Music history of the United States in the 1980s

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{{Short description|none}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2007}}

{{USmusic}}
'''[[Popular music]] of the United States in the 1980s''' saw [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]], country music, Top 40 hits, [[hip hop music|hip hop]], [[MTV]], CMJ{{clarify|date=October 2022}}, and [[New wave music|new wave]]
as mainstream.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/80smusic.html
|title=1980s Music History including Eidhties Styles, Bands and Artists
|access-date=2022-07-10
|website=The People History
|author=The People History
}}</ref> [[Punk rock]] and [[hardcore punk]] was popular on CMJ. With the demise of punk rock, a new generation of punk-influenced genres arose, including [[Gothic rock]], [[post-punk]], [[alternative rock]], [[Emo (music)|emo]] and [[thrash metal]]. Hip hop underwent its first diversification, with [[Miami bass]], [[Chicago]] [[hip house]], [[Washington, D.C.]] [[go-go]], [[Detroit]] [[ghettotech]], [[Los Angeles]] G-funk and the "golden age of [[old school hip hop]]" in [[New York City]]. [[House music]] developed in Chicago, [[techno music]] developed in [[Detroit]] which also saw the flowering of the Detroit Sound in [[gospel music|gospel]]. This helped inspire the greatest crossover success of [[Christian Contemporary Music]] (CCM), as well as the Miami Sound of Cuban pop.

== Pop ==
{{Expand section|date=October 2010}}{{Multiple image
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| image2 = Madonna Rebel Heart Tour 2015 - Stockholm (23051472299) (cropped).jpg
| image3 = Whitney Houston (cropped3).JPEG
| align = right
| footer = [[Michael Jackson]] (left), [[Madonna]] (center) and [[Whitney Houston]] (right) are among the most successful musicians of the 1980s.
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The 1980s saw the reinvention of [[Michael Jackson]]<ref name="billboard.com">{{Cite magazine
|language=en
|url=http://www.billboard.com/music/michael-jackson
|title = Michael Jackson
|magazine = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]
|access-date=2022-07-10
|author=Billboard
}}</ref> and the emergence and superstardom of [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] and [[Whitney Houston]]. Their videos became a permanent fixture on [[MTV]]. In 1983 [[Michael Jackson]] became the first African American artist to be placed in heavy rotation on [[MTV]], with his videos for [[Billie Jean]], and [[Beat It]].<ref name="billboard.com" /> [[Donna Summer]] also had the first two videos [[She Works Hard for the Money]] and [[Unconditional Love (Donna Summer song)|Unconditional Love]], by an African American female artist in 1983. [[Michael Jackson]]'s ''[[Thriller (Michael Jackson album)|Thriller]]'' album from 1982 is considered to be the [[List of best-selling albums|best-selling album of all time]]; it set a record and sold 20 million copies during the decade. His other album of the decade, 1987's ''[[Bad (album)|Bad]]'', sold 6 million, and became the first album to have 5 number-one hits on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. Jackson scored 9 #1 singles and 16 top 10 singles on the Billboard charts. Madonna scored 7 #1 singles, and 16 top 5 singles, and 17 top 10 singles.<ref>{{cite news|language=en
|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1616537/20090720/jackson_michael.jhtml
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090724065810/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1616537/20090720/jackson_michael.jhtml
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=July 24, 2009
|title=Michael Jackson's Thriller Set To Become Top-Selling Album Of All Time
|last=Anderson
|first=Kyle
|date=July 20, 2009
|publisher=[[MTV]]
|access-date=December 29, 2009
}}</ref> [[Whitney Houston]] is the only artist to have seven consecutive number-one singles on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart, from "[[Saving All My Love for You]]" in 1985 to "[[Where Do Broken Hearts Go]]" in 1988. Her first two studio albums, ''[[Whitney Houston (album)|Whitney Houston]]'' (1985) and ''[[Whitney (album)|Whitney]]'' (1987), both peaked at number one on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and are among the [[List of best-selling albums|best-selling albums of all time]]. [[Prince (musician)|Prince]]'s 1984 album ''[[Purple Rain (album)|Purple Rain]]'' spent [[Billboard 200#Most weeks at No. 1|six consecutive months]] atop the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].

By 1980, the [[disco]] production of the 1970s, largely dependent on [[orchestra]]s, is replaced by a lighter [[synthpop]] production. In the second half of the 1980s [[teen pop]] has its first wave. Bands and artists include [[New Kids on the Block]], [[Debbie Gibson]], [[Tiffany Darwish|Tiffany]], [[New Edition]], [[Stacey Q]], [[The Bangles]], [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] and others.

Prominent American [[urban pop]] acts of the 1980s include [[Tina Turner]], [[Lionel Richie]], [[Michael Jackson]], [[Whitney Houston]], [[Donna Summer]] and [[Diana Ross]].

[[Whitney Houston]], [[Michael Jackson]], [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]], [[Bruce Springsteen]], [[Hall and Oates]], [[Billy Joel]], [[John Mellencamp]], [[Bon Jovi]], [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Kool & the Gang]], [[the Pointer Sisters]] and [[Kenny Rogers]] were among the most successful artists on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in the US. [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] was the top charting artist with 378 weeks on the pop charts, and [[Billy Joel]] was the top selling, he sold over 35 million albums.

Many British pop bands dominated the American charts in the early 1980s. Their popularity was helped by exposure on [[MTV]], these bands included [[the Human League]], [[Culture Club]], [[Duran Duran]], [[Wham!]], also [[George Michael]] as a solo artist, [[Fine Young Cannibals]], [[Rick Astley]] and [[Terence Trent D'Arby]].

Canadian artist such as [[Bryan Adams]], [[Anne Murray]], [[Loverboy]] and [[Glass Tiger]] found chart success during the decade.

[[Smooth Jazz]] gained popularity during the decade with successful acts such as [[Sade]], [[Kenny G]].

== Rock ==

=== Hard rock and heavy / glam metal ===
Beginning in 1983 and peaking in success in 1986–1989, the decade saw the resurgence of [[hard rock]] music and the emergence of its [[glam metal]] subgenre. Bands such as [[Def Leppard]], [[Mötley Crüe]], [[Bon Jovi]], [[Quiet Riot]], [[Europe (band)|Europe]], [[Ratt (band)|Ratt]], [[Twisted Sister]], [[Poison (American band)|Poison]], [[Whitesnake]], and [[Cinderella (band)|Cinderella]] were among 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 (band)|Queen]], which had expanded its music to experimental and crossover genres in the early 1980s, returned to guitar-driven hard rock with ''[[The Miracle (album)|The Miracle]]'' in 1989. Additionally, a few women managed to achieve stardom in the 1980s' hard rock scene: [[Pat Benatar]] and Ann & Nancy Wilson of [[Heart (band)|Heart]], who had been around since the 1970s, is a prime example of female success in hard rock, and so are both ex-[[The Runaways|Runaways]] [[Joan Jett]] and [[Lita Ford]].

The [[Arena rock]] trend of the 1970s continued in the 1980s with bands like [[Styx (band)|Styx]], [[Toto (band)|Toto]], [[Rush (band)|Rush]], [[Journey (band)|Journey]], [[Boston (band)|Boston]], [[Foreigner (band)|Foreigner]], [[REO Speedwagon]], [[Van Halen]], and [[Aerosmith]] which were popular into the early 1980s, with glam metal taking their place later.

Traditionally associated (and often confused) with Hard rock, heavy metal was also extremely popular throughout the decade, with [[Ozzy Osbourne]] achieving success during his solo career ; bands like [[Judas Priest]], [[Iron Maiden]] and [[Dio (band)|Dio]] were also widely popular North American acts. [[Speed metal]] pioneer [[Motörhead]] maintained its popularity through the releases of several albums.
[[Underground music|Underground scenes]] produced an array of more extreme, aggressive Metal subgenres: [[thrash metal]] broke into the mainstream with bands such as [[Metallica]], [[Slayer]], [[Anthrax (American band)|Anthrax]], and [[Megadeth]], while other styles like [[death metal]] and [[black metal]] remaining [[subculture|subcultural]] phenomena.

The decade also saw the emergence of a string of guitar virtuosi, influenced by guitarists such as [[Jimi Hendrix]] and [[Eddie Van Halen]]; [[Joe Satriani]], [[Steve Vai]] and [[Yngwie Malmsteen]] achieved international recognition for their skills. While considerably less numerous, [[bass guitar]] virtuosi also gained momentum in the 1980s : [[Billy Sheehan]] (of [[David Lee Roth]] and [[Mr. Big (American band)|Mr. Big]] fame), [[Cliff Burton]] (of [[Metallica]]) and alternative/funk metal bassist [[Les Claypool]] (of [[Primus (band)|Primus]] fame) became famous during that period.

Both hard rock and heavy metal were extremely popular live genres and bands toured extensively around the globe.

=== Alternative rock ===
[[File:R.E.M., Belgium, 1985.jpg|thumb|right|230px|One of the first popular alternative rock bands, [[R.E.M.]] relied on [[campus radio|college radio]] airplay, constant touring, and a grassroots fanbase to break into the musical mainstream.]]
[[File:Cyndi Lauper2.jpg|200px|right|thumb|[[Cyndi Lauper]] was called the "Voice of the MTV Generation."]]

Alternative rock and punk groups from the 1970s like [[Ramones]] and [[Talking Heads]], as well as solo performers like [[Patti Smith]] and [[Tom Waits]], grew their audiences significantly the early years of the 1980s. 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.<ref>Reynolds, p. 392-93.</ref>

Throughout the 1980s, alternative rock was mainly an underground phenomena. 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 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 the country.<ref name="American alt-rock">Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "[{{AllMusic|class=explore|id=essay/|pure_url=yes}} American Alternative Rock/Post-Punk]". [[Allmusic]]. Retrieved May 20, 2006.</ref> 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.<ref>Azerrad (2001), p. 3-5.</ref>

Early American alternative bands such as [[R.E.M.]], [[The Feelies]], and [[Violent Femmes]] combined punk influences with [[folk music]] and mainstream music influences. R.E.M. was the most immediately successful; its debut album, ''[[Murmur (album)|Murmur]]'' (1983), entered the Top 40 and spawned a number of [[jangle pop]] followers.<ref name="American alt-rock" />

American indie record labels [[SST Records]], [[Twin/Tone Records]], [[Touch and Go Records]], and [[Dischord Records]] presided over the shift from the [[hardcore punk]] that then dominated the American underground scene to the more diverse styles of alternative rock that were emerging.<ref name="Reynolds 2006">{{cite book | last = Reynolds | first = Simon | title = Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984 | url = https://archive.org/details/ripitupstartagai00reyno | url-access = registration | publisher = Penguin Books | date = 2006 | isbn = 978-1-101-20105-3}}</ref> [[Music of Minnesota|Minnesota]] bands [[Hüsker Dü]] and [[The Replacements (band)|The Replacements]] were indicative of this shift. Both started out as punk rock bands, but soon diversified their sounds and became more melodic.<ref name="American alt-rock" />

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]] ([[Sonic Youth]], [[Big Black]]) to [[industrial rock]] ([[Ministry (band)|Ministry]], [[Nine Inch Nails]]). These sounds were in turn followed by the advent of [[Boston (band)|Boston]]'s the [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]] and [[Los Angeles]]' Jane's Addiction.<ref name="American alt-rock" />

The top mainstream American [[Alternative Rock]] bands of 1980s included [[Hüsker Dü]], [[The Replacements (band)|The Replacements]], [[R.E.M.]], [[The Pixies]], and [[Sonic Youth]] which were popular long before the [[Grunge]] movement of the early 1990s. Many alternative groups whose success peaked in the following decade started their careers in the 1980s, including [[The Flaming Lips]], [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], and [[Yo La Tengo]].

=== Folk rock, roots rock ===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1988-0719-38, Bruce Springsteen, Konzert in der DDR.jpg|150px|thumb|right|upright|[[Bruce Springsteen]], 1988]]
Rock singers and songwriters appeared including Heartland rockers such as [[Bruce Springsteen]], [[Tom Petty]],<ref>{{Cite web|language=en
|url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/heartland-rock-ma0000012246
|title=Heartland Rock Music Genre Overview
|website=[[AllMusic]]
|access-date=2022-07-10
|author=All Music, Netaktion LLC
}}</ref> [[Bob Seger]], and folk rockers such as [[Lucinda Williams]], [[Rickie Lee Jones]], [[Stevie Nicks]] and [[Warren Zevon]]. Roots rocker [[John Fogerty]] had hit "Old Man Down the Road" in 1985. [[Punk rock]] artists such as Patti Smith and [[Paul Westerberg]](The Replacements) were popular as singers and songwriters.

In the late 1980s, new history of female U.S. folk artists was beginning with [[Suzanne Vega]] whose first album sold unexpectedly well. And [[Tracy Chapman]], [[Nanci Griffith]], [[k.d. lang]] and [[Tori Amos]] followed Suzanne Vega.

=== Other trends ===
Various older rock bands made a comeback, including [[The Beach Boys]] with "[[Kokomo (song)|Kokomo]]", [[The Kinks]] with [[Come Dancing (song)|Come Dancing]] and "Do It Again", the [[Steve Miller Band]] with "[[Abracadabra (Steve Miller Band song)|Abracadabra]]", and [[Steely Dan]] with "[[Hey Nineteen]]". [[Bruce Springsteen]] released his blockbuster album ''[[Born In The U.S.A.]]'', while [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]] and [[George Thorogood]] sparked a revival of [[blues]]. However, [[Led Zeppelin]] disbanded after [[John Bonham]]'s 1980 death. [[Linda Ronstadt]] who had been a huge contributor to the [[country rock]] & [[pop rock]] movement of the 70s, did 3 albums of American Standards, coaxing the great orchestrator [[Nelson Riddle]] out of retirement, to collaborate with.

[[Hardcore punk]] flourished throughout the early to mid-1980s, with bands leading the genre such as [[Black Flag (band)|Black Flag]], [[Bad Brains]], [[Minor Threat]], [[Suicidal Tendencies]], amongst others.

== Contemporary R&B ==
{{See also|Contemporary R&B}}
Contemporary R&B originated in the 1980s, when musicians started adding [[disco]]-like beats, high-tech production, and elements of [[hip hop music|hip hop]], [[soul music|soul]] and [[funk]] to [[rhythm and blues]], making it more danceable and modern.<ref name="Rhythms and Rhymes">{{Citation | last = Gazzah | first = Miriam | title = Rhythms and Rhymes of Life: music and Identification Processes of Dutch-Moroccan Youth | publisher = Amsterdam University Press | year = 2008 | page = 98 | isbn = 978-90-8964-062-8}}</ref> The top mainstream [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] artists of 1980s included [[Whitney Houston]], [[Michael Jackson]], [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Jermaine Jackson]], [[The Whispers]], [[The S.O.S. Band]], [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Kool & the Gang]], [[Yarbrough and Peoples]], [[Smokey Robinson]], [[Rick James]], [[Diana Ross]], [[Lionel Richie]], [[Earth, Wind & Fire]], [[Dazz Band]], [[Evelyn King (singer)|Evelyn King]], [[Marvin Gaye]], [[Mtume]], [[DeBarge]], [[Midnight Star (band)|Midnight Star]], [[Karyn White]] and [[Freddie Jackson]].<ref name="The New Blue Music">{{Citation | last = Ripani | first = Richard J. | title = The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950–1999 | publisher = Univ. Press of Mississippi | year = 2006 | pages = 130–155, 186–188 | isbn = 1-57806-862-2}}</ref>

In the mid-1980s, many of the recordings by artists [[Luther Vandross]], [[Freddie Jackson]], [[Sade Adu|Sade]], [[Anita Baker]], [[Teddy Pendergrass]], [[Peabo Bryson]] and others became known as ''[[quiet storm]]''.<ref name="The New Blue Music" /> 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 the same understated dynamics, relaxed tempos and rhythms, and romantic sentiment."<ref name="Allmusic guide to R&B">{{Citation | last = Bogdanov | first = Vladimir |author2=Chris Woodstra |author3=Stephen Thomas Erlewine | title = The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950–1999 | publisher = Hal Leonard | year = 2003 | pages = xi, 114 | isbn = 978-0-87930-744-8}}</ref>

[[Tina Turner]] made a comeback in the mid 1980s, while [[Donna Summer]], [[Diana Ross]] and [[The Pointer Sisters]] continued to have success on the pop charts, in the first half of the decade, [[Whitney Houston]], [[Janet Jackson]] and [[Jody Watley]] scored hits on the pop music charts in the second half of the 80s. Richard J. Ripani wrote that Janet Jackson's third studio album ''[[Control (Janet Jackson album)|Control]]'' (1986) was "important to the development of R&B for a number of 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 a rap music sensibility."<ref name="The New Blue Music" /> 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."<ref name="The New Blue Music" /> That same year, [[Teddy Riley (new jack swing)|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 was applied to artists such as [[Bobby Brown]], [[Keith Sweat]], [[Guy (band)|Guy]], [[Jodeci]], and [[Bell Biv DeVoe]].

Michael Jackson remained a prominent figure in the genre in the late 1980s, following the release of his album ''[[Bad (album)|Bad]]'' (1987) which sold more than 6 million copies in the US in the 80s, and went on the sell 30 million worldwide.<ref name="Bad 30 million copies">{{cite news|language=en
|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7448908.stm
|title=Pop Superstars turn 50
|first=Mark
|last=Savage
|date=2008-08-29
|access-date=2008-11-25
|work=BBC News}}</ref> Janet Jackson's 1989 album ''[[Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814]]'' continued 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."<ref name="The New Blue Music" />

== Hip hop ==
[[File:Beastie-boys.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Beastie Boys]], 1992]]
Encompassing graffiti art, break dancing, rap music, and fashion, hip-hop became the dominant cultural movement of the [[African American]] and [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]] communities in the 1980s. The Hip hop musical genre had a strong influence on pop music in the late 1980s which still continues to the present day.

During the 1980s, the hip hop genre started embracing the creation of rhythm by using the human body, via the [[vocal percussion]] technique of [[beatboxing]]. Pioneers such as [[Doug E. Fresh]],<ref>{{cite web|language=en
|url=http://www.jamaicans.com/news/announcements/IRAWMAdougefresh.shtml
|title=Hip Hop Pioneer Doug E. Fresh & Soca Sensation Machel Montano To Host 26th Int'l Reggae & World Music Awards (IRAWMA)
|publisher=Jamaicans.com
|access-date=2011-04-14
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512223315/http://www.jamaicans.com/news/announcements/IRAWMAdougefresh.shtml
|archive-date=2011-05-12
}}</ref> [[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 (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five song)|The Message]]" (officially credited to Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five),<ref>{{cite web|language=en
|author=Grandmaster Flash
|url=http://www.prefixmag.com/features/grandmaster-flash/interview/26354/
|title=Grandmaster Flash: Interview
|publisher=Prefixmag.com
|date=2009-02-23
|access-date=2011-04-14
}}</ref> a song that foreshadowed the socially conscious statements of [[Run-DMC]]'s "[[It's like That (Run-D.M.C. song)|It's like That]]" and [[Public Enemy (band)|Public Enemy]]'s "[[Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos]]".<ref name="Rose 1994 53–55">{{Harvnb|Rose|1994|pp=53–55}}.</ref>

Popular Hip hop artists of the 1980s include [[Run D.M.C.]], [[Beastie Boys]], [[N.W.A|NWA]], [[LL Cool J]], [[Public Enemy (group)|Public Enemy]], [[Eric B. & Rakim]], [[Salt-n-Pepa]], [[Big Daddy Kane]], [[Boogie Down Productions]], [[Whodini]], [[De La Soul]], [[Slick Rick]], [[Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince]], and [[Ice-T]], among others.

== Electronic music ==
In the 1980s, [[dance music]] records made using only [[Electronic musical instrument|electronic instruments]] became increasingly popular, largely influenced by the Electronic music of [[Kraftwerk]] and 1970s [[disco]] music. Such music was originally born of and popularized via regional [[nightclub]] scenes in the 1980s, and became the predominant type of music played in [[discothèques]] as well as the [[rave]] scene.

[[House music]] is a style of [[electronic dance music]] which originated in Chicago, Illinois, USA in the early 1980s.<ref name="Fikentscher">{{citation|title=Youth's sonic forces: The club DJ: a brief history of a cultural icon|last=Fikentscher|first=Kai|journal=[[UNESCO Courier]]|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|date=July–August 2000|page=45}}</ref> House music was strongly influenced by elements of [[soul music|soul]]- and [[funk]]-infused varieties of [[disco]]. Club play from pioneering DJs like [[Ron Hardy]] and [[Lil Louis]], local dance music record shops, and the popular Hot Mix 5 shows on radio station [[WVAZ|WBMX-FM]] helped popularize house music in Chicago and among visiting DJs & producers from [[Detroit]]. Trax Records and DJ International Records, local labels with wider distribution, helped popularize house music outside of Chicago. It eventually reached Europe before becoming infused in mainstream pop & dance music worldwide during the 1990s.

It has been widely cited that the initial blueprint for [[Techno]] was developed during the mid-1980s in Detroit, [[Michigan]], by [[Juan Atkins]], [[Kevin Saunderson]], [[Derrick May (musician)|Derrick May]] (the so-called "Belleville Three"), and [[Eddie Fowlkes]], all of whom attended school together at [[Belleville High School (Belleville, Michigan)|Belleville High]], near Detroit.<ref name="Brewster 2006:340–359">Brewster 2006:340–359</ref><ref name="Cosgrove 1988a">Cosgrove 1988a.</ref><ref name=SICKO_UNKNOWN>Sicko 1999</ref><ref name="Reynolds 1999:12–40">Reynolds 1999:12–40</ref> Though initially conceived as party music that was played on daily mixed radio programs and played at parties given by cliquish, Detroit high school clubs, it has grown to be a global phenomenon.

== Country music ==
[[File:WIKI KENNY ROGERS.jpg|150px|thumb|right|[[Kenny Rogers]], 2004]]
As the 1980s dawned, [[country pop|pop-influenced country music]] was the dominant style, through such acts as [[Kenny Rogers]], [[Ronnie Milsap]], [[T.G. Sheppard]], [[Eddie Rabbitt]], [[Crystal Gayle]], [[Anne Murray]] and [[Dolly Parton]]. The 1980 movie ''[[Urban Cowboy]]'', a romantic comedy starring [[John Travolta]] and [[Debra Winger]], spawned a successful soundtrack album featuring pop-styled country songs, including "[[Lookin' for Love]]" by [[Johnny Lee (singer)|Johnny Lee]], "[[The Devil Went Down to Georgia]]" by the [[Charlie Daniels Band]], "[[Could I Have This Dance]]" by Murray and "[[Love the World Away]]" by Rogers. The songs, and the movie itself, resulted in an early 1980s boom in pop-style country music, and the era is sometimes known as the "Urban Cowboy Movement".

By the mid-1980s, country music audiences were beginning to tire of country-pop. Although some pop-country artists continued to record and release successful songs and albums, the genre, in general, was beginning to suffer. By 1985, a ''New York Times'' article declared country music "dead". However, by this time, several newcomers were working behind the scenes to reverse this perception.

The year 1986 brought forth several new artists who performed in traditional country styles, such as honky-tonk. This sparked the "new traditionalist" movement, or return to traditional country music. The most successful of these artists included [[Randy Travis]], [[Dwight Yoakam]], [[Ricky Van Shelton]], and [[Holly Dunn]]. Also, artists like [[Kathy Mattea]] and [[Keith Whitley]], both of whom had been performing for a few years prior, had their first major hits during 1986; Mattea was more folk-styled, while Whitley was pure honky-tonk. But the new traditionalist movement had already taken hold as early as 1981 when newcomers such as [[John Anderson (musician)|John Anderson]] and [[George Strait]] had their first big hits, and [[Reba McEntire]] had her first big hit in 1980; in addition, songwriter–guitarist and [[Chet Atkins]] prodigy [[Steve Wariner]] also emerged as a popular act starting in the early 1980s. Another boom period for newcomers with new traditionalist styles was 1989, when artists such as [[Clint Black]], [[Alan Jackson]], [[Mary Chapin Carpenter]], [[Lorrie Morgan]] and [[Travis Tritt]] had their first big hits.

Vocal duos were also popular because of their harmonies, most notably [[The Bellamy Brothers]] and [[The Judds]]. Several of the Bellamy Brothers' songs included double-entendre' laden [[hook (rhetoric)|hooks]], on songs such as "Do You Love as Good As You Look". The Judds, a mother-and-daughter duo, combined elements of contemporary pop and traditional country music on songs such as "Why Not Me" and "[[Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Ol' Days)]]".

Country music groups and bands continued to rise in popularity during the 1980s. The most successful of the lot was [[Alabama (American band)|Alabama]], a [[Fort Payne, Alabama|Fort Payne]]-based band that blended traditional and pop-country sounds with [[southern rock]]. Their concerts regularly sold out, while their single releases regularly reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' [[Hot Country Singles|Hot Country Songs]] chart. In 1989, Alabama was named the Artist of the Decade by the [[Academy of Country Music]]. By the end of the 1980s, the group had sold more than 24 million albums in the United States.

Ranking just behind Alabama in popularity, as far as groups were concerned, were [[The Oak Ridge Boys]] and [[The Statler Brothers]], both four-part harmony groups with gospel and country-pop stylings. The popularity of those three groups sparked a boom in new groups and bands, and by the end of the 1980s, fans were listening to such acts as [[Restless Heart]] and [[Exile (American band)|Exile]], the latter which previously enjoyed success with the pop hit "[[Kiss You All Over]]".

Despite the prevailing pop-country sound, enduring acts from the 1970s and earlier continued to enjoy great success with fans. [[George Jones]], one of the longest-running acts of the time, recorded several successful singles, including the critically acclaimed "[[He Stopped Loving Her Today]]". [[Conway Twitty]] continued to have a series of No. 1 hits, with 1986's "Desperado Love" becoming his 40th chart-topper on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles chart, a record that stood for nearly 20 years. The movie ''[[Coal Miner's Daughter (film)|Coal Miner's Daughter]]'' profiled the life of [[Loretta Lynn]] (with [[Sissy Spacek]] in the lead role), while [[Willie Nelson]] also had a series of acting credits. [[Dolly Parton]] had much success in the 1980s, with several leading movie roles, two No. 1 albums and 13 number one hits and having many successful tours. Others who had been around for a while and continued to have great success were [[Eddy Arnold]], [[Johnny Cash]], [[Merle Haggard]], [[Waylon Jennings]], [[Ray Price]], [[Hank Williams Jr.]] and [[Tammy Wynette]].

== See also ==
* [[1980s in music]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book | title = Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America | last = Rose | first = Tricia | publisher = [[Wesleyan University Press]] | year = 1994 | isbn = 978-0-8195-6275-3 | location = Middletown, Connecticut | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/blacknoiserapmus0000rose }}

[[Category:American music history|1980]]
[[Category:1980s in American music]]

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Music history of the United States in the 1980s