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

[Tyrone Biggums]

Technically speaking yes as a thing, but they were bubbling along in the underground scene before that with bands from the 70s , who kinda made it in the 80s like the raincoats and Joan Jett etc.

More as an independent movement were the Riot Grrrls.

Those that came before were more just part of the various scenes their music fell into.

Slits were just part of the general punk scene, Bodysnatchers just part of the 2 Tone scene.

Huggy Bear a Riot Grrrl band were based in Brighton.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

Late 70's to mid 80's was the most inventive and diverse musical time I would think with lots of different genres taking off at that time - punk, new wave, hip hop, rap, ska, electronic and that new romantic bobbins amongst others.

very much this. For me ‘76 through to ‘83.


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[Dr Q]

I find it a very distinct sounding decade (again, with plenty of exceptions since there was probably a million songs released) that just doesnt please my eardrum.

Therin lies the problem, It'll sound far better in Stereo

 

[Nitram]

Definition of popular music to me strides any genre that sold well. Best decade for me was 1967 to 1977 - Sgt Pepper to Sex Pistols and loads of stop offs in between.

 

[sams dad]

Madness
The Specials
The Lamberettas (Brighton band)
The Selector
And the whole Ska, Mod, 2Tone revival.

Great bands, and I loved their music but they were mostly inspired by the 60's.

 

[b.w.2.]

No


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[BLOCK F]

‘tis so subjective and, as others have pointed out, it largely depends on one’s age.
For me, aged 73 (still can’t believe it!), my favourite period is really from 1966 through to the end of the 1970’s.
Special mention for 1967, The Summer of Love.
Yes, I like some of the 1980’s music as well and when my younger wife says listen to this, I also like some of today’s music.
Have to say though, at heart, I am a late ‘60’s man, so many happy memories of what was a carefree time of life for this old git.

 

[Live by the sea]

73 is not old . 93 is old nowdays .

 

[maltaseagull]

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

Now, I don't want to encourage you to post another 20 tracks but they were really good!

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Now, I don't want to encourage you to post another 20 tracks but they were really good!

Don't worry, I've learned my lesson.

Glad you liked

 

[Weststander]

‘tis so subjective and, as others have pointed out, it largely depends on one’s age.
For me, aged 73 (still can’t believe it!), my favourite period is really from 1966 through to the end of the 1970’s.
Special mention for 1967, The Summer of Love.
Yes, I like some of the 1980’s music as well and when my younger wife says listen to this, I also like some of today’s music.
Have to say though, at heart, I am a late ‘60’s man, so many happy memories of what was a carefree time of life for this old git.

I watched a brilliant documentary about Michael Caine on Saturday night. He’s 15 years older than you.

They asked him the difference in general between living in the 50’s and the 60’s. He described it evocatively that it was like the 50’s were in black’n’white, the 60’s in Technicolour.

Musically I think of the 60’s as the beginning of a new Enlightenment. The Rolling Stones, Byrds, Beatles, Doors, Tamla Motown, The Who, psychedelic music, Mamas & Papas, Serge Gainsbourg, Francoise Hardy, Peter, Paul & Mary. Amazing times, you were lucky compared to previous generations, my Dad’s the same and I was brought up in the 70’s listening to all that. I still listen to it now on my own youtube playlists.

Then for me as teen in the late 70’s and the 80’s, they were also special days.

Most people have a lifelong special attachment to the music of their teens and twenties.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I watched a brilliant documentary about Michael Caine on Saturday night. He’s 15 years older than you.

They asked him the difference in general between living in the 50’s and the 60’s. He described it evocatively as it was like the 50’s were in black’n’white, the 60’s in Technicolour.

Musically I think of the 60’s as the beginning of a new Enlightenment. The Rolling Stones, Byrds, Beatles, Doors, Tamla Motown, The Who, psychedelic music, Mamas & Papas, Serge Gainsbourg, Francoise Hardy, Peter, Paul & Mary. Amazing times, you were lucky compared to previous generations, my Dad’s the same and I was brought up in the 70’s listening to all that. I still listen to it now on my own youtube playlists.

Then for me as teen in the late 70’s and the 80’s, they were also special days.

Most people have a lifelong special attachment to the music of their teens and twenties.

I'm not sure I do. When I found I could buy, via GEMM, CDs of music from the late 70s and early 80s (my 'era') I began two or more decades of gorging. But the internet also revealed modern music related to my old faves. The Danse Society's 'goth' tag lead me, via Napster, its algorithms, and its band of file sharers with similar tastes, and high speed connections at work, to 90s and noughties darkwave (VNV, Assemblage 23, Velvet Acid Christ, Combichrist, Icon of Coil, Theatre of Tragedy) then back to earlier music I'd lost contact with (like like NIN, Skinny Puppy, Moev, Portion Control, Tuxedomoon, SPK) and then I discovered the modern world of the Agnes Circle, Lebananon Hanover, Drab Majesty, and then back in time to bands I'd missed in the 80s and 90s like some I posted on here, French coldwave (Little Nemo), Porcupine Tree, DJ Shadow, and then a few years ago I wandered, through youtube, into witch house, trap, wave and phonk, where I get a daily fix of wonderful music from all round the world, especially Russia and former soviet republics, my favourites including Fraunhofer diffraction, Axius Link and Sco. All the while I have backfilled everything I liked from the past into my massive iTunes collection, and I listen to music of the past, present and perhaps future. I don't do musical nostalgia or genre willy waving. I still have Wishbone Ash, Purple, Sabbath, Beach boys, Caravan, and mountains of dub reggae in the vault and it all gets aired on random play, all relevant, all loaded up because I love it, and so on

 

[jakarta]

I'm not sure I do. When I found I could buy, via GEMM, CDs of music from the late 70s and early 80s (my 'era') I began two or more decades of gorging. But the internet also revealed modern music related to my old faves. The Danse Society's 'goth' tag lead me, via Napster, its algorithms, and its band of file sharers with similar tastes, and high speed connections at work, to 90s and noughties darkwave (VNV, Assemblage 23, Velvet Acid Christ, Combichrist, Icon of Coil, Theatre of Tragedy) then back to earlier music I'd lost contact with (like like NIN, Skinny Puppy, Moev, Portion Control, Tuxedomoon, SPK) and then I discovered the modern world of the Agnes Circle, Lebananon Hanover, Drab Majesty, and then back in time to bands I'd missed in the 80s and 90s like some I posted on here, French coldwave (Little Nemo), Porcupine Tree, DJ Shadow, and then a few years ago I wandered, through youtube, into witch house, trap, wave and phonk, where I get a daily fix of wonderful music from all round the world, especially Russia and former soviet republics, my favourites including Fraunhofer diffraction, Axius Link and Sco. All the while I have backfilled everything I liked from the past into my massive iTunes collection, and I listen to music of the past, present and perhaps future. I don't do musical nostalgia or genre willy waving. I still have Wishbone Ash, Purple, Sabbath, Beach boys, Caravan, and mountains of dub reggae in the vault and it all gets aired on random play, all relevant, all loaded up because I love it, and so on

Ah but did you like the Verdi I put up t'other day? She dies at the end - would have thought it was right up Faversham Street.

 

[Weststander]

I'm not sure I do. When I found I could buy, via GEMM, CDs of music from the late 70s and early 80s (my 'era') I began two or more decades of gorging. But the internet also revealed modern music related to my old faves. The Danse Society's 'goth' tag lead me, via Napster, its algorithms, and its band of file sharers with similar tastes, and high speed connections at work, to 90s and noughties darkwave (VNV, Assemblage 23, Velvet Acid Christ, Combichrist, Icon of Coil, Theatre of Tragedy) then back to earlier music I'd lost contact with (like like NIN, Skinny Puppy, Moev, Portion Control, Tuxedomoon, SPK) and then I discovered the modern world of the Agnes Circle, Lebananon Hanover, Drab Majesty, and then back in time to bands I'd missed in the 80s and 90s like some I posted on here, French coldwave (Little Nemo), Porcupine Tree, DJ Shadow, and then a few years ago I wandered, through youtube, into witch house, trap, wave and phonk, where I get a daily fix of wonderful music from all round the world, especially Russia and former soviet republics, my favourites including Fraunhofer diffraction, Axius Link and Sco. All the while I have backfilled everything I liked from the past into my massive iTunes collection, and I listen to music of the past, present and perhaps future. I don't do musical nostalgia or genre willy waving. I still have Wishbone Ash, Purple, Sabbath, Beach boys, Caravan, and mountains of dub reggae in the vault and it all gets aired on random play, all relevant, all loaded up because I love it, and so on

But you love a load of music from 1976 onwards, you often mention affectionately so much stuff from the Peel years, gigs you were lucky to see in London. …. when you were in that age bracket.

It’s not exclusive or preclusive, you’re open minded.

I passionately love tons of later music too, including trance, European music. Youtube’s been an amazing enabler for me.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

But you love a load of music from 1976 onwards, you often mention affectionately so much stuff from the Peel years, gigs you were lucky to see in London. …. when you were in that age bracket.

It’s not exclusive or preclusive, you’re open minded.

I passionately love tons of later music too, including trance, European music. Youtube’s been an amazing enabler for me.

Lol!

Alright. If I could transport myself through time and space to any gig, what would it be?

Probably a Wrist Action gig at the Buccanneer in 77, the one where I met my first wife - I'd give her a wide berth second time around.

It's all about priorities

 

[Si Gull]

Not sure I've read every post so hope I'm not duplicating.....as the end of the 80s segued into the 90s we had Ride, Lush, Pale Saints, My Bloody Valentine, and a host of supporting acts for the 'Shoegaze' scene. Also Throwing Muses....

 

[Weststander]

Lol!

Alright. If I could transport myself through time and space to any gig, what would it be?

Probably a Wrist Action gig at the Buccanneer in 77, the one where I met my first wife - I'd give her a wide berth second time around.

It's all about priorities

In your rock/head-banging phase before Malcolm McLaren, Strummer and Lydon shook the world order, you also rave about Hawkwind. The merest mention of Hawkwind on nsc and you’re in like a flash

 

[OzMike]

The 80's seemed to bring all music genres together, from hard rock to electronic.
The choice was huge and there was so much quality around.
The progressive rock guys had new toys to play with and even the run of the mill throw aways were marginally better than before.
The sax was king, no bias there !
The music and songs were also much more intetesting in my opinion and the related fashions so diverse.
It was a great 'one off' decade and I appreciate being in it at the right age.
It will always be the best decade of my lifetime for music, fashion and living carefree.

 

[Tokyohands]

Overall I think so but I don't just listen to 80s pop. The records I now focus on adding to my collection tend to be 80s electro, freestyle, house music and early rave stuff. I preferred "pop' music more in the 90s though as dance music had become more mainstream.

 

[Weststander]

Loving BBC2 just now ….. Trevor Horn at the BBC.

Just playing 80’s pop singles, right up my musical street.


Edit: Playing later stuff too eg Tatu. Still great.