In a peak moment of pop monoculture, synthesizers pumped up songs and MTV forever changed how artists were seen. Here’s how — and why.
Category: Nineteen Hundred Eighties
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Beyond the Blockbusters, 7 Key Songs From 1984
The Pointer Sisters, Minutemen and more sounds from a landmark year in pop music.
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‘You Can Never Look Back’: How ’70s Rockers Rebooted for the ’80s
The year 1984 was a watershed in pop music. The stars who’d made it big the previous decade had to embrace new instruments and MTV or risk being left behind.
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“Camera Girl” Features Steamy Nights Preserved on Polaroid Film
Polaroid photos capturing the fugitive spirit and some famous faces of New York’s 1980s club scene are the focus of a new book, “Camera Girl.”
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Andy Paley, Whose Imprint Was All Over Pop Music, Dies at 73
Musician, singer, songwriter, producer and more, he collaborated with Madonna and a raft of other artists and helped resuscitate the career of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson.
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Big, Bold ’80s-Esque Jewelry Is Back
The season’s most precious accessories come in bright colors, with plenty of sparkle and an abundance of gold.
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Quincy Jones, the Maestro of the Recording Studio
For decades, he had many of the pop world’s best players on call — and knew how to coax out their sharpest performances.
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Eddie Van Halen Changed Rock History. Now His Brother Is Telling Their Story.
The guitarist and drummer formed the core of the powerhouse band. After Eddie died of cancer in 2020, Alex stayed quiet, but he’s breaking his silence in a new book.
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Kamala Harris Owns a Glock, an All-American Gun
In a “60 Minutes” interview this week, the vice president shared the kind of gun she owns. Its associations with law enforcement and pop culture make it a potent symbol.
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LL Cool J Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop. (And Why Would He?)
At 56, the hip-hop eminence and TV star can slip into Russian, stun arenas and delight executives. With Q-Tip as a producer, he’s returning to his first love: rap.
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Review: ‘The Righteous’ Brings Stirring Prayer to Santa Fe Opera
Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith’s new work about an ambitious minister’s rise in the 1980s is that rarity in contemporary music: an original story.
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He Wrote Michael Jackson’s ‘Human Nature’ and Has 2 More in the Vault
Steve Porcaro of Toto, who played on some of the biggest hits of the ’80s, has sold the rights to his music, including a pair of unreleased tracks with the superstar.