Journal: News & Comment

Permalinks to this entry: individual page or in monthly context. For more material from my journal, visit my home page or the archive.

Here I am

In Slate this morning is a succinct summary: "I began to have an inkling why the '80s revival has not occurred [...] the sense of orderliness to the whole venture. Much of the music of the '60s and '70s, from folk to punk to funk, had a kind of chaos to it. [...] Nostalgia is fueled by innocence, but '80s pop lacks innocence: It all feels calculated."

I grew up in the '80s, and though I like much of its music, David Plotz's argument rings true. That's not to say there wasn't a lot of calculated, processed gunk before the '80s (Starland Vocal Band, anyone?), and hasn't been a ton since, but the '80s were when it dominated. I'm glad there were still U2, R.E.M., the Police, Prince -- even Madonna. But remember what the hits actually were too.

On second thought, check out the charts ten years earlier and later too.

 |