Rhythm - the Online Magazine to HKVP Radio

by Lucia Chan

July 28, 2003 | Browse Features

Retrospect: the 1980s

The 1970s brought us Sam Hui and the birth of Cantopop – but now what? After all the songs and the hits, Cantopop’s younger stars emerged in the 1980s to become some of the biggest Asian stars in history; they brought glitz and glamour into Cantopop, while also developing the music to give their fans a more distinctive sound.

The 1970s brought us Cantopop and the pioneers who built the foundation for future stars. Sam Hui combined Western influences with Cantonese words, while Roman Tam and Jenny Tseng became the godparents of Cantopop. These artists, along with many others from the 1970s, revolutionized the sound and image of Cantopop, creating a musical fire that continues to burn within the ears and hearts of fans everywhere. This fire inspired more artists and creativity within Hong Kong to make the 1980s a decade known as 'The Golden Age of Cantopop.'

In a decade where decadence hit a new high and wealth went up and down, Cantopop took center stage in Asia and became glitzier and more glamorous with each year. Hong Kong was trying to build itself up to become a financial and commercial center in the global market, and there were constant and massive changes going on within the city. New buildings were being erected, while housing projects were shooting up. Hong Kong was taking from Japanese and American wealth and drawing it into the city, creating a bigger and more advanced economy.

While economic changes were taking place, people were becoming more immersed in the world of Cantopop. Everyday, after dinner, the entire population of Hong Kong would be tuned into TVB, a television station in Hong Kong, to watch their favorite series. Buildings were abuzz with the sounds of "Legend of Condor Heroes," with Roman Tam and Jenny Tseng singing the soundtrack, and Joseph Koo conducting the theme songs to many other TVB productions. Not many Americans wanted their MTV yet, but people in Hong Kong were already addicted to their TVB. Both Cantopop stars and regular actors had a part in TVB series, whether it was singing or acting. Famed actor Chow Yun-Fat began his career from the TVB studios, while many Cantopop singers would have a small part in the show or would sing the theme. Though TVB was a strong platform for many to perform on, Cantopop held a stronger allure to those who sought fame and fortune.

The Beginning Years
The early 1980s saw the rise of several stars that brought style and grace to the Cantopop scene. Songstress Francis Yip was one of them, with her 1980 runaway hit "Shanghai Beach." A popular, powerful song, "Shanghai Beach" strikes a chord with many Cantopop fans. Other songs like "The Legend of Mulan" and "Heroine" helped keep her on the top of the charts.

Danny Chan Bak Keung, a good-looking preamble to the coming Leslie Cheung storm, was the heartthrob male in the early 1980s. With songs like "I Just Love You" and "Take Care of Yourself," Danny quickly became one of the male favorites in the world of Cantopop. Along with making hit songs, Danny also starred in movies and was in the critically acclaimed film, "An Autumn's Tale," starring Chow Yun-Fat and Cherie Chung Choh Hung.

By far, one of the biggest stars of the early 1980s was the incomparable Paula Tsui Siu Fung. Not only did she exude style and grace, but she was an icon to Cantopop fans everywhere. Her songs "Great Wall" and "Flowing in the Natural Direction" are still remembered and popular with many people in Hong Kong and Asia. Like Teresa Teng and Jenny Tseng before her, Paula Tsui served as an inspiration and a role model for the future female Cantopop stars.

The stars of the early 1980s were only an introduction to the decade, serving as a transition from the revolutionary 1970s Cantopop to the daring developmental era of the late 1980s. Though these artists had star power, they only mirrored what was heard in the 1970s, and they didn't serve as examples of what was to come. The daring that the late 1980s would bring forth could only be known as the Golden Era of Cantopop.

The Golden Years
Like the 1980s in Western music, the 1980s in Hong Kong spawned a new, modern sound that excited fans and drove up record sales. Image was important, songs were catchy, and celebrities garnered a new status that elevated them to a position in society where royalty couldn't even reach. Artists were worshipped, marketed, and rich; these superstars gave Cantopop an edge and sound that made Hong Kong explode with music.

One of those superstars emerged from the boyband the Wynners; based on the Beatles and singing a medley of American and British pop songs weren’t enough for Alan Tam Wing Lun (no relation to Roman), but the 1980s were a new time for him. As a solo artist, Tam helped create a standard of Cantopop that many singers and artists were not able to meet; he was one of the bigger superstars in the 1980s and helped popularize the Cantopop ballad. With songs like “A Beauty on Fire,” and “Love (Is Always Mesmerizing),” Tam draws on his music-making experience and continues to make music that is popular today. He has a large and passionate fan base, all of whom were loyal enough to spark a fan war with another 1980s superstar – Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing.

When Hong Kong was ready to announce Alan Tam its King of Cantopop, Leslie Cheung had burst onto the scene and stolen it from right under him. Known affectionately as Gor-Gor, Leslie Cheung pushed the boundaries with his music and was one of the most well-known celebrities in the Hong Kong entertainment industry. After one year of study at Leeds University in England, Cheung burst into the Hong Kong music scene with a Japanese version of the song “Monica.” Taking after the godfather of Cantopop, Roman Tam, Cheung frequently dressed in drag for his concerts and pushed the boundaries of sexuality and ambiguity. He created an unparalleled furor within his fan base, one that loved him so much they were willing to go against Alan Tam fans in, what was to be, Cantopop’s first fan wars – and it was deserved. Cheung had earned himself a name by not only singing great pop ballads like “The Wind Still Blows,” but also with upbeat dance songs such as “Stand Up.”

Due to the overwhelming popularity of Alan Tam and Leslie Cheung, record companies were beginning to see infinite possibilities when it came to marketing their own artists; album after album would be produced, many not caring about the quality of the music, but the amount that would sell. Superstar mania helped paved the way to singing key chains, watches, stationary – almost anything highly visible and usable had a face attached to it. Stars were also urged to venture into other areas of entertainment, including TVB serials and movies, while recording music; Leslie Cheung himself was an accomplished actor and was critically acclaimed for his breakthrough roles and character portrayals.

The women of 1980s Cantopop were no slouches, either – Anita Mui Yim-Fong, sometimes hailed as the ‘Madonna of the East’ came onto the scene and gave Cantopop fans a bolder representation of her female strength and creativity. As with Teresa Teng and Jenny Tseng before her, Mui quickly became an 1980s icon, as she drew from Western and Japanese influences into her image and music. She was sultry and provocative like her songs, and her ever-changing image was even more magnetic for her droves of fans. Songs like “Debts of the Heart,” and “Love Also Uncertain” helped cement her position in Cantopop history, but her role in the award-winning movie "Rouge," secured her position in the movie industry.

Although the crown of Cantopop Queen was firmly on top of her head, Anita Mui had competition; 1984 saw the rise of two new female faces - Sally Yeh and Priscilla Chan - both proving capable of winning the hearts of Cantopop fans everywhere. These two new artists employed the use of soft, slow songs, and eventually grew into their own sound as they evolved from newcomers to beloved Cantopop mainstays.

Young and fresh, Priscilla Chan took to the Cantopop stage with her 1984 song "A Dying Promise." After two albums that were also mostly ballads, Priscilla struck out with a fast number, called "Dancing Street," which became one of the most popular dance songs of the year. In 1989, at the height of her success, Priscilla's song "Always Your Friend" outsold heavyweights Leslie Cheung and Alan Tam, cementing her position in Cantopop history as one of the most popular female singers ever. But that wasn't enough for Priscilla; though her career was at an all-time high and people loved her, she decided to semi-retire from music and study abroad in America. After graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in Psychology, Priscilla once again returned to the Cantopop stage and continued with creating hits for fans everywhere.

A protégé of 1970s musician George Lam, Sally Yeh began a partnership with him that would end up making them the most successful couple in Cantopop history. At first, Yeh, who is from Vancouver, Canada, didn’t know Chinese, but her voice rose above the language obstacle to win over Cantopop fans. Her breakout song, “Happy Birthday To Me,” was released in 1984 and is still loved today. Eventually, she even went as far as recording with top American artists such as Tommy Page and James Ingram, while making hits in Hong Kong.

Lam, in his own right, continued his solo work while helping Yeh develop her own sound – and they both struck a chord with the crowd. A versatile artist, Lam not only sang songs that were covers of Western pop songs, but he also wrote his own meaningful melodies. With songs like “Love ‘Til Feverish,” and “I Love You,” Lam achieved more success in the 1980s than he ever did the in 1970s. Together, Lam and Yeh had many hits, including “Never Gonna Let You Go” and officially became a married couple in 1995.

Nearing the End
Near the end of the 1980s, however, things began to change – the songs started to sound the same, people weren’t taking creative chances. Record companies were still brusquely pushing for more marketing, and album after album would have to be churned out, at the price of musical quality. Although new artists like Sandy Lam and Jacky Cheung were emerging from obscurity, it didn’t clear the Cantopop field of mediocre artists and one-hit wonders. If you couldn’t sell, you weren’t usable, and if you weren’t usable, you were forgotten. The Cantopop world became cutthroat, more demanding, and harder on the artists.

The 1980s era of Cantopop was amazingly productive and grew from the foundation that was built in the 1970s. Not only did artists in the 1980s pull from Japanese and Western influences, but they never forgot about Chinese music that also continued to make Cantopop one of the more unique genres in the global music scene. Also, the ability of Cantopop stars to continue working on their music while venturing into other areas of creativity, making Cantopop stars the hardest-working people in the entertainment industry. If the 1970s musicians poured the cement for a musical foundation, it was the 1980s artists that built the creative house for Cantopop fans.