1980s

1981 Music Hits: Arena Rock, New Wave, Funk, Soft Rock, Country-Pop, Early MTV, and Radio Classics 1981 music sat right at the edge of the MTV era. Radio was still king, but music was about to become much more visual. Arena rock was huge, post-disco funk still had power, new wave was growing, country-pop crossed

1987 Music Hits: Big ’80s Pop, Dance Hits, Hair Metal, Hip-Hop, Freestyle, Alternative Rock, and MTV Favorites1987 music sounded like the 1980s had reached full neon brightness. Pop radio was huge, MTV still shaped what songs looked like, hair metal and arena rock were loud, freestyle dance records were filling clubs, hip-hop was pushing further

1989 Music Hits: Dance-Pop, New Jack Swing, Hip-Hop, Hair Metal, Alternative Rock, Adult Contemporary, and Late-1980s Favorites 1989 music sounded like the 1980s were throwing one last oversized party before the 1990s walked in and changed the lighting. MTV still mattered, pop radio was glossy, hip-hop was getting louder and funnier, new jack swing was

1988 Music Hits: Hair Metal, Dance-Pop, Hip-Hop, Freestyle, Alternative Rock, Adult Contemporary, and Late-1980s Favorites 1988 music sounded like the late 1980s operating at full brightness. Hair metal was huge, dance-pop was everywhere, hip-hop was pushing harder into the mainstream, freestyle and club records were crossing over to radio, and MTV still had enough power

1980 Music Hits: New Wave, Rock, Dance-Pop, Early Rap, R&B, Disco Leftovers, and the Start of the 1980s Sound1980 music sounded like one decade was closing the door while the next one was already messing with the synthesizer. Disco was fading but not gone, New Wave was gaining ground, album rock stayed loud, pop radio

1982 Music Hits: New Wave, Dance, Early Hip-Hop, Pop Rock, MTV Favorites, Album Rock, and Early-1980s Hits 1982 music sounded like the 1980s had fully arrived and brought synthesizers, sharp guitars, dance beats, movie themes, early hip-hop, and an MTV-ready attitude with it. New Wave was everywhere, pop rock was bright and punchy, R&B and

1983 Music Hits: Michael Jackson, New Wave, MTV Pop, Dance Hits, Album Rock, Synth-Pop, and Early-1980s Favorites 1983 music sounded like the 1980s had found its full video-era identity. MTV was no longer a novelty; it was becoming a major force in pop culture. Michael Jackson dominated, New Wave went mainstream, synth-pop was everywhere, rock

1984 Music Hits: MTV Pop, Dance Hits, Rock Anthems, Synth-Pop, Movie Songs, New Wave, and 1980s Favorites 1984 music was one of the defining years of the MTV era. Pop stars became video stars, movie soundtracks dominated radio, dance music got brighter, rock bands got bigger, and the line between music, fashion, video, and attitude

1986 Music Hits: Pop Rock, Dance Hits, Movie Songs, New Wave, R&B, Album Rock, and Mid-1980s Favorites 1986 music was polished, colorful, and fully locked into the MTV decade. Pop rock was huge, dance music was bright, R&B was sleek, movie soundtracks kept producing hits, and rock bands were learning how to sound big enough