Week 7

When I think of the 1980’s, I think about digital sounds, big hair, bold and colorful make-up, leg warmers, and bright non-symmetrical clothing. Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do with It” a great start into the sounds of the 80s.  “Jump” by Van Halen is an amazing piece of 80s music, you can see the wonderful tight colorful clothing paired with very saturated lighting styles seen in the video below. You can hear the synthesized sounds that I believe define the 80s with very sexy dance moves and obviously the musicians are performing for the camera.

It was interesting listening to “Lady” by Kenny Rogers, even though the synthesized sounds are still heard; Rogers’s age is not what I think of when I think of the 80s.  First, I know there where plenty of older musicians in the 1980’s, but I generally think of the younger musicians when I think of popular music of the 80s. I think of “Thriller” by Michael Jackson, “Like a Virgin” by Madonna and “When Doves Cry” by Prince as popular 80s sounds and artists. I feel like the 80s was all about American musicians that are following a very free loving decade of the 70s.  Thus the music continue to become more sexy and the videos can also reflect the sexual appeal of the 80s.

As we continue into the later 1980s and into the 1990s, the rap starts to make an impact on the music industry with songs like “Walk This Way” performed by Run-D.M.C., “Night of the Living Baseheads” by Public Enemy, and “What’s My Name” by Snoop Doggy Dog. I don’t understand why rap artists feel the need to use vulgar language to express themselves, but I’m not a big fan.

Overall, the 80s do have a lot to offer and to share with students. There is a number of great songs in the 1980s that are appropriate for the classroom and there is a lot that is very inappropriate. Due to MTV and all the music videos that surfaced in the 80s most students relate well to watching and listening to music, which helps engage students. Students can also compare videos and sounds from the 80s to current music.