1980s culture

[pure_mercury]

I noticed you left The Police in...

They were together until 1986, and their single best album came out in 1983?

 

[Geoff]

Heh, this is such a ridiculous argument. Music is totally subjective. One man's Phil Collins is another woman's Nirvana.

 

[pure_mercury]

Heh, this is such a ridiculous argument. Music is totally subjective. One man's Phil Collins is another woman's Nirvana.

One man's "More Than a Feeling" is another man's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Specifically, Kurt Cobain's.

 

[SillySapienne]

Heh, this is such a ridiculous argument. Music is totally subjective. One man's Phil Collins is another woman's Nirvana.

One woman's Genesis is another man's Nirvana.

 

[Jeffster]

Heh, this is such a ridiculous argument. Music is totally subjective. One man's Phil Collins is another cocaine-addicted woman's Nirvana.

Now you're finally making some sense!

 

[pure_mercury]

One woman's Genesis is another man's Nirvana.

pure_mercury's Revelation is every woman's Nirvana.

 

[booyalab]

and their single best album came out in 1983?

If you insist, but both "Roxanne" and "Message in a Bottle" are from the late 70s.
One of those decades that was a low-point in the rock and roll era, right? (like the 50s.. )
The second song happens to have some of the greatest guitar riffs of all time.

 

[pure_mercury]

If you insist, but both "Roxanne" and "Message in a Bottle" are from the late 70s.
One of those decades that was a low-point in the rock and roll era, right? (like the 50s.. )
The second song happens to have some of the greatest guitar riffs of all time.

Sure, that band was together for ten years, from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. I think that they peaked in the early-'80s, but they had many great songs. Same with Talking Heads. Three great albums in the '70s, but my favorites were their two studio albums and one live album from the early-'80s.

 

[booyalab]

But you have to remember, about 4 of those acts made any sort of impact on the charts in the United States.

You're wrong.....and even if you weren't, I still remember the majority of them from the radio. Besides, if the UK doesn't matter in this discussion, then Pixies shouldn't be included in great 80s bands. We can just add them to the 90s repertoire.

And the only person who hates musical instruments in this thread is DJ Shadow, who was very vocal about his dislike of guitars and white people who play them. I've also met Spacehog, very funny guys. What about Oasis, Blur, Suede, Pulp, Manic Street Preachers, Smashing Pumpkins, Massive Attack, Afghan Whigs, Screaming Trees?

P.S. Sublime and Pearl Jam? Not so much.

Pulp is mentioned in the quote in your post... and yeah, many people would have included Oasis, Blur, MSP, Smashing Pumpkins, and Massive Attack in the list..I did consider them, but they're not among my favorites. Screaming Trees I like, but they're obscure.
Pearl Jam's debut is generally considered to be a great album.
The 90s was a better decade for classical musicianship than the 80s. Though maybe some people prefer drum machines.

 

[pure_mercury]

You're wrong.....and even if you weren't, I still remember the majority of them from the radio. Besides, if the UK doesn't matter in this discussion, then Pixies shouldn't be included in great 80s bands. We can just add them to the 90s repertoire.

Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Green Day, The Offspring, Nine Inch Nails, Sarah McLachlan, and OutKast sold tons of albums (and OutKast not really until 2000) in the 1990s. Most of those other bands had one big album, or none. I am not ragging on them for it, because I love most of them. But alternative/modern rock was a small chunk of what was actually popular in the 1990s. The Police, U2, Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, and a few others were the biggest-selling acts of the 1980s, and amongst the best.

Pulp is mentioned in the quote in your post... and yeah, many people would have included Oasis, Blur, MSP, Smashing Pumpkins, and Massive Attack in the list..I did consider them, but they're not among my favorites. Screaming Trees I like, but they're obscure.
Pearl Jam's debut is generally considered to be a great album.

I actually think VS. is the best Pearl Jam album, and Vitalogy is the last one I'd consider great. Again, nothing against them, they just have a really big and committed fanbase considering the spotty quality of their work the last 12 years or so. When it comes to British acts, a 1980s vs. 1990s throwdown would be an fun exercise.

 

[pure_mercury]

BTW, what was up with fashion in the 1980s and early-1990s?

 

[jungie]

I rember finding my mother's shoes from the 70's and laughing do hard at them I thought I was going to die. Then with an assurance of a 10 year old I said "No one will ever wear this type od stuff ever ever EVER again!!"
I wish I could get those chunky platforms now - she wore the same size as I do now!!! Boo Hoo

On the other hand when I was saying this, my 80s jeans were tight like second skin and I had pixie boots, a really bad mullet like -really BAD haircut (hey frizzy was in!!) and some parachute material neon pink jacket. And I was the hottest thing that walked the earth!! LOL

 

[pure_mercury]

I rember finding my mother's shoes from the 70's and laughing do hard at them I thought I was going to die. Then with an assurance of a 10 year old I said "No one will ever wear this type od stuff ever ever EVER again!!"
I wish I could get those chunky platforms now - she wore the same size as I do now!!! Boo Hoo

On the other hand when I was saying this, my 80s jeans were tight like second skin and I had pixie boots, a really bad mullet like -really BAD haircut (hey frizzy was in!!) and some parachute material neon pink jacket. And I was the hottest thing that walked the earth!! LOL

Wow. I wasn't conscious of fashion in the first eight years of my life, and that sounds. . . odd now. I like to go back in fashion history. I'm a fan of the Edwardian period and the 1920s for men's suits, and I also like the hats and other accessories of the 1950s and 1960s. I also dig the mod look for both men and women, which was itself a throwback, and the Teddy Boys.

 

[aeon]

I think it is worth considering that pop cultural trends in music tend to run "late" relative to the numerical year, i.e., the 70s could be 1973-1982, the 80s could be 1983-1992, etc.

I don't think or feel any decade is better or worse than any other in terms of having music I value as "good." I cartainly do value certain cultural movements - five of my favorites being British rock circa 1964-1970, the R'n'B/soul of 1966-1972, the New Wave of 1977-1983, the British indie of 1986-1992, and the electronic movement of 1991-1997.


cheers,
Ian

 

[Lateralus]

How can anyone who dislike the decade that brought us break dancing?!?!

YouTube - Break machine - street dance

If you grew up in the 80s, you wanted to be able to dance like the guys in this video. Just admit it!

 

[Jeffster]

How can anyone who dislike the decade that brought us break dancing?!?!

YouTube - Break machine - street dance

If you grew up in the 80s, you wanted to be able to dance like the guys in this video. Just admit it!

I fully admit it. I sucked at break-dancing. I also wanted a cool, hip hairdo and my dad refused to allow it.

 

[GZA]

Why is it relevant if the bands were commercially succesful? Maybe I'm biased, growing up in the 2000's where big hits are selling less and the market is spreading out into various modest niches, but I don't see why it should matter how succesful they were commercially.

So a question... someone mentioned that after looking at 80's culture, its easy to see why grunge happened. So why did the 80's happen, looking at the 70's, and why did the 2000's happen, looking at the 90's.

My theory for the 2000's at least is that the mass commercialization of music (i.e. boy bands, Spice Girls, Puff Daddy, ect) made the music go stale and made a lot of general culture become more underground and niche. Can't speak for other decades though.

By the way, I think the best non-rap 80's music has to be MJ, Stevie Ray Vaughan (even though his stuff is really just a reconfiguration of Chicago Blues and Hendrix, and isn't representative of 80's music as a whole), and Tom Waits (once again not very 80's).

 

[pure_mercury]

Why is it relevant if the bands were commercially succesful? Maybe I'm biased, growing up in the 2000's where big hits are selling less and the market is spreading out into various modest niches, but I don't see why it should matter how succesful they were commercially.

So a question... someone mentioned that after looking at 80's culture, its easy to see why grunge happened. So why did the 80's happen, looking at the 70's, and why did the 2000's happen, looking at the 90's.

My theory for the 2000's at least is that the mass commercialization of music (i.e. boy bands, Spice Girls, Puff Daddy, ect) made the music go stale and made a lot of general culture become more underground and niche. Can't speak for other decades though.

By the way, I think the best non-rap 80's music has to be MJ, Stevie Ray Vaughan (even though his stuff is really just a reconfiguration of Chicago Blues and Hendrix, and isn't representative of 80's music as a whole), and Tom Waits (once again not very 80's).

There was a ton of great British post-punk, goth, and indie in the 1980s.

 

[anii]

These things seem to flow in 20-year cycles. Read all about it:

- Cyclorama: The 20 Year Rule
- CNN.com - 'Like, Omigod!' It's the return of the '80s - August 21, 2002

My 2 favorite 80s relics:

 

[schism]

The 80's had good animation series. Becames the start of the videogame industry and a revolution in music styles, specially in metal. Nowadays the people are seeking for the new ideals and observe the past as being an inspiration for the future, mixing all 60's, 70's, ... I call it evolution.