Mixtapes and MTV: Triumphs and Tragedies in 1980s Music

By Tony Wellington

For better or worse, the 1980s shifted the dial on expectations of what pop and rock music should be. The decade was more than just mullets and shoulder pads; it was also the heyday of synth pop, and the golden eras of both heavy metal and hip-hop. The two biggest-selling albums of all time hail from the 1980s: Michael Jackson's Thriller and AC/DC's Back in Black.

The Sony Walkman shifted listening from a shared to a solo experience, while vinyl records gave way to cassettes and then CDs. The arrival of MTV was cataclysmic, turning music into something to watch, not just listen to. Against a climate of political conservatism and ostentatious materialism, the music industry embraced the notion of charity rock. Powerful female performers took centre stage, while indie, new age, world music and acid house each staked their territorial claims.

Witty, vividly written and brimming with stories, Mixtapes and MTV charts the musical highs and lows of a tumultuous decade, one which saw the influence of corporate greed, the rise of the AIDS crisis and the fall of the Berlin Wall. From Duran Duran to Run-D.M.C., Madonna to Metallica, Springsteen to Sin ad O'Connor, this book offers new insights into a decade that changed music forever.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FSJP8N64
• ISBN13: 9781923192577
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Monash University Publishing
• Length: 368 Pages