KU LIFE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, June 19, 1996
3B
Looking Back at Music in the '80s
By Emily Redmond Kansan staff writer
Although people may try to forget the decade of greed, students are dredging up memories of the Awesome '80s.
It was a long time ago, in a time when plaid workshirts and mournful lyrics didn't dominated the airwaves yet. Swinging pop stars with streaked hair and narrow ties ruled the music scene. Michael Jackson was the King of Pop, Madonna was still Like a Virgin, and Buster Poindexter was Hot, Hot, Hot.
The '80s marked an era of caring and sharing. Benefit performances, such as Farm Aid, Band Aid and Live Aid, gave entertainers and fans an opportunity to share with the less fortunate.
Rap music became the voice of urban America, spreading the word about sex, drugs and violence while heavy metal became mainstream when Van Halen made its Jump to the pop chart.
Video Killed the Radio Star when cable's MTV made its debut August 1981. Martha Quinn and Downtown Julie Brown have come and gone, but MTV is here
to stay.
Infatuation with the '80s is evident as compact discs featuring '80s music are hot sellers, said Rob Grondahl, an employee at The End, 1000 Massachusetts St.
"We sell a lot of compilation rock of the '80s," he said. "People want to re-live the '80s, and a compilation will do the trick."
Music stores feature compact disc compilations such as New Wave Hits of the '80s, volumes one through six, and Party On: Greatest Rock Hits of the '80s, features soft dance music from Laura Branigan, Sheena Easton and Billy Ocean, among others. Other disc sets feature music from bands such as Warrant, Poison and Bon Jovi.
"People buy it for the nostalgia," Grondahl said.
Some people enjoy the childhood memories the music evokes such as skating the snowball to Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart or playing Pac-Man on the Atari while listening to the Go Go's Vacation.
"I get this feeling, sort of like an innocence," said Danny Martinez, Shawnee sophomore. "I can return to a time when I was little
and things were simpler."
Eighties music videos have been resurrected and are featured on MTV and VHI. Infomercials pitching the Ultimate '80s compact disc set join the Ab-Flex as late-night entertainment. Some radio stations have an all-'80s format.
"People just aren't ready to move ahead musically," said Jason Justice, music director at KISF 107.3 in the Kansas City area.
The station receives requests for songs from the '80s. However, some of the requests are saved for shows, such as Resurrection Sunday, 9 a.m. to noon, and the Noon Flashback, Monday through Friday, which features '80s music.
"We try to accommodate all the requests, but some songs, like Pac-Man Fever, we wait until the '80s shows," Justice said.
The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St., gives students an opportunity to get Footloose every Thursday night, featuring music from the early '80s.
Martinez said: "The music is so cool. You know all the songs they play, and even if you don't know who sings them, it still takes you back."
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