The 80s- naff or cool??

Question

Most of the music I like is from the 80s, with some of my fave bands including Depeche Mode, New Order, The Smiths, Erasure, OMD... you get the idea. Yet many of my friends who are into music say the 80s music scene was dreadful and "the age musical taste was abandoned". Yet I think it is great.
What do you think? I make specific reference to New Romanticism, synthpop and electronic music, and the Manchester scene.

Give reasons if possible please! Then I can use them against my mates!

Answer 1

The early 80s were excellent; The Jam, Dexys, Joy Division (well a little bit of the 80s for them, anyway), New Order. Even Elvis Costello (apart from that country thing he went through). The burgeoning New Romantics weren't bad to start with as well; Spandau Ballet's first album, Visage etc. In the main, though, it was a time for the last of the new wave bands to make an impression before we sunk into the abyss of the popular mid 80s.

But even during this time, specifically 1986, there were some great bands emerging; Primal Scream, The Wedding Present and the Smiths LP, The Queen is Dead - what can I say? But the more popular music of the time was dreadful.

Towards the end of the 80s, we had the beginning of the House scene (1986/87) and whether you like dance music or not, it was a phenomenon which has influenced popular music ever since. Later on, the baggy scene emerged; The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and my faves; New Fast Automatic Daffodils...

So, it depends where you look. There was a great new wave scene in the early 80s, a great Indie scene in the mid 80s and a great dance and baggy era towards the end. I think the 80s was top for music.

But as for the clothes, the politics, the TV shows...... Well....!

Answer 2

The 80's were more or less the last decade of original music drawing on past styles rather than just out and out copying them! There has been good music since the 80's, but 80's was last time it could be found in any quantity. Sure there were also naff releases, but they represented about 1% or 2% of total as opposed to 80-90% since.

Most rap is crap (and un-original), most dance is just a monotonous rip off of some previous hit and most pop is manufactured.

Now THAT's 'showing your age'!!!!!

Answer 3

Apart from me bieng born, nothing good happened in the 80's :)

There is no mucic I hate more than 80's music is is just so bad.
Ok I am more into techno, house and trance etc but I dont mind listening to 60's or 70's music every now and then but 80's.... I have to agree that the age musical taste was abandoned.

Answer 4

Naff. Half a dozen decent tunes in a ten year period doesn't quite hit the mark
50s 60s and early70s were decent after that it went pear shaped.That was the beginning of the end of top of the pops.
On a positive note the 90s were a disgrace and i agree with your choices from the 80s

Answer 5

In in my opinion, the music you liked represented everything I hated about 80s music. I lived most of the decade from age 10 to 20 in a state of mounting fury, watching your guys' limp dribble on TV, vainly waiting for a half-decent band to come along. I suffered the rise of U2 (who I think were only making records specifically to annoy me) and the appalling rash of U2-alikes that plagued Irish music for the whole ten years. And then the dozens of crappy Irish bands who didn't sound like U2 but sounded like bad polka-rock instead.

It was only when I discovered American bands like Sonic Youth, the Minutemen, Black Flag and the Butthole Surfers in about 1987 that I realised great music was still coming out. When grunge happened, for once in my life the music that was fashionable sounded like the kind of stuff I liked to listen to anyway. Then Cobain shot himself, and it passed. Phew.

So, in my opinion, New Romanticism, synthpop and the Manchester scene, and yes, The Smiths - they all sucked, every last one of them. The 80s was the very worst period for popular music since the early 50s, in that the good bands can be counted roughly on the fingers of three people's hands.

Answer 6

Overall it was naff, but there were many highlights such as the bands you have mentioned. although I think you have missed a few out such as Soft Cell and Yazoo.

Unfortunately, later in the 80's the manufactured bands that where produced by Snott, Armpit and Watercloset came along and it all went downhill until the Madchester scene started.

Answer 7

dear fassa!!!! let me tell you something, my name is andrea and i´m from Venezuela,fist i have to make an apologize because my English is not perfect but i´m trying..... i am totally agree with you.i love the 80´s much as you do ,the bans the you mentioned are the best bans in the whole world,i have only 20 years but i enjoy the music the my olders brothers listen when i was a Little baby..... well i don´t have anything more to say. chao y mucho exito en la Vida UN beso!!!!!!

Answer 8

I think it's up to you. I know what you mean, though. I've heard some real rockers dissing the '80s because of the alternative musical instruments they used back then, not like mainly guitar riffs and stuff like that. Well, that's what I've heard. While I've turned into more of a hard rocker than I used to be, I still enjoy the fun tunes of the past, at times.

Answer 9

The word I think which best descibes the 80's is Kitch- love 80's movies and some (certainly not all) music but oh my gosh the fashion! At least it was memorable I guess!

Answer 10

cooler than mothafuckin ice. the decade that veered away from stagnant rock. the bands that you metioned produced some of the most euphoric, emotional music ever made. there were so many exciting new genres (electronica, hip hop, house). everything seemed so catchy and aesthically pleasing. it was a great time for indie, punk and 'madchester' bands too. totally cool. only bettered by the 90s, but they were just phenominal