80’s music just the best and most enduring?
Discussion
The eighties were really all about the advent of cheap & therefore widely available digital instruments & none the better for it imo. Massive drum sounds & synths haven't aged well in lots of cases. Saying that, my first musical infatuation was Electro & that wouldn't have happened at all without them.
BilderBurger said:
The eighties were really all about the advent of cheap & therefore widely available digital instruments & none the better for it imo. Massive drum sounds & synths haven't aged well in lots of cases. Saying that, my first musical infatuation was Electro & that wouldn't have happened at all without them.
We were all obsessed with the Electro series. A much needed breath of fresh air! It was all the better for remaining fairly underground.keirik said:
Think it's an age thing.
I absolutely hated 90% of 90s music and still do.
Unless it was heavy rock as mentioned earlier.
All that Lionel Ritchie, Hall and Oate's type stuff makes me want to stab myself in the ears with a biro.
I agree with the last sentence but the 80's rocked away from the aspirational pretty boy manufactured Biro sceneI absolutely hated 90% of 90s music and still do.
Unless it was heavy rock as mentioned earlier.
All that Lionel Ritchie, Hall and Oate's type stuff makes me want to stab myself in the ears with a biro.
Well it did if you were an indie misfit:
The The
Joy Division
Human League - early stuff
Jesus and Mary Chain
Elvis Costello
The Jam
Bowie - pre Lets Dance
Pixies
Soul II Soul
Blondie
The Clash
And many more......
I think it's very hard to praise or damn an entire decade.
I tend to think music was at its best between about 1978 and 1984, but honestly, that's probably because it's when I really stopped thinking music was REALLY important.
In my tens, early teens, I really liked bands The Beatles, Rolling Stones and 10CC - I disliked stuff like Pink Floyd, UFO, Genesis, it was just too self indulgent and pompous to my ears and, truth be told, I still feel much the same.
When Punk came along, despite being a fairly unrebellious youth, I found something I could relate to, especially as it morphed into New Wave - I didn't much like some stuff (a lot was just rubbish, lets be honest), but The Clash remain a huge favourite.
I was 18 in 1980 and so the '80s were my era - I still love a lot of the music from the early part of the decade, The Police, ABC, Heaven 17, Human League, Everything But The Girl, Blow Monkeys, The Two Tone bands, Blondie, Talking Heads, Yazoo (which someone damned as 'noise', but how can anyone not enjoy Alison Moyet's voice?) and, of course, New Order, probably my all time favourite band, if I'm pressed.
But as others have said, it slid into a sad decline - a lot of those bands got a bit rubbish as time progressed or ceased to exist - and the SAW juggernaut rolled into town and made stars of squeaky (clean and voiced) Aussie Soap Stars, Tea Boys and office temps. All you can really admire from that is Kylie's resilience despite having the thinnest voice on the planet and, ironically, Rick Astley rich tones and his readiness to just walk away from it!
Of course, while all this was going on stuff like AC/DC, Motorhead, The Stones, Genesis, Bowie, Paul Simon and other established stars carried on as before, whilst disco (really a late 70s thing) clung on determinedly as did Reggae (I thought it strange that someone else said they 'hated 80s music and retreated into reggae" as this was probably the decade where it was most mainstream, both in pure form (Marley) and more influential ones (Ska, The Police).
You also had a slew of American stuff, some dreadful (I suffered "We built this city on Rock and Roll" this very morning!), but also Springsteen was at his popularity peak (and I'd say his best, but I suspect hardcore fans disagree).
The 80s, then, good, bad and indifferent, but with a lot of variety, but you can say that of more or less any decade from the 50s to today.
The charts today are a bit of a joke, where one artist can fill the top 10 places with tracks from their latest album, but there's a huge variety of music out there today - Heavy Rock/Metal, Electro, Ballads, Soul, Reggae (I guess, although it seems to have vanished mostly to be replaced with Rap and Hip/Hop and the various other spin offs, which I must admit I mostly hate with a vengeance) and of course, some old favourites still banging out tours and albums.
A lot of the '80s stuff people are lauding is stuff I hated at the time and hate today, or perhaps tolerate with a hint of nostalgia, but I'm not sure the '80s was really any better than the '60s, '70s, '90s or today (although I'm increasingly out of touch post 2000!).
M
I tend to think music was at its best between about 1978 and 1984, but honestly, that's probably because it's when I really stopped thinking music was REALLY important.
In my tens, early teens, I really liked bands The Beatles, Rolling Stones and 10CC - I disliked stuff like Pink Floyd, UFO, Genesis, it was just too self indulgent and pompous to my ears and, truth be told, I still feel much the same.
When Punk came along, despite being a fairly unrebellious youth, I found something I could relate to, especially as it morphed into New Wave - I didn't much like some stuff (a lot was just rubbish, lets be honest), but The Clash remain a huge favourite.
I was 18 in 1980 and so the '80s were my era - I still love a lot of the music from the early part of the decade, The Police, ABC, Heaven 17, Human League, Everything But The Girl, Blow Monkeys, The Two Tone bands, Blondie, Talking Heads, Yazoo (which someone damned as 'noise', but how can anyone not enjoy Alison Moyet's voice?) and, of course, New Order, probably my all time favourite band, if I'm pressed.
But as others have said, it slid into a sad decline - a lot of those bands got a bit rubbish as time progressed or ceased to exist - and the SAW juggernaut rolled into town and made stars of squeaky (clean and voiced) Aussie Soap Stars, Tea Boys and office temps. All you can really admire from that is Kylie's resilience despite having the thinnest voice on the planet and, ironically, Rick Astley rich tones and his readiness to just walk away from it!
Of course, while all this was going on stuff like AC/DC, Motorhead, The Stones, Genesis, Bowie, Paul Simon and other established stars carried on as before, whilst disco (really a late 70s thing) clung on determinedly as did Reggae (I thought it strange that someone else said they 'hated 80s music and retreated into reggae" as this was probably the decade where it was most mainstream, both in pure form (Marley) and more influential ones (Ska, The Police).
You also had a slew of American stuff, some dreadful (I suffered "We built this city on Rock and Roll" this very morning!), but also Springsteen was at his popularity peak (and I'd say his best, but I suspect hardcore fans disagree).
The 80s, then, good, bad and indifferent, but with a lot of variety, but you can say that of more or less any decade from the 50s to today.
The charts today are a bit of a joke, where one artist can fill the top 10 places with tracks from their latest album, but there's a huge variety of music out there today - Heavy Rock/Metal, Electro, Ballads, Soul, Reggae (I guess, although it seems to have vanished mostly to be replaced with Rap and Hip/Hop and the various other spin offs, which I must admit I mostly hate with a vengeance) and of course, some old favourites still banging out tours and albums.
A lot of the '80s stuff people are lauding is stuff I hated at the time and hate today, or perhaps tolerate with a hint of nostalgia, but I'm not sure the '80s was really any better than the '60s, '70s, '90s or today (although I'm increasingly out of touch post 2000!).
M
I was 8 in 1980 so grew up with all of this music. Although I loved a few tunes, I preferred stuff like the Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks, Status Quo , Eric Clapton etc . Basically guitar based music. Probably why I only listen to the heavier stuff today (and pretty much have since discovering iron maiden in 1986)
80's music is the only stuff me and the mrs have in common though so its always a laugh when the 80's stuff comes on at parties etc
I have to agree with the state of music today, it's horrible! Poor kids..
80's music is the only stuff me and the mrs have in common though so its always a laugh when the 80's stuff comes on at parties etc
I have to agree with the state of music today, it's horrible! Poor kids..
If you think Eighties music (with very few exceptions) was great, you weren't there.
One national radio station playing the same rubbish, day after day, and regional stations doing the same. Plus music was relatively expensive to buy.
Absolutley awful until 88-89 when dance music started to have an effect on guitar bands leading to Madchester.
Kids these days are lucky that they have such a diverse choice of genres and multiple ways to listen to them.
The eighties were crap - ignore all the nostalgia programs that say they were great, they weren't.
One national radio station playing the same rubbish, day after day, and regional stations doing the same. Plus music was relatively expensive to buy.
Absolutley awful until 88-89 when dance music started to have an effect on guitar bands leading to Madchester.
Kids these days are lucky that they have such a diverse choice of genres and multiple ways to listen to them.
The eighties were crap - ignore all the nostalgia programs that say they were great, they weren't.
hepy said:
If you think Eighties music (with very few exceptions) was great, you weren't there.
One national radio station playing the same rubbish, day after day, and regional stations doing the same. Plus music was relatively expensive to buy.
Absolutley awful until 88-89 when dance music started to have an effect on guitar bands leading to Madchester.
Kids these days are lucky that they have such a diverse choice of genres and multiple ways to listen to them.
The eighties were crap - ignore all the nostalgia programs that say they were great, they weren't.
Agree with that. I left school and started work in '85. I had the misfortune of working in locations for a few years that had Radio 1 piped in all day. There was no escaping it.One national radio station playing the same rubbish, day after day, and regional stations doing the same. Plus music was relatively expensive to buy.
Absolutley awful until 88-89 when dance music started to have an effect on guitar bands leading to Madchester.
Kids these days are lucky that they have such a diverse choice of genres and multiple ways to listen to them.
The eighties were crap - ignore all the nostalgia programs that say they were great, they weren't.
Hearing the latest Rick Astley 'hit' (put an S in front of that) for the third/fourth time every day made me want to kill someone.
I was soooo relieved when the Madchester thing hit!
Btw, I was once accused by a girl of being weird because I didn't like any of the pap pop like Kylie & Jason. Work that one out.
Edited by Front bottom on Wednesday 21st February 07:30
Front bottom said:
Agree with that. I left school and started work in '85. I had the misfortune of working in locations for a few years that had Radio 1 piped in all day. There was no escaping it.
Hearing the latest Rick Astley 'hit' (put an S in front of that) for the third/fourth time every day made me want to kill someone.
I was soooo relieved when the Madchester thing hit!
Btw, I was once accused by a girl of being weird because I didn't like any of the pap pop like Kylie & Jason. Work that one out.
It was all crap really including the rubbish from Manchester + the Britpop crap, it's probably why it never went big in the States, there wasn't much chance of the Gallagher brothers giving a thank you speech after collecting a Grammy because they were never going to win one.Hearing the latest Rick Astley 'hit' (put an S in front of that) for the third/fourth time every day made me want to kill someone.
I was soooo relieved when the Madchester thing hit!
Btw, I was once accused by a girl of being weird because I didn't like any of the pap pop like Kylie & Jason. Work that one out.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 21st February 07:30
BilderBurger said:
Of course it was. 4% of the British population applied for Oasis tickets at Knebworth. Must have been dire music for that to happen.
The majority of people I meet no f
k all about music hence why Oasis have been popular in this country perhaps, Robbie Williams done a sold out show there too, another load of crap that was never going to have to give an acceptence speech at the Grammy awards.Music is a subjective thing. It's not possible in any rational way to insist that one band is better than another any more than it is to insist that one biscuit is superior to another. It's demonstrably a pointless exercise. One man's soul stirring song is another's nails down a blackboard. Who's right?
What you can say is true is Oasis were so popular at that point, that 2.5 million people tried to buy tickets for those gigs.
So it's you vs 2.5 million people.
What you can say is true is Oasis were so popular at that point, that 2.5 million people tried to buy tickets for those gigs.
So it's you vs 2.5 million people.
BilderBurger said:
What you can say is true is Oasis were so popular at that point, that 2.5 million people tried to buy tickets for those gigs.
So it's you vs 2.5 million people.
Sure is but as I've pointed out the majority of people I've met don't know much about music, the BBC can make certain bands popular by their constant plugging of them fortunately with the advent of internet radio I'm not at the mercy of the BBC anymore. So it's you vs 2.5 million people.
hepy said:
If you think Eighties music (with very few exceptions) was great, you weren't there.
So if you have an opinion on music, you're wrong because you weren't there? I guess people that like 20's big band are fked then aren't they?hepy said:
One national radio station playing the same rubbish, day after day, and regional stations doing the same. Plus music was relatively expensive to buy.
Yet further down you praise the absolute dire generic skilless stuff that's played over and over on the radio by people nobody will remember?hepy said:
Absolutley awful until 88-89 when dance music started to have an effect on guitar bands leading to Madchester.
I was about to agree that Madchester was fantastic for music, but then I remembered I wasn't there.hepy said:
Kids these days are lucky that they have such a diverse choice of genres and multiple ways to listen to them.
I'm a "kid"ish today, you're either deluded or just mistaken if you think we have any sort of diverse music. We have generic stuff, 90% written by the same 2 people, it's either Ed Sheeran or some generic trax song with the 3 same notes to it for 3 minutes. Music is more generic and poor than ever, make no mistake on that.hepy said:
The eighties were crap - ignore all the nostalgia programs that say they were great, they weren't.
Economic boom, some of the greatest cars ever to grace this earth, the political powerhouse of Reagan/Thatcher, scientific advances in health care like no other decade, the pre PC culture era of sociological ideas. Sounds st, but I can't have an opinion because I wasn't there, right?Raygun said:
The majority of people I meet no fk all about music
Maybe because we weren't around for the stuff you like? How could we know about music if we weren't there for it? k all about music Gassing Station | Music | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff