The 80s was a decade of major musical change. Artists and genres like hip-hop, new wave, techno and hair metal made a huge impact on the music industry.
It also was a time when older pop artists like Paul McCartney, Cher, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie got back into the game as solo artists after being part of an act for years.
Techno
Techno is a genre of music that originated in Europe in the late 1970s and 1980s. It incorporates a variety of electronic instruments and drum machine beats. It is characterized by a raw, repetitive rhythm and can be used in conjunction with other styles of music to create an energetic dance experience.
The German group Kraftwerk is often credited with creating the foundations of Techno as it developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The group’s bold and innovative new sound incorporated futuristic-sounding synths with drum machine beats to create a unique and exciting new form of electronic music.
In Detroit, the first true wave of Techno came from a group of musicians known as The Belleville Three (Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson). This early Techno was often called “electro-spired” due to its symphonic sound. Juan Atkins is considered the originator of this style and was recognized by American music technology magazine Keyboard Magazine in 1995 as one of 12 “who count” in the history of keyboard music.
Other techno artists who influenced the genre include Jeff Mills, Mad Mike Banks, and Octave One. Minimal Techno is another type of music that originated in the 1990s and focuses on a minimalistic approach. Its tempo ranges from 125 to 130 BPM and the focus is on creating the perfect combination of rhythm and melody.
There are a number of different subgenres within the Techno genre that exist today. Among them are Cinematic Techno, Acid Techno, and Dub Techno.
Unlike traditional House music, this genre is not centered around a four-on-the-floor beat pattern and instead uses organic sounds to create a more complex rhythm. It also includes percussion and vintage analog synthesizers for the bassline.
The music can be quite dark and industrial in nature, despite the lightness of its sound. It is also very melodic and soulful at times.
Techno has become a popular genre in many countries throughout the world, especially in Eastern Europe and Brazil. It is a powerful tool for creating an euphoric dance experience and has been used by clubgoers to celebrate many different occasions.
Hair Metal
During the 80s, hair metal bands were incredibly popular. Many of them became famous for their hard-partying lifestyles and drug use, but they also made great music.
While most of these groups lost their popularity by the early 90s, there are still a few who have left an indelible mark on the rock scene. They are called Forgotten Hair Metal Bands, and they deserve to be remembered.
Although not as popular as it once was, hair metal dominated the rock world in the 1980s. It was a time when bands like Motley Crue, Poison and Whitesnake were wildly successful.
They embraced the hair metal look, which meant wearing makeup and a flamboyant outfit. They also sang sultry lyrics about love, lust and partying all night.
The music of hair metal was largely a mix of distorted guitars and loud vocals, with a lot of emphasis on speed. However, some bands did write ballads as well.
For instance, Def Leppard’s “Rock of Ages” blended throbbing rhythms with metal guitars, hip-hop cadences and biblical references into an anthem that was a hit everywhere. It was a defining moment for the genre, and it helped to codify the general public’s idea of metal.
Skid Row was another glam metal band that was quite successful. They had a slick look and a great band.
Their lead singer, Sebastian Bach, had a voice that was infused with dirty devil underpinnings. He was very active in the metal community, and he often took part in rock shows.
He was even known for his wild antics on stage. In fact, he was famous for throwing bottles over other people’s heads.
In the end, hair metal was overshadowed by grunge. Alternative metal, a newer style of rock music, was more popular than the old-school heavy metal, and it began to replace the music of hair metal in the early 1990s.
There were a few reasons why the music of hair metal didn’t last as long as some people would have liked. One was that it became too influenced by mainstream pop music. Others were that the bands often had members who weren’t very good musicians, and they were more interested in their image than in making a quality song.
New Wave
The 80s saw the rise of a new genre of music called New Wave. This genre merged punk rock with dance beats and keyboards to create a unique style of music.
Bands from the UK dominated this musical style. Some of the most famous bands from this time were Blondie, The Cars, Talking Heads and Devo.
One of the most influential elements of this music was the use of synthesizers in its sound. This helped the music to stand out from other genres.
Another factor that made this genre so popular was the fact that it had a lot of room for female vocalists. Several of the top bands of this era featured women in lead roles, including Blondie and The Pretenders.
Some of the best examples of this trend can be heard on the debut album from The Pretenders, entitled “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody).” It features an impossibly cool guitar riff and frontwoman Chrissie Hynde’s effortless vocals.
Synthesizers were also a key part of many other 1980s new wave acts. The Human League, A Flock of Seagulls, Tears for Fears, Soft Cell, Simple Minds and Duran Duran all incorporated synthesizers in their music.
The Pleasure Principle, a 1980 album by Gary Numan, was a major breakthrough for the genre and became known as “synthpop.” It popularized synthesizer-driven dance music in the United States.
Many of the musicians in this genre incorporated danceable rhythms in their music that made it popular with teenagers from all over the world. The music videos for these songs received a lot of airplay on radio stations and on the cable television network MTV.
These bands were able to achieve massive success in the early ’80s by using a mix of punk rock and pop. This paved the way for future trends in the music industry and changed the direction of pop rock.
While this genre of music is no longer as popular in the ’80s, it still remains a favorite amongst many musicians and music enthusiasts. The hypnotic pulsing sounds of the genre continue to capture the attention of audiences everywhere.
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The 80s was a decade full of big hair, double denim, leg warmers and mullets – but it also delivered some bangin’ music. The era is often remembered for its costume-party cliches, but the truth is there was an awful lot of good music to be found during the decade that followed Watergate.
The oh-so-stylish earworms from the likes of X, Husker Du and The Replacements were among the most memorable of all time. The decade is also known for its gimmicks, ranging from the technological to the mundane.
For example, there was the gimmick of a recorder-like device called a cassette tape, that played sound from an audio cassette. This technology was a big hit in the 70s and 80s, as it could be used to make synthesized noises and beats that weren’t available previously.
Another gimmick was the use of an automated synthesizer that produced some truly eerie sounds. This was a technology that was pioneered in the 1980s and paved the way for other technologies that would soon follow.
One of the best examples of this is the ‘Don’t You Want Me Baby’ from British band The Human League. This was a song that was genuinely memorable and is still around today.
There are many other great songs from the era that deserve their own mention. ‘Like A Prayer’ by Madonna is an interesting choice for a pop music anthem that also carries some socially relevant messaging. This is especially true if you consider that the track was written in conjunction with renowned producer Mary Lambert, whose work with artists such as Michael Jackson and David Bowie can be counted on for some of the most enthralling lyrics in music history.
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