How did 70s rock music transition into 80s music?

hey, i was having a bit of fun, and not entirely serious, about my put-down of the 80’s music. this question is one i have at work often (what decade has the best rock/pop music?) so my auto reaction was well rehearsed.

i have a bunch of fellow workers who love their 80’s rock bands (their H.S. years) which i could not for the life of me name one song i’ve heard. part of this is that while i was very music focused in the 60’s (graduated from H.S in 1969) and 70’s, listened myself alot, in the 80’s my kids were growing up and my time was with them. had no time to really stay aware of current music.

then in the early 90’s my children graduated from H.S., moved out, and in 1994 i became a serious audiophile/music lover.

so i missed the 80’s musically, whether i missed anything or not is a BIG QUESTION.

and please everyone enjoy YOUR music. for me it’s not the 80’s.😉

and in 20 more years just see what is played on the radio. my bet it’s not 80’s tunes, it’s mostly 60’s and 70’s tunes that stand the test of time.....and become recognized classics and endure.

In the days prior to web and computers I was lucky to live in area with two universities, plenty of FM stations playing more adventurous music. Certainly I heard the more popular songs, bands, but also the deeper cuts of those popular bands, and then just about every other genre of music you can think of.

This wide appreciation of music from various eras and genres has continued to this day, there is NO era, and very few genres of music I can't find music I derive pleasure from.

I also never stopped attending live concerts, saw any number of 80's bands listed above, some claim they couldn't play well, nonsense, at least for the bands I saw. Just off top of head, 80's bands I believe not yet listed, ABC and OMD. 80's modern rock still in regular rotation for me, and I'm a boomer.

@sns completely agree with the ABC and OMD adds. I continue to listen to OMD fairly regularly. And go to concerts - next up for me is Bring Me The Horizon. Can't wait.

There must be a dozen ways to look at this.  Here’s my take having lived the dream.  What’s now classic rock was then just (60’s) rock.  Everybody got stoned to the best bands ever to get stoned to.  The Beatles came along with electric guitars, talented singing, writing and playing in a time when we were transitioning from doo-wop to Elvis, Herman’s Hermits, Peter Paul and Mary, The Association, Mommas and Papas and the like.  We got the Kinks, Zombies, Guess Who etc. We got  R + B to die for.  There were the Who’s Who of rock - Stones, Who, Moody Blues, Pink Floyd and more.  Genius by the bucket load inspired by the new “rock n roll” sound, the new technology (e guitar, Moog) and love, peace and understanding.  By the early seventies that sound had degenerated into a directionless, self serving stoner fest with little regard to things that, up to that point made music fun for non stoners.  When disco arrived the fun was back.  Stoners were too cool to admit it and suffered through with David Bowie, Blondie, Boston, Styx, BTO, ELO  and others but the genius had run it’s course.  Many, many bands relied on the lead guitar crying full of emotion.  Blech.  Disco died and fun bands filled in.  Devo, Oingo Boing, Cars, Ramona’s, Babys, Jackson, Madonna etc. Great era.  Now, how that transitioned to grunge is beyond me.  Drugs again?

Not just disco, though was plenty of fine disco. There was also something called punk rock that happened towards the mid- to late- 70's, and that had quite a bit of influence and caused more than a few changes in the culture. And hip-hop came along and really turned things around and became the dominant genre. And I'm not quite sure that the 60's was all about 'love, peace, and understanding'....