Mixtapes and MTV

Triumphs and Tragedies in 1980s Music

Tony Wellington

$39.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Monash University Publishing
01 September 2025

Music; Music reviews & criticism; Easy listening, MOR music; Rock & Pop music

For better or worse, the 1980s shifted the dial on expectations of what pop and rock music should be. The decade was more than just mullets and shoulder pads; it was also the heyday of synth pop, and the golden eras of both heavy metal and hip-hop. The two biggest-selling albums of all time hail from the 1980s: Michael Jackson's Thriller and AC/DC's Back in Black.

The Sony Walkman shifted listening from a shared to a solo experience, while vinyl records gave way to cassettes and then CDs. The arrival of MTV was cataclysmic, turning music into something to watch, not just listen to. Against a climate of political conservatism and ostentatious materialism, the music industry embraced the notion of charity rock. Powerful female performers took centre stage, while indie, new age, world music and acid house each staked their territorial claims.

Witty, vividly written and brimming with stories, Mixtapes and MTV charts the musical highs and lows of a tumultuous decade, one which saw the influence of corporate greed, the rise of the AIDS crisis and the fall of the Berlin Wall. From Duran Duran to Run-D.M.C., Madonna to Metallica, Springsteen to Sinéad O'Connor, this book offers new insights into a decade that changed music forever.

By: Tony Wellington
Imprint: Monash University Publishing
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
ISBN: 9781923192577
ISBN 10: 1923192574
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 01 September 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Tony Wellington is a writer, photographer and artist. His works include Freak Out: How a Musical Revolution Rocked the World in the Sixties, Vinyl Dreams: How the 1970s Changed Music, Happy? Exploding Cultural Myths about Happiness and a history of Noosa titled Noosa and Cooloola. He also co-authored (with John Shand) Don't Shoot the Best Boy! The Film Crew at Work, and he has produced several photography books including, most recently, Wild About Noosa. For many years Tony worked in the film and television industry as a scriptwriter, director and editor, and he lectured in media studies and film. He also worked as a visual artist and book illustrator. He holds a degree from Macquarie University and is a former mayor of Noosa Shire. He has three children and lives in the Noosa hinterland with his wife.

Reviews for Mixtapes and MTV: Triumphs and Tragedies in 1980s Music

‘Wellington writes passionately about music history. This book grooves like a mix of Adam and The Ants and Prince. What’s not to love?’ -- Stuart Coupe