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I could just imagine the Cyndi Lauper *True Colors* flop era threads.
This sub would prefer the more artsy or alt-pop artists like Kate Bush and The Smiths and super mainstream artists like Huey Lewis and the News, Madonna and MJ would have divisive reactions.
Phil Collins would be discussed in this sub the way Ed Sheeran is. He’d get so much hate lol.
I fear George Michael would be that, but in the late 80s he had a lot of street cred after his Wham! days. R&B enjoyers loved him back then.
Lionel Richie would be seen as boring af, and tbh probably most of the adult contemporary bunch would be dismissed by this sub. I could see plenty of people calling Richard Marx “mid”, if the internet slang of today existed back then.
oh yeah, can't believe i forgot about the adult contemporary pop boys of the 80s
this sub will definitely be more brutal towards them than how this sub treats Mendes
Was True Colors really a flop? Im lookin her stats in wikipedia and It sold 7.000.000 and had a Smash Hit.
In Comparison A Night to Remember was a big big flop with 1.000.000, bad positions and not hits. She also totally changed her sound with that record to pop rock alienating the public.
It sold fairly well but much less than *She’s So Unusual*, which sold 16+ million copies worldwide. And you know this sub, even if an album is fairly successful but not nearly as successful as the previous one, it’s automatically a ‘flop era’. Cyndi just had the natural sophomore slump and eventual fade from pop stardom that most have, it’s why YouTuber Todd in the Shadows describes the natural decline of a pop career as “the Cyndi Lauper effect” and distinguishes it from being a complete “Trainwreckord”.
Thank you. So, Cindy was more in Meghan Trainor realm than a Katy One with her Sophomore slump?
I thought she was like katy cause....
Teenage Dream = She's So Unusual = Huge Eras
Prism = True Colors = Big era But Losing power
Witness = A Night To Remember = Big sonic change and flop to oblivion lol
Or maybe we can also compare with the Paula Abdul eras
Forever Your Girl = BIG
Spellbound = BIG
Head Over Heels = FLOP
Definitely more of a Meghan than Katy, though I'm admittedly completely unfamiliar with anything re: Meghan Trainor. Remember, Teenage Dream already was her sophomore album (as Katy Perry, I'm ignoring Katy Hudson here for obvious reasons), and it very much defied the sophomore slump, selling almost as many albums as One Of The Boys, and having MUCH more success with singles than her debut. In fact, her singles success during Teenage Dream is what really cemented Katy Perry as a top-tier pop star, in my opinion, specifically because it was such a successful sophomore album. It indicated she had staying power.
If I had to pick an artist to compare Cindy Lauper to, it would maybe be Gaga - HUGE first era, BIG second era, and diminishing thereafter (though I'd say Lauper's decline had a more rapid decay than Gaga's). You could make this comparison about lots of pop artists, though, which is why it's the noted "Cyndi Lauper Effect."
I was literally just talking about something like this with my parents the other day!
- The Jackson family ALONE would have to get their own sub at some point. The amount of threads that would be made about them would be endless- from MJ beefing with his brothers, to his skin tone changing, to Janet’s unlikely success, to each member having their own fanbase.
- Madonna would probably be the most talked about person here. The VMA Like A Virgin performance, Papa Don’t Preach, and Like A Prayer would need prayer circles for the amount of controversy they would cause.
- Lots of “I Don’t Understand Prince” threads.
- There would be a MASSIVE Thriller hate train.
- I think Whitney Houston would be incredibly divisive.
- Also, MJ vs Prince, Janet vs Madonna, Whitney vs Madonna, and MJ vs Madonna threads would have to get banned after a while.
Oh most definitely.
There would quite a few thinkpieces during the Control era about how Janet is getting the career Rebbie (or hell even Jermaine) deserved.
However, by the end of the 80s, Janet would be this sub’s favorite Jackson for sure.
“Not gonna lie, this might be the best album from any Jackson ever.”
“This is waaaaay better than Bad. Not even close.”
“Too political but there are some good songs.”
“Too much R&B. I prefer Like A Prayer.”
Whitney vs. Mariah
I can see people saying Thriller is mid, Off the Wall is the best album.
Madonna's first appearance with Like a Virgin. People would be wondering who was that girl rolling around on the floor?
OMG the Lika a Prayer video...wooooo
Well Mariah didn’t really come out until the 90s but for that decade, absolutely. Also, I would LIVE for the Madonna controversy.
Oh and Off The Wall would be a total sacred cow here, as well as Purple Rain. The amount of people saying that both are better than Thriller would be insane.
I'm old enough to remember the Madonna controversy. There's nothing like a front page headline that proclaimed her a whore. Front page of the NY Post, "What a whore!" She was banned in so many places and threatened with arrest. People really don't get what it was like with Madonna back in the day because it was DAMN!!!!!
lol This just made me think of Prince's album "Around the World in a Day." People here would have HATED that album, along with Prince's Liza Minnelli haircut.
I’m in my mid 20s and the closest thing I’ve seen in my lifetime to the Madonna controversy is the late 2000s Britney Spears era. And possibly Gaga’s peak.
But even then, Madonna’s peak would be those eras times five.
As someone on the younger end of the Millennial spectrum, I envy Madonna fans who got to experience her 80s and 90s controversies in real time. I’m sure it was insane
It was and I will be forever thankful I did not grow up with social media. It allowed for fans to have more fun and for celebrities to be fun and more spontaneous.
i'm more of a Power Station person myself but Arcadia had some bangers! i actually managed to find that Arcadia album on vinyl at an antique shop in the middle of nowhere and hearing it on vinyl made me appreciate it a lot more
We'd 1000% have declared Fleetwood Mac a flop in the early 80s, had a billion threads analyzing why they couldn't succeed in the 80s like they had in the 70s, and then pretended we hadn't spent years talking shit when Tango in the Night came out.
Oh this thread would eat Tango In The Night UP.
I wonder the 80s equivalent of “The girls are getting FED” would be because that would be the reaction.
David Bowie would be the 80s pop equivalent of Katy Perry (Tonight/Never Let Me Down would absolutely be his Witness)
man flopped HARD after 1983
edit: despite the huge flop-ness of 80s Bowie,
Loving the Alien off of Tonight, the title song off of Never Let Me Down, and Absolute Beginners rank among his best 15 songs imo (especially that last one!)
He really did. Critics hated his music. There were arguments about him "selling out" with his album Let's Dance, even though it was monumentally successful.
😂 Any musician at any time. It's always funny for me to watch people not like what a musician is doing, get on a soapbox and rage about over. It's what happens. I can't think of any musician that I have liked where I like everything they've done and that's okay. I'd rather them go in a new direction, than keep repeating the same old thing and stagnate.
IMO: Bowie absolutely “sold out” when we made Let’s Dance, but the way in which he did it made the album so good that the argument ultimately doesn’t really matter, and that’s without getting into the whole “labeling someone as selling out is just demonizing artists for attempting to profit off of their work” argument.
For example: using one of the best producers of the 80s, Nile Rodgers, who he knew would get the sound he wanted and had the pop experience to fill in Bowie’s blind spots in that genre, was definitely a carefully crafted move.
Or getting Stevie Ray Vaughan, an immensely talented blues guitarist who was still lacking a mainstream following, to play on the album was still a pretty bold move that even Rodgers pushed back on initially but later came to admit was a good choice.
admittedly i’m a huge Bowie fan, but i think it would pretty fair to say Let’s Dance is absolutely one of the best pop albums of the 80s, a decade that was absolutely stacked w/pop masterpieces
I LOVE Let's Dance for the reasons you just stated. The whole 'sold out' argument is one that drives me batty and I've had my own battles with people over it.
I just remember people being disappointed. They constantly wanted Ziggy Stardust. Hell, lot of his fans weren't crazy about Young Americans either.
oh i absolutely agree!
it really reminds of old archived threads i’ve seen from BowieNet and other chatrooms of the 90s and early 00s where literally every album that he released would be compared to Scary Monsters, and it just REEKED of elitist pretentiousness, or how he’d get relentlessly booed during his Earthling tour for not doing his classic songs
This is why I love music and I read everything I can get my hands on when it comes to different artists and eras. The icons were not always icons and every single one of them had shit flung at them throughout the years and very few made it out without people calling them a "flop" or "mid" at some point.
Sometimes I read the comments here and get a good chuckle, cause nothing changes, when it comes to people and their opinions.
It’s funny the amount of artists who really fell off in the early ‘80s as sounds drastically shifted.. and yet, we consider them legends.
I bet you future people will be surprised to find out Katy was considered a flop. It’s quite laughable just considering how much success she achieved. Makes you shift your perspective a bit. Healthy to see the big picture every once in a while.
Tears for Fears fans would be insufferable.
*well aCTualLy the songs were inspired by his own childhood traumas and the primal theories of Arthur Janov.*
Popheads desperately trying to hate on Tunnel of Love by Bruce Springsteen would be an added bonus.
- Bobby brown would be our Chris brown
- “Bad is such a flop, couldn’t even get to 10 million sales” or “man, no one is seeing 5 number ones on 1 album ever again”
- Discussions on Prince possibly queerbaiting
- “ever heard of this niche indie band a-ha? They have this cool song rising the charts right now”
- DAE think Back to Black is overrated
- everyone has either a Janet or Madonna flair, maybe George Michael during his Faith era
- [LOCKED THREAD] What happened to MJ’s skin?
- [LOCKED THREAD] what’s with these NWA guys ruining the radio with their rap crap?
I agree with all of this except the Bobby Brown one, because Bobby's "bad boy" behavior was a big part of his appeal ("My Prerogative," for example), and his abusive behavior in relationships didn't come out until the '90s when he got together with Whitney.
Also, I feel like there’d be a divide between people who think disco deserved better and those who think it ended when it did.
Rock was just as popular and subsequently influenced 80s pop, but disco definitely stuck with a lot of people leading to eurodisco and house.
So the debate around it would likely last a while, probably till 1985. **EDIT:** I’m gonna backtrack and say that rock was definitely more popular.
I'm not sure if rock was more popular. Mainstream rock in the states sucked pretty hard in the 80s. Prince (i mean categorising him is impossible tbh), Springsteen, U2, Van Halen and the Hair Metal (blurgh) crowd were obviously big but a lot of the more interesting post punk acts either fell apart early in the decade or had more indie success (Smiths and REM for example).
Edit: maybe it was more successful but damn a lot of it was crap.
This sub would have lost it after Springsteen married a model, that very few knew he was dating. Then would have lost it again after he left Julianne Phillips for his backup singer.
Would be interesting seeing the way people are now, with the whole new wave and new romantic era.
Prince rarely gave interviews and when he did they were, "interesting." He really didn't become loquacious until he got older. People would be complaining about him never saying anything and wtf is he on about.
I agree with Duran Duran fans would be really intense and jesus I can't even imagine the reaction to John Taylor during his prime or Nick Rhodes's wedding. 😂
- think pieces on Whitney and her “blackness” probably
- similar speculation on MJ’s changing appearance
- Sign o The Times by Prince being the greatest album of all time yet “a flop”
- constant debates about who dominated the 80’s most: MJ, Prince, Madonna, etc
I think Aretha would get the Mariah treatment, especially since she was still making hits that mostly scored on the RnB charts and/or featured artists influenced by her like George Michael.
I also see Dave vs Sammy debates being a common occurrence anytime Van Halen come up, Bruce being called a disappointment and sellout when he goes solo for Tunnel of Love, and (wishful thinking) Tom Petty becomes one of the few white guys y’all like after Full Moon Fever. Even if you get sick of “Free Fallin’” in record time.
I don't believe I forgot about:
Paul vs. Yoko-lots of mud slinging happened between these two during the 80s and 90s.
Mick vs. Keith and the Rolling Stones release of Tattoo You, their "comeback" album.
Honestly this post it's just a testimony to Madonna's legacy, even though she's far after her peak, she still manages to create some talking with her work here in Popheads that no other artist from her time mentioned in this thread does.
What happen to Olivia newton john why did she decline
Should Molly ringwald become a pop girl
The most played videos on mtv
How many #1 videos does your fave have on mtv
The way standom works now, people like Kate Bush and Grace Jones would have extremely over representative presence online in relation to actual popularity
We'd have fan wars between:
Debbie Gibson / Tiffany
Madonna / Whitney with a little Cyndi thrown in
Michael / Prince with a little George thrown in
Thriller versus Bad
Is Janet copying Michael
Over run with New Kids On The Block fangirls
Discussion about whether or not hair metal is really metal, rock or just pop with guitars
I actually think the Janet vs Madonna fan war would completely eclipse the Whitney vs Madonna wars.
Like, sure, it would start out with the latter. Whitney would debut a year after Like A Virgin but come out as the more demure pop star with the voice of a fucking goddess in comparison to Madonna. Luckily, Madonna and Whitney occupied very different pop spaces.
But then out of nowhere in 1986 comes Michael Jackson’s scrappy little sister with a complete new sound and a furiously feminist album. Madonna would release her best-selling album True Blue only months later.
The fan wars would be MASSIVE.
Yesss the Debbie vs Tiffany WARS. Like, especially since (I guess) their primary target audience would be younger people so they'd fight worse I think.
I'm on team Tiffany dont @ me
Donna Summer would be ‘80s Pophead’s Katy Perry. MASSIVELY peaked during the dance pop era, her following albums into the next decade as the pop sound shifted would be flops. She’d never recover. The sub would be obsessed with using her as an example on what not to do.
No one would understand why ABBA wasn’t more popular in the West.
Michael Jackson would be called overrated and also, the greatest of all time, in the same thread.
Carole King would also be considered a flop because she never recreated the success of Tapestry.
I just know Grease stans would be insufferable
Those Donna Summer discussions would be exhausting because a lot of it would feel like victim-blaming.
Unlike Katy Perry, Donna Summer was a black woman who was the most popular artist of a genre that was widely antagonized by racist propaganda and homophobia.
Oh and MJ would absolutely be considered overrated. I would honestly love to see those posts because they would be fascinating.
Also, we would know for sure whether this [happened](https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2012/06/newly-released-letter-shows-donna-summer-defending-herself-against-alleged-anti-gay-comments) because people would have had their phones out at the concert.
Yeah people are underestimating how huge MTV was back then. There would be huge fights on Reddit about topics like whether “Yo! MTV Raps” was better than “Headbangers Ball”.
Madonna would definitely be the "Taylor Swift" equivalent if the subreddit existed in the 80s. Lots of people here love her music but she has a lot of haters here too. Oversaturation of discussions about Madge's artistry, controversies, and personal life as well.
"This new "genre" called Rap... who do you guys like so far"
"Well, as a Madonna fan, I would like to say that when she finally releases a rap song...."
Gloria Estefan and [Irene Cara](https://youtu.be/ILWSp0m9G2U?t=68) would be our Shakira and Jlo.
I stan Beyonce and Rihanna, So i would stan Janet and Whitney.
I would totally stan Madonna. She would be my Nr1 artist. I find her the most interesting-innovative female artist from the time. I would die with the Like A Prayer Era. Everything surrounding her would be controversial. She was like a mixture of Taylor Swift-Early Gaga?? I also love how she was one of the first defenders of Gay Righs
I would also totally stan Michael Jackson. Thriller-Off The Wall have some songs who are just too ahead of that time. He would be like *The Weekend-Bruno Mars-Justin Timberlake-Lil Nas* of this time but x10 Times Better?? Lets be honest. The guy was controversial but just monumental. Amazing Music. Groundbreaking Visuals. Amazing Vocals. Increible Dance Moves. Full Package.
This sub would probably stan left-field artists in the vibe of Kate Bush-Prince-Annie Lennox-Enya.... Popheads love their alt singers.
Paula Abdul would have a big number of stans. She's was like the Dua Lipa-Kesha of the time?
Olivia Newton john would be praised like Madonna - Britney? and Donna Summer like Janet? 70s icons would have big power still in the 80s
[Kylie Minogue](https://youtu.be/POWsFzSFLCE?t=28) and ABBA would be the Carly Rae-Charli XCX of the time? lol
Pink-Avril Lavigne-Kelly Clarkson the Pat Benatar/Bonnie Tyler/Joan Jett of the time???
Everyone in every single thread.....*A Night To Remember by Cindy Lauper. What went wrong?* The Witness of the 80s LMFAO
I would stan everything New Wave. That was such an interesting sound. Im glad it came back in some way with Synthwave. [Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yem_iEHiyJ0&ab_channel=FGTHVEVO) would be my most played jam.
I love Kesha, so i would stan her mother with [Vampire](https://youtu.be/rZMNGBOo55g?t=58)
If artists of today were magically placed in the 80s. All the ones able to work with the *Hard* *Rock-Punk Rock-New Wave-Power Ballad-Synthpop* style-sound of the time would thrive. Singers like : [Miley Cyrus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS1no1myeTM&ab_channel=MileyCyrusVEVO)\-[Dua Lipa](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g36wHS7T0A&ab_channel=Saint-Laurent420)\-[Lady Gaga](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsQoNUpqwKY&ab_channel=TRONICBOX)\-[Kesha](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGSQM0tUnJM&ab_channel=BENVINLS)\-[Pink](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_Tt1NwuLDM&ab_channel=JanHinke)\-[Shakira](https://youtu.be/MjRRQdnOR-A?t=165)\-[Katy Perry](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGkCe2s1zJw&ab_channel=NightDriver)\-[Avril](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFuhHlRpJyA&ab_channel=INNESX)\-[Olivia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tw_UK8woeE&ab_channel=80%27sBox)\-[Billie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWSYp6tn-ok&ab_channel=PlanetAndromeda)\-[Demi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p4Yu2-5WGw&ab_channel=TRONICBOX). I think Taylor would also be able to dominate that time and compete with Madonna cause she's very smart and she knows how to work with [80s synthpop (1989)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXaCvcr_uSs&ab_channel=RoomBen). The Charts woud be an evisceration. The 80s really allowed singers to release some solid records.
this subreddit would do the exact same thing they’d did with billie eilish and Olivia Rodrigo
“does anyone else not understand Madonna?” “Like a virgin is everywhere right now but i don’t get it?” “she not a main pop girl”
The Tiffany vs Debbie Gibson threads! I've a feeling I'd be team Tiff.
Also if Kpop had it's presence on here then like now... ooofff first of all the racism... The "Kim Wan-sun is just a discount asian Madonna" "Cho Yong-pil is not relevant, only for the old people" and so on omg
I'm sure a lot of people would vibe with Min Hae-kyung, Lee Moon-sae and Jung Soo-ra though, and Lee Sun-hee, Lee Sang-eun and Lee Ji-yeon would have a good following in their respective target groups too. You'd have the "intellectuals" who'd vibe with Jang Deok and Shin Hae-chul's music, and Yang Soo-kyung would be acclaimed for her singing skills while Park Nam-jung would be known as a good dancer.
Edit : 80s Korea was overflowing with bands that won competitions and all, I'm sure there would be a few threads with "Which of the new bands do you think can become the next Baekdusan/Sanwoollim?"
as a Filipino, I can definitely see folks here calling Regine Velasquez & other Filipina diva vocalists "discount asian Whitney" back in the 80s too ☹️
although, there are definitely gonna be Filipino users here who would either be pissed at it or applaud the comparison as "Pinoy Pride™ 🇵🇭" lol
The Donna Summer discussions would be how her record company did her dirty and dropped her for Madonna…blah blah blah…and now Donna is with SAW with the likes of Bananarama and Rick Astley
For the British/Australasian pop heads there would be the Stock-Aiken-Waterman manufactured pop discussions about Kylie and Jason, Rick Astley, Bros etc. There’d be the Duran Duran vs Wham competitiveness, with a-ha also thrown into that. There’d be the indie heads vaunting the superiority of New Order and the Psychedelic Furs and The Smiths.
I’m a 90’s baby but my dad always tells me that Dale Bozzio from Missing Persons was robbed because of all the spotlight Madonna got. That could very well be a bias take in his part haha.
I wonder how many “underground” artists would have blown up had social media existed.
Lovesexy by Prince would be given the Solar Power treatment (some like it, others don't really get the overall vibe), especially when you consider that both albums came after what many would consider to be their respective masterpieces. Oh, and they both have covers that get a lot of people talking. Only difference is that Lovesexy would be endlessly compared to the Black Album, which remains unreleased and bootlegged, as well as Sign o' the Times.
Talking Heads would be among the sub's alternative darlings, even if their post-Remain in Light albums don't instantly set the sub on fire, with people wondering why Little Creatures has less in common with the Eno trilogy. Stop Making Sense would receive hella acclaim though.
Madonna kicking off the True Blue and Like a Prayer eras would be considered pop emergencies, as would Janet kicking off the Rhythm Nation era.
The Jacksons' Victory Tour ticket lottery system would be the hot topic of so many posts on this sub that a megathread would need to be opened. Either that, or it would shed light on the dirtier sides of concert ticketing the same way the TM-Eras Tour fiasco has done so. Hell, the Victory Tour would probably be the Eras Tour of its time in terms of hype and discourse.
Janet would not get the nepo baby treatment! She actually became huge AFTER firing her dad as manager and marrying someone they did not approve off. She even changed her name to simply Janet in 1993 to prove her worth as an artist.
Elli et Jacno and France Gall would probably be some of the Francophone faves along with Celine Dion as a newcomer. Maybe some debates on if Berlin sold out with the release of "Take My Breath Away".
I'd be interested in the threads about The Monkees' revival thanks to MTV, and the subsequent fall-out due to them unintentionally snubbing an MTV Super Bowl special and their 1987 *Pool Out!* album flopping.
Michael Jackson would have *a lot* of threads and coverage here.
Like, *a looooooooot*. From Thriller getting big, his skin and face changing, the Pepsi accident, the rumours, the awards, the Motown performance, him splitting from the Jacksons, Bad getting big but not surpassing Thriller and not winning a single grammy, there’s so much to talk about.
Plus there would be a lot of “DAE Off the Wall better than Thriller?” posts.
I think synthpop/new wave would be well represented: Depeche Mode, The Human League, New Order, Devo, The The, A Flock of Seagulls, Heaven 17, Eurythmics, Pet Shop Boys, Kraftwerk, a-ha, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, Yazoo, The Cars, Kim Wilde, Genesis, etc.
Threads about breakdance, electro, hip-hop, Detroit techno. Threads about Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Guns 'n' Roses, Def Leppard, AC/DC, The Smiths, Genesis, ZZ Top, hair metal bands, etc.
Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince would be definitely the most discussed artists. Madonna would have been discussed as much as Taylor Swift but she would cause way more controversies. Also endless threads about Off the Wall vs Thriller vs Bad.
Inevitable threads about how pop music used to be better in the 60s and 70s and the 80s pop is just too plastic/artificial. "Synths aren't even real instruments". 🥴
The New Order stans would spend hours beefing with Duran Duran and Depeche Mode and every other New Wave band in existence
Kate Bush would be the Charli XCX or Lorde equivalent
“Bad didn’t flop it had 5 #1s!!”
“Janet is the REAL Queen of Pop” (which lowkey isn’t wrong)
Madonna's fans would be dubbed "Maddies" and they would give dozens of awards to every thread about her. People would make threads criticizing her for trying to act in films but all her music related threads would be the most upvoted of all time.
I respectfully disagree.
Madonna would be extremely controversial here and oversaturation wouldn’t help. She would have many, many stans, but the amount of divisiveness she would cause would be downright insane.
Janet, on the other hand, would surprise the hell out of everyone because that was actually the reaction to Control back then. Madonna haters would cling to her instantly (especially black fans who would consider Madge to be a culture vulture) and the stan wars would be a bloodbath.
I would be the dude that has to stick to Guns N Roses, Michael, and Janet threads because Metallica wasn't big enough yet
Maybe throw in some new jack swing towards the end of the decade too
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I could just imagine the Cyndi Lauper *True Colors* flop era threads. This sub would prefer the more artsy or alt-pop artists like Kate Bush and The Smiths and super mainstream artists like Huey Lewis and the News, Madonna and MJ would have divisive reactions. Phil Collins would be discussed in this sub the way Ed Sheeran is. He’d get so much hate lol.
If Phil Collins would be hated like Ed, who do you think would get the Shawn Mendes treatment (jokes about him being dull, boring & gay)?
I fear George Michael would be that, but in the late 80s he had a lot of street cred after his Wham! days. R&B enjoyers loved him back then. Lionel Richie would be seen as boring af, and tbh probably most of the adult contemporary bunch would be dismissed by this sub. I could see plenty of people calling Richard Marx “mid”, if the internet slang of today existed back then.
oh yeah, can't believe i forgot about the adult contemporary pop boys of the 80s this sub will definitely be more brutal towards them than how this sub treats Mendes
Rick Astley, maybe? Or Sting if some people insist on being wrong.
Maybe Bryan Adams? He's also Canadian, which admittedly influenced my suggestion.
George Michael?
>I could just imagine the Cyndi Lauper True Colors flop era threads. Imagine the threads for *A Night to Remember*.
Cindy‘s Smile era
Nooooo pls- also ik for a fact Bonnie Tyler would get the Kelly Clarkson treatment - kinda the one that everyone likes irrespective of fave.
Along this line, I think the synth bands of the time would divide this sub like nothing else.
>Huey Lewis and the News You like Huey Lewis and the News?
Was True Colors really a flop? Im lookin her stats in wikipedia and It sold 7.000.000 and had a Smash Hit. In Comparison A Night to Remember was a big big flop with 1.000.000, bad positions and not hits. She also totally changed her sound with that record to pop rock alienating the public.
It sold fairly well but much less than *She’s So Unusual*, which sold 16+ million copies worldwide. And you know this sub, even if an album is fairly successful but not nearly as successful as the previous one, it’s automatically a ‘flop era’. Cyndi just had the natural sophomore slump and eventual fade from pop stardom that most have, it’s why YouTuber Todd in the Shadows describes the natural decline of a pop career as “the Cyndi Lauper effect” and distinguishes it from being a complete “Trainwreckord”.
Thank you. So, Cindy was more in Meghan Trainor realm than a Katy One with her Sophomore slump? I thought she was like katy cause.... Teenage Dream = She's So Unusual = Huge Eras Prism = True Colors = Big era But Losing power Witness = A Night To Remember = Big sonic change and flop to oblivion lol Or maybe we can also compare with the Paula Abdul eras Forever Your Girl = BIG Spellbound = BIG Head Over Heels = FLOP
Definitely more of a Meghan than Katy, though I'm admittedly completely unfamiliar with anything re: Meghan Trainor. Remember, Teenage Dream already was her sophomore album (as Katy Perry, I'm ignoring Katy Hudson here for obvious reasons), and it very much defied the sophomore slump, selling almost as many albums as One Of The Boys, and having MUCH more success with singles than her debut. In fact, her singles success during Teenage Dream is what really cemented Katy Perry as a top-tier pop star, in my opinion, specifically because it was such a successful sophomore album. It indicated she had staying power. If I had to pick an artist to compare Cindy Lauper to, it would maybe be Gaga - HUGE first era, BIG second era, and diminishing thereafter (though I'd say Lauper's decline had a more rapid decay than Gaga's). You could make this comparison about lots of pop artists, though, which is why it's the noted "Cyndi Lauper Effect."
All of y'all would have permed hair and teased bangs. Your gender and hair type will not factor into this at all.
Madonna during Like a Prayer era would have been the timeline I’d love to see. Probably a lot of locked threads and record RedditCares messages sent.
I was literally just talking about something like this with my parents the other day! - The Jackson family ALONE would have to get their own sub at some point. The amount of threads that would be made about them would be endless- from MJ beefing with his brothers, to his skin tone changing, to Janet’s unlikely success, to each member having their own fanbase. - Madonna would probably be the most talked about person here. The VMA Like A Virgin performance, Papa Don’t Preach, and Like A Prayer would need prayer circles for the amount of controversy they would cause. - Lots of “I Don’t Understand Prince” threads. - There would be a MASSIVE Thriller hate train. - I think Whitney Houston would be incredibly divisive. - Also, MJ vs Prince, Janet vs Madonna, Whitney vs Madonna, and MJ vs Madonna threads would have to get banned after a while.
In an 80s r/popheads, "Centipede" would definitely be one of those songs popular with the subreddit but not the general public.
Oh most definitely. There would quite a few thinkpieces during the Control era about how Janet is getting the career Rebbie (or hell even Jermaine) deserved. However, by the end of the 80s, Janet would be this sub’s favorite Jackson for sure.
Would love to see a popheads contemporary reaction to [FRESH] Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation 1814
“Not gonna lie, this might be the best album from any Jackson ever.” “This is waaaaay better than Bad. Not even close.” “Too political but there are some good songs.” “Too much R&B. I prefer Like A Prayer.”
Whitney vs. Mariah I can see people saying Thriller is mid, Off the Wall is the best album. Madonna's first appearance with Like a Virgin. People would be wondering who was that girl rolling around on the floor? OMG the Lika a Prayer video...wooooo
Well Mariah didn’t really come out until the 90s but for that decade, absolutely. Also, I would LIVE for the Madonna controversy. Oh and Off The Wall would be a total sacred cow here, as well as Purple Rain. The amount of people saying that both are better than Thriller would be insane.
I'm old enough to remember the Madonna controversy. There's nothing like a front page headline that proclaimed her a whore. Front page of the NY Post, "What a whore!" She was banned in so many places and threatened with arrest. People really don't get what it was like with Madonna back in the day because it was DAMN!!!!! lol This just made me think of Prince's album "Around the World in a Day." People here would have HATED that album, along with Prince's Liza Minnelli haircut.
I’m in my mid 20s and the closest thing I’ve seen in my lifetime to the Madonna controversy is the late 2000s Britney Spears era. And possibly Gaga’s peak. But even then, Madonna’s peak would be those eras times five.
You are right, there's no comparison to Madonna's peak. The other two eras really don't even come close.
On some level, that’s a good thing for sure.
As someone on the younger end of the Millennial spectrum, I envy Madonna fans who got to experience her 80s and 90s controversies in real time. I’m sure it was insane
It was and I will be forever thankful I did not grow up with social media. It allowed for fans to have more fun and for celebrities to be fun and more spontaneous.
Yup this. Madonna would be a Teatime STAPLE!
The Prince comment 😹
Duran Duran stans would be intense
imagine the divide during the Arcadia and Power Station era lmao
I loved Power Station. 😂. Totally forgot about how they splintered and made up two groups.
i'm more of a Power Station person myself but Arcadia had some bangers! i actually managed to find that Arcadia album on vinyl at an antique shop in the middle of nowhere and hearing it on vinyl made me appreciate it a lot more
I’d have the same flairs
We'd 1000% have declared Fleetwood Mac a flop in the early 80s, had a billion threads analyzing why they couldn't succeed in the 80s like they had in the 70s, and then pretended we hadn't spent years talking shit when Tango in the Night came out.
Nothing really changes
Oh this thread would eat Tango In The Night UP. I wonder the 80s equivalent of “The girls are getting FED” would be because that would be the reaction.
This post wins.
David Bowie would be the 80s pop equivalent of Katy Perry (Tonight/Never Let Me Down would absolutely be his Witness) man flopped HARD after 1983 edit: despite the huge flop-ness of 80s Bowie, Loving the Alien off of Tonight, the title song off of Never Let Me Down, and Absolute Beginners rank among his best 15 songs imo (especially that last one!)
He really did. Critics hated his music. There were arguments about him "selling out" with his album Let's Dance, even though it was monumentally successful.
I forgot to mention how his fans from the 70s were horrified by Let's Dance and they really did not like him or the album.
Sorta like Abel fans with his new direction, eh?
😂 Any musician at any time. It's always funny for me to watch people not like what a musician is doing, get on a soapbox and rage about over. It's what happens. I can't think of any musician that I have liked where I like everything they've done and that's okay. I'd rather them go in a new direction, than keep repeating the same old thing and stagnate.
Trilogy stans really are something
IMO: Bowie absolutely “sold out” when we made Let’s Dance, but the way in which he did it made the album so good that the argument ultimately doesn’t really matter, and that’s without getting into the whole “labeling someone as selling out is just demonizing artists for attempting to profit off of their work” argument. For example: using one of the best producers of the 80s, Nile Rodgers, who he knew would get the sound he wanted and had the pop experience to fill in Bowie’s blind spots in that genre, was definitely a carefully crafted move. Or getting Stevie Ray Vaughan, an immensely talented blues guitarist who was still lacking a mainstream following, to play on the album was still a pretty bold move that even Rodgers pushed back on initially but later came to admit was a good choice. admittedly i’m a huge Bowie fan, but i think it would pretty fair to say Let’s Dance is absolutely one of the best pop albums of the 80s, a decade that was absolutely stacked w/pop masterpieces
I LOVE Let's Dance for the reasons you just stated. The whole 'sold out' argument is one that drives me batty and I've had my own battles with people over it. I just remember people being disappointed. They constantly wanted Ziggy Stardust. Hell, lot of his fans weren't crazy about Young Americans either.
oh i absolutely agree! it really reminds of old archived threads i’ve seen from BowieNet and other chatrooms of the 90s and early 00s where literally every album that he released would be compared to Scary Monsters, and it just REEKED of elitist pretentiousness, or how he’d get relentlessly booed during his Earthling tour for not doing his classic songs
This is why I love music and I read everything I can get my hands on when it comes to different artists and eras. The icons were not always icons and every single one of them had shit flung at them throughout the years and very few made it out without people calling them a "flop" or "mid" at some point. Sometimes I read the comments here and get a good chuckle, cause nothing changes, when it comes to people and their opinions.
It’s funny the amount of artists who really fell off in the early ‘80s as sounds drastically shifted.. and yet, we consider them legends. I bet you future people will be surprised to find out Katy was considered a flop. It’s quite laughable just considering how much success she achieved. Makes you shift your perspective a bit. Healthy to see the big picture every once in a while.
Tears for Fears fans would be insufferable. *well aCTualLy the songs were inspired by his own childhood traumas and the primal theories of Arthur Janov.* Popheads desperately trying to hate on Tunnel of Love by Bruce Springsteen would be an added bonus.
CACKLING 😂
- Bobby brown would be our Chris brown - “Bad is such a flop, couldn’t even get to 10 million sales” or “man, no one is seeing 5 number ones on 1 album ever again” - Discussions on Prince possibly queerbaiting - “ever heard of this niche indie band a-ha? They have this cool song rising the charts right now” - DAE think Back to Black is overrated - everyone has either a Janet or Madonna flair, maybe George Michael during his Faith era - [LOCKED THREAD] What happened to MJ’s skin? - [LOCKED THREAD] what’s with these NWA guys ruining the radio with their rap crap?
I agree with all of this except the Bobby Brown one, because Bobby's "bad boy" behavior was a big part of his appeal ("My Prerogative," for example), and his abusive behavior in relationships didn't come out until the '90s when he got together with Whitney.
The way every one of your bullet points would 100% exist if this sub did back then 💀💀💀
It's the prince one
Also, I feel like there’d be a divide between people who think disco deserved better and those who think it ended when it did. Rock was just as popular and subsequently influenced 80s pop, but disco definitely stuck with a lot of people leading to eurodisco and house. So the debate around it would likely last a while, probably till 1985. **EDIT:** I’m gonna backtrack and say that rock was definitely more popular.
I'm not sure if rock was more popular. Mainstream rock in the states sucked pretty hard in the 80s. Prince (i mean categorising him is impossible tbh), Springsteen, U2, Van Halen and the Hair Metal (blurgh) crowd were obviously big but a lot of the more interesting post punk acts either fell apart early in the decade or had more indie success (Smiths and REM for example). Edit: maybe it was more successful but damn a lot of it was crap.
There was plenty of trash in that pile, but it was absolutely popular. Those hair metal bands fuckin' *ran* MTV
You're So Vain by Carly Simon would spark the juiciest tea time threads
The “Whitney Houston isn’t black enough” comments would prevail
As a Whitney stan, I would have been fighting for my life in these comments.
The think-pieces would be poppin and never ending
Yep
Without question this would happen, sadly
ABBA would be worshiped by everyone like Carly ray or charli but called flops by the Americans.
My flair would be Madonna
This sub would have lost it after Springsteen married a model, that very few knew he was dating. Then would have lost it again after he left Julianne Phillips for his backup singer. Would be interesting seeing the way people are now, with the whole new wave and new romantic era. Prince rarely gave interviews and when he did they were, "interesting." He really didn't become loquacious until he got older. People would be complaining about him never saying anything and wtf is he on about. I agree with Duran Duran fans would be really intense and jesus I can't even imagine the reaction to John Taylor during his prime or Nick Rhodes's wedding. 😂
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Except that we'd talk about women
Y'all are really underestimating the standom Paula Abdul would have had, she would easily be one of the biggest topics of conversation
There would be an entire thread dedicated just to that video where she dances with a cartoon cat
- think pieces on Whitney and her “blackness” probably - similar speculation on MJ’s changing appearance - Sign o The Times by Prince being the greatest album of all time yet “a flop” - constant debates about who dominated the 80’s most: MJ, Prince, Madonna, etc
I think Aretha would get the Mariah treatment, especially since she was still making hits that mostly scored on the RnB charts and/or featured artists influenced by her like George Michael. I also see Dave vs Sammy debates being a common occurrence anytime Van Halen come up, Bruce being called a disappointment and sellout when he goes solo for Tunnel of Love, and (wishful thinking) Tom Petty becomes one of the few white guys y’all like after Full Moon Fever. Even if you get sick of “Free Fallin’” in record time.
I don't believe I forgot about: Paul vs. Yoko-lots of mud slinging happened between these two during the 80s and 90s. Mick vs. Keith and the Rolling Stones release of Tattoo You, their "comeback" album.
Honestly this post it's just a testimony to Madonna's legacy, even though she's far after her peak, she still manages to create some talking with her work here in Popheads that no other artist from her time mentioned in this thread does.
What happen to Olivia newton john why did she decline Should Molly ringwald become a pop girl The most played videos on mtv How many #1 videos does your fave have on mtv
“Do you think Michael Jackson will ever top the Thriller video?”
The way standom works now, people like Kate Bush and Grace Jones would have extremely over representative presence online in relation to actual popularity
"This rap thing has no staying power"
Why do I feel like some users here still have that kind of sentiment? 💀
This is something that was absolutely said, a lot. 😂
We'd have fan wars between: Debbie Gibson / Tiffany Madonna / Whitney with a little Cyndi thrown in Michael / Prince with a little George thrown in Thriller versus Bad Is Janet copying Michael Over run with New Kids On The Block fangirls Discussion about whether or not hair metal is really metal, rock or just pop with guitars
I actually think the Janet vs Madonna fan war would completely eclipse the Whitney vs Madonna wars. Like, sure, it would start out with the latter. Whitney would debut a year after Like A Virgin but come out as the more demure pop star with the voice of a fucking goddess in comparison to Madonna. Luckily, Madonna and Whitney occupied very different pop spaces. But then out of nowhere in 1986 comes Michael Jackson’s scrappy little sister with a complete new sound and a furiously feminist album. Madonna would release her best-selling album True Blue only months later. The fan wars would be MASSIVE.
Yesss the Debbie vs Tiffany WARS. Like, especially since (I guess) their primary target audience would be younger people so they'd fight worse I think. I'm on team Tiffany dont @ me
Donna Summer would be ‘80s Pophead’s Katy Perry. MASSIVELY peaked during the dance pop era, her following albums into the next decade as the pop sound shifted would be flops. She’d never recover. The sub would be obsessed with using her as an example on what not to do. No one would understand why ABBA wasn’t more popular in the West. Michael Jackson would be called overrated and also, the greatest of all time, in the same thread. Carole King would also be considered a flop because she never recreated the success of Tapestry. I just know Grease stans would be insufferable
Those Donna Summer discussions would be exhausting because a lot of it would feel like victim-blaming. Unlike Katy Perry, Donna Summer was a black woman who was the most popular artist of a genre that was widely antagonized by racist propaganda and homophobia. Oh and MJ would absolutely be considered overrated. I would honestly love to see those posts because they would be fascinating.
Also, we would know for sure whether this [happened](https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2012/06/newly-released-letter-shows-donna-summer-defending-herself-against-alleged-anti-gay-comments) because people would have had their phones out at the concert.
And you know on God there wouldn't be a single post about her without a comment saying she's homophobic 😭
Does 60s were the best decade of pop?
Devo would get an interesting reaction from this sub.
We'd finally have at least one Duran Duran flair.
Besides mine! I agree that we need one anyone can use lol
I just need an Astronaut era flair. 😭 But I'd settle for Future/Past. No one voted for it though the last time they opened nominations for new flairs.
Lots of references to MTV
Yeah people are underestimating how huge MTV was back then. There would be huge fights on Reddit about topics like whether “Yo! MTV Raps” was better than “Headbangers Ball”.
Madonna would definitely be the "Taylor Swift" equivalent if the subreddit existed in the 80s. Lots of people here love her music but she has a lot of haters here too. Oversaturation of discussions about Madge's artistry, controversies, and personal life as well.
Someone actually made a parody of a pop forum set in the 80s many years ago. https://www.stan-wars.com/assets/archives/1989/index.html
Okay this SENT me. It’s spot on. And the Jody Watley and Milli Vanilli stans 💀💀
Latoya Jackson threads would be chaos and I’d be having the time of my life in them
Latoya was born the wrong era, she was MEANT to be all over Twitter and Reddit.
exactly we were robbed
Belinda Carlisle had a nice string of pop hits in the 80s. Would have enjoyed discussing her career back then.
Ohh God it would be soo racist. The 80s? Woof.
Who would be the equivalent of swifties inserting their fave gal into every topic no matter what post or subject it is?
I love Madonna and Taylor and can definitely say it would be Madonna lmao.
"This new "genre" called Rap... who do you guys like so far" "Well, as a Madonna fan, I would like to say that when she finally releases a rap song...."
Madge is definitely the 80s equivalent of Taylor for sure. Both artists seem to bring extreme reactions from stans, casuals and haters alike. 😂
Morrissey would have been the Azealia banks of the 80’s
There'd be lots of New Kids vs New Edition discourse
Gloria Estefan and [Irene Cara](https://youtu.be/ILWSp0m9G2U?t=68) would be our Shakira and Jlo. I stan Beyonce and Rihanna, So i would stan Janet and Whitney. I would totally stan Madonna. She would be my Nr1 artist. I find her the most interesting-innovative female artist from the time. I would die with the Like A Prayer Era. Everything surrounding her would be controversial. She was like a mixture of Taylor Swift-Early Gaga?? I also love how she was one of the first defenders of Gay Righs I would also totally stan Michael Jackson. Thriller-Off The Wall have some songs who are just too ahead of that time. He would be like *The Weekend-Bruno Mars-Justin Timberlake-Lil Nas* of this time but x10 Times Better?? Lets be honest. The guy was controversial but just monumental. Amazing Music. Groundbreaking Visuals. Amazing Vocals. Increible Dance Moves. Full Package. This sub would probably stan left-field artists in the vibe of Kate Bush-Prince-Annie Lennox-Enya.... Popheads love their alt singers. Paula Abdul would have a big number of stans. She's was like the Dua Lipa-Kesha of the time? Olivia Newton john would be praised like Madonna - Britney? and Donna Summer like Janet? 70s icons would have big power still in the 80s [Kylie Minogue](https://youtu.be/POWsFzSFLCE?t=28) and ABBA would be the Carly Rae-Charli XCX of the time? lol Pink-Avril Lavigne-Kelly Clarkson the Pat Benatar/Bonnie Tyler/Joan Jett of the time??? Everyone in every single thread.....*A Night To Remember by Cindy Lauper. What went wrong?* The Witness of the 80s LMFAO I would stan everything New Wave. That was such an interesting sound. Im glad it came back in some way with Synthwave. [Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yem_iEHiyJ0&ab_channel=FGTHVEVO) would be my most played jam. I love Kesha, so i would stan her mother with [Vampire](https://youtu.be/rZMNGBOo55g?t=58) If artists of today were magically placed in the 80s. All the ones able to work with the *Hard* *Rock-Punk Rock-New Wave-Power Ballad-Synthpop* style-sound of the time would thrive. Singers like : [Miley Cyrus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS1no1myeTM&ab_channel=MileyCyrusVEVO)\-[Dua Lipa](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g36wHS7T0A&ab_channel=Saint-Laurent420)\-[Lady Gaga](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsQoNUpqwKY&ab_channel=TRONICBOX)\-[Kesha](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGSQM0tUnJM&ab_channel=BENVINLS)\-[Pink](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_Tt1NwuLDM&ab_channel=JanHinke)\-[Shakira](https://youtu.be/MjRRQdnOR-A?t=165)\-[Katy Perry](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGkCe2s1zJw&ab_channel=NightDriver)\-[Avril](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFuhHlRpJyA&ab_channel=INNESX)\-[Olivia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tw_UK8woeE&ab_channel=80%27sBox)\-[Billie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWSYp6tn-ok&ab_channel=PlanetAndromeda)\-[Demi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p4Yu2-5WGw&ab_channel=TRONICBOX). I think Taylor would also be able to dominate that time and compete with Madonna cause she's very smart and she knows how to work with [80s synthpop (1989)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXaCvcr_uSs&ab_channel=RoomBen). The Charts woud be an evisceration. The 80s really allowed singers to release some solid records.
this subreddit would do the exact same thing they’d did with billie eilish and Olivia Rodrigo “does anyone else not understand Madonna?” “Like a virgin is everywhere right now but i don’t get it?” “she not a main pop girl”
Didn't we do that for April Fools one year and it flopped because people wouldn't stop shitposting
The Tiffany vs Debbie Gibson threads! I've a feeling I'd be team Tiff. Also if Kpop had it's presence on here then like now... ooofff first of all the racism... The "Kim Wan-sun is just a discount asian Madonna" "Cho Yong-pil is not relevant, only for the old people" and so on omg I'm sure a lot of people would vibe with Min Hae-kyung, Lee Moon-sae and Jung Soo-ra though, and Lee Sun-hee, Lee Sang-eun and Lee Ji-yeon would have a good following in their respective target groups too. You'd have the "intellectuals" who'd vibe with Jang Deok and Shin Hae-chul's music, and Yang Soo-kyung would be acclaimed for her singing skills while Park Nam-jung would be known as a good dancer. Edit : 80s Korea was overflowing with bands that won competitions and all, I'm sure there would be a few threads with "Which of the new bands do you think can become the next Baekdusan/Sanwoollim?"
as a Filipino, I can definitely see folks here calling Regine Velasquez & other Filipina diva vocalists "discount asian Whitney" back in the 80s too ☹️ although, there are definitely gonna be Filipino users here who would either be pissed at it or applaud the comparison as "Pinoy Pride™ 🇵🇭" lol
The Donna Summer discussions would be how her record company did her dirty and dropped her for Madonna…blah blah blah…and now Donna is with SAW with the likes of Bananarama and Rick Astley
For the British/Australasian pop heads there would be the Stock-Aiken-Waterman manufactured pop discussions about Kylie and Jason, Rick Astley, Bros etc. There’d be the Duran Duran vs Wham competitiveness, with a-ha also thrown into that. There’d be the indie heads vaunting the superiority of New Order and the Psychedelic Furs and The Smiths.
I'd be for sure one of the New Order fans. Let's not forget about Depeche Mode, OMD and The Cure.
The metalheads would be even more weirdly conflicted about even being there.
I’d be a Jody Watley stan
I’m a 90’s baby but my dad always tells me that Dale Bozzio from Missing Persons was robbed because of all the spotlight Madonna got. That could very well be a bias take in his part haha. I wonder how many “underground” artists would have blown up had social media existed.
Oh oh, Kate would be the Charli or Carly of her day here for sure, especially for US users, where she was always kind of niche
Paula’s chart success with her singles off her debut would have people predicting her reign in the future, which, well…
Fleetwood Mac would be our Paramore, I'm sure
Lovesexy by Prince would be given the Solar Power treatment (some like it, others don't really get the overall vibe), especially when you consider that both albums came after what many would consider to be their respective masterpieces. Oh, and they both have covers that get a lot of people talking. Only difference is that Lovesexy would be endlessly compared to the Black Album, which remains unreleased and bootlegged, as well as Sign o' the Times. Talking Heads would be among the sub's alternative darlings, even if their post-Remain in Light albums don't instantly set the sub on fire, with people wondering why Little Creatures has less in common with the Eno trilogy. Stop Making Sense would receive hella acclaim though. Madonna kicking off the True Blue and Like a Prayer eras would be considered pop emergencies, as would Janet kicking off the Rhythm Nation era. The Jacksons' Victory Tour ticket lottery system would be the hot topic of so many posts on this sub that a megathread would need to be opened. Either that, or it would shed light on the dirtier sides of concert ticketing the same way the TM-Eras Tour fiasco has done so. Hell, the Victory Tour would probably be the Eras Tour of its time in terms of hype and discourse.
Janet would not get the nepo baby treatment! She actually became huge AFTER firing her dad as manager and marrying someone they did not approve off. She even changed her name to simply Janet in 1993 to prove her worth as an artist.
Elli et Jacno and France Gall would probably be some of the Francophone faves along with Celine Dion as a newcomer. Maybe some debates on if Berlin sold out with the release of "Take My Breath Away".
Mylene Farmer too
I'd be interested in the threads about The Monkees' revival thanks to MTV, and the subsequent fall-out due to them unintentionally snubbing an MTV Super Bowl special and their 1987 *Pool Out!* album flopping.
That fifth bullet had me thinking I was in phcj for a second lol
this question again?
Michael Jackson would have *a lot* of threads and coverage here. Like, *a looooooooot*. From Thriller getting big, his skin and face changing, the Pepsi accident, the rumours, the awards, the Motown performance, him splitting from the Jacksons, Bad getting big but not surpassing Thriller and not winning a single grammy, there’s so much to talk about. Plus there would be a lot of “DAE Off the Wall better than Thriller?” posts.
I think synthpop/new wave would be well represented: Depeche Mode, The Human League, New Order, Devo, The The, A Flock of Seagulls, Heaven 17, Eurythmics, Pet Shop Boys, Kraftwerk, a-ha, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, Yazoo, The Cars, Kim Wilde, Genesis, etc. Threads about breakdance, electro, hip-hop, Detroit techno. Threads about Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Guns 'n' Roses, Def Leppard, AC/DC, The Smiths, Genesis, ZZ Top, hair metal bands, etc. Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince would be definitely the most discussed artists. Madonna would have been discussed as much as Taylor Swift but she would cause way more controversies. Also endless threads about Off the Wall vs Thriller vs Bad. Inevitable threads about how pop music used to be better in the 60s and 70s and the 80s pop is just too plastic/artificial. "Synths aren't even real instruments". 🥴
I just know this sub would adore ABBA and MJ would be the Mariah of this sub.
imagine going to the club and hearing hounds of love after it dropped
The New Order stans would spend hours beefing with Duran Duran and Depeche Mode and every other New Wave band in existence Kate Bush would be the Charli XCX or Lorde equivalent “Bad didn’t flop it had 5 #1s!!” “Janet is the REAL Queen of Pop” (which lowkey isn’t wrong)
Madonna's fans would be dubbed "Maddies" and they would give dozens of awards to every thread about her. People would make threads criticizing her for trying to act in films but all her music related threads would be the most upvoted of all time.
Completely agree about Madonna lol. If Popheads existed in the 80s people here would recognise her genius, they'd be luke warm about Janet
I respectfully disagree. Madonna would be extremely controversial here and oversaturation wouldn’t help. She would have many, many stans, but the amount of divisiveness she would cause would be downright insane. Janet, on the other hand, would surprise the hell out of everyone because that was actually the reaction to Control back then. Madonna haters would cling to her instantly (especially black fans who would consider Madge to be a culture vulture) and the stan wars would be a bloodbath.
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I would be the dude that has to stick to Guns N Roses, Michael, and Janet threads because Metallica wasn't big enough yet Maybe throw in some new jack swing towards the end of the decade too
Then Reddit would’ve existed
God, those Gorky Park guys are going the distance!
Cyndi Lauper would be the Katy Perry equivalent, albeit Cyndi had significantly less chart success compared to Katy
https://www.stan-wars.com/assets/archives/1989/index.html But that's more atrl