I'd have to say New Wave, but Hair Metal is equally essential.

80s Pop, followed by Freestyle/Dance and 80s R&B

New Wave.  It seemed like the most popular genre of the 80's

Could not say what genre I associate with the Eighties...

early 80's was Rod Stewart-Asia-Journey-Al Green-Christopher Cross-Queen-Joan Jett...soft/hard rock?

mid 80's Springsteen--Lisa Lisa---Klymaxx---Al B, Bobby B, Bel Biv DeVoe...INXS, REM, Prince, Maddonna, Boys II Men, MC Hammer & Milli Vanilli...Janet Jackson...De La Soul...Fine Young Canibals..

Anne Murray? John Denver? think they were 80's

Cher?

All of these I associate with the 80's, but I picked arena rock.

This is my favorite overall style (and the stuff that people laugh at me the most by, it seems, LOL). Sort of on the border - heavier than "pop" but softer than "hard rock".

Bands like Journey, Foreigner, Asia, REO Speedwagon and maybe "Young Turks"-era Rod Stewart.

All of these I associate with the 80's, but I picked arena rock.

This is my favorite overall style (and the stuff that people laugh at me the most by, it seems, LOL). Sort of on the border - heavier than "pop" but softer than "hard rock".

Bands like Journey, Foreigner, Asia, REO Speedwagon and maybe "Young Turks"-era Rod Stewart.


Arena rock has probably aged worse than any other 80s genre into the 1990s and 2000s.  Hair metal has Bon Jovi still (and imo actually influenced Grunge.  Ever heard Extreme's "More Than Words"?).

Certain new wave bands, such as Tears for Fears, Psychedelic Furs, and New Order are still somewhat cool today, and the boy bands of the late 1990s/early '00s are like an update of late 80s pop.  But arena rock has no respect.

I do like some of it; although usually in a guilty pleasure sort of way.  Like Europe's "Final Countdown"  :D  :)

^ Yeah. You know, I was thinking, arena rock is basically just a softer version of hair metal (guitar riffs, keyboards, solo's, songs about fun and "chicks/partying", tons of ballads) that's why it's considered so cheesy probably.

I do kinda see what you mean about Bon Jovi and grunge. The Slippery When Wet album is pure arena/hair metal rock, but what they did afterwards was more on the accoustic side, at least in comparison. I've heard interviews with Jon Bon Jovi, that he wanted to get away from the hair metal sound and grow as a songwriter.

:-\\ I can associate with 5 of the categories...

^ Yeah. You know, I was thinking, arena rock is basically just a softer version of hair metal (guitar riffs, keyboards, solo's, songs about fun and "chicks/partying", tons of ballads) that's why it's considered so cheesy probably.

I do kinda see what you mean about Bon Jovi and grunge. The Slippery When Wet album is pure arena/hair metal rock, but what they did afterwards was more on the accoustic side, at least in comparison. I've heard interviews with Jon Bon Jovi, that he wanted to get away from the hair metal sound and grow as a songwriter.




Actually, I wasn't talking about Bon Jovi but hair metal in general.  It seems like some of the softer hair metal sound went into some Grunge.

New wave was a big thing, I always referred to it as the British Invasion of the 80s