OLIVER KIMOKEO | online editor
Some critics claim ’80s music is nothing more than a cluster of electronic noise, but I believe the decade carried as much musical substance as the style it showcased.
Eighties music holds a special place in my heart, even though the majority of my aural enjoyment is nostalgic.
I believe the music of the ’80s is now influencing music of the 21st century. I could take at least a quarter of this week’s top 100 songs and show you something inspired by ’80s music.
I was born in 1982, and grew up listening to some ’80s and early ’90s music, but I didn’t become fascinated with it until I started watching “Pop-Up Video” on the VH1 network. The program featured a good selection of ’80s music, offering little tidbits of trivia alongside the music videos.
As I heard more and more ’80s music, I started to buy the greatest hits compilation CDs. My obsession has grown for 10 years now, and I still love the unique style of the ’80s more than any other decade.
It’s true, ’80s music is less innocent than the music of the ’50s, an era when if you didn’t have your collar straight, you’d be committing a felony. But as I listen to the mainstream music of today, which pushes the boundaries of good taste to the limit, I think the music of the ’80s had the right mixture of innocence and edge.
It was an era when “you didn’t have to take your clothes off to have a good time” (Jermaine Stewart), people believed “when the going got tough, the tough get going” (Billy Ocean), and this motto ruled: “Don’t worry, be happy” (Bobby Mc Ferrin).
For the novice ’80s music fan, I’ve created a quick rundown of highlights of the decade.
The Heavy Hitters:
Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna dominated the ’80s music scene. These superstars were all born in the Great Lakes region within three months of each other in 1958, and all hit their commercial stride in 1983-84. Their work stayed fairly consistent throughout the decade.
The Superstar Understudies:
Huey Lewis & The News, Hall & Oates, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar and Cyndi Lauper all achieved popularity during the ’80s, but their success was short-lived. Their music is approachable and shows flashes of greatness, but didn’t achieve the iconic status of the heavy hitters.
The Heavy Metal Crowd:
There’s a lot of great heavy metal from the decade, with groups like Van Halen, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica and Poison leading the way. Perhaps their weakest point is the occasional power ballad. Many groups play great at a fast pace but are not as successful when they slow it down.
The New Romantics:
New wave music, an offshoot of the punk explosion of 1977, brought creative arrangements to traditional song structures and used quirky lyrics to express a point. New wave bands relied on outrageous looks to bring attention to their music. This genre became so popular that at least 75 percent of music from 1982 to 1984 was categorized as new wave music. Duran Duran was the most popular new wave group, with many one-hit wonders following their lead.
The Emerging Hip-Hop:
Hip-hop and rap music exploded during the ’80s. While this rapping style may seem primitive to today’s generation, there were some great artists in the ’80s who knew how to communicate truth through a rhyme. Near the end of the decade, rappers began to use their newly-found genre to speak on the ills of their society for their generation.
Smooth R&B:
If you love slow jams, look no further than the ’80s, which provid a great assortment of ballads. Some R&B artists even started to incorporate hip-hop (new jack swing) in their music near the end of the decade.
I have found that part of the fun of listening to ’80s music is following the recommendations of others. In high school, my buddies and I would trade mix tapes of music we hadn’t heard before.
Recently, I put together a list of my top 2,500 favorite songs of the ’80s. If you feel inclined, check out my list at www.chartfanatic.com. I urge you to explore the unfamiliar artists and song titles. You may find music you like that you never knew existed.
