Reference no: EM133719788
Discussion Post: Significant Epoch in American Popular Music
The decade of the 1980s continues to be a major site of memory and reference in American popular music and culture. In terms of music, the rise of MTV; blockbuster film music; hip-hop, heavy metal, new wave, and club culture are just some of the major developments. The use of CDs and VHS formats, as well as Walkmen and other mobile devices, further resulted in new mass uses of music and media. From Ronald Reagan to George H.W. Bush, to the escalating War on Drugs, and to the end of the Cold War, the consequences and legacies of this decade also remain in present in key cultural debates and political struggles. Despite these complexities, decades such as the 1980s are often marketed to advertise culture in terms of nostalgia.
Here are some examples, but do not use it:
Do the 1980s even have a stamp or a specific musical and visual style? What is remembered and misremembered about the 1980s in terms of nostalgia and music? How were international musical cultures addressing these experiences compared with the United States?
Major styles of the 1980s to consider: Popular genres - metal / rock / hip-hop / electronic dance music (house, techno, synth-pop) / new wave
Film & media - film scores / pop soundtracks & MTV / horror / action blockbusters / anime / cyberpunk / fantasy (sword & sorcery) / drama / comedy.