1980s Pop Icons Go Global

1
1980s Pop Icons Go Global

• 1980s a time for major companies to regroup and
  reinvent themselves with a new format and new
  technology

2
From the 80s to the 90s

• 1.      Eighties Icons
• 2.      The influence of Technology
• 3.      Ecstasy and Rave The summer of Love

3
The Visual Element

• The visual representation of popular in the
  ascendancy
• 1.   Connections between popular music and film,
  TV, Music Video and MTV.  Global success from
  multi-media presence.
• 2.    Music became even more of a thing with
  digital recording technology. Increasingly less
  live element and more a commodity.  
• 3.   History of music of film a long one
  rockumentary forms a spin off
• 4.   80s success of MTV boosted televised music
  video reshaped the form helped to construct a
  global teenage consumer. Became an essential
  part of music industry virtually all recordings
  released with a video.
• 5.   Analysis of MVs is music or video? is it
  visual radio? Does it represent a new phase of
  development of sound recording as a cultural
  form?

4
MTV

• 1.   Formed in 1981 as the first global
  music network. Highly profitable and has spawned
  a host of imitators.
• 2. By late 1980s reaching 20 million American
  homes. By 1991 28 million subscribers and adding
  1-3 per year. MTV Europe in 1988 - by 1993 it
  was giving 24- hour coverage on cable.
• 3.   Attempt in 1990s to play a greater
  proportion of local performers (e.g. 20 in India
  and Latin America).  
• 4.  Influence of North American cultural and the
  new global industry becomes enormous.
• 5.  Getting on MTV was seen as the way to break
  a new artist.
• 6.  Performers who received considerable exposure
  on MTV before they were picked up by radio
  include Madonna, Duran Duran and the Thompson
  Twins.
•  7.  Invasion of American charts by British
  groups in the 1980s attributable to MTV.  

5
80s Icons

• 1.  Background to period Economic boom of
  Reagan and Thatcher. Beginning of communist bloc
  collapse. Triumph of capitalism over socialism
  
• 2.  Satellite and cable TV proliferation of
  media franchised films Star Wars video
  machines in most homes Dallas and Dynasty on TV
• 3.  Power dressing, Yuppies, Mortgages and City
  Jobs
• 4.  Aids and Safe Sex
• 5.  Miners Strike and Falklands War triumph of
  Thatcherism
• 6.  Cultural relativism
• 7.  Post modernism

6
More 80s Icons

• Madonna, Prince, Elton John, Michael Jackson,
  Queen, Boy George, George Michael, Tina Turner,
  Springsteen, etc
•  characteristics
• 1.  Individualism
• 2.  Versatility
• 3.  Selling with sex
• 4.  Control of Business set up own business
  organisation
• 5.  Cross Gender Appeal
• 6.  Soloist with ego

7
Case Studies

•   1.  Madonna constantly reinventing herself.
  Centre of her own world. Good business sense -
  860 deal with Time Warner setting up Maverick 
• 2.  Freddie Mercury gay icon in both senses of
  word. Again constantly reinventing self and
  band. Epitomized 80s decadence.
• 3.  Prince Paisley Park Organisation more like
  a fantastically prolific hit factory in the mid
  80s around Sign Oth Times. Appeal across the
  races but a decision around 1990 to pursue the
  Black side of his personality contract
  difficulties took him out of limelight. 
• 4.  Annie Lennox Eurythmics split up at the
  wrong time but very prolific in early and mid
  80s. Gender androgyny.
•  5.  Springsteen? Embodiment of authentic working
  man class authenticity but in 80s was in fact
  boss of a multi million dollar organisation

8
Dance Music

• Working in the other direction against
  globalisation/centralisation was the development
  of dance music in the late 80s.
• 1.  Electro pop had showed how technology could
  empower. 80s the decade for simple electro pop -
  Soft Sell, Joy Division, Wham, Spandau Ballet,
  Human League, etc. Simple songs with simple
  technology  
• 2.  MIDI, sampling, sequencing, computers etc.,
  all become possible in the 80s and get
  increasingly affordable.
• 3.  Break through of the DX7 sampling and
  synths in the bedroom
• 4.  Development of House and Techno importance
  of Chicago develops into Acid House
• 5.  Arrival of Ecstasy around 1985 in the UK
  first produced for gay dance scene then spread

9
Summer of Love - 1988

• Summer of Love 1988 spontaneous acid house
  parties
• 1.Rave scene and DJ culture moved out of the
  clubs and into the open.
• 2.Development of the illegal rave first in 1980
  Graham Brights Entertainment Act increased fines
  which could be imposed on organisers.
• 3.Connection with travellers and law breaking.
• 4. Led to Criminal Justice Act by Major
  Government in 1994