I'd say when Nirvana came out. Between '89 and '91 it went out.

What do you mean by "the 80s music sound"?

What do you mean by "the 80s music sound"?


that cheese went off a long time ago...

1991, when Grunge became big.

I'm assuming the OP means that layered, synthesized, overproduced sound. If so, I agree it started declining after 1988. I see 1989 to 1992 as being like both decades sharing an apartment. So both made their presence known in that time, but the '90s got their name on the lease around the middle of 1991.

There were also different types of music dominating in this period that I would categorize three ways:

1. The "of its time" stuff that had kind of a more urban-inspired, proto-Nineties image, but a lighthearted, fun Eighties sound (Paula Abdul, MC Hammer, more accoustic power ballads like "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", Wilson Philips, "Right Here Right Now", etc).

2. "Older" pop and rock that was sort of coasting towards the end of its success earlier in the '80s. Even though the artists were still able to chart high, it wasn't really part of the "current" scene (i.e. Rod Stewart, Tom Petty, Heart).

3. "Ahead of its time" stuff that tended to either be underground, or music that would later popularize, but was very influential (i.e. They Might Be Giants, heavy metal like Metallica, Faith No More).

Then there was also typical AC performers like Michael Bolton and Roxette, which could basically be a cross of the first two categories.

It all depends on the genre. As for hair metal, it ended around 1991 or 1992. I remember Def Leapord released an album in '92. As for pop, I'd say around 1992 since grunge and gangsta rap became mainstream around then. New Jack Swing started in 1987, and that was huge in the late 80's/early 90's, and that style lasted as late as 1996. The style of old school rap from the 80's lasted throughout the early 90's, and may have stuck around even later than that.

^Good point about New Jack Swing. I also think the "slow jam" type of ballads lasted as late as 1996, albeit in a revised way, with stuff like "Nobody Knows" by The Tony Rich Project.

1991 and 1992 were the '90s, no question, but I agree those changes weren't totally mainstream until '93. And the '80s didn't really feel like a removed era entirely until the Internet got big c. 1997. As far as hair metal, I think it was only the more established, original type bands that could last that late - i.e. Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi.

1991, when Grunge became big.

I agree.  I will be precise:

9/10/91, the day Geffen released Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," was the coup de grace for the New Wave/New Romantic/synth pop sounds that make up the discrete "80s sound," which had been on the wane since the Fall of 1988.  The sounds on the ascent were:
Grunge
Hip-Hop
Fused rock and hip-hop sounds.

I'd say the early 90's, when genres like heavy metal was on its way out and the grunge/alternative sound was coming in strong.

If you look at the Billboard Charts, you'll notice that Grunge, Rap and Dance all started becoming chart toppers around Late 1991/Early 1992 ("Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana, "O.P.P." by Naughty By Nature and "Finally" by CeCe Peniston) and then that became a trend and helped usher in the 90's (musically, atleast).  Then you'll notice that Hip-Hop/Rap because a "Main Music Genre" by Early/Mid 1992 when songs like "Baby Got Back" by Sir-Mix-A-Lot and "Jump" by Kris Kross hit #1

^Good point about New Jack Swing. I also think the "slow jam" type of ballads lasted as late as 1996, albeit in a revised way, with stuff like "Nobody Knows" by The Tony Rich Project.

1991 and 1992 were the '90s, no question, but I agree those changes weren't totally mainstream until '93. And the '80s didn't really feel like a removed era entirely until the Internet got big c. 1997. As far as hair metal, I think it was only the more established, original type bands that could last that late - i.e. Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi.


It seems like things change more toward the middle of each decade (Miami Vice)music etc, even though we usually associate it with the entire decade, they tend to overlap each other.

It seems like things change more toward the middle of each decade (Miami Vice)music etc, even though we usually associate it with the entire decade, they tend to overlap each other.

Yeah, that's a good point. I think if you use the past three decades as a template, the music associated with it peaks in the early-mid part, especially around the '3 year. As the decade progresses, it's usually a more polished and less "in your face" version of the same sound, with some vague elements of the following decade. Usually the '9 to the '1 year has some overlap.

If you look at 1989, the big picture, especially in the radio songs, was a more toned down version of the peak '80s, with some hints at what was to come. Some power ballads like "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" were more accostic yet still had the hair metal image.

Definitely around 1991-1992 with the ascent of grunge, and the 90s sound became mainstream by 1993.

The late 80s (1989 roughly) marked a fading of the whole 80s sound.

Peak 80s was 1983-1986, (irony how that matches up exactly with the peak 2000s 2003-2006) with the rise of MJ, Madonna and Prince, each at the peak of their popularity, new wave peaked around this time with 1987-1988 being real close, but slightly past the peak 80s.

Definitely around 1991-1992 with the ascent of grunge, and the 90s sound became mainstream by 1993.

The late 80s (1989 roughly) marked a fading of the whole 80s sound.

Peak 80s was 1983-1986, (irony how that matches up exactly with the peak 2000s 2003-2006) with the rise of MJ, Madonna and Prince, each at the peak of their popularity, new wave peaked around this time with 1987-1988 being real close, but slightly past the peak 80s.


I agree. Just for the heck of it, I'll go through my take of it from beginning to end.

The true "roots" of eighties music probably lies in punk rock, certain forms of sythesized Disco, and arena rock bands. The Cars and other early new wave-esque bands were probably the first sign of this. It started to become more noticeable when the classic '70s started its decline (with the Disco and Dance music backlash) around the middle of 1979. From then until the premiere of MTV, it had only very minimal mainstream influence, although it was strong in an underground sense.

I don't think the true '80s really started materalizing until towards the end of 1982. In all, that year had a feeling of "almost there" but not quite. The big picture was '80s, and I believe MTV was pretty popular but there were still traces of 1979ish things hanging around in updated form that soon wouldn't be able to chart as well, like singer-songwriter type music.

Once Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" came out and his Thriller album took off in early 1983, he became a larger than life pop culture figure. This was the beginning of the peak '80s, or the Miami Vice era as people call it. This is when new wave, AOR, synthpop, power ballads and Madonna-type dance music were at their peak, and it lasted through about the middle of 1986.

Things did slowly begin to change with underground alternative bands, more accessible hip hop (i.e. The Beastie Boys) and other primitive '90s elements popping up around this time. On the radio, however, it was a very polished period, maybe even moreso than earlier on. Adult contemporary, SAW-produced dance songs, Steve Winwood, commercial hair metal like Bon Jovi or Def Leppard, and slow jam R&B were the most popular genres. In fact, the commercialization of hair metal might have softened up the market for the acceptance of harder bands like Guns N Roses and eventually Metallica in the '90s.

1989 and 1990 were like a transition between the "pronounced late Eighties music" and what would follow. The popular music was split between established acts still turning out hits and coasting off their early-mid '80s success (i.e. Rod Steweart, Tom Petty), AC acts like Michael Bolton and Roxette, the beginning of mainstreamization in rap and alternative (i.e. MC Hammer, They Might Be Giants, respectfully), as well as polished dance-pop with a proto-Nineties image like Paula Abdul.

1991 and 1992 had a similar balance too, although with the quotient lying heavier on the '90s side. There were '80s nuggets shining through here and there. The changes of 1991 (grunge, gangsta rap, house music, less synthesized AC) were fully mainstream by 1993.