Style and Music of the 80's
The 1980's were the beginning of the music that is still popular today. Rap (or also know as hip hop) and pop were the main two genres in the 80s. But there was new wave of sound in the 80's. The new wave of music was pop/rock styles music with ties to 1970 punk rock. Rap or Hip Hop consists of synthesized rhythmic the is accompanied by rapping, words that usually rhyme. The first Rap song was actually released in late 1979, but rap did not become popular until the mid-1980's. Many Rap artists used street names instead of their real names. 80's rap artists included The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy and Ice T. Pop music is defined as any music that is popular. Pop artists in the 80's were Madonna, Michele Jackson, Blondie, Journey. One famous artist that is still heard today is Michael Jackson. Known as, " The King of Pop," Michael Jackson produced many albums including Thriller, Bad, and Dangerous. Thriller was one of the best-selling albums of all time. Another notorious artist during the 80's was Madonna. Madonna was also a famous singer. Just like Michael Jackson, Madonna also sang Pop. One of her famous songs was, " Like a Virgin." Because of MTV, pop artists had to have good music videos or they wouldn't be as popular.
Hits of the Time
- Straight Up - Paula Abdul, 1988
- Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Poison, 1988
- Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi, 1986
- Like A Virgin - Madonna, 1984
- Rock With You - Michael Jackson, 1982
- Rapture - Blondie, 1980
- Eye of the Tiger - Survivor, 1982
Trends, Events, and Pop Culture of the 80's
One big trend in the 80's were the Bill Crosby sweaters, along with his show. They were very popular and people liked the looks and how comfortable they were. For younger kids Cabbage Patch Doll were in. Every doll came with a birth certificate so that it could feel more like a kids baby. In addition, during the 80's the Berlin Wall was torn down. This separated Germany into two separate halves. Also, the famous car from Back to the Future, the DeLorean, was created. Unfortunately, the DeLorean was only produced for a few years, so they are very rare today. Parachute pants were also a major trend for lots of people educing the 80's. They were popularized by MC Hammer and given the nickname "Hammer Pants." Overall, there were so many trends during the 80's that everyone just could not lived without.