Pop Music in the '80s: How We Got Here

This is part of my Pop Music in the ‘80s series.

Imagine it’s 1980. Disco has collapsed, punk has fragmented, and rock is seeking a new identity. Meanwhile, an underground movement is brewing in the Bronx, soul music is evolving into R&B as the golden eras of Stax and Motown have come and gone, and technology is on the brink of reshaping how we experience music and the world around us.

The music of the 1980s wasn’t born in isolation. It was shaped by cultural and musical revolutions of the decades that came before. Before we begin examining music of the ‘80s, let’s first consider how we got there.

The Foundations: From Rock & Roll to Disco

For the purposes of this study, we’ll pick things up right around 1954 when rock & roll exploded, blending rhythm and blues with country and pop music. By the middle of the ‘60s, guitar bands like The Beatles and …