The History of Electro-Pop
The Beginnings in the 70s
The first real electronic hit is from the band Hot Butter. With its song "Popcorn" they stormed the charts in 1972. In 1974 then the German band "Kraftwerk" appeared on the scene. With their track "Autobahn" they not only influenced the music, but they also became instrumental style icons. Countless international musicians and bands rely on Kraftwerk as their source of inspiration. Almost all 80s synth-pop bands such as OMD, Human League and Visage are influenced by Kraftwerk. Kraftwerk that time created a symbiosis of simple melodies, electronic sounds and a technology-oriented image.
One of the first fully electronic rehearsed albums was "Oxygène" by Michel Jarre. The band "Tangerine Dream" stirred up the pop scene in the 70s. Their conscious departure from classic pop structures became accessible to an ever-growing audience.
Gradually, electronic instruments were affordable. Mainly manufacturers such as Korg, Moog, Oberheim, Roland and Yamaha brought affordable and compact devices on the market. For this reason a boom of synthesizer bands emerged in the early and mid-80s. Compact, catchy and danceable tracks became trendy. Representing the first big wave Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, OMD, The Buggles, New Order, Eurythmics, Soft Cell, Gary Numan, Blancmange, Yazoo, Ultravox and Visage are to mention. The bands discovered sampling for themselves, with which they were able to produce diverse pieces of music simply utilizing short sound recordings.
1990s to Today
From about 1988/1989 then techno, house and trance start its triumph in the electronic music. Classic electro-pop increasingly neutralized in the underground. With the occurrence of powerful PCs starting in the mid-1990s, also keyboard synthesizers increasingly disappeared. However, today a rather modern form of synth pop again is increasingly played. There is a number of artists such as Hurts, Bastille, Empire of the Sun, Medina or Gypsy & The Cat letting the old style of music again appear in a fresh light.
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