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The 1980s...

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C86 and the Indie Movement
C86 and the Indie Movement
C86 was a celebrated cassette that chronicled the mid 80s indie scene. But it also gave rise to a music scene of the same name, a softer alternative to much of the…...
Charity Records
Charity Records
A number of charity singles have been released over the years. But it’s Band Aid and Don’t They Know It’s Christmas which has defined the genre....
Dance Music, DJs and Nightclubs
Dance Music, DJs and Nightclubs
In many ways, the rise of dance music has been the most significant musical development since punk, as its influence is felt throughout music....
Indie and the New Musical Express
Indie and the New Musical Express
Indie music was a vital part of the 1980s music scene. From small beginnings it grew into a major force on music, priming the pump for all that came after....
New Romantics
New Romantics
The New Romantics were the colourful antidote to the austerity of punk and post-punk. Growing out of a club scene, they dominated the charts in the first half of the…...
New Wave of British Metal
New Wave of British Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal grew from the underground, and revitalised metal for a short while. Some of the members forged huge international careers from its…...
Raves, Techno, Hardcore and Trance
Raves, Techno, Hardcore and Trance
The rave scene of dance parties became huge, and spawned a generation of young musicians to make electronic dance music, effectively creating a scene that’s influenced…...
The Beginning of MTV
The Beginning of MTV
The advent of MTV changed everything, eclipsing radio as the main form of musical entertainment. But these days MTV is a very different creature to when it began in 1981....
The Cure- Rock Music to Pop
The Cure- Rock Music to Pop
A favourite with Goths, but with fans covering all styles (and now a couple of generations), the Cure might be the most influential cult band in music history....
The Gothic Music Movement
The Gothic Music Movement
Goth has been one of music’s most enduring movements, not just for the sound, but also for the distinctive style....
The Rise and Fall of Electro Music
The Rise and Fall of Electro Music
The electro scene of the early 1980s was akin to New Romanticism, but darker. Yet it achieved a great deal of chart success....
The Second Summer of Love
The Second Summer of Love
The second summer of love happened in 1988 with the rise of the warehouse parties and acid house music, when the new scene was still very much underground....
The Smiths Were The Idols of Indie
The Smiths Were The Idols of Indie
The Smiths were the most influential of the indie bands – in fact, they were simply one of the most influential bands to emerge from the 1980s....
The Story of Rough Trade
The Story of Rough Trade
From its beginnings as a record shop, Rough trade grew to become the most important independent label of the 1980s....
The Tube, TV Music Programme
The Tube, TV Music Programme
The Tube was Britain’s defining music show on the 1980s, airing videos and giving exposure to both established and up-and-coming bands....
What is Ambient Music?
What is Ambient Music?
Although it existed before dance culture, ambient music came of age with the rise of raves, and took on its own identity...
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