The popular music of the 80's was arguably the worst in history. It was glam rock, pop icon, Madonna and Cyndi Lauper hell. The only things that saved us from the 80's was grunge, a resurgence of 60's and 70's blues rock. Popular music is much more diverse now than in the shallow music hell of the 80's.
Billy Squire's "Rock Me Tonight" for example. They don't make em like that anymore.
If you've ever seen it you'll know what I'm talking about:/
grunge was nothing but sex pistols + the beatles on prozac, a great excuse not to wash ones self. it lacked any originality and needed no musical talent to be popular.