1980s – Pop Icons Go Global

1980s a time for major companies to regroup and

reinvent themselves with a new format and new technology

From the 80s to the 90s –

1.      Eighties Icons 2.      The influence of Technology 3.      Ecstasy and Rave – The summer of

Love

The Visual Element

The visual representation of popular in the ascendancy 1.   Connections between popular music and film, TV, Music Video and

MTV.  Global success from multi-media presence. 2.    Music became even more of `a thing’ with digital recording

technology. Increasingly less `live’ element and more a commodity.   3.   History of music of film a long one – `rockumentary’ forms a spin off 4.   80s success of MTV boosted televised music video – reshaped the

form – helped to construct a global teenage consumer. Became an essential part of music industry – virtually all recordings released with a video.

5.   Analysis of MVs – is music or video? – is it visual radio? Does it represent `a new phase of development of sound recording as a cultural form’?

MTV

1.   Formed in 1981 as the first global music network. Highly profitable and has spawned a host of imitators.

2. By late 1980s reaching 20 million American homes. By 1991 28 million subscribers and adding 1-3 per year. MTV Europe in 1988 - by 1993 it was giving 24- hour coverage on cable.

3.   Attempt in 1990s to play a greater proportion of local performers (e.g. 20% in India and Latin America).  

4.  Influence of North American cultural and the new global industry becomes enormous.

5.  Getting on MTV was seen as the way to `break’ a new artist. 6.  Performers who received considerable exposure on MTV before they

were picked up by radio include Madonna, Duran Duran and the Thompson Twins.

 7.  Invasion of American charts by British groups in the 1980s attributable to MTV.  

80s Icons

1.  Background to period – Economic boom of Reagan and Thatcher. Beginning of communist bloc collapse. Triumph of capitalism over socialism –

2.  Satellite and cable TV – proliferation of media – franchised films – Star Wars – video machines in most homes – Dallas and Dynasty on TV

3.  Power dressing, Yuppies, Mortgages and City Jobs 4.  Aids and Safe Sex 5.  Miners Strike and Falklands War – triumph of Thatcherism 6.  Cultural relativism 7.  Post modernism

More 80s Icons

Madonna, Prince, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Queen, Boy George, George Michael, Tina Turner, Springsteen, etc

 characteristics: 1.  Individualism 2.  Versatility 3.  Selling with sex 4.  Control of Business – set up own business

organisation 5.  Cross Gender Appeal 6.  Soloist with ego

Case Studies

  1.  Madonna – constantly reinventing herself. Centre of her own world. Good business sense - $860 deal with Time Warner setting up Maverick 

2.  Freddie Mercury – gay icon in both senses of word. Again constantly reinventing self and band. Epitomized 80s decadence.

3.  Prince – Paisley Park Organisation more like a fantastically prolific hit factory in the mid 80s around Sign O’th Times. Appeal across the races but a decision around 1990 to pursue the Black side of his personality – contract difficulties took him out of limelight. 

4.  Annie Lennox – Eurythmics – split up at the wrong time but very prolific in early and mid 80s. Gender androgyny.

 5.  Springsteen? Embodiment of authentic working man class authenticity but in 80s was in fact boss of a multi million dollar organisation

Dance Music

Working in the other direction against globalisation/centralisation was the development of dance music in the late 80s.

1.  Electro pop had showed how technology could empower. 80s the decade for simple electro pop - Soft Sell, Joy Division, Wham, Spandau Ballet, Human League, etc. Simple songs with simple technology  

2.  MIDI, sampling, sequencing, computers etc., all become possible in the 80s and get increasingly affordable.

3.  Break through of the DX7 – sampling and synths in the bedroom 4.  Development of House and Techno – importance of Chicago =

develops into Acid House 5.  Arrival of Ecstasy around 1985 in the UK – first produced for gay

dance scene – then spread

Summer of Love - 1988

Summer of Love – 1988 – spontaneous acid house parties

1.Rave scene and DJ culture moved out of the clubs and into the open.

2.Development of the illegal rave – first in 1980 Graham Bright’s Entertainment Act increased fines which could be imposed on organisers.

3.Connection with travellers and law breaking. 4. Led to Criminal Justice Act by Major

Government in 1994