Back in the 80s, Manila and its closest neighbors lied mostly in grass and with roaming cows and goats to boot. There were no modern condominiums to speak off, the malling industry is still in its infancy, taxis have no aircon, and even then there were less flyovers or MRTs to speak of. This doesn't mean Manila was quieter than it was now, however. Ayala Avenue, Mendiola and eventually EDSA were the nerve centers of rallies against President Marcos, which reached its peak from the moment Ninoy Aquino was killed in 1983 to when his wife Cory ascended the presidential throne in 1986. That EDSA Revolution of February '86 set the stage for other peaceful revolutions in Eastern Europe that eventually led to the fall of communism in 1991. Of course, Pac-Man was an obscure commodity in Manila then, because of its cost.
When Michael Jackson went from black to white that year I was so surprised looking at the King of Pop's photos circa 1986. I thought he was bleaching his own skin when I look at his transformation, which included his nose, of course. Also, when Madonna constantly reinvents herself during this time, I was always enamored with her constant change of look. And when teen sensations such as Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and New Kids on the Block took over the airwaves around 1987-89, my cousins during their youth were ecstatic and fierce over listening to their songs. However, one dominant musical genre in America was noticeably absent in Manila.
Glam metal was a prominent musical fixture in the late 80s. Bands dress up in spandex and tease up their long hair with hairspray. They have the elements of 70s progressive rock, arena rock and heavy metal, combined with the use of a synthesizer and glossy production values. The dominant bands of this genre include Bon Jovi, Poison, Van Halen, Ratt, Heart, Whitesnake among others. Even though Def Leppard had a similar sound to American glam metal, they dress like blue-collar workers, same goes to AC/DC. Guns N' Roses brought the sound to the extreme, wearing punkish outfits along with their sound influenced by garage rock and part 80s glam metal. This genre, however, was noticeably absent in Manila, where new wave music was dominant due to its catchy hooks and constant improvisation. Of course, no one is to blame on why they were listening to Depeche Mode, The Cure, and Tears for Fears among others instead of the aforementioned glam metal groups.
Upon downloading them, I somehow liked them, and added them to my playlist. To this day, I still listen to glam metal just to feel good, but I still shrieked on why Manila's airwaves in the 80s were devoid of the hair and the arena theatrics.
There was no MTV per se, but at least there was Video Hit Parade then.
Anything political I would only discuss a little in the two posts regarding the 80s. These posts would make people aware as to how things were great then, and how a lot has changed now.
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