Pop Music

In the 80s!

Disco is falling out of the scene as the premier music genre

Rock music was still fairly popular Pop, dance music and New Wave were

turning heads and fast-growing in popularity

Heavy / Glam metal metal was very prominent

In the 80s!

Digital recording was a staple for making music

Synthesizers became essential for certain musical actsGrowth of Synth Pop

Other electronic genres such as techno, house, and electro started to develop

Rap, hip hop, and urban genres were not unusual in inner-city locations

The most successful pop music artists of the 80s:

Michael Jackson Madonna Prince Whitney Houston Janet Jackson

Pop Music Artists

Michael Jackson Born Michael Joseph

Jackson From Gary, Indiana Singer who began solo

career in 1971 Music, fashion, and

status made him a world icon for over 40 years

Michael Jackson

Began in the music scene with the Jackson 5 in 1964

Contributed pivotal music videos for his songsBeat ItBillie JeanThriller

Michael Jackson

Thriller-1982 – Known as the best-selling album of all time

Another world renown album from the 80sBad

Labeled the “King of Pop”

Madonna

Born Madonna Louise Ciccone

American singer-songwriter, actress, dancer

Born in Bay City, Michigan

Started in 1982 with Sire Records

Madonna

Provided many huge hits for the 80s; songs like:Like a VirginInto the GrooveVogueLike a Prayer

She became a an visual icon through mediums such as MTV

Madonna Pushed the boundaries of

lyrical content in pop music Known to cause controversy

through her music Has sold more than 300

million records worldwide Best-selling female

recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records

Prince!

Prince Rogers Nelson

American singer-songwriter and actor

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Wrote his first song at age seven

Prince!

Played in the band 94 East Debut album, “For You,” was in 1978 Very Successful 80s albums

Dirty Mind (1980)Controversy (1981)

Popular SinglesWhy You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?I Wanna Be Your LoverWhen Doves Cry

Prince! Prince has produced

ten platinum albums Has contributed 30

Top 40 singles Probably known as

second to Michael Jackson in popularity as far as male pop stars are concerned

Whitney Houston

Whitney Elizabeth Houston Singer, model, actress,

producer From Newark, New Jersey Started working as a

fashion model in early 1980s

Houston’s debut album, Whitney Houston, was released in 1985

Whitney Houston In 1985, Rolling Stone

magazine described her as “one of the most exciting new voices in years”

Houston’s first No. 1 single was “Saving All My Love for You”

Her next US single, “How Will I Know” also hit No. 1

Houston’s first album topped the Billboard 200 chart and stayed for 14 weeks

Whitney Houston Guinness World

Records says she is the most awarded female act of all time

One of the world’s best-selling music artists

Sold over 200 million records

Only artist to chart a No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit seven times in a row

Janet Jackson Born Janet Damita Jo

Jackson From Gary, Indiana Started her career on

the television series The Jacksons in 1976.

Her debut album was Janet Jackson, produced in 1982

Janet Jackson Known for her

original, poignantly philosophical, and rather sexually charged records

Not a great singer, but recognized as a strong dancer

Contributed rather elaborate productions in her concerts

Janet Jackson

Has sold over 100 million records

Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) notes her as the eleventh best-selling female artist in the U.S.

Jackson is No. 7 on the list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists

80s Heavy / G

lam

Metal

Glam Metal Origins of this genre stem from hard

rock and heavy metalCombines with punk rock and pop music

Known for “easy-to-listen-to” guitar parts and melodies

Also referred to as “Pop Metal” Started in late 1970s

Popular Glam Metal Bands Motley Crue Poison Def Leppard Guns N’ Roses Bon Jovi

Motley Crue

From Los Angeles, California

Started in 1981

Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars, Tommy Lee

Motley Crue Recognized for their

self-indulgent lifestyle First best-selling

album was Shout at the Devil (1983)

Sold over 75 million albums

Ranked 10th on MTV’s list “Top 10 Heavy Metal Band’s of All-Time”

Poison

From Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Started in 1983 Members are

Bret MichaelsRikki RockettBobby DallC.C. Deville

Poison Icons of the1980s MTV era Breakthrough album, Look

What the Cat Dragged In (1986)

Peak Album, Open Up and Say…Ahh!Most successful album

Largely popular single, “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”

Sold over 45 million records worldwide

Def Leppard

From Sheffield, England

Formed in 1977 Were first named

Atomic Mass Considered to be

part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal

Def Leppard One of the band’s most

popular albums was Pyromania (1983)

One of their most popular singles is “Photograph”

Their 1897 album, Hysteria topped the U.S. and UK album charts

Has sold over 20 million records worldwide

Guns N’ Roses From Los Angeles,

California Started in 1985 Members were Axl

Rose, Saul Hudson, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan, and Steven Adler

Have been recognized for making rock music popular again

Guns N’ Roses Debut album is Appetite

for Destruction (1987) Landed a No. 1 spot on

the Billboard 200 One of their hit singles is

“Sweet Child o’ Mine”Landed a No. 1 spot on

the Billboard Hot 100 Has sold over 100

million copies worldwide

Bon Jovi

Sayreville, New Jersey

Started in 1983 Members are Jon

Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan, and Tico Torres

Bon Jovi Breakthrough album

was Slippery When Wet (1986)Earned worldwide

acknowledgment from this album

Includes hit single, “Livin on a Prayer”

One of the world’s best-selling band of all time

Sold over 130 million records worldwide