Leather, Loud Guitars, and Big Hair: A Cultural Tour of ’80s RockThe 80s were a time of change. While exemplified by a waning Cold War and a shift towards a far more neoliberal era, we can still feel the ripples of that time period today. What truly set that time period apart from others was the music. This was a time when we moved away from the hippy movements of the 60s and the funk. Discos sounds that made the 70s such a memorable decade to live through. While those genres most certainly endured into today, the 80s gave us something we had never experienced before.This was the moment when we moved from what we might call conventional band music using traditional instruments such as drums and guitars, to a sound that made extensive use of electronic instruments and synthesizers, which has really become synonymous with 80s music. What also personified the era were the truly outrageous (even by today's standards) outfits and hairstyles! As a result, this decade deserves a bit of a deep dive to help those of the millennial generation and after, truly appreciate the decade that shaped modern music as we know it.(Image source: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1524779709304-40b5a3560c60?w=600&auto=format&fit=crop&q=60&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxzZWFyY2h8MXx8ODBzfGVufDB8MHwwfHx8Mg%3D%3DThe Sound Of The ’80s: What Defined The Music)When we’re talking about tunes of this time, what we’re generally referring to is the pretty hefty usage of electronic synthesizers mixed with the traditional instruments of the preceding decades. Many of these musicians learned how to read sheet music during the formative decades of the '60s and '70s, and when they reached adulthood in the decade of this post, they used it, alongside the modern technology that was maturing at the time, to turn it into something truly special. But aside from the music itself, what can we say epitomizes this time?Arena Rock AnthemsDon't Stop Believin', Livin' on a Prayer, Sweet Child o' Mine, and Eye of the Tiger. What do all of these have in common? Well, aside from the massive impact they had on this author's formative years, they were all banging choruses from the sorts of power ballads that made the '80s so famous. Of course, these massive tunes were still somewhat conventional in terms of what went before, but the main difference was the sheer size and power that these kinds of bands could create and output. But as I will continue to state throughout this post, what a time for music it was!The Rise Of Glam MetalLove it or hate it, it was a thing that the universe chose to provide, and provide it did! From bands like Mötley Crüe to Poison, the glam was strong in this decade. Personified by outrageous outfits and equally outrageous sounds, glam metal introduced a sort of music that wasn’t quite rock/ metal, and wasn’t quite anything else, but something unique unto itself. In other words, while some groups were slightly toning things down in favor of more ambient synth, glam metal chose to take the idea that more is more and went full force into it.(Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-computer-generated-image-of-a-futuristic-landscape-U62hhCof3xAGuitar Virtuosity Takes Center Stage)If you think back to before the heady days of the 1980s, while guitars and rock bands certainly made use of guitar solos, they tended to be slightly tamer and more in the realm of what we could call psychedelic sounds (which is no surprise due to the awakening that occurred during that period). But it was really the 80s where guitar solos came to the fore and absolutely smashed it in terms of big sounds and hardcore rock. As a kid listening to some of these sounds, it was hard not to suddenly eschew the dream of being an astronaut or cowboy, and instead want to be a rock star!The Synth-Driven Evolution of RockNot all music remained within the rock genre, and as we have touched on, synth and electronic sounds were a relatively new experience on the scene. Rock bands began blending electronic textures with traditional instruments, creating a futuristic, polished sound that captured the spirit of technological optimism. In the USA, most synth remained saddled to a more upbeat, optimistic feel, but across the pond in Europe, it seemed that synth experimentation really came into its own and brought in a slightly darker style. This helped to move music from a constant need to be upbeat or wacky into a world where it was OK to not always be OK.(Image source: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1568664303752-9b1df13a24a3?w=600&auto=format&fit=crop&q=60&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxzZWFyY2h8MjJ8fDgwc3xlbnwwfDB8MHx8fDI%3DThe Look: Fashion That Defined A Generation)We can’t discuss the 80s and music that it spawned without at least paying a glancing mention to the style and outfits that were, to say the least, pretty out there! Although plenty of folks will tell you that they’re happy that 80s style hasn’t continued into the modern era, the fact is that some of it has. Perhaps not quite at the same volume as the kids were experimenting with back in the day, but you can see in the rebellious style that contemporary fashion maintains.Big hair, the higher, the better: Look back at any music video or live concert from that time, and you will be immediately met with a range of hairstyles, all different, but all massive! This might have manifested as the long, luxurious locks that the more rock-oriented bands sported, to the slicked-back or bouffant designs that the synth crews were most famous for. Makeup, spandex, and glitter: You might think that it was only those seeking the androgynous look that were into their sparkly outfits, but you’d be wrong. Look at any video or static image of the main rock bands of the time, and you’ll fast discover that they, too, enjoyed donning some incredibly….interesting outfits!The Fans: Identity, Escape, And BelongingTo finish this post off, it’s a good idea to give a mention to the fans who made this era what it was. Music has always brought people together into their own communities, but what made the 80s different from the years before was the addition of a far more intricate tone of promotion and worldwide coverage that allowed all styles of music to flourish, not only those that the massive music companies wanted to promote.The 80s were many things to many people, but it’s safe to say that the music and the fashions that it brought in were utterly unique. In fact, it can be argued that it was something that we haven’t seen since, due to the genuinely creative and in some cases absurd nature that epitomized it.