In Defense of the '80s - Part III

VII. Timeless Songs
Did I mention the classic tunes yet?!?

VIII. The Birth of Superstar Careers, The Growth of Others
Loads of talented, superstar artists hit the scene for the first time in the '80s. Monikers that would quickly become household names and stay that way for decades first appeared on people's musical radars - names like Bryan Adams, Huey Lewis, Bon Jovi, Bruce Hornsby, & Stevie Ray Vaughan. Def Leppard's debut album was released in 1980, Metallica was born in 1981, and by the end of the decade, bands by the names of Guns 'n' Roses and Dream Theater would release their first recordings. The decade of the 1980's saw the birth of a plethora of classic musical acts that would remain massively successful and appreciated for decades to come.

In Defense of the '80s - Part II

III. Great Musicianship
Great, stupendous, jaw-dropping, amazing musicianship, really. The Herculean feats of rock musicality that had started in the '60s and continued through the '70s hit all kinds of new highs in the '80s: Eddie Van Halen single-handedly crafted an entire movement of pyrotechnic guitar playing on the back of his own virtuosity & the idea of the guitar hero was born anew. EVH paved the way for the likes of Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, and legions of other rock guitar gods. And what Eddie did for rock Stevie Ray Vaughn was accomplishing for the blues. But guitars weren't the only instruments whose boundaries were getting expanded - drummers followed the leads of players like Neil Peart, Vinnie Colaiuta, Stewart Copeland, Manu Katche & Terry Bozzio to take the concept of what rock 'n' roll drums could be to all new places. The über-musicality of progressive rock saw itself revitalized in the continuing (and sometimes never-before-achieved) success of bands like Rush, Genesis, King Crimson, and eventually Dream Theater. The session scene was also in full-bloom, showcasing the monster talents of players like Steve Lukather, John Robinson, Mike Landau, Steve Gadd, Nathan East, and Dann Huff. And, perhaps most-notably when talking about the music of the '80s, cats could sing. In a time before digital editing and pitch correction, the lead vocalists that dominated the airwaves in the 1980's demonstrated vocal prowess on a scale that has since to be matched, by-and-large. The simple fact of the matter was that to make it back then, you had to have your crap together. And, while I don't mind conceding the fact that the over-the-top musicianship did eventually get way out of hand and become a bit ridiculous in and of itself, the level of dedication to music that was evident back then is something the music world today sorely lacks.

In Defense of the '80s - Part I

Ah, the 1980's.

It was a a time of big hair, loud clothes, snap bracelets, rubix cubes, video arcades, and cold war.

Getty Images/Andrew Spencer

It was also a time of very great music, which seems to be a fact lost on most of the general public these days.

Now, don't get me wrong. I understand what most people envision when they think, "'80s music": the ridiculous (and many times androgynous) hair metal bands, the cloyingly catchy one-hit-wonder pop groups, & the onslaught of cartoony synthesizer tracks and drum machines. But I find that this sort of gross generalization to be both hypocritical and misplaced. Hypocritical, first, because with the possible exception of the huge hair in the metal bands, most all of the aforementioned criticisms could be recited about modern day pop music, as well. (If you don't believe me, just throw on Beynoce's Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) and listen closely for the completely random and amusical Galaga sound effects firing off in the background.) I call the criticisms misplaced because despite all the rubbish released during the so-called Era of Excess, many great records, songs, and artists found their way into both the mainstream of pop culture as well as the annals of music history. Via this blog, I will seek to vindicate the great and timeless music of the '80s from amongst the mire and detritus with which it is generally (and unjustly) associated.

Seeing Music - Carrie Nuttall

Rhythm & Light by Carrie Nuttall

Stereo-untypical

Boris Penton of Dragon House crew proving that one doesn't need crappy electronic muzak to craft a jaw-dropping hip-hop dance routine. Enjoy.