1983 is when it seemed that arena rock hit its peak. Bands like Foreigner, Journey, The Police, Survivor, and others were top draws at record stores and concert halls. Agree or disagree, and what other bands do you think hit at this time that fall under this category?

I consider The Police more new wave and 1983 is the year of the peak of new wave  8)

Also the mainstream of hair metal with Quiet Riot & Def Leppard

Or the popularity of Michael Jacksom

can't really describe 1983 with one thing...

Well, I'm sure there are lots of other things that happened with music in 1983, but what I wanted to point out was that this was the year many of the rock stalwarts like Journey, Foreigner, REO, and The Police (their "style" of music is easily debated, but they still rocked stadiums!) put out their biggest albums, had their biggest tours, then just kind of faded away after this. Journey put out one more album in the 80s, but it was nothing like the monster than Frontiers and Escape was.

I guess I should point out what I mean by arena rock (at least that's what we called it). Bands like April Wine, Journey, Foreigner, Foghat, Molly Hatchet, REO Speedwagon, etc. Bands that got their start in the 70s but just kind of disappeared in the 80s.

I'd say 1983 was pretty much the death of arena rock, and the beginnings of the heyday of metal-oriented pop (Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, et al).

^ April Wine disappeared in the 80s because they broke up ;D

Yeah, it was around 1983 that arena rock's popularity started to wane a little bit. Even though it didn't totally disappear until after 1985 or so.

^ April Wine disappeared in the 80s because they broke up ;D

Bands like April Wine and Molly Hatchet were more Biker Rock than Arena Rock.  The Arena Rock sound I think is typified by the grand stylings of Asia, Queen, Europe, Styx, Genesis, and Bon Jovi.  Lots of pazzaz, light shows, dry ice, and drama.  You might call it the opposite of Grunge.  With the exception of Queen, Arena Rock eschewed the raunch of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock.  Even though Aerosmith was big enough to play arenas, they weren't really arena rock.  Too raunchy.  Also, Aerosmith didn't start to come back until '86.  '83 they were still in the miasma of bankruptcy and drug addiction. 

You forgot Sammy Hagar and Night Ranger,their best albym"Midnight madness"came out this year.

Bands like April Wine and Molly Hatchet were more Biker Rock than Arena Rock.  The Arena Rock sound I think is typified by the grand stylings of Asia, Queen, Europe, Styx, Genesis, and Bon Jovi.  Lots of pazzaz, light shows, dry ice, and drama.  You might call it the opposite of Grunge.  With the exception of Queen, Arena Rock eschewed the raunch of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock.  Even though Aerosmith was big enough to play arenas, they weren't really arena rock.  Too raunchy.  Also, Aerosmith didn't start to come back until '86.  '83 they were still in the miasma of bankruptcy and drug addiction. 


I agree Max, that's actually a really good way of describing it. ;) I always thought it was very clean cut, mainstream music that has the spirit of hard/classic rock at heart, but really is pop. Like "Take Me Home Tonight" by Eddie Money, "We Built This City" and "Jump" by Van Halen are really good examples.

I think it's actually been around in some form for a long time in several decades, but I agree it totally peaked in the early MTV generation, like 1981 to '86.

The arena rock of 1983 seemed tamer, and more watered down to the real arena rock/prog rock period (1973-1977, peaking in 1976) That was the era of Frampton, Aerosmith, Skynyrd, Queen.

The arena rock of 1983 seemed tamer, and more watered down to the real arena rock/prog rock period (1973-1977, peaking in 1976) That was the era of Frampton, Aerosmith, Skynyrd, Queen.


Maybe "arena rock" was the wrong description. Corporate rock, as Rolling Stone called it back then? Probably a more apt description.