This article includes an overview of the famous events and trends in popular music in the 1980s .
80-423: Aurra was an American 1980s soul group, which, at the time of its biggest success on Salsoul Records, featured Curt Jones (guitar/vocals) and Starleana Young (vocals) and included Steve Washington (bass/guitar/drums), Philip Field (keyboards/synthesizers/vocals) and Tom Lockett (saxophone/percussion). Aurra started off in 1979 as an offshoot of the funk band Slave . Steve Washington first conceptualized
160-804: A subcultural phenomena. The decade also saw the emergence of a string of guitar virtuosi: Eddie Van Halen , George Lynch , Joe Satriani , Steve Vai , Randy Rhoads , Jason Becker and Yngwie Malmsteen achieved international recognition for their skills. While considerably less numerous, bass guitar virtuosi also gained momentum in the 1980s: Geddy Lee (of Rush ), Billy Sheehan (of David Lee Roth and Mr. Big fame), Cliff Burton (of Metallica ) and alternative/funk metal bassist Les Claypool (of Primus fame) became famous during that period. Iron Maiden founder and bassist Steve Harris has also been praised numerous times for his galloping style of bass playing. Both hard rock and heavy metal were extremely popular live genres and bands toured extensively around
240-435: A Feeling " was the number one song worldwide in 1983, and for the decade of the 80s. Richard J. Ripani wrote that Janet Jackson's third studio album Control (1986) was "important to the development of R&B for several reasons", as she and her producers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis , "crafted a new sound that fuses the rhythmic elements of funk and disco, along with heavy doses of synthesizers, percussion, sound effects, and
320-454: A Grammy for best R&B song; " Sugar Walls " for Sheena Easton ; and as well as doing a duet with " U Got the Look ", he wrote " Manic Monday ", a number two pop hit for The Bangles. Artists that covered his music included Tom Jones , who brought his version of the song " Kiss " into the top 40 for the second time in the decade. Melissa Morgan brought her cover of " Do Me, Baby " to the top of
400-462: A comeback with his 1981 hit song " America ". Hardcore punk flourished throughout the early to mid-1980s, with bands leading the genre such as Black Flag , Bad Brains , Minor Threat , Suicidal Tendencies , D.O.A. , and Dead Kennedys amongst others. It began to wane in the latter half of the decade, with the New York hardcore scene dominating the genre. However, it experienced a jumpstart in
480-549: A fast tempo. Often such runs are arranged in the form of an intricate sequential pattern , creating a more complex feel. A lick in guitar playing consists of a short sequence of notes which form a phrase. One famous example of this concept is " The Lick ", which is a commonly used jazz phrase based on the minor scale. In shredding, licks become more complex by including advanced guitar techniques. Playing licks at fast tempos also adds complexity. Using short rhythmic figures like 16th notes/triplets creates faster licks. For every beat of
560-413: A marketing tool and was among the first to make them an art form. Her songs topped several charts, such as: " Like a Virgin ", " Papa Don't Preach ", " La Isla Bonita " and " Like a Prayer ". Madonna was named artist of the decade by several magazines and awards. Whitney Houston was the best-selling female R&B artist of the decade. Her eponymous debut studio album was the best-selling debut album by
640-417: A rap music sensibility." Ripani wrote that "the success of Control led to the incorporation of stylistic traits of rap over the next few years, and Janet Jackson was to continue to be one of the leaders in that development." That same year, Teddy Riley began producing R&B recordings that included hip hop influences. This combination of R&B style and hip hop rhythms was termed new jack swing , and
720-674: A solo artist at the time, and her sophomore album Whitney is the first female album to debut at No. 1 in the Billboard 200 . She also became the first and only artist to earn seven consecutive number-one songs on the Billboard Hot 100, from " Saving All My Love for You " in 1985 to " Where Do Broken Hearts Go " in 1988. Her crossover appeal on the popular music charts as well as her prominence on MTV influenced generations of African American artists. Paula Abdul hit it big in 1988. With her debut album Forever Your Girl , she
800-450: A solo artist, Terence Trent D'Arby , and Fine Young Cannibals all found chart success. At the beginning of the 1980s, Australian artists like Olivia Newton-John , Men at Work , Air Supply , and AC/DC all had chart success, later in the decade INXS and Crowded House scored hits. Olivia Newton-John's hit " Physical " would top the Hot 100 for 10 weeks and be the decade's biggest hit in
880-580: A song that foreshadowed the socially conscious statements of Run-DMC 's " It's Like That " and Public Enemy 's " Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos ". Popular hip hop artists of the 1980s include Kurtis Blow , Run D.M.C. , Beastie Boys , NWA , LL Cool J , Public Enemy , Eric B. & Rakim , Big Daddy Kane , Boogie Down Productions , Kid N Play , MC Lyte , EPMD , Salt N Pepa , and Ice-T , Schooly D , Slick Rick , Kool Moe Dee , Whodini , MC Hammer , among others. Shred guitar Shred guitar
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#1732790204216960-438: A sustained guitar tone and may facilitate guitar feedback . The term is sometimes used in reference to virtuosic playing by instrumentalists other than guitarists as well. The term "shred" is used outside the metal idiom, particularly by bluegrass musicians and jazz-rock fusion electric guitarists. Many jazz guitarists in the 1950s such as Les Paul , Barney Kessel and Tal Farlow used an improvised technique by raking
1040-538: A time of international corporatization , as one major after another gave it up to media moguls in Europe and Japan. By 1990, only two of the six dominant American record companies were headquartered in the U.S. Bizzers acted locally while thinking globally in re audiences/markets (will it sell in Germany? Australia? Venezuela? Indonesia now that we've sunk the pirates ? the U.S.S.R.?) and artists/suppliers ( world music
1120-415: A wide audience. Soft rock , glam metal , thrash metal , shred guitar characterized by heavy distortion, pinch harmonics, and whammy bar abuse became very popular. Adult contemporary , quiet storm , and smooth jazz gained popularity. In the late 1980s, glam metal became the largest, most commercially successful brand of music worldwide. The 1980s are commonly remembered for a great increase in
1200-405: Is a virtuosic style of electric guitar performance. Categorized by its use of advanced techniques, shredding is a complex art form. Shred guitar includes fast alternate picking, sweep-picking , diminished and harmonic minor scales , tapping , and whammy bar use. Often incorporated in heavy metal , guitarists employ a guitar amplifier and a range of effects such as distortion . This creates
1280-468: Is considered definitive for the evolution of the genre. Also in 1974, the song " Free Bird " by Lynyrd Skynyrd was also released, and the guitar solo in the song is widely acclaimed as an earlier example of shredding. In 1969, guitarist Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin composed " Heartbreaker "; his guitar solo introduced many complex techniques mixed together (very fast playing with hammer-ons and pull-offs). Page included excerpts of classical music in
1360-504: Is the capital, sales interface with aesthetic quality— Thriller ' s numbers are part of its experience." The 1980s saw the reinvention of Michael Jackson , and the worldwide superstardom of Prince , Madonna , and Whitney Houston , who were all among the most successful musicians during this time. Michael Jackson, also with Prince , was the first African American artist to have his music videos in heavy rotation on MTV , with " Beat It ", and " Billie Jean ". ( Donna Summer placed
1440-851: Is used to "tap" notes on the fretboard). Various techniques are used to perform passages with wide intervals , and to create a flowing legato sound. Some performers utilize complex combinations of tapping, sweeping, and classical-style finger picking . This increases speed by reducing the motion of the plucking hand. Shred guitar players often use electric solid-body guitars from brands such as Charvel , ESP , Fender , Gibson , Ibanez , Jackson , Kiesel/Carvin , Kramer and Schecter . Some shred guitarists use elaborately-shaped models by B.C. Rich or Dean , as well as modern versions of classic-radical designs like Gibson 's Flying V and Explorer models. Tremolo bars (also known as "whammy bars"), which are hinged bridges that can be bent down or up in pitch, are an important part of shred playing, as they permit
1520-504: The Billboard Hot 100 . Its accompanying world tour also made history by being the highest-grossing tour by a solo artist in the 1980s, as well as the highest-grossing at the time. In addition to being the biggest-selling artist of the decade, Jackson had nine number-one singles – more than any other artists during the decade – and spent the longest time at number one (27 weeks) in the 1980s. He won numerous awards, including "Artist of
1600-504: The tapping technique in his instrumental. Niccolò Paganini used similar techniques on the violin in the early 1800s. This is found in traditional Turkish folk music. The first example on the guitar was in 1932 by Roy Smeck . In 1979, Roth left Scorpions to begin his own power trio , named " Electric Sun ". Their debut album Earthquake contained "heaps of spellbinding fret gymnastics and nimble-fingered classical workouts." Randy Rhoads and Yngwie Malmsteen advanced this style with
1680-544: The "dive bombing" effect and many sounds which are not possible with a fixed-bridge instrument. Guitars with double-cutaways give performers easier access to the higher frets, allowing extended room for the fretting hand to get extended reach onto the higher notes of the fretboard. Some shred guitarists, such as Scorpions ' Ulrich Roth , have used custom-made tremolo bars and developed modified instruments, such as Roth's "Sky Guitar, that would greatly expand his instrumental range, enabling him to reach notes previously reserved in
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#17327902042161760-528: The 1980s was primarily relegated to independent record labels, fanzines and college radio stations. Alternative bands built underground followings by touring constantly and regularly releasing low-budget albums. In the case of the United States, new bands would form in the wake of previous bands, which created an extensive underground circuit in America, filled with different scenes in various parts of
1840-511: The 1980s was the most favoured tune decade of the last 40 years. Popular artists from the 1980s include Michael Jackson , Prince , Madonna , Whitney Houston , U2 , Bruce Springsteen , George Michael , and the Police . Reflecting on changes in the music industry during the 1980s, Robert Christgau later wrote in Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s (1990): The '80s were above all
1920-460: The 1980s, rock music was more precisely defined and split up into multiple subgenres. Beginning in 1983 and peaking in success in 1986-1990, the decade saw the resurgence of hard rock music and the emergence of its glam metal subgenre. Bands such as AC/DC , Queen , Chicago , Def Leppard , Kiss , Mötley Crüe , Bon Jovi , Quiet Riot , Scorpions , Europe , Ratt , Twisted Sister , Poison , Dokken , Whitesnake , and Cinderella were among
2000-514: The 1990s, its mainstream appeal diminished with the rise of grunge and nu metal , both of which eschewed flashy lead guitar solos. Lesser known guitarists like Shawn Lane and Buckethead continued to develop the genre further in the 1990s. Shredding includes difficult guitar techniques such as "sweep, alternate, and tremolo picking; string skipping; multi-finger tapping; slurs, [and] trills." Shred guitarists use two - three octave scales , triads , or modes , played ascending and descending at
2080-479: The American charts in the early 1980s. Many of them became popular due to their constant exposure on MTV , these bands included The Human League , Culture Club , Duran Duran , and Wham! . Between the four, they have had 9 U.S. number ones with hits like " Don't You Want Me ", " Karma Chameleon ", " The Reflex " and " Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go ". In the later part of the decade, Rick Astley , George Michael as
2160-466: The Block , Laura Branigan , Boy George and others becoming teen idols. Prominent American urban pop acts of the 1980s include Tina Turner , Lionel Richie , Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan , and Diana Ross . African-American artists like Lionel Richie and Prince became some of the decade's biggest stars. Their hit albums included 1999 , Purple Rain , and Sign o'
2240-582: The Decade" and "Artist of the Century", and was arguably the biggest star of the 1980s. Madonna was the best-selling female pop music artist of the decade. Her third studio release, True Blue , became the best-selling female album of the 1980s . Other Madonna albums from the decade include Like a Virgin , one of the best selling albums of all-time, and Like a Prayer ("As close to art as pop music gets," said Rolling Stone ). Madonna made music videos
2320-827: The Gang , Jeffrey Osborne , Al Jarreau , Carl Carlton , Imagination , Bill Withers , Smokey Robinson , Rick James , Diana Ross , Lionel Richie , James Brown , Earth, Wind & Fire , New Edition , Evelyn King , Patrice Rushen , Lipps Inc. , Chaka Khan , Musical Youth , KC and the Sunshine Band , The Gap Band , The Brothers Johnson , Marvin Gaye , The Jets , George Benson , DeBarge , Midnight Star , Deniece Williams , Cheryl Lynn , Club Nouveau , Val Young , Frankie Smith , Linda Clifford , Grover Washington Jr. , Stephanie Mills , Jody Watley , Rockwell , Rene and Angela , The Whispers , and Freddie Jackson . In
2400-545: The Gang , The Pointer Sisters , Huey Lewis and the News , Billy Joel , Hall & Oates , Prince , The Go-Go's , Kenny Rogers and John Mellencamp , then known as John Cougar, ruled the charts throughout the decade in the US. Jackson, Houston, Prince, Madonna, Joel and Springsteen along with U2 , Dire Straits , Phil Collins , The Police , Queen , The Rolling Stones and Eurythmics achieved tremendous success worldwide. In
2480-521: The Hot 100 Chart. Lionel Richie teamed with Diana Ross to record one of the decade's biggest hits " Endless Love ", which topped the Billboard charts for nine weeks. Other songs by Richie, such as " All Night Long " and " Hello " also topped the charts, and he would have a total of five number one hits and thirteen top ten singles. Diana Ross brought " Upside Down " to the top spot in 1980; she would have two number-one singles and eight top ten hits in
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2560-485: The R&;B charts in 1986. Other notable artists that covered Prince during the 1980s were The Pointer Sisters and Cyndi Lauper . He also won an Academy Award for the song " Purple Rain ". In 1989, Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor recorded a cover of his song " Nothing Compares 2 U ", which would become the biggest song of the year worldwide in the new decade to follow. Prince had four number-one singles and 14 top-ten hits on
2640-560: The Rainbow , for which the title track features Roth performing "one of the most menacing and powerful whammy-bar dive bombs ever recorded". A year later, Roth's solo guitar playing for the album In Trance would become "the prototype for shred guitar. Everything associated with the genre can be found on this brilliant collection of songs—sweep-picked arpeggios, harmonic minor scales, finger-tapping and jaw-dropping whammy bar abuse". In 1978, Eddie Van Halen recorded " Eruption ", using
2720-662: The Times by Prince and Lionel Richie , Can't Slow Down , and Dancing on the Ceiling by Richie. Prince was one of the decade's most prolific artists. He was responsible for artists such as Vanity 6 , for whom he wrote the dance chart-topping " Nasty Girl "; Morris Day and The Time , for whom he wrote the top 20 " Jungle Love "; Sheila E. , for whom he wrote the top ten songs " The Glamorous Life " and number 11 " A Love Bizarre "; and Wendy & Lisa and Apollonia 6 . He wrote " I Feel for You " for Chaka Khan , which won him
2800-679: The U.S.A. , AC/DC 's Back in Black , Def Leppard 's Hysteria , and Bon Jovi 's Slippery When Wet were some of the decade's biggest-selling albums on the Billboard Top 200 chart. During the mid-1980s American pop singer Cyndi Lauper was considered the "Voice of the MTV Generation of '80s" and so different visual style that made the world for teens. Her first two albums She's So Unusual (1984) and True Colors (1986) were critically and commercially successful, spawning
2880-653: The US; she would have six top ten singles during the 80s. Canadian artists such as Men Without Hats , Bryan Adams , and Corey Hart achieved huge success during the decade. American artists such as Blondie , Christopher Cross , Steve Perry , Toni Basil , Michael Sembello , Matthew Wilder , Kim Carnes , Devo , Karla Bonoff , The Weather Girls , Ray Parker Jr. , Billy Crystal , Eddie Money , Don Johnson , Bruce Willis , Bobby McFerrin , The B-52's , and Eddie Murphy also had at least one big hit. American artists such as Michael Jackson , Whitney Houston , Madonna , Bruce Springsteen , Kenny Loggins , Kool &
2960-793: The advent of Boston 's the Pixies and Los Angeles ' Jane's Addiction . American alternative rock bands of the 1980s included Hüsker Dü , The Replacements , Minutemen , R.E.M. , Dinosaur Jr. , Pixies , and Sonic Youth which were popular long before the grunge movement of the early 1990s. New singers and songwriters included Michael Jackson , Bruce Springsteen , Tom Petty , Mark Heard , Lucinda Williams , Patti Smith , Rickie Lee Jones , Terence Trent D'Arby , Stevie Nicks , Suzanne Vega , Cheryl Wheeler and Warren Zevon . Rock and even punk rock artists such as Belinda Carlisle , Michael McDonald , Peter Case , Phil Collins and Paul Westerberg transitioned to careers as solo singers. In
3040-664: The changing times. MTV in particular was a problem for many artists, as it put a premium on youthfulness, good looks, and showmanship. Artists who became strongly associated with disco music also fell from grace and were often banned from radio play. Contemporary R&B originated in the 1980s, when musicians started adding disco -like beats, high-tech production, and elements of hip hop , soul and funk to rhythm and blues , making it more danceable and modern. The top mainstream R&B artists of 1980s included Michael Jackson , Whitney Houston , Prince , Jermaine Jackson , James Ingram , The S.O.S. Band , Stevie Wonder , Kool &
3120-400: The country. Although American alternative artists of the 1980s never generated spectacular album sales, they exerted a considerable influence on later alternative musicians and laid the groundwork for their success. Early American alternative bands such as R.E.M. , The Hits, The Feelies , and Violent Femmes combined punk influences with folk music and mainstream music influences. R.E.M.
3200-821: The creation of rhythm by using the human body, via the vocal percussion technique of beatboxing . Pioneers such as Africa Bambaataa , DJ Kool Herc , Melle Mel , Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five , Whodini , Sugarhill Gang , Doug E. Fresh , Biz Markie and Buffy from the Fat Boys made beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using their mouth, lips, tongue, voice, and other body parts. "Human Beatbox" artists would also sing or imitate turntablism scratching or other instrument sounds. The 1980s also saw many artists make social statements through hip-hop. In 1982, Melle Mel and Duke Bootee recorded " The Message " (officially credited to Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five),
3280-497: The death of former frontman Bon Scott . Country rock saw a decline after Lynyrd Skynyrd 's 1977 plane crash and the 1980 disbanding of the genre's most successful band, the Eagles . The Grateful Dead had their biggest hit in band history with " Touch of Grey ". The Who managed to provide the hit songs " You Better You Bet " and " Eminence Front " before burning out after the death of their drummer Keith Moon . Neil Diamond make
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3360-453: The decade. Tina Turner topped the charts with " What's Love Got to Do with It " and scored a total of six top ten singles. Donna Summer 's " She Works Hard for the Money " was a continuation of the feminist movement started in the 70s and a rallying cry for those who worked hard and wanted to be treated fairly. She would have five top-ten singles in the decade. Bruce Springsteen 's Born in
3440-613: The development of contemporary R&B into the 1990s, as the album's title track " Rhythm Nation " made "use of elements from across the R&B spectrum, including use of a sample loop, triplet swing, rapped vocal parts and blues notes." The release of Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 became the only album in history to produce number one hits on the Billboard Charts Hot 100 in three separate calendar years—" Miss You Much " in 1989, " Escapade " and " Black Cat " in 1990, and " Love Will Never Do (Without You) " in 1991—and
3520-542: The early 1980s, returned to guitar-driven hard rock with The Miracle in 1989. Additionally, a few women managed to achieve stardom in the 1980s hard rock scene, including: Pat Benatar , Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart , and former Runaways members Joan Jett and Lita Ford . The arena rock trend of the 1970s continued in the 1980s with bands like Styx , Rush , Journey , Foreigner , Starship , REO Speedwagon , Heart , ZZ Top , and Aerosmith . Traditionally associated (and often confused) with hard rock, heavy metal
3600-564: The early 1980s, the group found success with hits such as "Are You Single" (number 16 on the US Billboard Hot R&;B/Hip-Hop Songs chart), "Checkin' You Out", and "Make Up Your Mind", the last of which became the group's biggest US hit under the Aurra moniker - reaching number six on the R&B chart and number 71 on the pop chart. The group continued to release albums up through the 1985 release Like I Like It ; this album
3680-455: The first or second note of a string followed by a rapid succession of hammer-ons and/or pull-offs (slurs). Rhythmically, a shredder may include precise usage of syncopation and polyrhythms . Sweep picking is used to play rapid arpeggios across the fretboard (sometimes on all strings). The tapping technique is used to play rapid flourishes of notes or to play arpeggios or scalar patterns using pure legato with no picking (the picking hand
3760-417: The first two videos by an African American female artist, with " She Works Hard for the Money " and " Unconditional Love ", both in 1983.) Jackson's Thriller (1982) is the best-selling album of all time , selling 25 million copies during the decade. The album had sold over 65 million copies. His other album, 1987's Bad , has the honour of being the first album in history to have five number-one singles on
3840-485: The globe. By 1984, a majority of groups signed to independent record labels were mining from a variety of rock and particularly 1960s rock influences. This represented a sharp break from the futuristic, hyper-rational post-punk years. Throughout the 1980s, alternative rock was mainly an underground phenomenon. While on occasion a song would become a commercial hit or albums would receive critical praise in mainstream publications like Rolling Stone , alternative rock in
3920-489: The hits, " Girls Just Want to Have Fun ", " Time After Time ", " She Bop ", " All Through the Night ", " The Goonies 'R' Good Enough ", " True Colors " and " Change of Heart ". Several British artists made the successful transition to pop during the 1980s and saw great commercial success, such as David Bowie , Phil Collins , John Lennon , Billy Ocean , Sheena Easton and Paul McCartney . Many British pop bands also dominated
4000-408: The infusion of neo-classical elements. Progressive rock , heavy metal , hard rock , and jazz fusion have all made use of and adapted the style successfully over the years. In general, the phrase "shred guitar" has been traditionally associated with instrumental rock and heavy metal guitarists. This association has become less common now that modern forms of metal have adopted shredding as well. In
4080-412: The inner-city areas of large, metropolitan cities; rap was especially successful in the latter part of the decade, with the advent of the golden age of hip hop . These urban genres—particularly rap and hip hop—would continue their rise in popularity through the 1990s and 2000s. A 2010 survey conducted by the digital broadcaster Music Choice , which polled over 11,000 European participants, revealed that
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#17327902042164160-526: The late 1980s with emerging bands such as Operation Ivy and Green Day that would define not just the so-called "East Bay" sound but impact the next decade's punk and alternative sound. Some of which are still around today. The 1980s proved a difficult time for many 1960s-70s veterans, many of them unable or unwilling to adapt to current trends. Music icons such as Bob Dylan , Neil Young , and The Rolling Stones released albums that were often poor quality and critically panned as they attempted to grapple with
4240-583: The late 1980s, the term was applied to a group of predominantly female U.S. artists, beginning with Suzanne Vega whose first album sold unexpectedly well, followed by the likes of Tracy Chapman , Nanci Griffith , k.d. lang and Tori Amos , who found success first in the United Kingdom, then in her home market. Various older rock bands made a comeback. Bands originating from the early to mid-1960s such as The Beach Boys and The Kinks had hits with " Kokomo ", " Come Dancing " . Bands with popularity in
4320-408: The long out of print Made to Be Together was released to digital and streaming platforms. 1980s in music The 1980s saw the emergence of electronic dance music and new wave , also known as Modern Rock. As disco fell out of fashion in the decade's early years, genres such as post-disco , Italo disco , Euro disco , and dance-pop became more popular. Rock music continued to enjoy
4400-485: The mainstream with numerous bands, including the genre's U.S. "Big Four" ( Metallica , Slayer , Anthrax and Megadeth ), as well as Exodus , Testament , Overkill , Brazil's Sepultura and Germany's " Big Teutonic Four ": Kreator , Destruction , Sodom and Tankard . By the late 1980s, Metallica would achieve mainstream success and would become one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Other styles like power metal , death metal and black metal would remain
4480-478: The metronome, the guitarist plays three/four notes depending on the rhythm. Shorter rhythms may be difficult for new players. Precision is crucial to achieving the desired effect. If the notes are sloppy, the playing sounds amateur. Guitarists use rehearsed licks in otherwise improvised solos, or for practicing. Guitarists often 'trade licks' with each other, sharing such sequences. The lick can be played by multiple-picking notes ( alternate picking ), or picking just
4560-590: The mid-1970s such as the Steve Miller Band and Steely Dan also had hits with " Abracadabra " and " Hey Nineteen ". Singer and songwriter Bruce Springsteen released his blockbuster album Born in the U.S.A. , which produced a record-tying 7 hit singles. Stevie Ray Vaughan and George Thorogood sparked a revival of Atomic blues and Blues rock . Massively successful hard rock band Led Zeppelin disbanded after drummer John Bonham 's 1980 death, while contemporaries AC/DC continued to have success after
4640-454: The mid-1980s, many of the recordings by artists Luther Vandross , Freddie Jackson , Sade , Anita Baker , Teddy Pendergrass , Peabo Bryson and others became widely heard on the new quiet storm radio format. The term had originated with Smokey Robinson's 1975 album A Quiet Storm . Quiet storm has been described as "R&B's answer to soft rock and adult contemporary —while it was primarily intended for black audiences, quiet storm had
4720-415: The most popular acts of the decade. The 1980s saw the emergence of wildly popular hard rock band Guns N' Roses and the successful comebacks of Aerosmith and Alice Cooper in the late 1980s. The success of hard rock act Van Halen spanned throughout the entire decade, first with singer David Lee Roth and later with Sammy Hagar . Queen, which had expanded its music to experimental and crossover genres in
4800-546: The name Aurra led to the duo of principal members Jones and Young breaking away and beginning to record under the name Déjà . In 1987, they released their Virgin Records debut as Déjà, Serious , which was produced in large part by the Time member Monte Moir . Featured on this album was "You and Me Tonight," from the group's Aurra days, introducing American audiences to the song for the first time. "You and Me Tonight" charted in
4880-481: The only album in the history of the Hot 100 to have seven top 5 hit singles. Encompassing graffiti art, break dancing, rap music, and fashion, hip-hop became the dominant cultural movement of the African American communities in the 1980s. The Hip hop musical genre had a strong influence on pop music in the late 1980s which continues to the present day. During the 1980s, the hip-hop genre started embracing
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#17327902042164960-472: The pick across the strings to play a rapid succession of notes, today known as sweep picking . Les Paul's performance of " How High the Moon " contained sweep picking, one of the earliest recordings of the technique. Jimi Hendrix , Eric Clapton , and Jeff Beck further developed guitar techniques towards the end of the 1960s. Ritchie Blackmore , best known as the guitarist of Deep Purple and Rainbow ,
5040-413: The project, which also initially featured fellow former Slave members Curt Jones, Starleana Young, and Thomas Lockett. By the time they recorded their first LP, the lineup also included Charles Carter and Buddy Hankerson. Aurra initially signed with Dream Records, and then Salsoul Records . Composer/keyboardist Philip Field, known for his work as a member of Mtume , subsequently joined the lineup. During
5120-405: The same understated dynamics, relaxed tempos and rhythms, and romantic sentiment." Tina Turner made a huge comeback during the mid-1980s, while Donna Summer , Diana Ross , The Pointer Sisters and Irene Cara had success on the pop charts first half of the decade. Whitney Houston , Janet Jackson , and Jody Watley had it in the second half of the decade. Irene Cara 's " Flashdance... What
5200-671: The shift from the hardcore punk that then dominated the American underground scene to the more diverse styles of alternative rock that were emerging. Minnesota bands Hüsker Dü and The Replacements were indicative of this shift. Both started as punk rock bands but soon diversified their sounds and became more melodic. By the late 1980s, the American alternative scene was dominated by styles ranging from quirky alternative pop ( They Might Be Giants and Camper Van Beethoven ), to noise rock ( Big Black , Swans ) to industrial rock ( Ministry , Nine Inch Nails ) and to early grunge ( Mudhoney , Nirvana ). These sounds were in turn followed by
5280-545: The solo when playing it live. In 1969, Alvin Lee 's lightning-fast licks playing at Woodstock were also a prime example of early shredding. In September 1973, guitarist and singer Glen Campbell used shredding technique in between verses while performing a jazzy version of (Back Home Again in) Indiana on The Tonight Show . In 1974, the German band Scorpions used their new guitarist Ulrich Roth for their album Fly to
5360-596: The string world for cellos and violins." Most shred guitar players use a range of effects such as distortion and audio compression units, both of which increase sustain and facilitate the performance of shred techniques such as tapping , hammer-ons , and pull-offs . These and other effects units, such as delay effects are also used to create a unique tone. Shred-style guitarists often use high- gain vacuum tube amplifier brands such as Bogner , Marshall , Carvin , Peavey , Soldano , Mesa Boogie , Orange , Laney , Hughes & Kettner and Randall . To facilitate
5440-497: The top 20 greatest shred guitarists of time featured Al Di Meola , John Petrucci and Steve Vai as the top three, respectively. Guitar World ranked Al Di Meola – Elegant Gypsy , Van Halen – Van Halen , and Ozzy Osbourne – Blizzard of Ozz (featuring Randy Rhoads on guitar), as the top three shred albums of all time, respectively. In 2017, Jawbone Press released the book Shredders!: The Oral History of Speed Guitar (and More) by author Greg Prato, which explored
5520-474: The upper reaches of the US Billboard R&;B chart (peaking at number 2) and crossed over onto the pop charts , where it peaked at number 54, making it the highest-charting single from any Aurra-associated group. Meanwhile, Starleana Young decided to leave to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Mysti Day in time to record Déjà's follow-up album. The resulting album, Made to Be Together
5600-455: The use of audio feedback effects with the guitar, shred guitarists use high gain settings, distortion pedals and high on-stage volume. In 2011, Guitar World magazine focused on shredding outside the heavy metal music genre with an article discussing the magazine's Top 5 Shredding Bluegrass songs. The list included songs by instrumentalists Tony Rice , Josh Williams, Bryan Sutton , Chris Thile and David Grier . Music Radar 's list of
5680-494: The use of digital recording , associated with the usage of synthesizers , with synth-pop music and other electronic genres featuring non-traditional instruments increasing in popularity. Also during this decade, several major electronic genres were developed, including electro , techno , house , freestyle , and Eurodance , rising in prominence during the 1990s and beyond. Throughout the decade, R&B , hip hop , and urban genres were becoming commonplace, particularly in
5760-604: Was a concept whose geoeconomic time had come). After a feisty start, independent labels accepted farm-team status that could lead to killings with the bigs. Cross-promotional hookah became the rule—the soundtrack album , the sponsored tour, the golden-oldie commercial, the T-shirt franchise, the video as song ad and pay-for-play programming and commodity fetish. Record executives became fewer impresarios than arbitragers , speculating in abstract bundles of rights whose physical characteristics meant little or nothing to them. Rock
5840-411: Was also extremely popular throughout the decade, with Ozzy Osbourne achieving success during his solo career; bands like Iron Maiden , Judas Priest and Dio were also widely popular British acts. Speed metal pioneer Motörhead maintained its popularity through the release of several albums. Underground scenes produced an array of more extreme, aggressive metal subgenres: thrash metal broke into
5920-428: Was an early shredder. He founded Deep Purple in 1968 and combined elements of blues, jazz and classical into his high speed, virtuosic rock guitar playing. Songs like " Highway Star " and " Burn " from Deep Purple and " Gates of Babylon " from Rainbow are examples of early shred. Blackmore was distinguished by his use of complex arpeggios and harmonic minor scales. His influence on Randy Rhoads and Yngwie Malmsteen
6000-586: Was applied to artists such as Bobby Brown , Keith Sweat , Guy , Today, Wreckx-n-Effect , Big Daddy Kane , Kool Moe Dee , Heavy D & the Boyz, Tammy Lucas, Nayobe, Abstrac, Deja, Starpoint, and Bell Biv DeVoe . Michael Jackson remained a prominent figure in the genre in the late 1980s, following the release of his album Bad (1987) which sold 6 million copies in the US in the 80s, and went on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide. Janet Jackson's 1989 album Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 continued
6080-400: Was mere music no longer. It was reconceived as intellectual property , as a form of capital itself. According to Christgau, commercial stardom, as measured by music recording sales certifications , replaced artistry as an indication of a musician's significance. "When art is intellectual property, image and aura subsume aesthetic substance, whatever exactly that is", he explained. "When art
6160-543: Was released as Bedtime Story in the U.S. that same year. A revamped version of Like I Like It , featuring an updated cover, was released in Europe in 1986 to include the new single, "You and Me Tonight", along with remixed versions of other tracks from the original album. "You and Me Tonight" reached number 12 on the British charts that year. By the time Like I Like It was re-released, several group members were at odds with Steve Washington. Legal issues with Washington over
6240-533: Was released in 1989, with the Teddy Riley - produced title track becoming a minor R&B hit. In 2013, Family Groove Records recovered the lost tapes for the unreleased '5th' Aurra album Satisfaction , originally recorded in 1984 . The direction of the album was supervised by Steve Washington, Amuka Kelly (also known as Sheila Horne Washington), and Daniel Borine. In 2015 Family Groove Records released "Body Rock" album. In 2019, Aurra's second album as Déjà,
6320-562: Was the first female to have four number-one singles from a debut album (only The Jackson 5 had done the same with their debut). She had five top ten hits from the album. By 1980, the disco genre, largely dependent on orchestras , was replaced by a lighter synthpop production, which subsequently fuelled dance music. In the latter half of the 1980s, teen pop experienced its first wave, with bands and artists including Exposé , Debbie Gibson , Tiffany , Belinda Carlisle , New Edition , Taylor Dayne , Stacey Q , The Bangles , New Kids on
6400-745: Was the most immediately successful; its debut album, Murmur (1983), entered the Top 40 and spawned a number of jangle pop followers. Alternative and indie pop movements sprang up in other parts of the world, from the Paisley Underground of Los Angeles ( The Bangles , Rain Parade ) to Scotland ( Aztec Camera , Orange Juice ), Australia ( The Church , The Triffids ), and New Zealand's Dunedin sound ( The Clean , The Chills ). American indie record labels SST Records , Twin/Tone Records , Touch and Go Records , and Dischord Records presided over
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