gadgie Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 [color=#222222]I'm listening to music on my hard drive. I came across five cd's of the 80's hits type thing. Of the five cd's I've only managed to find about 10-12 songs I clicked on to listen to. Even some of them only got about 30 seconds.[/color] [color=#222222]Were the 80’s as bad as that? I seem to remember some decent stuff going on then.[/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzodog Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I grew up in the 80s and i think because it was a time when the synthesiser was becoming more mainstream there was a lot of computer based songs that were pretty poor. Early drum machines sounded pretty naff but formed the basis to a lot of 80s songs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgie Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 ah, just found Echo Beach:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I think that's the whole reason i grew up loving metal. I remember the vast majority of 80s pop meant nothing to me as a kid, but then I discovered stuff like Iron Maiden, Aerosmith and Kiss which i thought were brilliant. Listening back now, there were some really good 80s pop tunes too - The Communards 'Don't Leave Me This Way' being a guilty pleasure of mine. But there was also a lot of utter tripe; basically anything from Stock Aitken and Waterman for starters.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 (edited) Like any other decade, most of the interesting stuff wasn't popular enough to make to top 20 and get on to the compilation albums. For me the best music happened during the first half of the decade where post-punk was becoming popier. Have a listen to pretty much any band from Sheffield, Manchester or Liverpool. If you want record labels try Rough Trade, Factory (and Les Diques Du Crepuscule), Zoo, Fast, Industrial or Postcard. Edited July 13, 2015 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I was growing up in the 80s, and detested most of the 'pop' that was around at the time. If only we'd experienced the 00s beforehand, then the 80s would have seemed like a musical utopia! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I was looking for songs yesterday, and listened to a lot of the TOTP videos that are on youtube from 1980-1981 and was amazed at how varied the music was, unlike later in the 80s, or now. One I watched had Madness, Judas Priest, Dexys Midnight Runners, The pretenders, UB40, The Jam, [color=#333333][font=Roboto, arial, sans-serif][size=3]The Selector, Dr Hook and others - a lot more varied than now. Another one had some football song, a kids choir, Pink floyd, chas and dave, various punk and bob marley, [/size][/font][/color] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 [quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1436804134' post='2820929'] I was growing up in the 80s, and detested most of the 'pop' that was around at the time. If only we'd experienced the 00s beforehand, then the 80s would have seemed like a musical utopia! [/quote] The 80s were a musical utopia compared with the mid 70s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 (edited) A lot of the mainstream pop was rather so-so for me but genres such as heavy rock had a whole new lease of life in the 80's and prog also had a real resurgence in the early to mid 80's putting paid to the oft quoted nonsense that punk killed it off. Some of those bands that came to the fore then are still going. There was some interesting stuff going on with synths and whatnot, fairlights and all that changed the game for those that could afford them. A good pop song is just that irrespective of the era and some 80's tunes still stand up but many don't. Edited July 13, 2015 by KevB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Most decades have some absolute drivel and gems in equal measure. However, I'm a big fan of the 80s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Music in the 80's was great, if you were looking in the right places. Tina Turner, Robert Cray, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Delbert McClinton, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and many more were making good records and touring. Little Feat reformed. There was a lot of good stuff happening in the 80's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 [quote name='gadgie' timestamp='1436800254' post='2820871'] ah, just found Echo Beach:) [/quote] In my current band's set list, fun to play and seems to go down well so far despite our singer's reservations ('It's a woman's vocal'). Think there's a video snippet of it on our FB page (link below). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 (edited) [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1436805629' post='2820951'] In my current band's set list, fun to play and seems to go down well so far despite our singer's reservations ('It's a woman's vocal'). Think there's a video snippet of it on our FB page (link below). [/quote] And ours, and yes, it is fun to play and our singer said the same! (but we don't have a keyboard) Edited July 13, 2015 by Woodinblack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Neither do we really, I'm playing the keys bit with my feet on PK5 pedals whilst doing the bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Yeh, I was planning on doing that on my dave smiths foot pedals, for a couple of other tracks, but that could do with one too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Some great stuff in the '80's. But not much of it in the charts. I spent much of it listening to stuff like this.. [media]http://youtu.be/fTDlIszv_YE[/media] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 1979 to 1981 were my seminal music years, tail end of Punk, start of Goth, start of the New Romantic scene....some amazing music around that time, I stayed interested until Bros came along in 86?....that was about it for me! Echo Beach was recorded in 1979 but released in 1980...great song! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 [quote name='gadgie' timestamp='1436798932' post='2820851'] I'm listening to music on my hard drive. I came across five cd's of the 80's hits type thing. Of the five cd's I've only managed to find about 10-12 songs I clicked on to listen to. Even some of them only got about 30 seconds. Were the 80’s as bad as that? I seem to remember some decent stuff going on then. [/quote] Well, I didn't expect that last line...Around here, most of the bands are doing 80's which makes them pretty boring just by virtue of plundering the same standard numbers.. Maybe there are better choices to be had, but I must say I don't really go for style of genres ..which is almost what the 80's have become. I think bands should have more imagination that to be a 70/80's band, but then the line-up of the bands doesn't help. I see it it mostly as very limiting, but there you go..punters will go and see them and that leads more bands to that period. Having said that..the punters I talk to lament the choice of numbers as much as I might, and the first thing they say they crave is a band with a original take on a set.. Hmmm...do they really..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I hated most of the early 80s when it was happening, due to being into punk so not best pleased at Wham/Duran/Spandau etc. Fast forward 30 odd years and now I love all those songs. And listening back, the bass got a good deal in much of the 80s material - production at its best imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Yes, I hated the jam and those groups when it was the late 70s / early 80s. Now I do quite a few Jam songs in our set and love doing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essexbasscat Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Frankie Goes to Hollywood ? Live Aid ? the 80's had plenty going on worth listening to (IMO of course) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sykilz Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Like most generations, it probably depends how old you were at the time, I was 11-21 in the eighties, so very influenced by this era, I was a rock fan into Maiden, AC/DC, Scorpions, and all the hair metal stuff, HATED all the "pop" music of the time, but now I'm mid 40's I like all that stuff I hated then. I despised Level 42 at the time, but compared to the mostly bland "pop" of today, I think they were probably very good musicians and songwriters. Now I'm at an age where I can Bah humbug all day....!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 We do an 80s tribute set, there's a lot of love for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1436808803' post='2821006'] 1979 to 1981 were my seminal music years, tail end of Punk, start of Goth, start of the New Romantic scene....some amazing music around that time, I stayed interested until Bros came along in 86?....that was about it for me! Echo Beach was recorded in 1979 but released in 1980...great song! [/quote] This. Post Punk, New Wave, Pop Ska, New Romantic......all within the space of 3 years. In contrast the last 10 years hardly seems to have changed to me. I am biassed tough as I'm also in an 80s band doing stuff from 80 to 84. Edited July 13, 2015 by martthebass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Yes. And. No. There were 191 number 1s in the decade alone. There were many brand new genres of music being created. Some of it was in its infancy and can't be blamed for being spectacularly awful. I guess it depends how old you were whether you look back with nostalgia or not. I went to a 21st birthday party in January. They were actually dancing to Steps and Spice Girls. And not ironically. Frightening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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