Rock

Alternative rock begins to enter the mainstream, with New Wave music and bands like U2 and R.E.M. popular long before the Grunge movement of the early 1990s.
In the years 1980 and 1981, the original New Romantic scene, with a Bowie-influenced camp look and a punk rock sound influenced and interacted with the late 1970s punk scene at CBGB's, creating the New Wave scene that would define the 1980s. Outside of New Wave, rock continued the arena rock trend of the 1970s - bands like Styx, Rush, Journey, REO Speedwagon, ZZ Top, and Aerosmith were popular into the early 1980s, with hair metal taking their place later.
Beginning in 1983 and peaking in success at the end of the decade, the resurgence of hard rock music and the emergence of pop metal with bands such as Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Twisted Sister, Poison, Whitesnake, and Cinderella.
The emergence of wildly popular hard rock band Guns N' Roses and the successful comeback of Aerosmith in the late 1980s. The success of hard rock act Van Halen throughout the entire decade, with both singers David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar. Heavy metal artists like Megadeth and Ozzy Osbourne were also very popular during the Eighties.
Various older rock bands make a comeback. The Beach Boys have a hit with Kokomo. The Kinks have hits with Come Dancing and Do It Again. The Steve Miller Band have a hit with Abracadabra. Steely Dan have a hit with Hey Nineteen. Stevie Ray Vaughan and George Thorogood spark a revival of blues. Led Zeppelin disbanded after John Bonham's 1980 death. Country rock sees a decline after Lynyrd Skynyrd's tragic 1977 plane crash