BBC - The 80s Musics Greatest Decade? (2021) Part 3 Alternative Voices

Love it or hate it, the pop decade that brought us, variously, Wham!, Bananarama, Annie Lennox, Morrissey, Michael Jackson, S'Express and, er, Joe Dolce certainly had variety. Award-winning author Dylan Jones is in the driving seat for this authoritative four-part look back. No stone (rose) remains unturned, as he revisits the New Romantics, hip-hop, indie jingle, synth-pop and club culture. Not to mention Culture Club… He makes the case that the 1980s was the most radical, innovative and creative decade in the history of pop, when New Romantic, synth pop, house music and hip hop were introduced to the charts. It was 10 years that the taste was forgotten. But the major new BBC series would argue that the 80's was actually the pinnacle of pop music achievement. The 80s, unlike other decades, was undefinable by monolithic musical movements such as punk, disco or Britpop, and unleashed a myriad of new musical genres in just 10 years. Bananarama, Spandau Ballet, and Schick Nile Rodgers are one of the most iconic stars of the BBC Two series in the 80's, the biggest decade of music, and a highly maligned music era. The 80's artists explored in the series include Madonna, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, hip-hop pioneers The Sugarhill Gang, Public Enemy, Bronski Beat and Erasure, with contributions from Nile Rodgers, Mark Ronson, Jazzie B, Trevor Horn, Bananarama’s Sara Dallin & Keren Woodward, Gary Kemp, Mark Moore, Cookie Crew's Cookie Pryce and Suzie Q, Bobby Gillespie, UB40's Ali Campbell & Astro, The Fall's Brix Smith, Sarah Jane Morris and more.

Part 3 Alternative Voices

The 1980s was a time when artists in both the UK and US were delivering powerful social commentary in their songs. Dylan Jones selects some of the finest alternative voices from this era. From The Cure on Top of the Pops at the beginning of the decade to The Stone Roses' debut TV performance in 1989, this episode takes a comprehensive look at the alternative music of an entire era. It also features powerful live performances from Billy Bragg, Tracy Chapman, Bronski Beat and The Selecter. In addition, there are archival gems from Pixies, The Smiths, Suzanne Vega, The Fall, REM and many more.

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