How the Sound of the 1980s Paved the Way for Today's Music Makers

Popular music of the 1980s enjoys a unique and mixed reputation. It was a decade truly unlike any other, with bold, strange fashion, massive technological advances, and a booming economy that ushered in an era of materialism. By the 1990s, the pendulum swung hard in the other direction. Grunge stripped pop to dark minimalism. Hip-hop ascended the charts with edgy Gangsta Rap. Pop moved to soulful R&B and away from bright dance music. As this solidified, the 80s sounds became quickly dated and ridiculed.

Fast forward to the 2020s. We may not realize it, but the music of today owes a great debt to many of the trends and innovations of the 1980s. Here are a few key examples.

Synthesizers

When you think of huge 80s hits, from Duran Duran to Madonna or Prince, one recurring instrument comes to mind: the synthesizer. That may seem misleading because as the name implies, the synthesizer is a keyboard that mimics the sound of other instruments electronically. Synthesizers were invented in the 1960s, but they came to prominence in the “Me Decade,” being used to simulate strings, brass, and organs. Artists like Van Halen and ZZ Top embraced the synthesizer’s unique base sound to great effect (and to the top of the charts.) Even legacy super-groups utilized synthesizers to modernize their sound.

Today, artists like Lorde and Billie Eillish rely heavily on digital instruments either performed on a USB-style synthesizer or just through a computer’s keyboard. Modern artists assemble tracks in programs like Pro Tools, Garage Band, and Logic. Sounds can be created from scratch and manipulated in any way (even ones from organic instruments). In the late 2000s, artists began slowly circling back to the once-taboo 80s synth sound with great success.

Drum Machines

Just like synthesizers, drum machines were ubiquitous in 80s pop, rock, and dance music. Depeche Mode, one of the decade’s biggest bands, didn’t even have a drummer for most of its existence! Drum machines were made popular by European electronic bands like Kraftwerk in the late 70s. Essentially, a drum machine is a programmable box that allows users to choose the sort of drum and cymbal sound they want, set the tempo and style, and go. 

Others used them to create beats out of thin air. This was crucial to the ascent of hip-hop in the 80s. The popular Roland 808 revolutionized the sounds of Run-D.M.C., The Beastie Boys, L.L. Cool J, and others. In the 2020s, the vintage 808 sound is coveted by modern hip-hop producers and artists. They too have sought to innovate digitally. Since hip-hop's roots are so entwined with paying respect to funk and soul through samples, the genre always has a push and pull between modern and throwback.

“Sterile” Production and Recording Techniques

The sound of the 80s arguably had as much to do with recording studios as it did with recording artists. As synthesizers were being used to both broaden sonic landscapes and replace instrumentalists, less emphasis was placed on bands performing live in-studio. This wasn’t new, it just became much more standard practice. Groups would perform individual tracks in isolation, with very little natural room sound or reverb. In the 60s and 70s, groups would often seek out studios like Hansa in Germany with large ceilings. Some would record in theatres, ballrooms, and even castles to get a certain type of ambiance. In the 80s, recording became much more clinical and less organic. This led to a “sterile” sound where effects like reverb and echoes were added in post-production. Even the untrained ear can tell the difference subconsciously.

In the 2020s, digital recording can be done almost anywhere, track by track. Audio production software can remove room tone so well, that a recording space doesn’t even need to be soundproof!

Everything old is new again. While the sounds of the 80s were scorned in the decade and a half afterward, they now are celebrated and emulated.