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As many of you will already know, the United Kingdom's top 40 charts in the latter half of the 1980s were dominated by the energetic synths and hyper-happy vocals of Hi-NRG dance music; its chunky beats and catchy choruses laid the foundations for the pop industry as we know it today, and defined the sound of a decade - and the sound of a generation. This was a time when music was less about the melodrama, less about pretentious, moody, psuedo-deep lyrics and more about having fun - and as a result of this, Hi-NRG was about as extravagant and ostentatious as typical '80s hair or clothing; it was, plainly put, mullet music - and all the better for it.
And at the top of the heap, one solitary group of producers stood out above the rest, towering head and shoulders over their competitors and placing themselves at the absolute cutting edge of the genre; this group were the legendary writing superstars: Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman (often abbreviated to SAW). Three men who discovered, publicised and re-invented a huge number of artists, giving them either entirely new leases of life or throwing them head-first into pop stardom with their trademark brand of funky dance music - and these artists included, but were certainly not limited to: Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Mel & Kim, Dead or Alive, Donna Summer, Bananarama and, of course, the unforgettable Rick Astley.
Though their style was criticised immensely by the ruthless British press as being unimaginative, generic and samey, their immensely enjoyable and deceptively complex music conquered the charts the world over (Never Gonna Give You Up being a global smash hit) with its jolly, melodic and extremely danceable melodies and toe-tapping rhythms - and the way I see it, Stock Aitken Waterman were the real artists behind the music, though the way that the music industry works meant that they had to find new, fresh, young faces to be frontmen for their incredible songs. It wasn't that they were manufacturing talentless hacks into bands and artists, either; Bananarama and Dead or Alive, for example, had existed for years before SAW were involved in them, and Rick Astley was discovered purely by chance in a working men's club by Pete Waterman himself - they discovered talent and allowed it to shine, rather than give pretty faces a false façade of greatness as most music moguls do nowadays.
The trio parted ways in the early '90s as their music began to become unpopular, though they left a veritable feast of timeless classics in their wake and a legacy behind them that is, to this day, still exceptionally impressive. Their talents for production were unparalleled, their writing was constantly wonderful and their style was of world-conquering success. With tens of millions of sales behind them and the careers of a wealth of awesome artists at their credit, the music of Stock Aitken Waterman will forever remain a piece of culture and a piece of history - and with a re-union concert coming up soon in London, (seek out The Hit Factory Live for more info on that) the old tunes will be stepping back into the limelight of the public eye for another spin.
And I sincerely hope that they spin us right round (like a record, baby).
So, what do the rest of you think of Stock Aitken Waterman? Were they the sound of a bright, young Britain, or the beginning of the end of decent popular music? I eagerly await your thoughts!
And at the top of the heap, one solitary group of producers stood out above the rest, towering head and shoulders over their competitors and placing themselves at the absolute cutting edge of the genre; this group were the legendary writing superstars: Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman (often abbreviated to SAW). Three men who discovered, publicised and re-invented a huge number of artists, giving them either entirely new leases of life or throwing them head-first into pop stardom with their trademark brand of funky dance music - and these artists included, but were certainly not limited to: Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Mel & Kim, Dead or Alive, Donna Summer, Bananarama and, of course, the unforgettable Rick Astley.
Though their style was criticised immensely by the ruthless British press as being unimaginative, generic and samey, their immensely enjoyable and deceptively complex music conquered the charts the world over (Never Gonna Give You Up being a global smash hit) with its jolly, melodic and extremely danceable melodies and toe-tapping rhythms - and the way I see it, Stock Aitken Waterman were the real artists behind the music, though the way that the music industry works meant that they had to find new, fresh, young faces to be frontmen for their incredible songs. It wasn't that they were manufacturing talentless hacks into bands and artists, either; Bananarama and Dead or Alive, for example, had existed for years before SAW were involved in them, and Rick Astley was discovered purely by chance in a working men's club by Pete Waterman himself - they discovered talent and allowed it to shine, rather than give pretty faces a false façade of greatness as most music moguls do nowadays.
The trio parted ways in the early '90s as their music began to become unpopular, though they left a veritable feast of timeless classics in their wake and a legacy behind them that is, to this day, still exceptionally impressive. Their talents for production were unparalleled, their writing was constantly wonderful and their style was of world-conquering success. With tens of millions of sales behind them and the careers of a wealth of awesome artists at their credit, the music of Stock Aitken Waterman will forever remain a piece of culture and a piece of history - and with a re-union concert coming up soon in London, (seek out The Hit Factory Live for more info on that) the old tunes will be stepping back into the limelight of the public eye for another spin.
And I sincerely hope that they spin us right round (like a record, baby).
So, what do the rest of you think of Stock Aitken Waterman? Were they the sound of a bright, young Britain, or the beginning of the end of decent popular music? I eagerly await your thoughts!
