80s Brit Pop Music: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Contents
What was the best of 80s Brit Pop music? What was the worst of it? And what were some of the most forgettable songs of the era? We explore all of that in this blog post!
The Good
The 80s Brit Pop music scene was a great time for music. There were a lot of great bands and artists that came out of that era. Some of the good that came out of the 80s Brit Pop music scene include The Smiths, The Cure, Depeche Mode, and more.
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. The band consisted of lead singer Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described them as “one of the most important alternative rock bands to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s”.
The group released their debut album The Smiths in 1984, which reached number two on the UK Albums Chart and included the singles “Hand in Glove”, “What Difference Does It Make?” and “This Charming Man”. The album was well received by critics and was ranked one of the greatest debut albums of all time by NME magazine. Their second album Meat Is Murder (1985) reached number one in the UK, but was less successful commercially than their debut and was met with mixed reviews from critics.
The Smiths’ next release, The Queen Is Dead (1986), entered the UK charts at number two and is often regarded as their finest album. It included the singles “Bigmouth Strikes Again”, “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” and “Panic”. The album reflected Morrissey’s nihilistic view of British society and Marr’s jangly guitar sound became more prominent on this release. Strangeways, Here We Come (1987) was another commercial and critical success, reaching number two in the UK chart and featuring the singles “Girlfriend in a Coma” and “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”.
By 1988, tensions between Morrissey and Marr resulted in Marr leaving The Smiths. The band officially disbanded shortly afterwards. Since then, there have been periodic attempts to reunite the band; none have been successful so far. In 2007, Marr stated that he would be open to a reunion if Morrissey agreed to it.
The Cure
The Cure is a British rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex, in 1978. The group has experienced several line-up changes, with vocalist, guitarist, and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member. The Cure first began releasing music in the form of singles and the album Three Imaginary Boys (1979) before going on to release seventeen studio albums and thirty-one gold and platinum certifications in the United Kingdom alone. As of 2004, the Cure had sold more than 27 million records worldwide.
The Cure’s music revolves around guitarist, vocalist, and primary songwriter Robert Smith. Smith has said that early Cure songs were written to be “anthems for lonely people”. However, by 1979’s “Boys Don’t Cry”, he had begun writing what would be seen as gothic rock songs. Gothic rock is a subgenre of post-punk that developed out of post-punk in the late 1970s. Gothic rock incorporates elements of both punk and a variety of other genres including gothic literature, romanticism, horror films, and EBM. The name “gothic” refers to the genre’s gloomy atmosphere. The genre gave rise to a broader subculture that included clubs, fashion and publications.
The Cure’s debut album Three Imaginary Boys (1979) reached number 46 in the UK Albums Chart. Its follow-up record Seventeen Seconds (1980), released the following year, peaked at number 20 in the UK; both albums featured their now iconic single “A Forest”. Faith (1981), saw a change in direction for the band; during its recording Smith depersonalised himself by referring to himself as “it” instead of “I”. The album was also darker thematically than its predecessors; preluding what was to come with Pornography (1982).
Depeche Mode
One of the most popular and influential bands of the 1980s, Depeche Mode originated in Basildon, England. Formed in 1980, the group’s original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan (lead vocals, occasional songwriter since 2005), Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, vocals, chief songwriter since 1982), Andrew Fletcher (keyboards) and Vince Clarke (keyboards, chief songwriter from 1980 until 1981).
Depeche Mode released their debut album Speak & Spell in 1981. The album reached number ten in the UK album chart and was certified Platinum in the UK and Germany. The first single from the album–“Dreaming of Me”–was released in February 1981 and peaked at number 57 in the UK.
With Clarke’s departure in 1981 (he would go on to form Yazoo and then Erasure), Gore took over as the band’s primary songwriter. Alan Wilder (keyboards, drums, occasional songwriter) joined Depeche Mode in late 1982 or early 1983 and Gore’s duties as keyboardist were taken over by Peter Gordeno ( keyboards, bass guitar).
The band’s next album, A Broken Frame was released in September 1982. It reached number eight in the UK album chart but was not as successful as Speak & Spell both commercially and critically. However, two singles–“See You” and “The Meaning of Love”– did chart within the UK Top 30.
The Bad
While the 80s Brit Pop music scene had some great bands, it also had its fair share of bad ones. Some of the bad bands from the 80s Brit Pop music scene include Duran Duran, Wham!, and Tears for Fears. Let’s take a closer look at why these bands are considered to be bad.
Wham!
Wham! was a British musical duo consisting of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, formed in London in 1981. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to conflict with another band, also named Wham!.
The duo rose to fame with their debut album Fantastic (1983), which contained the singles “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and “Careless Whisper”. Both singles reached number one in the UK. Full dates for their first North American tour were announced in December 1983, but it was postponed due to George Michael being diagnosed with a serious illness.
The duo’s second album, Make It Big (1984), reached number one in both the UK and US. It spawned four top three singles: “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”, “Everything She Wants”, “Edge of Heaven”, and “Careless Whisper”. The album won numerous awards including multiple Grammy nominations. In 1985, they embarked on their first world tour.
The duo’s third album, Music from the Edge of Heaven (1986), was not as commercially successful as their previous albums; it peaked at number two in the UK and number eight on the US Billboard 200 chart. However, it still managed to sell over two million copies worldwide. The lead single from the album, “I’m Your Man”, peaked at number one in several countries including the UK, making it their final chart-topper as a duo.
After the release of Music from the Edge of Heaven and a world tour, George Michael embarked on a solo career while Andrew Ridgeley retired from professional music.
Duran Duran
Duran Duran was one of the most successful bands of the 1980s, selling over 100 million records worldwide. They were also one of the most controversial, thanks to their often sexually explicit lyrics and videos. The band was accused of promoting promiscuity and hedonism, and their music was banned in several countries. Despite all this, Duran Duran remains hugely popular, and their music continues to influence pop culture today.
A-ha
Hailing from Oslo, Norway, A-ha was one of the most popular synth-pop bands of the 1980s. The group’s breakthrough hit “Take on Me” reached the top of the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom, thanks in part to its iconic music video. The group went on to enjoy a long string of hits in both countries throughout the decade. However, their popularity began to wane by the early 1990s, and they ultimately disbanded in 2010.
The Ugly
It is a truth universally acknowledged that the 80s Brit Pop music was not all good. In fact, a lot of it was downright bad. And while some of it is considered classics today, a lot of it is still cringe-worthy. So, in this article, we are going to take a look at the ugly side of 80s Brit Pop music.
Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet was a British synth-pop band formed in London in 1979. The band were inspired by, and an integral part of, the New Romantic movement. They became one of the most successful groups of the 1980s and are best known for their singles “True” and “Gold”.
The band’s origins stemmed from two school friend’s vision to take the music from underground clubs such as Blitz (a London VK club) to a wider audience. Founding members Gary Kemp and Steve Norman were performing in various bands together since 1976, including The Cut, which they formed with fellow Blitz Kids John Keeble and Nigel Porter. Richard Miller joined them soon after. The quintet took their name from a neighbouring German city, West Berlin’s Spandau Prison, where Nazi leader Rudolph Hess was incarcerated.
The group signed with Chrysalis Records in early 1980, and released their debut single “To Cut a Long Story Short” in October of that year. It reached number five on the UK Singles Chart and was quickly followed by their second single “Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)” which peaked at number two in early 1981.
Tears for Fears
Drawing from post-punk, new wave, and synth-pop, Brit pop emerged in the UK in the early 1990s and signified a return to guitar pop after the rave music and grunge of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Brit pop scene was led by such bands as Blur, Oasis, Pulp, Radiohead, Suede, and Elastica. Although often compared to American grunge bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, Brit pop bands differed in that they were more influenced by classic British pop groups such as the Beatles, the Kinks, and the Jam.
One of the most successful Brit pop bands of the 1990s was Tears for Fears. Formed in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, Tears for Fears released their debut album The Hurting in 1983. The album was a commercial success, reaching number one on the UK charts. The Hurting featured the hit singles “Mad World” and “Change”.
Tears for Fears’ follow-up album was 1985’s Songs from the Big Chair. The album was an even bigger success than The Hurting, reaching number one on both the UK and US charts. Songs from the Big Chair featured the hit singles “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, “Shout”, and “Head over Heels”.
After a break of several years, Tears for Fears returned with 1989’s The Seeds of Love. The album was another commercial success, reaching number one on the UK charts and number three on the US charts. The Seeds of Love featured the hit single “Sowing the Seeds of Love”.
Tears for Fears’ fourth album was 1993’s Elemental. Although not as successful as its predecessors, Elemental still managed to reach number two on the UK charts and number seven on the US charts. Elemental featured the hit singles “Break It Down Again” and “Elemental”.
Tears for Fears’ fifth and most recent album is 2004’s Everybody Loves a Happy Ending. The album reached number nine on the UK charts but did not chart in the US. Everybody Loves a Happy Ending featured
Culture Club
Culture Club was one of the most successful pop groups of the 1980s. The band was fronted by Boy George, who became an international star thanks to his androgynous style and unique voice. The other members of the band were Mikey Craig (bass), Roy Hay (guitar), and Jon Moss (drums).
The band’s debut album, Kissing to Be Clever, was released in 1982 and included the hits “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” and “Time (Clock of the Heart)”. The album was a success, reaching #1 in the UK and #12 in the US. Culture Club’s follow-up album, Colour by Numbers, was even more successful, reaching #1 in both the UK and US. The album included the hits “Karma Chameleon” and “Victims”.
Culture Club’s popularity began to decline in the mid-1980s, due in part to Boy George’s drug addiction. The band released two more albums, Waking Up with the House on Fire (1984) and From Luxury to Heartache (1986), before breaking up in 1986.
