POP-MUSIC STARS

Thriller.

In 1983 a single talent redefined the style, course, and possibilities of music videos—Michael Jackson. In making recording history with Thriller, the top-selling album of all time, he earned the tag "one-man rescue team for the record business" from Time magazine. The success of his album was indeed extraordinary; largely owing to Thriller, the recording industry in 1983 had its best year since 1978. The album spent thirty-seven weeks of 1983 at number one on the Billboard album chart; by early 1984 30 million copies had been sold, and it was still selling at a rate of more than a million copies a week worldwide. At the height of Jacksonmania, Thriller sold a million copies every four days. Jackson released a record-setting seven Top 10 singles from the album, including the number-one hits "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" in 1983. He also became the first artist in history to top the single and album charts in both traditional pop and black categories, and he was the first artist of the decade to have two songs in the Top 5 simultaneously. In 1984 Jackson was given a public-service award by President Ronald Reagan, and the singer won an unprecedented eight Grammys for Thriller, which went on to sell more than 40 million copies. Making about two dollars for each album sold in the United States, Jackson earned at least $40 million and pocketed another $50 million from the sale of related products. He also earned royalties from continued sales of his breakout 1979 album Off the Wall, which had sold 9 million copies worldwide and spawned four Top 10 singles—including two number-one hits in 1980, "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You." By 1984 Jackson was one of the richest men in America and easily one of the most famous.

Michaelmania

In 1983-1984 millions of fans rushed to buy Michael Jackson key chains, duffel bags, pencils, notebooks, caps, posters, T-shirts, and bubblegum cards—all featuring the trademark Jackson image: rhinestone gloves, military jackets, red leather. There was even a Michael Jackson doll. The media had a field day; in January 1984, when Jackson's hair caught fire during filming of a Pepsi commercial, the accident made headline news around the world. His oddball persona—seemingly half man and half child—was equally news-worthy. Countless tabloid stories detailed his friendships with children (actor Emmanuel Lewis was one companion), his obsession with Diana Ross, his "shrine" to Elizabeth Taylor, his dream of starring as Peter Pan, his Neverland estate (complete with a petting zoo and a private amusement park), his "romance" with Brooke Shields, his habit of sleeping in an air-filtered pod, his ambivalent sexuality, his rumored use of female hormones, and his penchant for plastic surgery, which made his face seem increasingly androgynous and Caucasian. The constant media frenzy over Jackson made it easy to overlook his true significance as the most galvanizing force in popular music since the Beatles.

Style

The real news was Jackson's high-tech pop music and flashy dance moves, which prompted dance legend Fred Astaire to exclaim, "My lord, he's a wonderful mover." Jackson's "moonwalk" number on the Motown Twentieth Anniversary television special in 1983 stopped hearts and traffic. On video he was electrifying. His feline twirls, spins, glides, and poses were perfectly matched by his vocals, with their one-man band of gasps, whoops, moans, squeals, pops, and whispers. The video for "Billie Jean" showed both with style, as Jackson danced along a sidewalk whose squares lit from below when he stepped on them. "Beat It" was harder-edged, with Jackson breaking up a street rumble and leading an aggressive and athletic line dance. "Thriller," which inspired a thirty-minute video on its creation, was the ultimate well-marketed video product. Jackson spent $1 million on its highly choreographed special effects. He was everywhere the next two years, from his brothers' Victory tour, to guest vocals on Rockwell's single "Somebody's Watching Me" (1984), to his "Say Say Say" collaboration with Paul McCartney (1984), to his collaboration with Lionel Richie on the USA for Africa anthem "We Are the World" (1985), one of the biggest media events in music history. While Bad (1987), the highly anticipated follow-up album to Thriller, did not compare to Thriller in sales or impact, the new album launched a record five number-one singles and several memorable videos, including "Dirty Diana" (1988), "Man in the Mirror" (1988), and the title track in 1987. Jackson also appeared in Steven Spielberg's highly publicized short movie Captain Eo at Disney World.

In Jackson's Footsteps

Jackson's success opened the door to many other black artists, speeding their crossover success. Lionel Richie was the first to benefit. He had already achieved success as a writer and singer with The Commodores ("Three Times a Lady," 1978), a songwriter for other artists (Kenny Rogers's "Lady," 1981), and as composer-performer of a duet, "Endless Love" (1981), with Diana Ross. Between 1982 and 1986 his career exploded with big solo songs, from "Truly" (1983) to "All Night Long" (1984). Richie's videos also attracted attention. "Hello" (1984) was a minimovie featuring Richie as a teacher in love with a blind student, while "Dancing on the Ceiling" (1986) showed a mob of wild partygoers literally going up the wall. In 1985 and 1986 Richie won a Grammy for Album of the Year for Cant Slow Downy six American Music Awards, a Writer of the Year award from ASCAP, and an Oscar for "Say You, Say Me" (1986), featured in the movie White Nights (1985). In 1984 Richie followed in Jackson's footsteps by signing an $8.5 million deal with Pepsi to write and perform for their television commercials. With Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder contributed his own feel-good anthem to the decade in 1982, "Ebony and Ivory," the video for which showed the two singers on a giant piano keyboard. Wonder won an Oscar in 1985 for the song "I Just Called to Say I Love You," featured in the movie The Woman in Red(1984).

Divas

One of the biggest and brightest new video stars of the decade was Whitney Houston, who catapulted from obscurity in early 1985 to notch seven consecutive number-one hits by 1988, including "Saving All My Love for You" (1985), "Greatest Love of All" (1986), "Didn't We Almost Have It All" (1987), "So Emotional" (1988), and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" (1988). Her powerful vocals were impressive, but Houston preferred to sing fairly conventional pop ballads and dance numbers on her self-titled debut album and its follow-up, Whitney (1987). Her best videos tended also to be conventional, especially the colorful "How Will I Know?" (1986), in which Houston skipped through brightly painted rooms, and the effervescent I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (1987), which featured the singer in a spirited line dance under showers of balloons. In fall 1988 Houston sang the melodramatic Olympic theme song "One Moment in Time." With her major albums Control and Rhythm Nation 1814 Janet Jackson was almost as successful as Houston. Paula Abdul's choreography helped make Jackson's 1986 videos such as "What Have You Done for Me Lately," "Nasty," and "When I Think of You" electrifying and established Jackson as a funky dance diva. By 1989, with the success of the well-filmed, cutting-edge videos for "Miss You Much" and "Rhythm Nation," Jackson had moved out of the shadow of her famous brother Michael, and her popularity rivaled his.

Black Visibility

Michaelmania created a new demand for funky, flashy material from a wide range of black performers, many of them long established. Rick James found a groove in "Superfreak" (1981) and created one for Eddie Murphy in "Party All the Time" (1986). Kool &The Gang crafted several hot dance videos, most notably "Celebration" (1981) and "Fresh" (1985). Patti LaBelle sported a "New Attitude" (and giant wigs) in 1985, while the Pointer Sisters bubbled over with enthusiasm in 'I'm So Excited" (1984) and "Jump (for My Love)" (1984). Tina Turner's career was reborn with her Private Dancer album in 1984, a sexy new look (with giant wigs), and the monster hit "What's Love Got to Do with It" (1984). She followed that success by turning down a role in Steven Spielberg's movie The Color Purple (1985) to play the part of the sinister, chain-mailed Auntie Entity in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and sing the theme song, "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" (1985). Aretha Franklin was similarly resurrected in 1985 with her Who's Zoomin' Who release, featuring the liberating song and video "Freeway of Love" (1985), guest-starring Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band. Later in the decade Terence Trent D'Arby released Introducing the Hard Line (1988), a mix of funk, soul, pop, and rhythm and blues. The singles from the album, "Wishing Well" (1988) and "Sign Your Name" (1988), spawned videos that spotlighted the singer's exotic, dreadlocked look. In 1988 Bobby Brown, a former member of the quintet New Edition, released a solo album that came to define a hybrid style of music known as "new jack swing." Brown caused a stir with his provocative, highly sexual videos for songs such as "My Prerogative" (1988) and "Roni" (1989). Milli Vanilli ended the black-music craze of the 1980s on an odd note when it was revealed that the dancing duo, featured in the videos to three number-one hits in 1989, were not the vocalists on the original recordings of those songs. It was perhaps the most telling evidence of a decade-long madness for image over reality and style over substance.

A Purple "Reign."

Like Madonna and Michael Jackson, Prince was a master of marketing a public image that was at once accessible and enigmatic. In his records and videos he surpassed Jackson and Madonna in overt sexuality. Suggestive early hits such as "Soft and Wet" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover" (1980) established him as a funky sex machine in the style of James Brown and Sly Stone, two of his influences. The album Dirty Mind, with the hits "Uptown" and "When You Were Mine," sealed Prince's reputation. He broke through to mainstream success in 1983 with the danceable double album 1999, which featured the video hit "Little Red Corvette" (1983). In summer 1984 he became a superstar with the album and movie Purple Rain and the singles "When Doves Cry," "Let's Go Crazy," and "I Would Die 4 U"—all featuring his band (or entourage) the Revolution, while the videos and the movie showed off his stage pyrotechnics (splits, leaps, bumps, and grinds). By then Prince had captured the wrath of Tipper Gore with his risqué lyrics and the attention of the media for his odd-ball reclusiveness and penchant for purple in everything from clothing to the walls of his Minneapolis mansion. He had also become known for his "stable" of performers, including Sheila E. and The Time, as well as protégés Vanity, Apollonia, and Lisa and Wendy. After winning an Oscar in 1985 for the Purple Rain score (and accepting in a glittering purple cape and hood), Prince formed Paisley Park records and continued his hit factory with songs such as "Pop Life" (1985), "Mountains" (1986), "U Got the Look" (1987), and "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" (1988). The cheerfully psychedelic "Raspberry Beret" (1985) and the strikingly sparse "Kiss" (1986) were video standouts. He also wrote songs for other artists—including "Manic Monday" (1986) for The Bangles and "Sugar Walls" (1985) for Sheena Easton—and continued making motion pictures such as the ill-fated Under the Cherry Moon (1986) and the concert movie Sign o' the Times (1987). In 1989 he contributed the soundtrack to the superhyped Batman, and in the 1990s he changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol.

The Boss

Rivaling the success of Prince in 1984 was Bruce Springsteen, long known to a small core of fans as "The Boss." Despite intense media hype in 1975 (including simultaneous cover stories in Time and Newsweek), Springsteen had failed to generate mass interest in his landmark album Born to Run, which many critics considered the best album of the 1970s. Strong follow-up albums—Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River, Nebraska—marathon live shows (typically lasting three or four hours), and a public commitment to social causes had built him a fanatical cult following of die-hard fans and the esteem of the rock-music press. Like Jack Kerouac, whose romantic loner spirit he sometimes echoed, Springsteen had a sense of artistic integrity as unshakeable as his material was predictable. A perfectionist, Springsteen kept his audience waiting years between releases and then rewarded them with both exuberant rock songs and moody numbers about romantic loss, broken dreams, and driving all night alone through the American darkness. Yet he had never tasted true breakthrough success, even with his 1981 hit "Hungry Heart." All that changed in 1984 with the release of the album Born in the U.S.A, a typical Springsteen mix of upbeat car-radio ditties and bleak dirges about dead-end American lives. Previously resistant to video (he did not appear in the 1982 video for his "Atlantic City"), Springsteen plunged into the new form with "Dancing in the Dark" (1984), directed by Brian De Palma. The result was overnight superstardom for the newly muscular, charismatic Springsteen, who was seen in the video in stage makeup and tight jeans boogeying onstage with an excited fan he had pulled from the audience. (The fan was Courteney Cox, who later became a well-known actress.) During his sold-out 1984 tour his gyrating rear end was featured on giant stadium video screens.

All-American

Springsteen had leaped spectacularly into the video era, without compromising his integrity, but more than a few of his new fans misunderstood his message. Many seemed enraptured by his apparent patriotism, especially when "Born in the U.S.A." became a Top 10 hit in 1985. During his 1984 presidential campaign, President Reagan tried to use the song and the singer to promote restored American pride and "traditional" values, even after Springsteen pointed out that the song was a Vietnam veteran's scream of rage at his betrayal by his country. Many new fans, caught up in media hype and Reagan's Norman Rockwell vision of America, similarly missed the desolate message of "My Hometown" (1985), which addressed factory closings and unemployment. By the end of 1985 Born in the U.S.A. had sold almost 10 million copies and had produced seven Top 10 songs. During that year Springsteen proved a strong video presence in the broodingly cinematic "I'm on Fire" and the exuberant "Glory Days." The 1985 leg of his tour coincided with a mania for the jingoistic movie Ramboy and by then the pumped-up Springsteen did resemble a movie superhero. An equal part of his appeal for many was the regular-guy heterosexual image he projected, a marked contrast to the often effete and arty images of many British stars of the time. His sound—alternately hard-rocking and quietly poignant—seemed to compress all rock-and-roll history into a single, easy-to-understand package. The brooding bohemian of the 1970s underground had finally caught "the runaway American dream" and had become an icon. He even married a fashion model in 1985. But "Brilliant Disguise" from the haunting 1987 album Tunnel of Love revealed that Springsteen was still capable of unflinching honesty in his music.

Regular Guys

Springsteen's success strengthened a growing trend toward lean, straight-ahead American rock in the mid and late 1980s. When songs Springsteen intended for use in the movie Mask (1985) were dropped because of a dispute over the rights, Bob Seger numbers were substituted. Seger had been popular since his Night Moves album in 1976, but his career really took off in the 1980s, after the song "Old Time Rock and Roll" (1979) was featured in the hit movie Risky Business (1983). In 1987 he achieved what even Springsteen was unable to do—a number one hit ("Shakedown," from the soundtrack of Beverly Hills Cop II). Tom Petty achieved new popularity with a string of hits and videos, including the sinister "Don't Come Around Here No More" (1985), which depicted Petty as the Mad Hatter from Alice's tea party. Other single releases with his band The Heartbreakers included "Jammin' Me" (1987). Petty toured with Bob Dylan in 1987, and in 1989 he released a strong solo album, Full Moon Fever, which included the hits "Runnin' Down a Dream" (1989) and "Free Fallin'" (1989). Other "regular guy" rockers of the 1980s included John Cougar (who later went by his real last name, Mellencamp), with "Jack and Diane" (1982) and "Pink Houses" (1984), and Huey Lewis and the News, who had a long string of Top 20 hits, including "If This is It" (1984) and "The Power of Love" (1985). Another was Canadian Bryan Adams, whose 1985 album, Reckless, spawned four Top 10 hits that year, including "Run to You," "Somebody," and "Heaven." Billy Joel was perhaps the most successful of the all-American pop rockers; like Springsteen, he married a fashion model (Christie Brinkley) and had a long run of successful singles and videos, especially "Uptown Girl" in 1984 (featuring his future wife in the video), "Tell Her About It" in 1983, and "We Didn't Start the Fire" in 1989. The old-fashioned rock spirit caught fire with a host of new bands, including The Georgia Satellites, The Smithereens, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. The all-American boys loved songs about rock and roll, from "American Gir" (Petty) in 1976 and "Old Time Rock and Roll (Seger) in 1979 to the 1980s hits "It's Still Rock & Roll to Me" (Joel) in 1980, "The Heart of Rock 'n Rolf (Lewis) in 1984, "Summer of'69" (Adams) in 1985, and "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." (Mellencamp) in 1986.

New Women

Videos also promoted new female performers during the decade. In 1984 Cyndi Lauper's success with the form rivaled and perhaps surpassed Madonna's. Lauper's recording She's So Unusual (1984) sold 4 million copies and produced four Top 5 hits—a new record for a debut album and for a female solo artist. The video for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (1984) was a classic romp, packed with rocking rows of slumber partyers, cartoonish parents lecturing the wildly costumed Lauper, and even a conga line. Lauper's friend pro wrestler Captain Lou Albano played her father in the video. "Time After Time" (1984) was an abrupt shift to the serious style of a romantic minimovie, with Lauper leaving her trailer-park lover. "She Bop" (1984) was a wacky animation, After the number-one song "True Colors" in 1986, Lauper's career sagged. Bananarama scored a hit with its "Cruel Summer" single and video in 1984, but the popularity of the female trio crested with the 1986 cover of Shocking Blue's "Venus"; in the video they lip-synched and cavorted madly in overalls. The Bangles, another all-female group, also broke through that year with "Manic Monday," a discarded Prince song that showed off photogenic lead singer Susana Hoffs. The group's biggest hit was "Walk Like an Egyptian" in 1987, which was accompanied by a silly but amusing video in which the band members posed like hieroglyphs. Belinda Carlisle found solo success after leaving The Go-Go's and filming flashy videos for hits such as "Mad About You" (1986), "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" (1988), "I Get Weak" (1988), and "Circle in the Sand" (1988).

Madonna

If the self-promoting and capitalist spirit of the 1980s could be captured and bottled, that product might be called Madonna. As shrewdly adept at packaging her weaknesses as she was her strengths, Madonna became a one-woman conglomerate, largely through her clever use of music video. Her self-titled debut album was a harmless collection of upbeat dance hits, including "Holiday" (1983) and "Burning Up." The video for "Burning Up" -—with Madonna panting on a giant steam iron and writhing in the road—established her sexually aggressive image. In 1984 the videos for "Borderline" and "Lucky Star" began a fashion trend imitated by millions of teen and preteen girls: straps, buckles, belts, bootlaces, hair ribbons, and jewelry (especially her trademark cruci-fixes) worn in complicated layers over junk-store tights, skirts, black bras, and bustiers. After her big hit "Like a Virgin" launched her to superstardom in 1985, Madonna filmed the video for what became her 1980s theme song, "Material Girl." Imitating Marilyn Monroe's performance of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," a winking, mink-wearing Madonna chirped that "the boy with the cold hard cash is always Mr. Right." By this time Madonna was catching flak from feminists who claimed that her "boy toy" belt buckles, sexy video come-ons and gold-digging persona were setting the women's movement back twenty years. Madonna shot back that her performances were all meant to be tongue-in-cheek and that her complete control and planning of her image, career, product, and sexuality made her an ideal role model for modern women—and for young girls, who made up the bulk of her fans. Others took issue with Madonna's paper-thin vocals and frivolous dance-pop sound. Most critics realized that her songs were merely a backdrop for her real talent—marketing. Madonna received good reviews in 1985 for her enjoyable performance as a supremely confident urban social climber (herself) in the movie Desperately Seeking Susan. She also caused a stir when nude photos, taken in her "hungry art model" days, appeared in Playboy and Penthouse. Undaunted, Madonna married actor Sean Penn in August 1985, amid a media hysteria that included tabloid reporters circling above the outdoor ceremony in helicopters, The Material Girl seemed to revel in the attention.

Image Master

In just five years Madonna racked up a staggering and record-shattering number of consecutive Top 5 hits: sixteen, including seven number ones. She wisely mixed catchy dance numbers—such as "Dress You Up" and "Into the Groove" in 1985—with ballads such as "Crazy for You" (1985) and "Live to Tell" (1986). She also disproved those who were eager to see her as a one-year flash in the pan. By constantly manipulating and updating her look, especially in her videos, Madonna was able to remain in the public and the media spotlight for the rest of the decade. She junked her thrift-shop image in 1986 and emerged with a toned dancer's body and sleek blonde looks for "Papa Don't Preach," a well-filmed minimovie that caused another media furor in seeming to advocate unwed teenage pregnancy. In 1987 the video for "Open Your Heart," in which the singer danced in a peep show and kissed a small boy, set more tongues wagging. So did her questionable acting skills in the laughable movie bombs Shanghai Surprise (1986) and Who's That Girl! (1987). In 1988 Madonna took a break from making albums and videos to appear on Broadway in David Mamet's play Speed-the-Plow, for which she received mixed reviews. At this time she also caused a stir by frequenting gay bars with friend Sandra Bernhard. Her carefully timed absence from music created an audience and media demand that paid off handsomely with the release of Like a Prayer in 1989. The title video featured a raven-haired Madonna kissing a black Jesus, dancing on a hillside amid burning crosses, and finding stigmata on her hands. After protests from outraged Catholics, Pepsi-Cola withdrew a commercial using the song in a different context, which the company had made as part of a $5 million deal with the singer. Madonna kept the money. Her follow-up, "Express Yourself" (1989), was equally provocative—a monocled Madonna in a tailored suit overseeing an underground slave colony (based on the 1926 silent movie Metropolis) and later submitting to bondage from one of her slaves. With typical aplomb and business sense Madonna shrugged off cries from the media and feminists about the subjugation of women. Indeed, by the end of the decade it was hard to accuse Madonna of anything except being the master of her own incredible wealth and fame.

The Dance Craze

American video was a godsend to professional dancers in the 1980s, from Michael Jackson's electrifying moves to Madonna's modern dance poses. Jackson set the standard for choreography with his synchronized finale in "Beat It" (1983) and continued to innovate in later videos such as "Bad" (1987) and "Smooth Criminal" (1989). Madonna made dance the center of her best videos, from "Lucky Star" to "Open Your Heart." By middecade hot dance numbers were taken for granted in new videos: Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (1987) whooped it up with a colorful line dance, while Lionel Richie's raucous "Dancing on the Ceiling" (1986) featured just that. The impact of dance in music video was so great that, for perhaps the first time, a choreographer broke through to solo stardom as a pop singer. At the end of the decade Paula Abdul seemed poised to challenge Madonna's reign as the queen of baby-voiced dance hits. Abdul, formerly a choreographer for the Los Angeles Lakers cheerleading squad, began to receive serious attention for the tough, street-smart dances she designed for Janet Jackson videos such as "Nasty" (1986), "The Pleasure Principal," and "Control" (1987). In 1988 Abdul began releasing her own material and creating her own videos. "Straight Up" (1989), filmed in high-contrast black and white, was a sharply choreographed dance package, as was the chipper follow-up, "Forever Your Girl" (1989). The decadent "Cold Hearted" (1989) was an homage to choreographer-director Bob Fosse. Abdul scored four Top 5 hits and three consecutive number ones from her Forever Your Girl debut album in 1989, tying records already set by Cyndi Lauper and Whitney Houston. Another former cheerleader, Toni Basil, also became a video choreographer, working with Bette Midler, Tina Turner, and Linda Ronstadt.

Charisma

Sting, George Michael, Bono of U2, and Michael Hutchence of INXS all owed much of their success in the 1980s to their camera-ready images. Sting helped propel The Police to arena-sized popularity in the early 1980s. Synchronicity (1983) featured four Top 10 hits, including "Every Breath You Take" (1983). The charismatic Sting was one of several 1980s video performers to attempt roles in feature films, and his solo career after leaving The Police produced more favorites, most notably "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (1985). George Michael's career after leaving Wham! was even more successful. Wham! had languished in obscurity in England for several years until the videos from their Make It Big album (including "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," 1985 and "Careless Whisper," 1985) received heavy rotation on in 1984 and 1985. In 1987 Michael released Faith, which produced four consecutive number-one hits and became one of the top-selling albums of the decade. The Australian group INXS broke through to mainstream America with their fifth LP, Listen Like Thieves (1986), including the single "What You Need." With photogenic lead singer Michael Hutchence as the centerpiece, the group made several well-received videos from their follow-up effort, Kick (1988), including "Need You Tonight" and "Never Tear Us Apart." The most successful foreign newcomer, the Irish group U2, started as a new-wave band, with club hits such as "I Will Follow." Their albums Boy and War took on an increasingly political bent; "Sunday Bloody Sunday" eerily evoked the political and religious upheaval of Ireland. Their U.S. breakthrough, The Unforgettable Fire (1984), featured Bono's scorching, stadium-filling vocals on the song "Pride (in the Name of Love)." Their follow-up album, The Joshua Tree (1987), established U2 as one of the most popular bands of the decade, spawning giant hits such as "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and atmospheric videos that traded on Bono's on-camera charisma. Rattle and Hum, the group's 1988 live album, likewise sold in the millions.

Comebacks

Throughout the 1980s popular music videos helped established musicians revive sagging careers. Former Eagles Glenn Frey and Don Henley both found solo success, Frey with his television and movie themes (for Miami Vice and Beverly Hills Cop) and Henley with his haunting video "The Boys of Summer" (1985). Fleetwood Mac also took to the new form, although singer Stevie Nicks's fondness for wind machines, giant hair, and gypsy garb tended to date her solo videos. Other aging, big-haired rockers such as Heart, Starship, Foreigner, Journey, Boston, and REO Speedwagon all had video hits, and by the end of the decade unexpected comebacks were becoming almost commonplace. Diehard rockers, the Grateful Dead achieved their first Top 10 song in 1987. Former new wavers Cheap Trick resurfaced in 1988 with their first number one, while Aerosmith rode the crest of metal mania in the late 1980s with several big singles. Former heartthrobs Donny Osmond and Tom Jones scored their biggest hits in years; Jones was amusingly funky in the stark video for "Kiss" (1989), a Prince remake recorded with the Art of Noise. Cher used her new popularity in movies to rebuild the ashes of her recording career and emerged triumphant with big hair and even bigger video numbers such as "If I Could Turn Back Time" (1989) and "I Found Someone" (1988). Daryl Hall and John Oates had helped define early videos with catchy soul-pop numbers such as "Private Eyes" (1982), "Maneater" (1983), and "Out of Touch" (1984). They faltered with solo efforts in the mid 1980s and had reunited by the end of the decade to make more chart singles and videos. The resurgence of older acts in the late 1980s reflected the aging of the baby-boom generation, who found themselves suddenly nostalgic for the music of their youth.

Veterans

Even older, established, and respected British acts benefited from the video explosion, taking to the new form with aplomb. David Bowie, whose early videos inspired many of the younger electro-pop artists, found himself repaid when his Let's Dance album (1983) spawned several big videos on MTV. Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music found new life on video, selling millions of copies of Avalon (1982) on the strength of ethereal videos such as "More Than This." Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" video (1986), featuring a line of robotic, look-alike glamour girls, earned him legions of American fans. Elton John's career was revitalized in 1983 and 1984 with the videos for "I'm Still Standing" and "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues." Rod Stewart did well with the video form throughout the decade, from "Young Turks" in 1981 through "My Heart Can't Tell You No" in 1989. Peter Gabriel's videos, from the alienating "Shock the Monkey" (1983) to "Sledgehammer" (1986) and "Big Time" (1987) from his So album, were among the most discussed and acclaimed of the decade. Gabriel's award-winning "Sledgehammer" featured a mad swarm of animated objects from bees to steam engines flying around his head. Gabriel's former bandmate in Genesis, Phil Collins, had a string of hits during the decade, including seven number-one singles—including "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (1984), "One More Night" (1985), and "Sussudio" (1985). His best video was probably the animated "Land of Confusion" (1987) with Genesis, which used puppetlike versions of famous politicians. Steve Winwood, veteran of The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith, achieved his biggest popularity to date with the big video hits "Higher Love" (1986) and "Roll with It" (1988). Dire Straits had achieved minor success with Making Movies (1980) and its "Skateaway" video. They broke through to American superstardom in 1985 with Brothers in Arms (1985), which spun off the animated "Money for Nothing" video.

Metal Stars

The heavy-metal bands of the early 1980s—including Dokken, Quiet Riot, and The Scorpions—all benefited from the hard-rock format of MTV during its first three years. The archetype for the slick, California sound of 1980s metal was the group Van Halen, whose six albums all sold in the millions. Their sly, tongue-in-cheek attitude translated well to video, and 1984 was a huge crossover success, with the anthemic "Jump" (1984) and its follow-up videos "Panama" (in which band members swung over the stage on wires), "I'll Wait," and "Hot for Teacher." In 1983 videos from Def Leppard's Pyromania helped the pop-metal band sell more than 9 million copies of the album. Kiss-influenced "glam rockers" Motley Crüe also went into heavy rotation on in 1983 with clips from their album Shout at the Devil The same year Ratt sold more than 2 million copies of their debut album Out of the Cellar with the help of saturation play on MTV. But amid demand for airplay of British electro-pop and American dance stars, metal began to rust. Van Halen's lead singer David Lee Roth left the band for a solo career and was replaced by Sammy Hagar. In 1985 Roth's videos, including "California Girls" (featuring Roth's open-mouthed reaction to bikini-clad models) and the hilarious "Just a Gigolo" (featuring Roth's open-mouthed reaction to imitators of Cyndi Lauper, Willie Nelson, and Boy George), were among the best of the decade, but his career faded with later efforts. So did the popularity of Twisted Sister, whose fist-clenching video "We're Not Gonna Take It" (1984) prompted one viewer to note, "If that had been around when I was in high school, I would've killed my parents." ZZ Top, easily the least photogenic band working in video, kept things interesting with leeringly amusing clips such as "Legs" (1984) and "Sleeping Bag" (1986). By middecade the metal mania seemed to have died down. The charts and playlists were filled with the "safe" pop-rock sounds of Survivor, Night Ranger, and Mr. Mister and resurrected versions of old bands such as Heart, Starship, Boston, Chicago, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, and Journey.

Bon Jovi Opens the Floodgates

Bon Jovi's unexpected and meteoric success in 1986 almost single- handedly resurrected the 1980s metal craze. By the end of 1987, videos for the megabits "You Give Love a Bad Name" (1986) and "Livin on a Prayer" (1987) had boosted sales of the group's Slippery When Wet album to more than 12 million. Billboard columnist Paul Grein said, "They opened the floodgates the same way Michael Jackson did in 1983 for Prince, Lionel Richie and others." Marketer Bob Chiappardi agreed: "The majors are now going nuts. Everyone's out there trying to sign up a metal band." MTV helped out by starting to rotate heavy-metal videos again, especially during its weekly program Headbangers Ball By late 1987 pop-metal singles and power ballads from Cinderella, Poison, Whitesnake, and Stryper were all regularly climbing the Top 40, and Motley Crue and Def Leppard were resurging as well. In June 1987 five of the six top-selling albums in the United States were metal oriented, and in November 1988 six of the Top 40 American singles were by metal bands. The next two years saw hits from White Lion, Vixen, Winger, and other new bands. Def Leppard's Hysteria sold more than 5 million copies in 1988 and 1989. Even the metal warhorses Aerosmith posted a series of hits. Bon Jovi continued their chart success in 1988 and 1989 with "Bad Medicine," "Born to Be My Baby," and other songs, but by then they had been dethroned as the new kings of metal by a band of arrogant upstarts: Guns N' Roses. Fronted by the flamboyant Axl Rose, Guns N' Roses struck a raw nerve with its "Sweet Child O' Mine" single and video from its debut album Appetite for Destruction during summer 1988. The group followed up with the hits "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Paradise City," and by the end of 1989 Appetite for Destruction had sold more than 12 million copies. With metal groups such as Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, Metal Church, and Queensryche also mushrooming in popularity, heavy metal dominated American record sales by the end of the decade.

Sources:

Fred Bronson, The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (New York: Billboard Publications, 1988);

"The Heavy Metal Frenzy," Newsweek, 110 (10 August 1987): 59;

"He's on Fire," Newsweek 106 (5 August 1985): 48-54;

"Making It in Metal Mecca," Newsweek, 114 (7 August 1989): 56-58;

"The Peter Pan of Pop," Newsweek, 101 (10 January 1983): 52-54;

"Rock Music Goes Hollywood," Newsweek, 105 (11 March 1985): 78;

"Rock's New Women," Newsweek, 105 (4 March 1985): 48-57;

David P. Szatmary, Rockin in Time: A Social History of Rock and Roll (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1987);

Joel Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (New York: Billboard Publications, 1991);

Whitburn, Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Eighties (Menomonee Falls, Wis.: Record Research, Inc., 1991);

"Why He's a Thriller," Time, 123 (19 March 1984): 54-60.

Cyndi Lauper

Singer, songwriter

After years of performing with bands that never made the big time, singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper made her solo recording debut with the album She's So Unusual late in 1983. Throughout 1984 and early 1985, singles from her album, including "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Time After Time," consistently stayed on the pop charts, making her the first female recording artist to achieve four hits with a debut album. Her quirky style, coupled with an impressive four-octave range, endeared Lauper to fans and critics alike and netted her awards ranging from 1985's Grammy for best new artist to a spot as one of Ms. magazine's 12 Women of the Year for 1984.

Lauper was born June 20, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York. Her family then moved to neighboring Queens, where she acquired her trademark accent. When she was five her parents divorced, and her mother worked long hours as a waitress to provide for her three children. From earliest childhood, Lauper mentally escaped hardship by singing. She confided to Bonnie Allen in Ms., "Even when I talked, I sang. Always. As a kid I knew that all my power as a person came from my voice." Lauper also took a lesson from her mother's grueling work schedule and vowed to escape the difficult life led by her family and neighbors.

The young singer's education was somewhat erratic. She was expelled from several Catholic schools where, Lauper told Kurt Loder in Rolling Stone, she was abused by overly strict nuns. After obtaining her high school equivalency degree, she was persuaded by friends and family to enter art school rather than pursue a singing career. Though a talented artist, Lauper did not adapt well to the structured environment of art school, and dropped out of several before returning to her first love, music. She worked odd jobs to support herself, including stints as a kennel attendant and a racehorse walker. During the early 1970s Lauper sang on street corners in Greenwich Village before joining a disco group, Doc West.

Performing in local clubs and relying heavily on covers of popular disco songs, the band was much like any other. Only Lauper's unique vocal renderings set them apart. People were particularly impressed with the singer's renditions of Janis Joplin songs. But before long Lauper tired of the disco scene and decided to move on. She joined up with the rock band Flyer, but was with them just a short time before losing her voice because of severely strained vocal chords.

When doctors informed her that she would not be able to resume a career in singing, Lauper was undaunted. On the advice of a friend, she sought the help of voice coach Katherine Agresta, an opera singer noted for her work with rock stars. Along with vocal exercises, Agresta stressed the importance of physical health to accompany vocal restoration. By heeding her advice and following a strict regimen, Lauper accomplished the seemingly impossible and resumed her singing career.

Striking out on her own, Lauper once again worked the local circuit, performing solo at bars and clubs until meeting up with John Turi. Lauper and Turi collaborated to create Blue Angel, a band described by critics as both "rockabilly" and "new wave." The new group allowed Lauper to spread her musical wings, as she enjoyed a level of artistic freedom she had not previously experienced. It was during this time that her singular fashion sense began to emerge.

Lauper was hard to ignore, with her carelessly chopped multi-colored hair and funky, mismatched wardrobe. But it was her vocal acrobatics that brought her to the attention of rock manager Steve Massarsky. Decidedly underwhelmed with the band itself, Massarsky was impressed enough with the young singer's talent to sign Blue Angel to a recording contract with Polydor Records.

Despite a disappointing lack of sales, Blue Angel's first and only album was received favorably by critics, with most of the praise lavished on Lauper's singing. But in 1981 the band, plagued by infighting and artistic differences, called it quits, causing Massarsky to file a lawsuit against them.

On her own again, Lauper declared bankruptcy and landed a job singing (phonetically) at a Japanese bar, where she met David Wolff, the man who became her manager and fiance. Wolff tirelessly promoted his new client and with the help of his connections, landing the singer a recording contract with CBS Records.

She's So Unusual debuted in 1983, and though Lauper wrote few of the songs, she was allowed a great deal of artistic control on the album as well as on the accompanying videos. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" was the first release—a rollicking video romp conceived by Lauper and populated with her family and friends. The song rocketed to the top of the pop charts and became part of MTV's heavy rotation schedule. Hot on its heels was "Time After Time," a haunting ballad co-written with Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman of the Hooters. Other hits from the album included "All Through the Night," "She-Bop" and "Money Changes Everything."

With the exception of the title song, Lauper's 1986 follow-up album, True Colors, did not meet with the success of the first. "I can't blame anybody but myself," Lauper confessed to Ann Kolson of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I was there, but I wasn't there. My heart wasn't into it. I started to take out all the stuff about myself that made it interesting, thinking it was too weird."

Turning her attention to acting, the singer was cast in a starring role opposite actor Jeff Goldblum in the comedy film Vibes. Her character was a zany psychic beautician. When it was released in 1988 reviews were unkind, but focused on the inadequacies of the script rather than Lauper's acting abilities. She told Fred Goodman in Rolling Stone, "That's the last time I'll take a part because of the part, hoping that the script will get better. It never does." Even Lauper's theme song from the film, "There's A Hole In My Heart," released as a single, proved a flop.

For the Record …

Born June 20, 1953, in Brooklyn, NY; daughter of Fred Lauper and Catrine Dominique (a waitress); married David Thornton (an actor); children: a son, Declan Wallace Thornton. Education: Attended several colleges to study art.

Worked as waitress and racehorse walker; singer with disco group Doc West, beginning in 1974; singer with rock bands Flyer and Blue Angel, 1977-81; solo performer, 1981-; signed with CBS Records, released She's So Unusual, 1983; True Colors, 1986; A Night to Remember, 1989; Hat Full of Stars 1993; Twelve Deadly Cyns… and Then Some, 1994; Sisters of Avalon, 1997; Merry Christmas, Have a Nice Life, 1998; Shine, 2001; Essential Cyndi Lauper, 2003; At Last, 2003; The Body Acoustic, 2005; appeared in films Vibes, 1988, and Life With Mikey, 1993; appeared on Broadway in The Threepenny Opera, 2006.

Awards: Named one of 12 women of the year by Ms. magazine, 1984; Grammy Award, record of the year and best female pop vocal performance, for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," and song of the year, for "Time After Time," all 1985; Grammy Award for best new artist, 1985; Emmy Award, 1993.

Addresses: Record company—Epic Records, 550 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022.

Stunning Singing Ability

Lauper's 1989 album, A Night to Remember, brought mixed reviews from critics. Some called it her best work ever; others noted a new mellowness to the music and lamented the loss of her earlier, more spirited style. Most, however, heaped extravagant praise on her stunning singing ability. "Vocally, she does everything right on A Night to Remember," claimed People's David Hiltbrand. "She's earthy on the winsome rocker ‘I Drove All Night,’ scintillating on the airier ‘Primitive’ and sweet on the gentle ‘Unconditional Love.’" Jimmy Guterman of Rolling Stone noted that "on ‘My First Night Without You,’ she builds from a whisper to a scream and captures all the nuances in between." Though "I Drove All Night" proved a hit for Lauper, A Night to Remember did not match the overwhelming success of She's So Unusual.

Following the commercial failure of A Night to Remember, Lauper virtually disappeared from the public eye. She ended her longtime relationship with Wolff and spent the better part of two years attempting to get her life in order. She credited the Hooters—old friends and collaborators—with helping her rediscover the healing power of music. But it was actor David Thornton, whom she married in 1991, who gave her the courage to make a comeback.

In 1993, after an absence of four years, Lauper released her fourth album, Hat Full of Stars. Her return was celebrated by critics, who hailed the album as a milestone in the singer's career. Soliciting the aid of several songwriters (including Bazilian, Hyman, and Mary-Chapin Carpenter), Lauper produced a varied, revealing, and poignant work, addressing such issues as racism, incest, abortion and wife-battering. Holly George-Warren of Rolling Stone described the musical effort as "a fresh sound that mixes 60s soul, 70s funk, 80s pop and 90s hip-hop, as well as bits of folk and ethnic music." Ron Givens of People commented on the context of the material: "Lauper brings an enticing mix of literal description and oblique metaphor. … She sets a scene, makes us care, gives us hope." Lauper also made her directorial debut on two of the album's videos, "Who Let In The Rain" and "Sally's Pigeons."

In addition to recording, Lauper also kept her acting skills honed. Both she and her husband appeared in Michael J. Fox's 1993 movie Life With Mikey and also guest starred on the NBC comedy Mad About You, a role that won her an Emmy. As she told Kolson, "I may not be the biggest artist in the whole friggin' world. Who cares? I'm able to stand up with pride and dignity and say that this is me and this is my gift to the world."

In 1994 Lauper released Twelve Deadly Cyns… and Then Some, a collection of greatest hits with three new tracks. It sold over four million copies worldwide and was especially popular in the United Kingdom.

Sisters of Avalon was released in 1997. Many of its songs explored the complexities of gay or lesbian lives: "Ballad of Cleo and Joe" was about a drag queen's double life, "Brimstone and Fire" described a lesbian relationship, and "You Don't Know" addressed the issue of coming out. The album was a hit in dance clubs, and Lauper performed as a featured artist at gay pride events throughout the world. In that same year she co-headlined with Tina Turner in a summer tour, and in November of 1997 she and Thornton welcomed their son, Declan Wallace.

Lauper toured as co-headliner with Cher's Do You Believe? Tour in 1999, and appeared in several independent films, including The Opportunist, which starred Christopher Walken.

In 2001 Lauper was set for the release of a new album, Shine. However, a few weeks before the scheduled release in September of 2001, Edel America Records folded. The tracks were leaked to fans, and a five-song EP titled Shine was sold by Tower Records and on Lauper's website. In 2003 Edel America Records sold an EP of remixes from Shine on their website. In that same year, Sony Records released The Essential Cyndi Lauper.

At Last, released in 2003, hit the Top 40 charts in the United States and Australia; it was a cover record of older songs originally done by other performers. In Daily Variety Phil Gallo noted, "Lauper applies her still-girlish and gorgeous voice to a broad swath of material, and most of it works just fine." In Interview, Evelyn McDonnell commented on the fact that although Lauper sang other people's songs on the album, the album had "a very personal feel." Lauper replied, "All you can hope for when you do music is to be able to find the magic in it and fly." She added, "If you can find that one thing that the other musicians do that's so wonderful, and incorporate it into what you do, then it enriches you."

In 2005 Lauper released The Body Acoustic, which showcased acoustic versions of previous songs and included two new songs. Various guest artists appeared on the album, including Shaggy, Ani DiFranco, Adam Lazzara, Jeff Beck, Puffy Ami Yumi, and Sarah McLaughlin. In Herizons, Cindy Filipenko wrote that the album revealed Lauper as "one of the most underrated voices in rock music."

Lauper moved to the Broadway stage in 2006, where she appeared in a production of Kurt Weill's The Threepenny Opera. In Variety David Rooney praised Lauper's performance, noting, "The pop diva knows how to command an audience in a song."

In New York, Lauper told Adam Sternbergh that her rule for living was not to worry about what other people think of you: "You cannot be self-conscious. If you have a watcher in your head, you're done. Door closes, everything's over." She added, "I can't be focused on who other people think I am. You have to just leave that … someplace else."

Selected discography

She's So Unusual, Portrait, 1983.

True Colors, Portrait, 1986.

A Night to Remember, Epic, 1989.

(Contributor) A Very Special Christmas, A&M, 1992.

Hat Full of Stars, Epic, 1993.

(Contributor) A Very Special Christmas 2, A&M, 1993.

Twelve Deadly Cyns… and Then Some, Epic, 1994.

Sisters of Avalon, Epic, 1997.

Merry Christmas, Have a Nice Life, Epic, 1998.

Shine, independently released, 2001.

Essential Cyndi Lauper, Sony, 2003.

At Last, Epic, 2003.

The Body Acoustic, Epic, 2005.

Sources

Books

Willis, K. K., Jr., Cyndi Lauper, Ballantine, 1984.

Periodicals

Audio, September 1989.

Billboard, October 29, 2005, p. 70.

Daily Variety, November 12, 2003, p. 48.

Entertainment Weekly, May 29, 1992; June 18, 1993; November 11, 2005, p. 68; November 12, 2005, p. 36.

Herizons, Spring 2006, p. 32.

Hollywood Reporter, December 27, 2006, p. 16.

Interview, December 2003, p. 114.

Mademoiselle, November 1988.

Ms., January 1985; August 1988.

Nation, June 30, 1984.

Newsday, June 13, 1993.

Newsweek, March 26, 1984; March 4, 1985.

New York, December 26, 1983; March 13, 2006, p. 137.

New York Times, May 28, 1993.

People, September 17, 1984; August 15, 1988; June 19, 1989; December 21, 1992; June 28, 1993; July 26, 1993; September 8, 1997, p. 33.

Philadelphia Inquirer, May 30, 1993.

Rolling Stone, May 24, 1984; June 1, 1989; June 15, 1989; November 16, 1989; September 2, 1993.

Time, March 4, 1985.

Variety, April 24, 2006, p. 39.

Village Voice, August 17, 1993.

Online

Cyndi Lauper Official Website, http://www.cyndilauper.com/uniquecirx/home.php (January 30, 2007).

Other

Additional information for this profile was obtained from Epic Records publicity materials, 1993.