80s Music
- Thread starter Nate STANley
- Start date
Is this a serious post? Wow, it's amazing how different people's music tastes can be.
I'd have to say that it's hard to find a better 80's album than U2's Joshua Tree. I'm sure I could find a few that I personally like better than that, but that is an all time classic album.
This is a really good documentary. There is a lot of bands that we would have never heard if this radio station didn't go to Europe, find new and exciting stuff and bring it back over here.
Don't have favorite song, but I was into the Cars, Queen, and Guns n Roses mainly.
demoncore1031
Well-Known Member
Indeed it is a serious post. I'm not into U2 at all. I like my music fast and loud! You know, the stuff that makes you want to slam someone's head through a wall
You had me until you ripped on Janet. Were you dropped on your head?
For some reason, when I think of 80s music, this is the song that comes to mind:
If I had a dollar for every time I was asked that question...
Def Leppard was my first "favorite" band. My older brother is 8 years older than me and he was a teen during the height of the 80s. I stole so many of his cassettes and later CDs. His Def Leppard cassettes were the first ones I really got into.
I also stole a few of his Duran Duran tapes and they were big in my 80s education.
The huge thing, in my opinion, about the 80s was that MTV gave rise to so many artists based on their videos more so than their musical talents. Video killed the radios star, literally.
There were a lot of 80s one hit wonders because of this because a band hit the scene with an awesome video and then no one cared about anything else they did.
My favorite one hit wonder comes from the 80s and it's a perfect example. Extremely memorable and unique video, and an upbeat fun song. It seems like they had some later success in europe, but never got higher than 20 in the US charts after this.
There were a lot of 80s one hit wonders because of this because a band hit the scene with an awesome video and then no one cared about anything else they did.
My favorite one hit wonder comes from the 80s and it's a perfect example. Extremely memorable and unique video, and an upbeat fun song. It seems like they had some later success in europe, but never got higher than 20 in the US charts after this.
And it's been mentioned, but I don't think anyone posted the video. This one screams 80s especially because of MTV
That might have been a hit without help of MTV, but sometimes I wonder, would anyone "remember" the song without the video?
Certainly could apply to numerous songs, but it's among video/song combos that makes me wonder. "Video Killed the Radio Star" of course, also maybe "Whip It," and ...
Yeah - there were a LOT of songs that became radio hits because MTV played the crap out of a video that was unique/cool/weird/whatever. I'd like to think that "Take On Me" would have still broken through at US radio without that particular video, but I don't know that it ever would have gone to #1. "The Sun Always Shines On TV" was a good song that rode the coattails of "Take On Me." At least A-ha can say they (technically) weren't a one hit wonder in the US, since it reached #20 on the Hot 100 and was a top 10 entry on the Billboard Dance Club Songs and Dance Singles Sales charts.
Another factor that is sometimes overlooked in 80s radio success was a song's inclusion on a movie soundtrack. The 80s were HUGE for move soundtrack songs. It continued in the 90s, but had dropped off considerably by the end of that decade. You consider some of the movies that produces multiple radio hits from popular films: Footloose, Flashdance, Top Gun, Purple Rain, Beverly Hills Cop I & II, etc. Every week, the Hot 100 was littered with soundtrack singles. It was kind of incredible.
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Even though Michael Jackson is now known for all of the terrible things he is accused of, he owned the 80s, especially on MTV. He was ****** up and a lot of **** got him there, but he was the King of Pop for a reason.
Michael would have been a big deal without MTV and videos, but the creativity and originality with his videos were unparalleled.
Chief among these, was Thriller. That album was meteoric. I remember both my older siblings had the record.
And it is a song that definitely wouldn't have made much sense or had the impact in the pre-video era
Michael's video premiers became a prime time event. I remember waiting till the end of the Simpsons to see this one:
And we also had this one that was supposed to be an update to his persona
Michael would have been a big deal without MTV and videos, but the creativity and originality with his videos were unparalleled.
Chief among these, was Thriller. That album was meteoric. I remember both my older siblings had the record.
And it is a song that definitely wouldn't have made much sense or had the impact in the pre-video era
Michael's video premiers became a prime time event. I remember waiting till the end of the Simpsons to see this one:
And we also had this one that was supposed to be an update to his persona
Personally I always liked his earlier stuff particularly these two:
Beat it really showed his story telling chops and what he could do in a video that would portray that.
And one of the earliest most iconic images of Michael moonwalking and walking on the lighted squares
Beat it really showed his story telling chops and what he could do in a video that would portray that.
And one of the earliest most iconic images of Michael moonwalking and walking on the lighted squares
About a month ago, I was walking up the stairs on my deck and my shadow was making the solar lights go on while I walked on each one. Billie Jean was the soundtrack to my ascent up the stairs.
A few years ago, in retrospect, I felt like the video for "Black or White" should've been the last official MTV video. He could afford to do something over-the-top like that, and he did. it's like, where do you go from there?
Not saying it's my favorite or necessarily the best music video, it's just -- pulled out all the stops.