This just occured to me, but I think that's gotta be what distinguishes it from the early-mid '80s music. For instance "The Right Stuff" doesn't sound much different than the other typical radio pop at the time. It's just the sugary high pitched vocals that gives it that teenybopper edge, but had those songs been sung by someone else, I think people would probably regard them differently. Like I could maybe see Richard Marx, Taylor Dayne, Steve Winwood or Rick Astley doing them.

Personally I can see both sides of it. While I somewhat prefer the early MTV type of music (from like 1981 to '85/86), I like a few of those songs and I certainly never disliked teenybopper wih a passion the way some people do. I just like catchy music in general and I always have. There's alot from that era that I love too. Keep in mind that I can tell the differences with styles of music NOW, but as a kid I just liked it all and didn't take that stuff into consideration...I only cared about how it sounded.

Plus, I think alot of people REALLY got into that stuff from being attracted to the guys. I mean, hey I'm just as guilty of that with Paula in 1991, so who am I to talk there? ;)

As for Deb, it was her songwriting and piano playing that sets her apart. She never have liked the name "Debbie", which she always preferred to be called by her full name. But her old record label wanted her to go by "Debbie".

Deborah's music have obiviously matured and know more into soothing  adult contemporary ballads. She also does some uptempo pop, but it's far from "bubblegum". Don't believe me, check for her later songs at YouTube.

A good example is Hanson. Their music was teenybopper, but are now a generic pop rock band. BTW, I'm not a fan of their work, but using their music an example and also that nobody ever gives their music a chance either.


Wasn't Rick Astley also marketed as a teen idol?

As for Deb, it was her songwriting and piano playing that sets her apart. She never have liked the name "Debbie", which she always preferred to be called by her full name. But her old record label wanted her to go by "Debbie".

Deborah's music have obiviously matured and know more into soothing  adult contemporary ballads. She also does some uptempo pop, but it's far from "bubblegum". Don't believe me, check for her later songs at YouTube.

A good example is Hanson. Their music was teenybopper, but are now a generic pop rock band. BTW, I'm not a fan of their work, but using their music an example and also that nobody ever gives their music a chance either.


Wasn't Rick Astley also marketed as a teen idol?







no

Debbie Debbie DEBBIE DEBBIE DEBBIE DEBBIE DEBBIE....who really freaking cares! See that didn't hurt anybody, did it? Seriously, even when I was 6 I thought her music was no big deal...like if one of my babysitters were on the radio (that's actually what I thought too, lol). I certainly don't care now!

Anyway, I don't think Rick Astley was teenpop himself per se (I liked him back then and still do, "Never Gonna Give You Up" is a great song), he just had some peripheral influences and could've appealed to people who were into that stuff.

I don't think teenpop of the late 80's is distinct due to the sugary high-pitched vocals:

1983 - "Candy Girl" - New Edition
1969 - "I Want You Back" - Jackson 5
1997 - "MMMBop" - Hanson
1992 - "Dur Dur D'être Bébé!" - Jordy :D

And I'm sure there's more to come...

(To poster who started thread: you don't have to be rude.)

As for their voices, it because most are young and their vocals are still developing.

All teenpop is distinct because of the vocals, but some voices never change.  Almost 20 years later, and Paula Abdul still sounds like a mouse choking on a piece of cheese ;D

Artists like Debbie Gibson sound alot different than they used to.  In Ms. Gibson's case, she changed to a more AC style of music.  If she went back to singing those cutesy gag me with a spoon type songs, her voice would probably sound just like it did 20 years ago

She still sings her old hits in venues. Not to mention she remade "Only In My Dreams" in 1997 and did a slow jazz version of "Lost In Your Eyes" for The O'Neal Brothers' "Someone You Love" album (2006), which she also sang the title track.

I wonder if anybody have actually heard her later material like 1990's "Anything Is Possible" to her duet with Jordan Knight titled "Say Goodbye" (2006)? Also "Famous", which is about the sorry state of young Hollywood.


If not, check YouTube?

Deborah, Debbie, Deb...what the hell is the difference anyway? IT'S THE SAME THING!  ::)

All teenpop is distinct because of the vocals, but some voices never change.  Almost 20 years later, and Paula Abdul still sounds like a mouse choking on a piece of cheese ;D


Something like that.  She has trouble forming a complete sentence on American Idol.  She's more annoying than Simon Cowell.


I wonder if anybody have actually heard her later material like 1990's "Anything Is Possible" to her duet with Jordan Knight titled "Say Goodbye" (2006)? Also "Famous", which is about the sorry state of young Hollywood.



I have the 12-inch single for "Anything Is Possible".  I like that song.  I like her music.  I don't disagree that Ms. Gibson has talent.  I just don't talk about her in nearly every post I make on the board. :D

I like how in the 0s everyone seemed to be able to reach those crazy high falsettos. I mean even the biggest burliest man could hit a high note like Mariah Carey. It's cool.  :)

For some reason or another, I did not fully get into the late 80's teen pop scene. I liked songs here and there ("The Right Stuff" NKOTB, "Only In My Dreams" Debbie Gibson), but it wasn't really my cup of tea. Sometimes I felt a little bit like an outsider among my friends (at that time) because they often liked to talk about their favorite NKOTB songs, favorite Debbie Gibson video, that sort of thing.  I guess the edgier stuff (Paula, Janet, hard rock, etc.) were more my style.  :)

For some reason or another, I did not fully get into the late 80's teen pop scene. I liked songs here and there ("The Right Stuff" NKOTB, "Only In My Dreams" Debbie Gibson), but it wasn't really my cup of tea. Sometimes I felt a little bit like an outsider among my friends (at that time) because they often liked to talk about their favorite NKOTB songs, favorite Debbie Gibson video, that sort of thing.  I guess the edgier stuff (Paula, Janet, hard rock, etc.) were more my style.  :)


Yeah I'm about four years younger than you I think, but I was the same way. I knew about teenpop and I sorta liked a few songs (like "Make it Real" by The Jets was probably my favorite), but I never was massive into it, lol. I pretty much liked everything that was mainstream at the time, especially new wave and soft rock.

I think around 10 or 11 is when you start paying attention to "image" to where that can shape your tastes, would you agree? Before then, it seems like kids are more pure hearted, if that makes sense. Like I was only 7 or 8, so all I cared about was that I liked the sound of a certain song...I didn't care about the lyrics or style of the artists.

I did totally think Paula was cute in 1991 (along with other female pop stars), but that was still secondary to liking her songs. ;)

I like edgy pop singers like Madonna, Paula Abdul, and Janet. It's also that they were teenagers and if they were to become edgy like them, they'd get banned.

Notice how Bobby Brown & George Michael didn't become "bad boys" until after they left New Edition & Wham!.

I like edgy pop singers like Madonna, Paula Abdul, and Janet. It's also that they were teenagers and if they were to become edgy like them, they'd get banned.

Notice how Bobby Brown & George Michael didn't become "bad boys" until after they left New Edition & Wham!.


Let me applaud you for not mentioning Debbie in one post! I didn't know you had it in ya. ;)


Seriously though, I do generally agree with that. The early Madonna or 1989 Paula might've still been able to pass for teenagers and certainly appealed to them (and younger too), but I guess it wouldn't be the same if actual teen singers were as edgy as them.

Before Britney, most pop artists under 19 or 20 were pretty much squeaky clean, probably partially because their main audience wasn't other teens, it was kids. Like 8 to 12...those are who basically liked New Kids for instance, usually girls. So they HAD to be wholesome, understably since they were kinda role models for younger kids. Even some of the softer hair metal bands were kinda like that too, like Nelson.

I agree with you about George Michael and Bobby too, their music became quite a bit edgier, more mature and sexual in 1988-90.

Wasn't Christina Aguilera a "bad girl" before Britney?

Britney first came onto the music scene in early 1999 with that trashy "Baby One More Time" video and infamous "Rolling Stone" cover. Xtina's debut album was released in the Summer of that year.

Let me applaud you for not mentioning Debbie in one post! I didn't know you had it in ya. ;)


Seriously though, I do generally agree with that. The early Madonna or 1989 Paula might've still been able to pass for teenagers and certainly appealed to them (and younger too), but I guess it wouldn't be the same if actual teen singers were as edgy as them.

Before Britney, most pop artists under 19 or 20 were pretty much squeaky clean, probably partially because their main audience wasn't other teens, it was kids. Like 8 to 12...those are who basically liked New Kids for instance, usually girls. So they HAD to be wholesome, understably since they were kinda role models for younger kids. Even some of the softer hair metal bands were kinda like that too, like Nelson.

I agree with you about George Michael and Bobby too, their music became quite a bit edgier, more mature and sexual in 1988-90.
Yeah Bobby was pretty edgy when he left "New Edition" with a song like "My Perogrative" and his bad boy image which still lives to till this day. George Michael-yeah his solo stuff was "mature" than his music that he did in "Wham! with a song like "Father Figure" Yeah a song like "Faith" was edgy though with that guitar that was used in that song and some of the vocals too. I thought "Everything She Wants" by Wham! was a pretty edgy song though compared to what the rest of the music that was out at that time except for stuff like Michael Jackson("Thriller") or Prince. I think "Everything She Wants" was from 1984 I believe. Its a great song too.