80s Music

In the years 1980 and 1981, the original New Romantic scene, with a David Bowie-influenced camp look and a punk rock sound influenced and interacted with the late 1970s punk scene at CBGB's, creating the New Wave scene that would define the 1980s. Outside of New Wave, rock continued the arena rock trend of the 1970s - bands like Styx, Rush, Journey, REO Speedwagon, ZZ Top, and Aerosmith were popular into the early 1980s, with hair metal taking their place later.

Beginning in 1983 and peaking in success at the end of the decade, the resurgence of hard rock music and the emergence of pop metal with bands such as Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Twisted Sister, Poison, Whitesnake, and Cinderella.

The disco production of the 1970s, largely dependent on orchestras, is replaced by a lighter synthpop production. Duran Duran gains fame with their hit Girls on Film, and continued throughout the 80s with a string of hits. In the second half of the 1980s teen pop has its first wave. Bands and artists include New Kids on the Block, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, Tommy Page, New Edition, Stacey Q, The Bangles, Madonna and others. Urban pop acts of the 1980s include Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Deneice Williams. Artists such as Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael and Janet Jackson ruled the charts throughout the decade and achieved tremendous success worldwide. Their fame and commercial success lasts up to date. Michael Jackson releases Thriller in 1982, which becomes the best selling album of all time.