Heavy metal made its appearance in the mid-to-late 1980s. The genre was rife with controversial subject matter and "offensive" lyrics. While this new music style offended parents and required albums to be labeled with warnings, '80s youth fell in love with the new, hard sound. Popular '80s heavy metal bands included Poison, Van Halen, Cinderella, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Motley Crue, Guns N' Roses and Quiet Riot. These types of bands were dubbed "Hair Bands" and they had ample radio time. They often performed power ballads, and these songs tended to make it to the chart-topping hit lists. Metal turned even darker with the advent of Thrash Metal in San Francisco. Groups like Slayer, Megadeath, Anthrax and Metallica performed songs that covered even darker themes than their Hair Band counterparts.
Hip Hop started in New York in the 1970s, and gained in popularity in the 1980s, with artists like Grandmaster Flash flourishing. Hip Hop music includes rap, sampling, beat-boxing and scratching.
The 1980s music scene was influenced by the 1970s when it came to House music. While House music developed from 1970s disco, the later '80s saw heavier House music during the Acid House music movement. House mixes traditional disco with heavier-sounding soul music. As the '80s wore on, the tempo of house music increased.
Hardcore Punk music made its appearance in the 1980s, collecting followers who boasted angry politics and promoted social awareness. Popular bands of this genre included Black Flag, the Dead Kennedys and Reagan Youth.
Indie Rock made its first appearance during the 1980s, with popular bands like Sonic Youth, Pixies, from the UK, the Smiths.