1980s+Music

Music Of The 1980's || Rise of Pop: The introduction of synthesizers changed pop music forever. Hit pop artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna made this genre the genre most played by teens and radio stations alike. Rock was pushed to the side as MTV made pop videos and music famous. To learn more about Michael Jackson, [|click here]
 * < [[image:motley-crue-crue-fest.jpg width="358" height="195" caption="Famous Glam metal band, Motley Crue"]]

Rise of Rock: in 1980 there were only 6 major rock labels. Only a few made it to fame. Punk was introduced to try to restore rock to its former glory, like when Elvis was alive. Punk rock consisted of stripped down arrangements, loud and sometimes abrasive vocals, and lyrics meant to shock. This was rock's most notable attempt to introduce angry and rebellious notions into music. College radio stations started to introduce this modern rock on campuses, giving the bands airtime they wouldn't have received otherwise.

Rise of MTV: One of the most famous TV stations in history started broadcasting in August 1, 1981. This station targeted 12-34 year old's, the next generation. This station changed the way future record labels would advertise.

Women In Rock: Women had to bypass the "women-as-sex-object" stereotype, and one women to do this was Cindy Lauper. In 1984 she released "She's So Unusual", which sold 3 million copies. Blondie became famous in 77'. In the 80's women were finally accepted as rock musicians in a heavily male dominated area. ||<  ||<   ||


 * ~ Famous Artists: A-Z ||~  ||
 * Billy Joel: Influenced late 70's and early 80's music. Had a multi-platinum album.

Bon Jovi: was a contributing artist to the influence of hair metal over the decade.

Def Leppard: This British band dominated the 80's. The song "Photograph" led to a country tour. The album containing the song surpassed seven million copies sold in the USA. The band faced an almost breakup when the drummer lost his arm in a car accident. Luckily for America though, the drummer compensated, becoming just as good with one arm.

Guns & Roses: C ame into the music scene when hair metal had become mainstream, losing its edge. GNR introduced a darker side to their music, when many bands were making ballads. The famous singles, "Welcome To The Jungle," and "Sweet Child Of Mine" introduced a grittier version of hair metal.

Madonna: Madonna released her first album, "Like A Virgin" in 1984, becoming an instant sensation. Her over the top clothes and dancing earned her many "Madonna wanna-be's." She was one of the leading fashion influences in the 80's.

Michael Jackson: Known as the "King of Pop," this artist was first part of "The Jackson Five," until family conflicts started him on his solo career. He recorded "Off The Wall" in 79' which sold six million copies, which was the best selling album by an African American. He then recorded "Thriller" which in total sold over 40 million albums, becoming the best selling album ever. At one point people were buying over a million albums a week. This album also won 8 grammys. Jackson released videos for "Billie Jean," "Beat It," and "thriller." This set the standard for music videos to come.

Motley Crue: A glam metal band that released several multiplatinum albums, though only "Dr. Feelgood" was the only album to reach #1 on the charts. Early into their career, the band wore colored leather, heavy makeup, and looked feminine. To avoid prejudice against them based on their looks they adopted a tougher look, but still sported leather and teased hair. They changed rock forever, embodying the rock star lifestyle, consisting of sex, drugs, and partying.

Van Halen: Released a total of 6 albums, selling over 10 million copies. This British frontman, David Lee Roth, wore bleach blonde hair that was teased and jumped around stage during concerts. This high energy atmosphere influenced concerts for years to come. Roth was replaced by Sammy Hagar in 85', due to problems with the guitarist, Eddie Van Halen, and roth. Van Halen is sometimes refered to as "Van Hagar" to differentiate between singers, as they had very different styles. || media type="youtube" key="SRvCvsRp5ho" height="349" width="425"media type="youtube" key="oe88N1sWpgs" height="349" width="560" Thriller changed the way all future music videos would be made. ||
 * Sources:
 * Batchelor, Bob. "Pop Music Of The 1980's. "__//American Pop: Popular Culture Decade By Decade//__. volume 3. (2011). ABC-CLIO. Web. May 4, 2011.


 * Batchelor, Bob. "Hair Bands And Hair Metal Of The 1980's." __//PopCulture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas.//__ Volume 3. (2011) ABC-CLIO. Web. May 4, 2011.


 * Geoff, Brown. "Michael Jackson." //__Body And Soul: An Illustrated Biography__//. (2011). ABC-CLIO. Web. May 9, 2011.


 * Hayes, Malcolm. //__80's & 90's: Different Paths__//. Milwaukee. Gareth Stevens. 2001. Print.


 * Kallen Stuart A. __//Through The Decades: The 1980's//__. San Diego. Lucent Books. 1999. Print. ||  ||