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By James
Turano
Despite some regrettable
hairdos, the 1980s
were more than
met the eye
Mullet Ove
es, Virginia
,
the 1980s were
filled with
a
sole sequined
glove, Madon-
na lookalikes,
Brat Packers, break
dancing, parachute
pants, and synthesizer
bands.
And, in general, the
’80s
were
, like, “so bitchin’. ”
Now that ’80s music nostalgia has
become “most excellent,” the entirety
of this “choice” decade must get its due.
Not to be, like, a total bummer, or “gro-
dy to the max,” but the current revision-
ist history is selectively editing.
The Millennials may have been
minted in the ’80s, but Baby Boomers
and Gen-Xers lived them. This writer is
not aiming to “barf you out,” but rather,
pass along a fuller view of the decade.
Prepare for an ’80s music history lesson,
filled with some shock and “awesome.”
Ravinia is “fer surre” feeding the
ravenous ’80s music appetite. Upcoming
shows include the “Lost ’80s Live” tour
featuring A Flock of Seagulls, Naked
Eyes, Wang Chung, Animotion, and
others on July 29, and a gender-bending
bash with Culture Club, The B-52s, and
the Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey on
August 31 and September 1.
The ’80s were flooded with diverse
influences, sounds, and milestones—
some new (new wave), some old (rock),
some remnants (punk), some holdovers
(heavy metal), some fringes (country),
some re-packaged (dance music), some
man-
ufactured
(boy bands),
and some glimpses
of the future (rap).
The decade began with
the final flickers of the dom-
inating disco ball. The popular
dance craze had a stranglehold on
pop charts for almost five years before
Chicago’s infamous “Disco Demoli-
tion” radio station promotion in 1979
ceremoniously blew it up real good,
and claimed victory in the “rock vs.
disco” debate. Contrary to some recent
opinions, the “Disco Sucks!” sentiment
was not racist or homophobic. And it
was not a revolt against disco music
itself, but rather against the subculture
of gold-chained, dancing macho men
wearing unbuttoned polyester shirts
glorified in the John Travolta/Bee Gees
star-making disco inferno film
Saturday
Night Fever
.
However, if rock won the battle, disco
won the war. A few years later, disco
returned, retitled “dance music.” In 1982,
Michael Jackson’s, beat-filled
Thriller
album moonwalked and conquered, and
in 1983, style maven Madonna offered an
image-defining music video for “Holi-
day” that ordained a dance resurgence.
Regardless, rock reasserted its mus-
cle. In 1980, for example, Bruce Spring-
steen validated his ’70s hype with his
expansive, number-one double album
The River
. At the same time, many
American and English post-punkers like
Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, Blondie,
and The Ramones softened their edges
and gained
newfound play
on FM rock radio
stations. Later, college
radio played a meaningful
role in breaking many “im-
port” and underground bands.
A burgeoning ’80s music rage
also erupted thanks to another Travolta
film:
Urban Cowboy
. TV’s “sweat hog”
abandoned the 2001 Odyssey disco for
Gilley’s country and western bar, me-
chanical bull and all. The film rounded
up country music, steered it to the
mainstream, and laid the groundwork
for the genre’s current popularity with a
soundtrack featuring established coun-
try acts like Mickey Gilley, The Charlie
Daniels Band, and Kenny Rogers as well
as newcomers like Johnny Lee, whose
“Looking For Love” was among the
year’s biggest hits. Suddenly, country’s
long-pigeonholed stars, including Willie
Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Dolly
Parton, received overdue mainstream
acceptance. It also nurtured new coun-
try crossover artists like Eddie Rabbitt
RAVINIA MAGAZINE | JULY 23 – AUGUST 5, 2018
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