80s Greatest Hits -
Enter The Decade Of Cult Music
Music Is Forever Evolving And 80s Tunes
Brought About Some Interesting Changes
Everyone has their favorite musical
decade and many people are nostalgic for the 1980s. 80's
greatest hits compilations are very popular and this era
supplies many floor fillers.
Introducing 80s Music
Video
The way records were promoted changed
during this period with the introduction of the MTV channel.
Every singer and band was called upon to produce a video for
their new release.
Looking good became as important as
sounding good and the top artists were able to bring a big
budget to the videos. The compact disc was also introduced,
changing the way we buy records forever.
Hip Hop Tunes
The decade is also remembered as the
one that introduced Hip Hop to the world. Starting as a cult
genre in America in the 1970s, many greatest hits of the
80's were by Hip Hop and Rap artists.
This movement was an important
influence on pop music in general and on fashion and dance
moves.
Did The 80s Greatest Hits Cause The
Demise Of The Guitar?
A lot of artists at this time
dispensed with the traditional guitar format and based
records on synthesizers, drum machines and other electronic
instruments. It was the time of young men and women with big
hair and shoulder pads crouched over keyboards!
These songs were great to dance to and
a stark contrast to the punk music that had gone before. In
the UK, the New Romantics were bands with flamboyant outfits
and band names. The Human League, Adam Ant, Duran Duran,
Spandau Ballet and Depeche Mode provided some terrific hits
for the 80's.
80s Hit Thriller By MJ ( No, Not
Jordan)
Careers come and go but Michael
Jackson was at the height of his stardom when his album,
Thriller was released in 1982. It went on to become the
biggest selling album in history, producing the hit singles,
Billie Jean, Beat It, and The Girl is Mine (a duet with Paul
McCartney).
Sneaking In: 1980s Soft Rock
Music
Soft Rock too was alive and well,
spearheaded by Bon Jovi with their album, Slippery When Wet.
This 1986 release was their third studio album and is the
band's most successful. Many greatest hits from the 80's
rundowns include the number one singles, You Give Love a Bad
Name and Livin' on a Prayer.
U2
Another band, destined to conquer the
world, made their debut in the 1980s. U2 hailed from Ireland
and have enjoyed a long, eventful career. Their first album,
Boy, came out in 1980 and more 1980's greatest hits followed
for them with War, The Joshua Tree, and Rattle and
Hum.
Back To Guitar Basics? Not
Really
After all the electronic sounds,
performed by perfectly groomed artists, the decade ended on
quite a different note. The musical genre of Grunge began in
the Seattle area and was characterized by loud, aggressive
guitar and musicians who liked to dress down.
In 1989, Nirvana launched their career
with the album, Bleach. The band would dominate rock over
the next few years, their iconic singer Kurt Cobain proving
to be an accomplished songwriter. 80's hits are certainly a
mixture of styles with something to please
everyone.
So, with that said, you can go pull
out your old 78 rpm records and give 'em another listen.
Maybe you can bring back the 80s greatest hits!
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