[Music] Is the 80’s the best decade ever for Pop Music ?

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Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,122
Faversham
I have to agree.

I was born in 1984, so it wasn't really my era. Yet I still listen to more 80s music than anything else. I love discovering "new" 80s music on Spotify and adding it to my library.

I can recommend some absolute stunners that were overlooked at the time.

The Burning Skies of Elysium
Pink Turns Blue
Lowlife
Asylum party

These are now some of my 50 favourite bands and I never heard of them during the 80s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpEano7sVxY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT9lwMakwv8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb2FxDxQ0UM&list=OLAK5uy_kIEu-7tMJiSfZqE5kIMF9zF9kMB-Mchqw&index=12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeZtT8zBaZU
 


Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,122
Faversham
Most things - movies, music, tv-series, fashion - from the 80s should have stayed in the 80s.

Of course there is good stuff but its a shite decade. I'm sure it was a fun time to live in, but culturally its a shitshow.

You weren't there, mate.

In the 70s I worked with a pharmacist who was born in the late 30s. I used to sneer at his 'era' (the 50s). He said something along the lines of the women were still ***** and ** *** **, and a **** *** * **** and a **** *** * ****.

That shut me up I can tell you!
 




Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,288
Withdean area
Pop, brilliant singles, an incredible array of genre, the resurrection of dance music and clubbing (which hasn’t stopped since), music with a smile on it and not stuck up its classically-trained backside ….

….. absolutely, yes.


But I like to think of it as 1976 to 1990.

Not just for the obvious Punk/Sex Pistols revolution panacea.

But also; Giorgio Moroder, the beginnings of the immense gay music culture in NYC and San Francisco, New Wave, Post Punk, Chic, Sparks.
 


Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden
You weren't there, mate.

In the 70s I worked with a pharmacist who was born in the late 30s. I used to sneer at his 'era' (the 50s). He said something along the lines of the women were still ***** and ** *** **, and a **** *** * **** and a **** *** * ****.

That shut me up I can tell you!

Doesnt matter if I was there or not. Its still shite.

I was not around in the 60s but I like the 60s.
I was not around in the 70s but I like the 70s.
I was not around in the 80s and it is a ****ing shite decade.
 


Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,288
Withdean area
Doesnt matter if I was there or not. Its still shite.

I was not around in the 60s but I like the 60s.
I was not around in the 70s but I like the 70s.
I was not around in the 80s and it is a ****ing shite decade.

There’s a quality Swedish producer/artist who captured the essence of early/mid-80’s clubbing, he hits the nail on the head.

So much clubbing choice for a load of nsc’ers, we had the time of our lives.

 
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Knocky's Nose

Mon nez est retiré.
May 7, 2017
4,190
Eastbourne
I was born in 1970 and was around in the 70's as a child. The music, to me, was crap.

I discovered music in the 80's, but didn't really like most of it.

I listened to music in the 90's and thought it was quite good.

The 2000's we had a little blip of creativity in the mid 00's, which I liked.

Now, I look back on 1978-1990 as the really good, formative years for many genres today. I'll listen to pretty much anything apart from Jazz and Country & Western.

I do think the 80's were a golden era, though - so, yes.
 


Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,122
Faversham
an alternative list of the 80s

Nick Berry
Anita Dobson
Black Lace
Coast To Coast
Edelweiss
Frank Kelly
Haysi Fantayzee
Keith Harris & Orville
Letitia Dean & Paul Medford
Stefan Dennis
St. Winifred's School Choir
The Snowmen
Chris De Burgh
Joe Dolce
Jason Donovan.......


Not so great now

I love a challenge, moi. These are some of mine not so far mentioned I would imagine:

The Fall*
The Birthday Party*
Section 25
Comsat Angels*
Chameleons*
Tuxedomoon*
Wall of Voodoo
Theatre of Hate
Killing Joke*
Minimal Compact
The Legendary Pink Dots**
David Sylvian
Moev*
Skinny Puppy*
Portion Control
SPK
Mission of Burma
Sting
Simple Minds
Modern Eon
Modern English
Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five
Virginia Astley
Billy Bragg*
Cabaret Voltaire
Kissing the Pink
Pink Military
Pink Industry
Grauzone
Gang of Four**
Haysi Fantayzee (I did actually like them. Sorry [MENTION=20527]studio150[/MENTION]) John Wayne is big leggy :love:

*seen live. So few!

I could go on but Mrs T tells me that Drain the Oceans is on. Oh what exciting lives (etc.)

Ta-ra
 


Live by the sea

Well-known member
Oct 21, 2016
4,718
Forgot to include other great 80’s artists like

Kate bush
Eurythmics
Blondie
Chaka Khan
Paul Simon
Janet Jackson
Stevie Nicks
The smiths
Hall and Oates
Inxs
Dire straits
Five star
Gloria Estefan
Debbie Gibson
The bangles
Kool and the gang



The list goes on and on .

Just to clarify , I’m not trying to say all these artists were only successful in the 1980’s , I am saying they all had very successful careers during the 80’s but yes some were also successful before and after but mainly in the 80’s they had their biggest hits , if that makes sense .
 
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Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,288
Withdean area
I love a challenge, moi. These are some of mine not so far mentioned I would imagine:

The Fall*
The Birthday Party*
Section 25
Comsat Angels*
Chameleons*
Tuxedomoon*
Wall of Voodoo
Theatre of Hate
Killing Joke*
Minimal Compact
The Legendary Pink Dots**
David Sylvian
Moev*
Skinny Puppy*
Portion Control
SPK
Mission of Burma
Sting
Simple Minds
Modern Eon
Modern English
Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five
Virginia Astley
Billy Bragg*
Cabaret Voltaire
Kissing the Pink
Pink Military
Pink Industry
Grauzone
Gang of Four**
Haysi Fantayzee (I did actually like them. Sorry [MENTION=20527]studio150[/MENTION]) John Wayne is big leggy :love:

*seen live. So few!

I could go on but Mrs T tells me that Drain the Oceans is on. Oh what exciting lives (etc.)

Ta-ra

I worked with music miserablists born in the early 50’s, disciples of LedZep, Status Quo, Janis Joplin and anyone who was classically trained who could perform the longest and most complex guitar riffs.

They fkn hated:
John Peel’s influence.
Synths and drum machines.
Dance, disco, people having fun without head-banging.
Independent record labels and their influence.
The fact that working class teenage geniuses, without a music background, could teach themselves some chords and pen wonderful songs (Robert Smith, Joy Division, Morrissey & Marr, Kerr & Burchill, U2, Cocteau Twins, Strummer & Jones, The Stranglers).

Dinosaurs stuck in 1971.

Music evolves, the 80’s and just before were a creative nirvana, magical times for the open minded.
 












Weststander

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2011
69,288
Withdean area
Oh! And Gary Numan and OMD.

New Order
Flock of Seagulls
Roxy Music (some great albums)
Talk Talk
China Crisis
The Bunnymen
Kraftwerk
The The
Depeche Mode
Madonna
Housemartins
Bronski Beat/Communards
Everything But The Girl
Sister Sledge
The Flirts & Bobby O
Yazoo
Erasure
Altered Images
Propaganda
A-ha
Visage
The Jam (some further great songs)
The Stranglers (ditto)
 


drew

Drew
NSC Patron
Oct 3, 2006
23,614
Burgess Hill
The best era is always the current era because you have the best of what is now and the bests of what's gone before.
 




Ooh it’s a corner

Well-known member
Aug 28, 2016
5,542
Nr. Coventry
I agree with the view posted earlier that in the main it is age-related and with that in mind I’d pick the 70s if pushed. I’m happier with a wider range from mid 60s to mid 80s though to incorporate the golden era of Motown(Sam’s Dad), Northern Soul, Glam Rock, Punk/New Wave etc etc as well as the numerous artists from all categories whom I still listen to now - Wonder, Springsteen, Costello et all. Most of the vinyl I own is probably 1970-1990 maybe so another yardstick. JW’s Sounds of the 70’s is a weekly essential on the BBC Sounds App so that confirms it for me!
 


CliveWalkerWingWizard

Well-known member
Aug 31, 2006
2,689
surrenden
Pixies, sonic youth, rem, Stone roses, dinosaur jr, sugar cubes, lemon heads, husker du, butthole surfers, Jesus and Mary chain, primal scream

Just to add a few more
 


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