This article includes an overview of the famous events and trends in popular music in the 1980s .
123-423: 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
246-804: 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
369-435: 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
492-450: 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
615-672: A basic format employing a verse–chorus structure . The format is heavy on romantic sentimental ballads which use acoustic instruments such as pianos , saxophones , and sometimes an orchestral set. However, electric guitars and bass are also usually used, with the electric guitar sound relatively faint and high-pitched. Additionally, post-80s adult contemporary music may feature synthesizers (and other electronics, such as drum machines ). An AC radio station may play mainstream music, but it usually excludes hip hop , house/techno or electronic dance music and some forms of dance-pop and teen pop , as these are less popular among adults,
738-457: 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
861-470: A desire by some radio stations in the late 1950s and early 1960s to continue playing current hit songs but distinguish themselves from being branded as " rock and roll " stations. Billboard first published the Easy Listening chart July 17, 1961, with 20 songs; the first number one was " Boll Weevil Song " by Brook Benton . The chart described itself as "not too far out in either direction". Initially,
984-407: A great deal of R&B (without any form of rapping), gospel music , classic soul and dance music (including disco ). Another format, rhythmic AC , in addition to playing all the popular hot and soft AC music, past and present, places a heavy emphasis on disco as well as 1980s and 1990s dance hits, such as those by Amber , and Black Box , and includes dance remixes of pop songs, such as
1107-511: A major blow to the AC genre, and there are concerns that the portable people meter , a device being used to determine radio listenership, may be incompatible with AC songs and may not accurately pick up that a person is listening to an AC station because of the pitches and frequencies used in the style. Key AC artists of the early to mid-2010s included Bruno Mars , Coldplay , Adele , Arcade Fire , Meghan Trainor , Maroon 5 and Ed Sheeran , featuring
1230-413: 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
1353-476: A more conservative music library than hot AC-leaning stations. In particular, Chicago's WLIT did not have its airstaff talk over the beginning and endings of songs (in contrast to the hot AC-leaning WFYR ), and played Bob Seger 's " We've Got Tonite " but not " Old Time Rock and Roll " (which was part of WTMX 's playlist). The director of a soft AC station in Connecticut, WEZN-FM , told Warren that he had barred
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#17328871734071476-659: A more pop-influenced, uptempo style than the typical AC fare of previous years, also featuring production values reminiscent of the Motown sound and the so-called Wall of Sound that dominated the soul-heavy pop charts of the early 1960s, when the Easy Listening chart was first introduced. The earlier years of the decade also saw alternative and indie rock acts such as Wilco , Feist , The 1975 , Imagine Dragons , Mumford & Sons , Of Monsters and Men and The Lumineers quickly becoming AC mainstays, although these were eventually replaced by rhythm-based rock bands such as Panic! at
1599-472: A more uptempo direction. In 2017, Inside Radio reported that soft AC had the third-largest decrease in US stations offering the format over the past decade (at 128), ranking behind only adult standards and oldies —a shift credited to aging demographics and a major boom in the wider-appealing classic hits format (which saw the largest overall increase over the same period). Consultant Gary Berkowitz argued that
1722-408: A radio station that everybody goes, 'I'm okay with that'." The increasingly downtempo direction of pop hits in the mid-to-late 2010's also helped to attract additional listeners. Hot AC stations typically keep a larger body of recent hits in rotation than those with rigid, chart-driven formats like CHR and urban contemporary . As these stations' playlists have become concentrated towards airing only
1845-417: 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
1968-521: A similar "lite" format by choosing certain tracks (both hit singles and album cuts) of popular artists. By the late 1960s hard rock had been established as one of the rock genres leading hard rock and soft rock to became distinct popular forms in the rock scene, and as major radio formats in the US. Soft rock was often derived from folk rock, using acoustic instruments and putting more emphasis on melody and harmonies. Major artists included Carole King , Cat Stevens , James Taylor and Bread . In
2091-421: A similar playlist to hot AC stations, but with a broader rotation of classic hits from past decades. Soft adult contemporary formats have a more conservative sound oriented primarily towards adult women, urban AC focuses on R&B and soul music that appeal to African American adults, and rhythmic AC focuses on dance music and other rhythmic genres. Hot adult contemporary (hot AC) radio stations play
2214-662: 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
2337-447: 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
2460-611: 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. Adult contemporary music Adult contemporary music ( AC )
2583-617: A stronger lean towards modern rock and pop rock . In the 1990s and early 2000s, modern AC was typically targeted towards women, with Mike Marino of KMXB in Las Vegas describing the format as reaching "an audience that has outgrown the edgier hip-hop or alternative music but hasn't gotten old and sappy enough for the soft ACs." The format typically focused on female rock acts such as Shawn Colvin , Sheryl Crow , Indigo Girls , Jewel , and Sarah McLachlan , and folk rock -influenced bands such as Counting Crows and The Wallflowers . Today,
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#17328871734072706-529: 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
2829-415: 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
2952-643: A wide range of popular music that appeals towards the 18–54 age group; it serves as a middle ground between the youth-oriented contemporary hit radio (CHR) format, and adult contemporary formats (such as "mainstream" and soft AC) that are typically targeted towards a more mature demographic. They generally feature uptempo hit music from the last 25 years with wide appeal, such as pop and pop rock songs, while excluding more youth-oriented music such as hip-hop . Older music featured on hot AC stations usually reflects familiar and youthful music that adults had grown up with. Likewise, material from legacy pop acts such as
3075-470: A year after its original release, became a sleeper hit on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 and Hot 100 due in part to strong hot AC airplay). The popularity of the hot AC format prompted many mainstream AC stations to add uptempo music to their playlists, while still maintaining a deeper rotation of older hits than hot AC stations. Modern adult contemporary refers to AC formats with
3198-445: Is a form of radio -played popular music , ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad -heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening , pop , soul , R&B , quiet storm and rock influence. Adult contemporary is generally a continuation of the easy listening and soft rock style that became popular in the 1960s and 1970s with some adjustments that reflect
3321-519: Is another subgenre of radio programming that is distinct from the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart as it exists today, despite the apparent similarity in name. In response to the pressure on Hot AC, a new kind of AC format cropped up among American radio recently. The urban adult contemporary format (a term coined by Barry Mayo ) usually attracts a large number of African Americans and sometimes Caucasian listeners through playing
3444-408: Is not usually considered a specific genre of music; it is merely an assemblage of selected songs from artists of many different genres . Adult contemporary traces its roots to the 1960s easy listening format, which adopted a 70–80% instrumental to 20–30% vocal mix. A few offered 90% instrumentals, and a handful were entirely instrumental. The easy listening format, as it was first known, was born of
3567-504: 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
3690-497: 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
3813-520: The Backstreet Boys , Jason Mraz , John Mayer , and Pink is prominent within the format. The "hot AC" designation began to appear in the 1990s; the term described adult contemporary stations with a more energetic presentation and uptempo sound than their softer counterparts. An early example of the format, Houston's KHMX Mix 96.5 , climbed from 14th place in the market to third in the six months after its launch. The station's format and branding
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3936-519: The Carpenters , Dionne Warwick , Barry Manilow , John Denver , and Olivia Newton-John found it harder to have major Top 40 hits as the 1980s wore on, and due to the influence of MTV, artists who were staples of the Contemporary Hit Radio format, such as Richard Marx , Michael Jackson , Bonnie Tyler , George Michael , Phil Collins , Laura Branigan and Journey began crossing over to
4059-541: The Jonas Brothers and Halsey began to be featured on AC stations more than on top 40 stations. In radio broadcasting, adult contemporary is divided into several sub-formats, each with their own musical direction and demographic targeting. Hot adult contemporary formats generally feature an uptempo rotation of recent hits that appeal to a wide adult audience. A station formatted as "adult contemporary" with no qualifier, also referred to as "mainstream" AC, generally has
4182-467: The Soul Solution mix of Toni Braxton 's "Unbreak My Heart". In its early years of existence, the smooth jazz format was considered to be a form of AC, although it was mainly instrumental, and related a stronger resemblance to the soft AC-styled music. For many years, George Benson , Kenny G and Dave Koz had all had crossover hits that were played on both smooth jazz and soft AC stations. During
4305-455: The 1940s and early 1950s. After 1965, differences between the Hot 100 chart and the Easy Listening chart became more pronounced. Better reflecting what middle of the road stations were actually playing, the composition of the chart changed dramatically. As rock music continued to harden, there was much less crossover between the Hot 100 and Easy Listening chart than there had been in the early half of
4428-590: The 1960s. Roger Miller , Barbra Streisand and Bobby Vinton were among the chart's most popular performers. One big impetus for the development of the AC radio format was that, when rock and roll music first became popular in the mid-1950s, many more conservative radio stations wanted to continue to play current hit songs while shying away from rock. These middle of the road (or "MOR") stations also frequently included older, pre-rock-era adult standards and big band titles to further appeal to adult listeners who had grown up with those songs. Another big impetus for
4551-516: 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
4674-502: 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
4797-460: 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
4920-453: The 1980s, soft rock songs still enjoyed a mild success thanks to Sheena Easton , Amy Grant , Lionel Richie , Christopher Cross , Dan Hill , Leo Sayer , Billy Ocean , Julio Iglesias , Bertie Higgins , and Tommy Page . No song spent more than six weeks at No. 1 on this chart during the 1980s, with nine songs accomplishing that feat. Two of these were by Lionel Richie, " You Are " in 1983 and " Hello " in 1984, which also reached No. 1 on
5043-675: The 1980s, the soft AC format was positioned as being a more upbeat version of easy listening that would appeal better to a younger audience, mainly by excluding instrumental beautiful music . Easy listening stations had begun shifting to the format out of concern that their existing programming would not appeal to the current generation of listeners. In a 1990 article, James Warren of the Chicago Tribune characterized soft AC stations as being "as middle-of-the-road and unthreatening as modern media get", with personalities that were encouraged to be as inoffensive and "low-profile" as possible, and
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5166-499: The 1980s. The growth of AC was a natural result of the generation that first listened to the more "specialized" music of the mid-late 1970s growing older and not being interested in the heavy metal and rap/hip-hop music that a new generation helped to play a significant role in the Top 40 charts by the end of the decade. Mainstream AC itself has evolved in a similar fashion over the years; traditional AC artists such as Barbra Streisand ,
5289-671: The 1990s and early 2000s such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were added to the rotation of most AC stations. As trap music and similar styles of hip-hop began dominating top 40 stations during the last years of the 2010s, AC stations began picking up rhythmic artists like Rihanna , Lady Gaga , Ellie Goulding , Taio Cruz and Pitbull as well as EDM artists like Avicii , Daft Punk , Calvin Harris , David Guetta and Tiesto . Meanwhile, younger artists like Camila Cabello , Justin Bieber , Selena Gomez , Ariana Grande , Nick Jonas and
5412-475: The 1990s, to improve their appeal among changing demographics, some soft AC stations began to widen their playlist to include selections from contemporary acts with 80s, & 90s, musicians & bands such as Bon Jovi , Bryan Adams , Celine Dion , Roxette , Mariah Carey , Eric Clapton , Phil Collins , Elton John , Cher , Whitney Houston , Journey , and Queen . On the other hand, by 1996, New York's WLTW had begun to phase out its softer music in favor of
5535-588: The 2000s, country music / countrypolitan musicians such as Kelly Clarkson , Clay Aiken , Billy Joel , Garth Brooks , Shania Twain , LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood scored hits on soft AC, particularly in Southern states. A popular trend in the late 1990s and 2000s was remixing dance music hits into adult contemporary ballads, especially in the US, (for example, the "Candlelight Mix" versions of " Heaven " by DJ Sammy and Yanou , "Listen To Your Heart" by D.H.T. , and " Everytime We Touch " by Cascada ). Key to
5658-556: The 2000s, the AC market gained an increased presence in the music industry, as its radio formats were popular nationwide—Smooth jazz and "Urban AC" stations were ubiquitous in the East Coast, while Soft rock and "adult standards" stations were common in the Midwest, and pop-oriented "Hot AC" and "world music"/Hispanic AC stations were easily found in the West Coast and the "Sun Belt". This led to
5781-536: The AC chart during this time. In 1996, Billboard created a new chart called Adult Top 40 , which reflects programming on radio stations that exists somewhere between "adult contemporary" music and "pop" music. Although they are sometimes mistaken for each other, the Adult Contemporary chart and the Adult Top 40 chart are separate charts, and songs reaching one chart might not reach the other. In addition, hot AC
5904-425: The AC charts with greater frequency. Collins has been described by AllMusic as "one of the most successful pop and adult contemporary singers of the '80s and beyond". However, with the combination of MTV and AC radio, adult contemporary appeared harder to define as a genre, with established soft-rock artists of the past still charting pop hits and receiving airplay alongside mainstream radio fare from newer artists at
6027-447: The AC charts. In addition to Celine Dion , who has had significant success on this chart, other artists with multiple number ones on the AC chart in the 1990s include Mariah Carey , Phil Collins , Michael Bolton , Bryan Adams , Whitney Houston and Shania Twain . Newer female Adult album alternative singer-songwriters such as Sarah McLachlan , Natalie Merchant , Jewel , Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow also broke through on
6150-474: 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
6273-462: 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'
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#17328871734076396-573: 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
6519-729: The Disco , Neon Trees , X Ambassadors , Sheppard , Bastille , American Authors , Fitz and the Tantrums , Foster the People , Twenty One Pilots , Walk the Moon and Milky Chance . During the middle of the decade, newer artists such as CeeLo Green , OneRepublic , Rachel Platten , Christina Perri , Andy Grammer , James Bay , Sara Bareilles , Shawn Mendes , Sia , Sam Smith , Gavin Degraw , Charlie Puth and Colbie Caillat as well as acts that were popular in
6642-812: 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
6765-493: 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
6888-516: 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
7011-582: The Hot 100. In 1989, Linda Ronstadt released Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind , described by critics as "the first true Adult Contemporary album of the decade", featuring American soul singer Aaron Neville on several of the twelve tracks. The album was certified Triple Platinum in the United States alone and became a major success throughout the globe. The Grammy Award -winning singles, " Don't Know Much " and " All My Life ", were both long-running No. 1 Adult Contemporary hits. Several additional singles from
7134-481: 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
7257-653: 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
7380-661: 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
7503-653: 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 &
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#17328871734077626-789: 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
7749-730: The brand (among others) being adopted by competitors such as Entercom . Industry analyst Sean Ross argued that older demographics were becoming more lucrative due to changes in listening habits among younger audiences, which prefer digital platforms such as music streaming services over linear terrestrial radio, and also noted how mainstream AC was dependent on the Top 40 charts to break new songs. Current soft AC stations have continued to feature recurrents such as Michael Bolton , Celine Dion , Elton John, Fleetwood Mac , Hall & Oates , and Whitney Houston, while contemporary musicians such as Adele and Michael Bublé have also become modern fixtures of
7872-664: 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 &
7995-400: 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.
8118-810: 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),
8241-428: The current hits at a given time, hot AC airplay can build and sustain a song's popularity over a long-term period. This effect has been credited in helping build an audience for early singles from new acts such as Adele , Rachel Platten (" Fight Song ", which gained prominence for its use during Hillary Clinton 's 2016 US presidential election campaign ), and Max Schneider (whose 2016 single " Lights Down Low ", over
8364-493: 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
8487-449: 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
8610-604: 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
8733-460: The disc made the AC Top 10 as well. The album won over many critics in the need to define AC, and appeared to change the tolerance and acceptance of AC music into mainstream day to day radio play. The early 1990s marked the softening of urban R&B in the shape of new jack swing, at the same time alternative rock emerged and traditional pop saw a significant resurgence. This in part led to a widening of
8856-511: The early 1970s, softer songs by The Carpenters , Anne Murray , John Denver , Barry Manilow , and even Barbra Streisand , began to be played more often on "Top 40" radio. Top 40 radio stations played the Top 40 hits regardless of genre. As the texture of much of the music played on Top 40 radio began to soften, the Hot 100 and Easy Listening/AC charts became more similar. Easy Listening radio began playing songs by artists who had begun in other genres, such as rock and roll or R&B . Much of
8979-542: 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
9102-550: 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
9225-505: The evolution of pop/rock music. Adult contemporary tends to have lush, soothing and highly polished qualities where emphasis on melody and harmonies is accentuated. It is usually melodic enough to get a listener's attention, abstains from profanity or complex lyricism, and is most commonly used as background music in heavily-frequented family areas such as supermarkets , shopping malls , convention centers , or restaurants . Like most of pop music , its songs tend to be written in
9348-412: The evolution of the AC radio format was the popularity of easy listening or " beautiful music " stations, stations with music specifically designed to be purely ambient . Whereas most easy listening music was instrumental, created by relatively unknown artists, and rarely purchased (especially as singles, although Jackie Gleason 's beautiful music albums sold well in the 1950s), AC was an attempt to create
9471-417: 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
9594-437: The format during the 2010s. These developments helped to expand the popularity of the format among younger listeners such as millennials ; Nielsen Audio ranked hot AC as the third most-popular format among millennials, behind pop and country music . Of the format's expanding demographic reach, WOMX-FM program director Dana Taylor stated that hot AC stations "may not be the radio station that everybody agrees on, but it's
9717-540: The format is fairly uncommon, with KTCZ in the Minnesota Twin Cities and KMXP in Phoenix, Arizona being some of the few modern AC stations left. The Soft adult contemporary format typically targets women 25–54 and at-work listening. Soft AC playlists are generally conservative in comparison to hot AC, focusing on pop and power ballads , soft rock , and other familiar, light hits. Upon its establishment in
9840-529: The format until the early 1970s), new age songs and most pre-1964 artists were gradually phased out from AC radio throughout the early to mid-1990s. Unlike the majority of 1980s mainstream singers, the 1990s mainstream pop/R&B singers such as All-4-One , Boyz II Men , Christina Aguilera , Backstreet Boys and Savage Garden generally crossed over to the AC charts. Latin pop artists such as Lynda Thomas , Ricky Martin , Marc Anthony , Selena , Enrique Iglesias and Luis Miguel also enjoyed success in
9963-590: The format. In addition, the soft AC sound has diversified to include more songs that are "safe and universal" but not necessarily "soft", with Ross presenting examples such as Simple Minds ' " Don't You (Forget About Me) ", the retroactively-defined genre of yacht rock , and noting that KSWD in Seattle—one of the stations that had launched in the soft AC "boom" of the late-2010s—had featured dance- and synth-pop songs such as " Poker Face ", " Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) ", and " Uptown Funk " in its final days as
10086-485: 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
10209-498: The hits had become established. An article on MTV 's website by Corey Moss describes this trend as: "In other words, AC stations are where pop songs go to die a very long death. Or, to optimists, to get a second life." As adult contemporary has long characterized itself as family-friendly, "clean" versions of pop songs began appearing on the AC chart, as were the cases of " Perfect " by P!nk , and " Forget You " by Cee Lo Green , both in 2011. AC radio's shift into more mainstream pop
10332-485: 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
10455-412: 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
10578-526: 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
10701-576: 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
10824-408: The late 2000s, certain pop songs began entering the AC charts instead, generally after having recently fallen off the Hot 100. Adrian Moreira, senior vice president for adult music for RCA Music Group , said, "We've seen a fairly tidal shift in what AC will play". Rather than emphasizing older songs, adult contemporary now began playing many of the same songs as top 40 and adult top 40 , but only after
10947-407: The late-1970s. This led to specialized radio stations that played specific genres of music, and generally followed the evolution of artists in those genres. On April 7, 1979, the Easy Listening chart officially became known as Adult Contemporary, and those two words have remained consistent in the name of the chart ever since. Adult contemporary music became one of the most popular radio formats of
11070-408: 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
11193-485: 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
11316-427: The market, not only allowing to cater to more niche markets, but it also became customary for artists to make AC-friendly singles. At the same time, the genre began adopting elements from hard rock as tastes were shifting towards louder music, while AC stations in general began playing more rock acts. "Softer" features such as light instrumental music (carried over from the beautiful music format—many AC stations carried
11439-582: 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
11562-454: 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
11685-415: 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
11808-414: The music recorded by singer-songwriters such as Diana Ross , James Taylor , Carly Simon , Carole King and Janis Ian got as much, if not more, airplay on AC stations than on Top 40 stations. AC stations also began playing softer songs by Elvis Presley , Linda Ronstadt , Elton John , Rod Stewart , Billy Joel , and other rock-based artists. Soon after, the adult contemporary format began evolving into
11931-537: 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
12054-473: 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
12177-738: The presence of numerous genres on the AC charts, often crossing to the "pop" charts, winning over many critics in the need to define AC, and increased the tolerance and acceptance of AC music into mainstream day-to-day radio play. Josh Groban 's single " You Raise Me Up " and Michael Bublé 's cover of "Fever" are often cited as key examples of the high production values and ballad-heavy sound that defined 2000s-era AC, often dubbed as "jazz-pop", heavily carrying classical, jazz and traditional pop influences. Artists such as Nick Lachey , James Blunt , Jamie Cullum , John Mayer , Jason Mraz , Norah Jones , Diana Krall , Amy Winehouse and Susan Boyle also achieved great success during this period. During most of
12300-413: 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
12423-487: The reading of top-of-hour news headlines, so that listeners wouldn't be tempted to tune away to an all-news station to learn more. Soft AC stations tend to be more selective in their music libraries than other adult contemporary stations, preferring proven songs over current hits. Upon the onset of the format's popularity, core artists typically included singers such as Nat King Cole , Perry Como , Neil Diamond , Barry Manilow , Johnny Mathis , and Barbra Streisand . By
12546-539: The reformed Fleetwood Mac , whose Rumours (1977) was the best-selling album of the decade. By 1977, some radio stations, notably New York's WTFM and NBC -owned WYNY , and Boston's WEEI , had switched to an all-soft rock format. As Softrock 103 , WEEI was famous for its promotional campaigns, featuring slogans such as " Joni , without the baloni." and " The Byrds , without the nyrds." However, different forms of popular music targeted to different demographic groups, such as disco vs. hard rock , began to emerge in
12669-405: 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
12792-671: 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
12915-549: The soft AC format had become increasingly irrelevant in comparison to mainstream and hot AC, due to PPM markets preferring uptempo music. At the same time, however, soft AC began to experience a resurgence. In April 2016, iHeartMedia flipped its San Francisco classic soul station KISQ to soft AC as The Breeze ; as of November 2018, it was the top station in the Bay Area. The trend continued into 2017 and 2018, with iHeartMedia extending its Breeze brand to other soft AC flips, and
13038-401: The sound that later defined it, with rock-oriented acts as Chicago and the Eagles , becoming associated with the format. In addition, several early disco songs, did well on the Adult Contemporary format. Soft rock reached its commercial peak in the mid-to-late 1970s with acts such as Toto , England Dan & John Ford Coley , Air Supply , Seals and Crofts , Dan Fogelberg , America and
13161-400: The success of AC in the 2000s was the 25–34 demographic which had outgrown the pop music offerings of the time, most new rock became too alternative and harsh for AC radio and most new pop was now influenced heavily by dance-pop , hip-hop and electronic dance music . At the same time, the music industry also began to focus on older audiences and markets generally considered "niche". During
13284-410: The target demographic . AC radio often targets the 25–44 age group, the demographic that has received the most attention from advertisers since the 1960s. A common practice in recent years of adult contemporary stations is to play less newer music and more hits of the past, even some songs that never even charted the AC charts. This de-emphasis on new songs slows the progression of the AC chart. Over
13407-504: The time. The amount of crossover between the AC chart and the Hot 100 has varied based on how much the passing pop music trends of the times appealed to adult listeners. Not many disco or new wave songs were particularly successful on the AC chart during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and much of the hip-hop and harder rock music featured on CHR formats later in the decade would have been unacceptable on AC radio. Although dance-oriented, electronic pop and ballad-oriented rock dominated
13530-466: 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
13653-494: 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
13776-421: The vocalists consisted of artists such as Frank Sinatra , Doris Day , Johnny Mathis , Connie Francis , Nat King Cole , Perry Como , and others. The custom recordings were usually instrumental versions of current or recent rock and roll or pop hit songs, a move intended to give the stations more mass appeal without selling out . Some stations would also occasionally play earlier big band -era recordings from
13899-401: The years, AC has spawned subgenres including "hot AC" (or "modern AC"), "soft AC" (also known as "lite AC"), " urban AC " (a softer type of urban contemporary music ), " rhythmic AC " (a softer type of rhythmic contemporary ), and " Christian AC " (a softer type of contemporary Christian music ). Some stations play only "hot AC", "soft AC", or only one of the variety of subgenres. Therefore, it
14022-599: 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
14145-417: Was a result of the changes on the broadcasting landscape following the 2005–2007 economic downturn and eventual recession , as advertisers preferred more profitable chart-based formats, which meant the demise of many AC-based formulas, primarily those aimed at older audiences, with tastes changing towards more modern music among all age groups. Diminishing physical record sales throughout the 2010s also proved
14268-411: 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
14391-582: 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
14514-400: 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
14637-538: 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
14760-527: 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,
14883-562: 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
15006-683: 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
15129-482: Was widely replicated by other stations. Many hot AC outlets are among the top stations in their respective market. Initially focused more on pop rock, the format has evolved to reflect changes in the composition of this audience; by the mid-2000s, the format had evolved to include more uptempo pop music, while alternative and indie rock crossovers (such as Foster the People , Imagine Dragons , Lovelytheband , and Twenty One Pilots ) became more prevalent within
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