Musically, the 80's was interesting. I graduated in 82, so by the time the full 80's sound had arrived, I was in my early to mid 20's.
We had survived disco, and punk had run it's course. Punk is still around, but not in the forefront like it was in the late 70's early 80's, but that's another subject.
With the advent of MTV, suddenly, it was important to look good as well as sound good, with, eventually, the sound actually taking a back seat to the image.
Musically, the sound went from guitars to synths. Sparse, etheral ambiance was the flavor of the day. Androgenous look, mascara, metallic sports coats, a ton of hair spray, etc. Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Michael Jackson, Simple Minds, Tears For Fears, Psychadelic Furs, Big Country, Echo and the Bunnymen,Prince, etc, capitalized on the MTV vehicle.
The pop smacked of the residue of disco. Madonna, Tayor Dayne, etc, put the dance music back on the charts, and rap burst onto the mainstream scene with the advent of "Yo! MTV Raps". The face of music was changing, as suburban kids were exposed to black artists, and while they might not have been able to relate, they certainly embraced the image. Crossover chart toppers became the norm.
As far as the music goes, there was some good music to come from the 80's. Modern English's 'Melt With You', Soft Cell's 'Tainted Love', Flock of Seagulls' 'I Ran' are some of my favorite 80's tunes.
Also on the charts was the ahir metal. Cinderella, Poison, Ratt, The Crue, Skid Row. All the spawn of KISS fans of the late 70's. All about having a good time and partying. They rivaled the New-Wavers in the makeup and VO-5 department. It became fluffy glam.
MTV killed musical integrity. It was about looking good and having a good time. Don't get me wrong, though, there is a lot of good 80's music out there.
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Be strong then, and enter into your own body;
there you have a solid place for your feet. ~ Kabir
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