The thread about music videos got me thinking about the '80s - what a horrible decade for popular music, the worst one ever in my opinion. I know there was a lot of good stuff being made (Replacements, RHCP, Pixies, Smithereens, Springsteen, Dylan, etc., etc.), but the charts were dominated by bad '80s metal hair bands and talentless MTV pretty boys like Duran Duran. And I still have nightmares about the haircut on that guy from Flock of Seagulls. And about Phil Collins. Lots of Phil Collins nightmares.

The '80s were a bad decade for the Stones, too - feuding, almost breaking up, Stu dying, Charlie going off the deep end for a while, no tour for 7 years, Primitive Cool, the bad '80s production and the things it did to Charlie's drum sound, those mind-numbingly awful Miami-Vice-on-acid outfits on the cover of Dirty Work, Matt f-ing Clifford ... I could go on.

Overall, the '80s are my least favorite decade musically since the dawn of rock 'n' roll. As I said there was some good music made in this period, but overall I think there had never been so much dreadful crap so eagerly lapped up by the masses.

Thoughts?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-03-10 02:29 by ohnonotyouagain.

I dont think its the worst decade for music. There was a lot of crap. but, the music was still about having fun. I think thats lacking today. But these ARE much different times. Im afraid this is a deep subject...

Yeah, I totally have to disagree with you. There were a good deal of lame songs happening in the 80's, but at least I can get through it, and in fact, although I hated it at the time, a lot of it has grown on me over the years.

, I can't listen to anything popular now. It's all hip-hop, or those female singers like Mariah Carey who insist on doing that stupid thing where they go up and down with the notes all the time, or then there are the lame-ass Coldplay type bands. When I listen to most of the "rock" bands that are out there now, its a bunch of poseurs playing too fast, trying to look punk, and they usually have a wimpy sounding singer, who is probably cute, but who's voice has no depth.

I don't even watch music award shows anymore, just because I have pretty much zero interest in what's out there anymore. The few bands that I think are good are very much in the minority. It's a sad state of affairs, I'm afraid.

it's way worse now...thank god paris hilton hasn't recorded anything yet....or has she????

rovalle Wrote:
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it's way worse now...thank god paris hilton hasn't recorded anything yet....or has she????

You know she is right? I'm not kidding. I read it somewhere, but it might have to be postponed while she films that movie about Mother Theresa. Paris really is the only natural choice for that role. I love the way Mother Theresa was always dancing on tables and saying "that's hot".

I generally agree that the 80's were lame - as far as music goes - sure there was some good music - but in terms of a decade - the 80's are weak.

I am growing on hip-hop & rap - check out the new Dave Chappelle movie: Dave Chappelle's Block Party - really enjoyed it - great story and excellent music (this is one of the elements that I like about the Stones - they take alot of what has happened in music <their blues roots, R&B, etc> and they also stay current and are influenced by what is out there <Miss You, Rain Fall Down are 2 good examples of this).

IMO

I had this conversation with someone who was an integral part of the late 1970s punk scene in New York. We agreed that it is pretty sad that all of that great music came about as a reaction to how corporate popular music had become, when it is so much worse now than ever before.

I don't think so. It was a bad period for the Stones, but not popular music in general. When you think back to some of the really good popular music from the 80s it is far superior to what passes as popular music today and for the past 10 years. I know Stones fans don't all love Prince - but you'd have to admit the stuff he put out in the 80s was in a different league than than Kanye West's crap. Springsteen, Police, U2...love em or not, we aren't getting that kind of quality today.

Hey the 80's had EARLY REM, U2, Replacements, Reagan Youth,Husker Du, and Paul's Broadstreet and Press to Play ( well I guess I screwed that up!!). It was an ok decade musically (at least Reagan gave the USSR the finger!!! F... all commies and fasciasts). Oh well, so much for politics!

1983 was a good year .Everyone released an album. Even VH 1984 came out in Dec '83. I mean Zztop, Scorps, STONES, Prentenders,Police,VH,Cars,etc,etc,etc. Most of the '80's sucked though.

>There were a good deal of lame songs happening in the 80's, but at least I can get through it, and in fact, although I hated it at the time, a lot of it has grown on me over the years.<

oh my god, I tried to find the "good" in it all then - I am so flipping embarressed for all of those "artists" it's beyond any type of description these days when I see it or hear it. The absolute worst and let's face it, there were some campy, goofy, marshmellowy, gooey, stupid shit in the 60's. You laugh at that stuff because they knew what it was, these sad 80's tales were serious about what they were doing and now have TV shows to talk about it. THAT is the REALLY sad part about it. That we herald it. But, I guess it defines the times!

The 80's sucked. Period. Every single year in the 80's sucked. SUCKED, I TELL YOU!

I think if theres going to be another revolution in music, it will come from sampling, keybords, maybe hip hop, kind of stuff, along with insturments maybe, how vauge is that? what am I talking about? I dont know, but It will be something completley new, a new genre that doesnt exsist today. it will come out of new technology.

....and it will suck

Naw, it will ge good.

i'll still be listening to my blooze...can't improve on the perfect article

StonesTod Wrote:
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> i'll still be listening to my blooze...can't
> improve on the perfect article


well, ya can't argue with that can you?

Rock and roll has shown a resilience that can't be ignored. After all of the great albums in the early 70's, the mid-late 70's disco boom made rock look like it was on its last legs. Then suddenly, there was punk/new wave/Springsteen/Petty. The mid-late 80's were, for the most part, pretty lame, with a handful of huge artists (Michael, Bruce, Prince, Madonna) . . .and everyone else. Bad hair, drum machines, echo . .. then suddenly, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, even the Pumpkins, and everything's right with the world. The current crop of rock acts, whether its the Strokes, the White Stripes, the post-KidA Radiohead, or "veterans" like Green Day, manage to make life pretty interesting.

drbryant Wrote:
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> .. then suddenly,
> Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, even the
> Pumpkins, and everything's right with the world.
> The current crop of rock acts, whether its the
> Strokes, the White Stripes, the post-KidA
> Radiohead, or "veterans" like Green Day, manage to
> make life pretty interesting.

none of which would have been possible, without one of the greatest and most influential bands of the 80's, The Pixies.

You really have to dig deep for good 80's stuff like the Del Fuegos and Green on Red. The charts and MTV were dominated by typical 80's sounding material: gated drums way too loud. Even rock 'n roll was infected. Listen to Born in the USA, Dirty Work etc.

RnT Wrote:
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> You really have to dig deep for good 80's stuff
> like the Del Fuegos and Green on Red. The charts
> and MTV were dominated by typical 80's sounding
> material: gated drums way too loud. Even rock 'n
> roll was infected. Listen to Born in the USA,
> Dirty Work etc.


I agree re the drums. I have always blamed Nile Rogers and drummer Tony Thompson for being so successful with that huge drum sound on Madonna's Like a Virgin and Bowie's Let's Dance albums.

It sounds like I'm not the only one who hated the '80s. I remember on New Year's Eve 1989 one of my friends had a New Year's Eve party, the theme of which was "Death To The '80s!" VH1 should have a show called "I Hate The '80s," it would clean up.

Loads of folks here is in age ab.25-35, they will -
some, at least - deny this. But 80s sucked so much it hurts,
still hurts. Till 1982-83 some good stuff was still around...
A minor garage wave about 1986 changed things, but then it got
worse again... Pop music now is also really crappy imho.

I don't the 80's was a particularly bad decade for music. Maybe it hasn’t dated so well because of the production on some of the records, but to state that any decade was the worst for popular music is incorrect. Every decade from the 50's up 'til now, has it ups and downs. Two of my favourite bands hail from this decade. The Smiths and The Stone Roses. Both, incidentally, from Manchester.

I believe we have a age thing here. Al; I guess you´re 30-35?
My lil sister is 33 and she´s totally stuck in overproduced
80s stuff. It´s pre- or post-disco. Disco messed all up;
but that sad process started already - musically - about 1975,
but structurally and socially discos crowded our cities already back
in 69 so it´s a complex thing.
And the period 1980-82 is in my ears also on of the best ever...
At that point the new groups, the hangers-on on Summer of Love
as well as the rebellions against it had became good song writers
and producers... But when ya get to see Neil Young in a tie
- and Keith in a hockey hairstyle - and hear the former makin music
with machines, then...

Nobody has mentioned Guns'N'Roses and their first two albums (Appettite... and that GNR Lies). Maybe the worst thing about the 80s was the over-overproduction of most of the music made.

[There'll be no wedding today...]

And the bloomin' machines!

todays gotta be the worst as far as popular music-im sure there is good stuff out there but what is being pushed is all terribly generic "rock" no personalities, no uniqueness makes me sick to be a kid in the present times. I throw the bands that I listen to (what we listen to) to my friends, I rattle off just 10 to 15 bands- the ones that had huge stadium tours, put out great albums...not the ones that are around for a hit to meet the record companies expectations and never be heard of again. screw off 21st century...thank goodness the stones are touring! and put out a good album!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-03-10 18:59 by rocksoffKR.

1987 was great with Appetite For Desruction. But music videos were terrible compared with todays. But that's just technologies progression.

The grunge of the 90's was pretty bad and since rap arrived, it's all bad.