Did the 1980's Kill Rock? (atleast temporarily)

Disclaimer: This is an excessively long post…one that Anthony will likely send me death threats for, or even worse, offer my spot as contributor to someone else (Dan?, Arnold?!). But screw it! I wanted to write a music post that got some decent arguments going via comments (Lethal Weapon/Die Hard magnitude).

Statement: The 1980’s completely wreaked havoc on rock music. Sure, the 1980’s gave us some great underground/indie stuff from bands like Sonic Youth and the Pixies, as well as some great metal, but lets be real, the 1980’s were a time of shitty music that was way overproduced…to the point where a band could fart on a snare drum and the synth machines could make it sound like Mozart. I give you some examples of amazing musicians/bands that either met their demise in the 1980’s, or fell prey to its crappieness.

• Following the release of 1980’s The Game, Queen began to abandon its more rock oriented sound for a more pop-ish synthesizer sound. Not bad music, but a far cry from their stuff released in the mid-late 1970’s.

• In my own little world, I like to think that Pink Floyd disbanded following 1979’s release of The Wall. In reality they went on to release 1983’s The Final Cut, which I loathe, as well as several other overproduced albums when David Gilmour took the helm.

• In 1980 Led Zeppelin disbands after the death of drummer John Bonham. Nuff’ said.

•In 1980, the Eagles broke up. Today they are back together and release albums exclusively through their website… and Wal-Mart.

• John Lennon was shot and killed by stalker Mark David Chapman in 1980. 1984’s Milk and Honey was released posthumously. I have often pondered why Yoko Ono couldn’t have been shot instead…

• Something about Elton John’s songs from the 1980’s to the present has always pissed me off. How do you go from underrated singer/song writer style music, to flamboyant rocker, to complete mediocrity? Yeah he did songs for the Lion King later on, big deal. Give me Madman Across the Water any day!

• The Who released their last album Its Hard in 1982 and embarked on a farewell tour. The band reunited in 2006 to release the album Endless Wire. Though the album was great and their old stuff remains amazing, today they are widely revered by morons as “the band that wrote the songs to CSI.”

• I’ll admit it, David Bowies 1980’s tracks are kind of a guilty pleasure. I take no shame in singing China Girl in the shower… But let’s be real. Do Bowie’s 1980’s albums even come close to Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars…not by a long shot.

• Following enormously successful releases of Back In Black, and For Those About To Rock We Salute You, AC/DC entered a period of commercial failure releasing largely forgettable albums until 1990’s The Razor’s Edge. Also, Brian Johnson's voice gets worse every album they put out, does anyone actually know what the hell he’s singing anymore?

• The Police release their last album Synchronicity in 1983. I personally feel their sound died with their 1981 album Ghost in the Machine, but that’s up for debate.

• This is going to be hotly disputed, as many people think the Rolling Stones died in the mid 1970’s, but I have to disagree. I would go so far as say that following 1981’s Tattoo You the band started to hit the big decline. 1983’s Undercover just doesn’t do it for me.

• In 1985 David Lee Roth leaves Van Halen. Sammy Hagar takes the helm and is wrongly criticized for ruining the band. Sorry guys, changing a lead singer doesn’t lead to the sellout Van Halen became following Roth’s departure.

Thoughts?

-Matt