Re: The 80’s were the best! Music will

SamuraiTater®

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Jun 26, 2023, 10:01 PM

ClemsonSCTiger said:

Never be better. I miss the 80’s.

The evolution of popular music in America takes a huge turn for the better in the mid 50’s with artist like Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley. They introduced rock and roll.

The evolution of popular music in America takes a huge turn for the worse on August 1st of 1981. THAT was the day the music died.

Up until that point the focus of the music industry was in fact to create music. But on 8-1-1981 we got something new. It was a 24/7 music channel. And to be honest, I think we were all pretty well enamored with it. We were glued to it. We had music video channels prior to that on cable TV, stuff like Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, the Old Gray Whistle Test or one I used to watch on Friday nights, Video Jukebox.

But those shows were aired in limited time slots late at night and almost always focused on live stage performances. You were getting to see your favorite bands as they would appear on stage.

With MTV the format was totally different. The videos were designed as eye candy. And it didn’t take long before it became a race to see who could produce the best eye candy. THAT was the main focus now and the actual music became secondary. In fact the music became an afterthought, it’s the video that will sell the song. Artist, producers and record label executives recognized this was where the money would be made going forward.

What got lost in the process was the blues element. It faded from both rock and roll and R&B. Enter drum machines and the beats really began to sound programmed and robotic.

There were some holdover artist into the 80’s such as The Eagles, ZZ Top, Aerosmith and Rush but they were no longer the predominant type of popular music. Sadly what was driving popularity in music sales was the over the top videos and not actual musical art. Our blues oriented R&R had gone the way of ridiculous punk and speed metal hair bands while Marvin Gaye and Earth, Wind and Fire yielded to rap.

It’s a very sad story.

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I was in high school and the navy through those years. Most of the stuff on the radio rock and roll wise did little for me in the mid to late 80’s. Back at Miramar the radio was always on in the shop and invariably tuned to San Diego’s longstanding R&R station, KGB.

I remember the first time I heard Jethro Tull’s “ Farm On The Freeway” about 1986. Between the music, the lyrics and the production of it, it was a throwback to early Jethro Tull. I’d put it right up there with “Crosseyed Mary” and “Locomotive Breath”.

But it was absolutely the exception to the rule for what was getting air play during that time. That was getting tossed in between The Bangles and The Pet Shop Bots. 🥺

The 80’s were the best! Music will