still on the go.

'All he needs is for somebody to throw handgrenades at him for the rest of his life...'

Speaking of tank, there's been some serious drama within yhe band, which has split into both Algy Ward's Tank and I believe the guitarists. The latter put up a public statement some time ago claiming that he was the band or something like that, which pissed off Algy. According to the comments section apparently Algy had been the one to set him up with the Tank gig.

edited 9th Feb '14 11:58:34 AM by StillbirthMachine

Only Death Is Real

I've weirdly started picking up a semi-ironic appreciation for Hair Metal - the bigger and cheesier the chorus and the more ridiculous the overproduction, the higher the chances are that I'll like it. I think to some extent it goes hand in hand with my karaoke habit, because things like 'We're Not Gonna Take It' or 'Here I Go Again' are just fun to sing in that context.

Otherwise, most music I like from the 80's is typically New Wave, Hardcore Punk, or Alternative Rock / "college rock".

I didn't know any of those particular songs... But I've heard a couple of Wall Of Voodoo albums from when Stan Ridgway was the singer (and "Mexican Radio" was a big hit in America of course), and am at least familiar with other songs by some of those other artists: Comsat Angels' "Independence Day" and "Joey" and "Bloodletting" by Concrete Blonde. As for William Orbit, I admit I chiefly know him as a Record Producer with a cool name (he produced Blur's 13 and Madonna's Ray Of Light).

edited 9th Feb '14 12:14:14 PM by MikeK