Profiles Index
Sheena Easton - Profile of '80s Pop Singer Sheena Easton
Scottish pop singer Sheena Easton emerged at the very beginning of the '80s and remained a major chart player throughout the decade as an adult contemporary pop balladeer and later a sexy dance-pop diva. Her versatility helped maintain a successful career through years of constant change, and Easton blazed a path for many of the female pop stars who ruled the charts during the '90s.
Profile of '80s Superstar & Pop Music Wizard Prince
'80s superstar Prince has continued to work consistently for more than 30 years, even if he's never reached the commercial or critical heights he scaled during his most successful decade. Here's a look at the career of one of pop/rock's most fascinating and talented musicians.
Profile of '80s Arena Rock Hitmakers Journey
Though never a favorite of critics, Bay Area arena rockers Journey rose to a stunning level of popularity in the early '80s. Centered around the transcendent, romantic vocals of Steve Perry and highly accessible pop songwriting, the band was not only one of the most successful groups of the decade but one of rock's top-selling artists of all time.
Michael Jackson - the Making of the King of Pop
Although already a major star in the music business, Michael Jackson became a pop superstar beyond measure during the '80s, taking popularity to never-before seen heights. As a result of his massive singles and especially [i]Thriller,[/i] the biggest-selling album of all time, Jackson cemented his title as the undisputed King of Pop during that decade.
Profile of KISS, Theatrical Hard Rock Survivors
'70s hard rock band KISS survived plenty of stumbles to make a generally successful if tenuous transition into the '80s. After dropping its signature makeup and several years of instability in personnel, the band rebounded by the middle of the new decade to regain stardom in the midst of the period's pop metal phenomenon.
Basic Yearly '80s Music Timeline
Who knew Loverboy's legendary working man's anthem "Working for the Weekend" holds at its core a chin-scratching scrap of philosophy? Nonetheless, "You want a piece of my heart? You better start from the start." Indeed, an '80s timeline must start and end somewhere, but the fun part is debating what got left out and what perhaps should have been omitted.
College Rock - Alternative When Alternative Wasn't Commercial
College rock is a blanket term used to refer to early alternative music of the '80s that found its radio home on college stations with an eclectic, independent philosophy. Though much of the music was inspired by punk rock, only a fraction of it sounded much like that aggressive, revolutionary format. College rock stayed comfortably outside the mainstream but still managed to make a significant cultural impact, ultimately giving birth to the modern rock and alternative phenomenon of the '90s.
Hair Metal - Hard Rock Buffed Up to a Glossy Sheen
This hard rock subgenre originated during the '80s and became emblematic of the decade, presenting itself mostly as a hedonistic celebration of party-time USA. Though the music started in the underground, it quickly embraced the mainstream, buffing the grit of heavy metal to a slick arena rock sheen.
Bryan Adams - Profile of the Quintessential '80s Mainstream Rocker
Canadian hitmaker Bryan Adams has taken a lot of heat over the years for being a namby-pamby would-be rocker, but during his first decade as a major recording artist, there was arguably no other artist who served up better straightforward pop/rock. So while Adams may not qualify as an innovative or groundbreaking '80s artist, he's undoubtedly an important one.
Camper Van Beethoven - Profile of the Pioneering College Rock Band
A band like Camper Van Beethoven should have enjoyed more success in its own time, but the pioneering college rockers were more interested in musical discovery than commercial success. In this way, the group set the stage proudly for the rise of alternative and indie rock to come over the next two decades.
Lionel Richie - Profile of the Smooth '80s Hitmaker
In his heyday of the early and mid-'80s, Lionel Richie was one of the biggest pop stars in the world, trading in a funk/R&B past as founding member of the Commodores for a slick, ballad-heavy sound that showcased his smooth, melodic approach as a songwriter. While not all of Richie's work has stood the test of time very gracefully, his best songs are undeniably catchy snapshots of the era's best soft rock/adult contemporary pop.
Soft Rock - Profile of the Mellow, Romantic Sounds of the '70s and Early '80s
The golden age of soft rock certainly came during the mid to late '70s, when the singer-songwriter movement and the propensity of country-rock and folk-rock blends combined to forge a gentle pop/rock sound popular among mainstream music fans. However, this trend also extended successfully into the first few years of the '80s, in a period just before the lighter side of rock became dominated by a more modern, smooth adult contemporary sound and the power ballads of arena rock and pop metal.
R.E.M. - Profile of the College Rock Pioneers
Almost singularly responsible for the rise of the college rock scene in the '80s, this band of indie rock heroes from Athens, Georgia took the punk D.I.Y. aesthetic and forged a long, productive career creating a distinctive, jangly folk-rock sound. The band took nearly a decade to achieve superstar status, but in that time R.E.M blazed a trail for the explosion of alternative and modern rock that was to take place during the '90s.
Whitney Houston - Profile of the '80s Pop Diva
Here's a look at the career of one of pop music's most enduring talents, who burst onto the music scene in the '80s with hit single after hit single and became one of the most successful female pop singers in rock history.
U2 - Profile of the '80s College Rock Superstars
Before becoming one of the world's most popular and acclaimed bands, Irish superstars U2 emerged on the early-'80s college rock scene as a workmanlike, passionate quartet bent on taking post-punk to greater heights and accessibility than the music industry had imagined possible. As one of the few bands that broke through in the '80s to continue unfettered through a quarter-century of changing musical landscape, U2 remains a phenomenon on many levels but still a proud product of the decade.
Heartland Rock - Profile of '80s Mainstream Genre Heartland Rock
Heartland rock has exerted its influence on subsequent decades and certainly drew from previous rock, folk and country styles, but it hit its peak during the '80s as a viable mainstream form.
Bob Seger - '80s Heartland Singer-Songwriter
Here's a look at the career of one of the decade's most successful singer-songwriters, an artist who found pop success in the suddenly popular heartland rock genre after years of heavy touring.
Duran Duran - Profile of Stylish New Wave Superstars Duran Duran
For better or worse, few bands are as emblematic of the '80s as Britain's Fab Five pop superstars, Duran Duran. But whereas many other acts screamed '80s through their impermanence and disastrous fashion choices, Duran Duran was stylish, well-versed in pop songcraft and generally deserving of a considerable blend of commercial and critical acclaim. And while superstardom was short-lived, the band has maintained a steady, workmanlike career for three decades with no end in sight.
The Police - Profile of '80s New Wave Superstars the Police
Here's a look at one of rock's greatest bands, an eclectic trio of masterful musicians that produced some of the decade's most original and popular music. Sadly, tension between bandmembers and individual ambitions cut short the worthy reign of this talented and influential band.
Elvis Costello - Profile of the Eclectic '80s Singer-Songwriter
Anyone silly enough to suggest that the '80s boasted largely fleeting and forgettable music need only turn to British rocker and master musician Elvis Costello, one of rock historys most enduring and versatile talents. For more than 30 years now, Costello has remained a vibrant, active artist in many styles, and in the '80s he transcended his late-'70s pub rock and new wave origins to become a major thread in the pop music tapestry and, ultimately, a rock legend.
New Wave - Profile of the First Original Genre of the '80s
No matter how hard we try, decades don't have clean cut-off points between them that usher certain styles into one era or the other. Therefore, much of the music made in the '70s, '60s and even the '50s found itself still kicking in some form or another as the '80s began. Nonetheless, new wave's blend of punk, power pop, mainstream rock, roots rock and disco constituted the first fresh genre to emerge in the Reagan Era. Skinny ties and all, this form announced the beginning of something new.
Talking Heads - Profile of New York Punk/New Wave Innovators Talking Heads
Despite a tailing-off period toward the latter part of the decade, New York City's Talking Heads were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed rock bands of the '80s. As part of the seminal '70s New York punk scene and then as one of the leading lights of new wave, the group scored pop hits even while taking the path less traveled according to David Byrne's singular plan.
Post-Punk - Profile of the Vital, Challenging '80s Music Genre of Post-Punk
In simplest terms, post-punk music is rock music of the late '70s and early '80s that put an innovative spin on the often simplistic punk rock that preceded it. However, artists of this movement generally lean far more toward the avant garde than the mainstream pop favored in related genres like new wave and even much college rock.
The Cars - Profile of the New Wave Hitmakers
One of new wave's biggest stars, the Cars boasted a sound that encompassed several styles, including pure pop, power pop, classic rock and punk. Above all, the band produced an extremely consistent catalogue of music, resting squarely on the always solid songwriting of frontman Ric Ocasek.
Heart - Profile of '80s Pop Sister Act Heart
Consistently active for nearly two decades from the early '70s into the '90s, this American band led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson occupied a significant space in hard rock, classic rock, arena rock and, during the '80s, pure pop music. The group has proven itself influential over the years, especially on a new generation of female rockers.