THE DECADE OF ROCK: 80’S IN MUSIC

  80’s are known in music culture for having one of the most loudest, fastest, aggressive and influential music of all time. By the beginning of 1980, the hardcore rock music had already started to dominant the music industry. Synth pop, new wave and hair metal were some of the popular styles of 80's. Some bands from earlier era's of 60's and 70's find it hard transitioning into the 80's style of music. But in the contrary, 80’s has given some of the greatest bands, albums, and songs which later became biggest names in the music industry.

    

I LOVE 80s LOGO WHICH WAS
MOSTLY USED IN T-SHIRT

       Going by the sales evaluation, 80s still will remain on top. The albums like Thriller(Michael Jackson),Back in Black(ACDC),Private Dancer(Tina Turner),Slippery When Wet(Bon Jovi),Appetite for destruction(Guns N Roses),The Joshua Tree(U2),Brothers In Arms(Dire Straits) and many more became the chart topper  selling millions of album worldwide. (Thriller) by Michael Jackson is still the biggest selling album of all time selling over 110 million copies worldwide and (Bad) in 1987 which sold 30 million copies worldwide is also one of the best selling album of all time. whereas ACDC’s (Back in Black) is in number two in the list of biggest selling album of all time with 49 million copies sold worldwide and both albums were released in early 80s i.e. 1982 and 1980.Likewise, the album by Madonna, (like a virgin) became one of the most popular album of 80s which sold over 22 million copies worldwide and Whitney Houston’s self title debut album which sold over 25 million copies worldwide make both females two of the most established, successful and influential female artist of all time. Similarly, Billy Joel 1985 compilation album (Greatest hits volume I and II) sold 23 million copies in US alone making him one of the best selling artists of 80s. Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 album (Born in the USA) and Phil Collin’s 1985 album (No Jacket Required) also became two of the best selling albums of all time i.e. selling 25 and 32 million copies worldwide respectively.

      Likewise in the 80s, many bands revolutionized the hard rock genre in their own style. R&B and hip hop broke into mainstream with the group like Prince, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, LL cool J, Public enemy, Freddie Jackson became successful artists and their music become dominant cultural movement throughout the decade. Likewise alternative rock was popularized by the bands like REM, The Pixies, and Sonic Youth and also was dominating with different style of Alternative pop, Industrial rock, and Noise rock genre with new bands like Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction. Post punk band like U2 and new wave music with bands such as Dire straits and Duran Duran were also prominent music in 80s decade. But post punk act didn’t last long and were disbanded after mid 80s to add the element in creation of alternative rock. Similarly, one band of four college friend named Red Hot Chili Peppers didn’t achieve much commercial success till their third album in 1987,” The Uplift Mofo Party Plan”, but they did get noticed for the fusion of funk rock and the combination of rap rock and heavy metal guitar tone which later influence the band like Rage Against the Machine, Korn and Limp Bizkit.

BIG FOUR OF THRASH METAL

      But what makes me feel good about 80s is the establishment of heavy metal and hard rock genre in the mainstream media and mostly  the formation of four of the biggest name in heavy metal genre i.e. Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth and the mighty Metallica. Metallica was formed in 1981 and now is one of the biggest band of the world selling over 100 million album worldwide. At the time when hair metal and glam metal bands like Motley Crue, Skid Row, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake were tasting the commercial success and arena rocker status, Metallica were playing  Faster and louder riffs and still were getting more and more fans support without the radio airplay. Their 1985 album “master of puppets” is still considered as one of the most influential heavy metal album of all time. Likewise, the 1987 debut album “Appetite for Destruction” of LA rockers Guns N Roses changed the meaning of hard rock and sold over 28 million copies worldwide. Slash’s hard hitting riffs and Axl Rose powerful vocal make them one of the most prominent name in 80s music history. Similarly, hard rock acts of Aerosmith, Van Halen and Alice Cooper also gained success over the decade. Aerosmith and Alice cooper were among the bands from 70s that were still prominent in 80s era. Similarly, Queen’s performance in 1985 live act is still remembered as one of the most powerful and greatest performance moment in rock history.

80s Biggest Glam Metal Bands 

      But in the end, 80s music belongs to the hair and glam metal bands. Hair and glam metal begin in 1983 and peaked success in mid 80s and later took over the hard rock bands of 70s like Aerosmith, Kiss and Alice cooper. Bands such as Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Skid Row, Twisted Sister, Whitesnake, Def Leppard were some of the biggest name in 80s music scenario. Bon Jovi’s 1986 album “Slippery When Wet” established them as arena rockers and sold over 24 million copies worldwide. This genre gain popularity with the success of albums like “Pyromania” by Def Leppard in 1983 which received diamond certification in US alone and sold 20 million unit worldwide and Multi-platinum album of Motley Crue “shout at the devil” in 1983.Glam metal scene was more popularized in the mid 80s with the bands like Cinderella, Poison and Whitesnake with their multiplatinum albums like “Night Songs”, “Look what the cat dragged”, and “Whitesnake” respectively. By the end of the decade glam metal revolution was falling down and has started to be suppressed by the new genre of grunge and the bands like Pearl jam and Nirvana who were topping the chart. Skid row was among few of the last glam metal band of the 80s era and their album “Skid Row” was the one of the last few commercially successful glam metal album.

      As a whole, 80s is the musical era or decade most of the people want to hear and feel again because of some of the greatest live acts and bands with loud, aggressive attitude, and over the top music.