How Heavy Metal and 1980s Pop Music Influenced Each Other

How Heavy Metal and 1980s Pop Music Influenced Each Other: A look at the musical genres that emerged in the 1980s and how they were influenced by each other.

Introduction

It would be easy to assume that 1980s pop music exists in its own little world, disconnected from everything else that was happening in the music industry at the time. But in reality, the 1980s were a period of great change and transition for music, with various genres starting to influence and cross-pollinate with each other. This was especially true for heavy metal and pop music, which ended up having a surprisingly big impact on each other during the decade.

In the early 1980s, heavy metal was still very much an underground genre, primarily enjoyed by teenage boys and young men. It wasn’t until the release of Sony’s Walkman portable cassette player in 1982 that metal started to become more mainstream, as people could now listen to it anywhere they wanted. This increased exposure led to a surge in popularity for heavy metal bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Def Leppard.

At the same time, there was a growing interest in heavier sounding pop music, as evidenced by the success of artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince. This heavier pop sound was often achieved by using synths and drum machines to create a more danceable beat. It wasn’t long before these two genres began to influence each other, with metal bands incorporating more synthesizers into their music and pop artists adding heavier guitar riffs to their songs.

One of the most famous examples of this crossover is Madonna’s 1984 hit “Like A Virgin” which features a guitar riff that would not have sounded out of place on a Def Leppard album. This trend continued throughout the decade and can still be heard in popular music today. So next time you’re listening to your favorite 80s hits, don’t be surprised if you hear a little bit of metal influence lurking in there somewhere.

A Brief History of Heavy Metal

The genre of heavy metal music has its roots in the 1960s, with bands such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin popularizing a sound characterized by distorted guitars and dark, often apocalyptic lyrics. In the 1970s, heavy metal became increasingly popular, with bands such as Kiss and Queen achieving mainstream success. However, it was in the 1980s that heavy metal truly came into its own, with a new wave of bands such as Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer redefining the genre and cementing its place in the rock music pantheon.

Interestingly, while heavy metal was becoming more popular and more extreme in the 1980s, another musical genre was also gaining popularity: pop music. Pop music in the 1980s was often characterized by catchy melodies and simplistic lyrics, as opposed to the complex compositions and dark themes of heavy metal. However, despite their differences, there was also a strong connection between these two genres. Many heavy metal bands began incorporating pop elements into their music, while many pop artists began adopting a heavier sound.

One of the most notable examples of this crossover is Guns N’ Roses’ 1987 debut album Appetite for Destruction. This album combined elements of both hard rock and pop music to create a new sound that was immensely popular with fans of both genres. Another example is Bon Jovi’s 1988 album New Jersey, which saw the band moving away from their previous glam metal sound towards a more hard rock sound that would prove to be hugely influential in the 1990s.

In many ways, then, the 1980s can be seen as a decade that saw the two genres of heavy metal and pop music influence each other heavily, resulting in some truly groundbreaking and innovative music.

A Brief History of 1980s Pop Music

The 1980s was a decade of great change for pop music. From the early days of synthesized beats and simple melodies, the sounds of pop music evolved rapidly in just a few short years. The influence of heavy metal can be heard in the hard-driving sounds of early 1980s pop, while the advent of MTV ushered in a new era of visually-oriented performers such as Madonna and Michael Jackson.

The early 1980s saw the rise of synthesizer-based pop music. Artists like Duran Duran and Madonna used synthesizers to create catchy, danceable tunes that were perfect for MTV’s fledgling music video channel. The popularity of synthesizer-based pop led to the rise of electronic dance music, or EDM, which would come to dominate the pop landscape in the 1990s and 2000s.

While heavy metal was declining in popularity in the mainstream, its influence could still be heard in the hard-edged sounds of early 1980s pop. Groups like Cindi Lauper and Poison blended metal’s aggressive guitars and rock[1] attitude with more traditional pop sensibilities, creating a new sound that would come to be known as hair metal.

The advent of MTV changed the way pop musicians promoted their music. No longer content to simply release records and hope for radio airplay, artists now had a new way to reach their fans: through music videos. Madonna was one of the first artists to truly capitalize on this new medium, releasing groundbreaking videos for hits like “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl.” Other artists quickly followed suit, including Michael Jackson, who catapulted to superstardom with his groundbreaking Thriller video.

The 1980s was a decade of diversity in popular music. From synthesizer-based pop to hard-edged hair metal, there was something for everyone on the radio dial. And with the advent of MTV, artists had a whole new way to reach their fans and promote their music.

How Heavy Metal and 1980s Pop Music Influenced Each Other

Both heavy metal and 1980s pop music were highly influential during their respective eras. Heavy metal was agenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was characterized by distorted guitars, aggressive vocals, and complex song structures. 1980s pop music, on the other hand, was a genre of popular music that developed in the mid-1980s and early 1990s. It was characterized by synthesizers, drum machines, and catchy melodies.

Despite their different sounds, heavy metal and 1980s pop music shared some common influences. One major influence was glam rock, a genre of rock music that emerged in the early 1970s. Glam rock was characterized by outrageous fashion and make-up, as well as a focus on escapism and hedonism. This is evident in both heavy metal and 1980s pop music. Another common influence was science fiction and fantasy literature. This is evident in the lyrics of many heavy metal songs, which often deal with dark subject matter such as death, war, and evil. Likewise, many 1980s pop songs make references to futuristic themes such as space travel and computers.

In addition to these shared influences, heavy metal and 1980s pop music also had some unique influences of their own. For example, heavy metal was heavily influenced by horror films. Manyheavy metal songs make reference to specific horror films, such as “The Exorcist” (1973) and “Halloween” (1978). Similarly, many 1980s pop songs make reference to specific fashion trends of the time period, such as feathered hair and leg warmers.

Overall, it is clear that both heavy metal and 1980s pop music were highly influential during their respective eras. They shared some common influences, but they also had some unique influences of their own.

Conclusion

In conclusion, heavy metal and 1980s pop music were two very influential genres of music during their heyday. They both had a profound impact on each other, with heavy metal borrowing from pop’s catchy hooks and polished production values, and pop incorporating metal’s more aggressive attitude and distorted guitars. While they may have been rivals back in the day, there’s no denying the debt that each genre owes to the other.