Glee, the High School comedy show, that celebrates its highs and lows with great renditions of chart hits, has music pundits preparing for an explosion of talent. However, what is notable is the fact that the show has revived an interest in
80s music. Within hours of airing the episode ‘Bad Reputation’, which turned out to be an exceedingly enjoyable 80s fest, YouTube witnessed a sudden increase in the n
umber of hits for numbers like ‘Ice Ice Baby’ and ‘Run Joey Run’. The episode that ended with a version of Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Total Eclipse of the heart’, a No.1 hit in 1983, has
also rekindled an interest in the original track.
The music period of the 80s saw the rise of edgy artists like Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson. The period is also marked by the survival of cheesy romantic numbers like ‘Hello’ by Lionel Richie. Singer Shibani Kashyap confesses, “80s music is a total favourite, it’s like a religion to me. As a composer I relate to it. Musicians look at it as a golden era. Let’s not ever criticise it.” The singer informs, “The period saw the birth of synthesised music, and was a period that thrived on experimentation and reinvention. R&B, Jazz, Punk and Classic pop are gifts from this period.” The singer’s album My Free Spirit with 80s music legend, Bappi Lahiri, features the track ‘Disco’ her tribute to the 80s.
Another fan of the period is talented singer Anaida. “I like the 80s because of the melodies, beats and quality. I am a total lyrics girl, and these songs are much more meaningful than songs that are filled with profanities. One New Year eve, when I was all alone, I listened to Richard Marx the whole evening on loop,” she laughs. “Music is based on emotions, and just as how no emotion can be called good or bad, the supposed sappy numbers from the period appeal to a range of emotions,” Anaida explains. On whether she would like to pay a tribute to the period, Anaida affirms, “I would love to do something from this period. But the country does not have a market for such a specialty, nor will any music company choose to back it.”
What Glee does with its characters, it does with the music from the 80s — it tries to make something cool that was mocked at. Debra, who is a part of a western music band, gushes about the music from Glee,“Glee has given a new breath of life to long-forgotten songs from the 80s. This year at an inter-college fest, we took inspiration from Glee and did an acapella version of ‘Hello’ by Lionel Richie.”