Editing Arena rock (section)

===1980s–1990s===
The [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] states that the following decade, particularly the late 1980s, is "considered a golden era of hard rock in terms of commercial [[airplay]]".<ref name="Essential">{{cite web|title= 10 Essential Guns N' Roses Songs |publisher= [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] |date= 2 April 2012 |access-date= 18 June 2017 |url= https://www.rockhall.com/10-essential-guns-n-roses-songs}}</ref>

The music of the 1970s often reflected changing philosophical interests compared to previous decades, with personal growth, private revelation, and [[self-help|self-improvement]] gaining more emphasis compared to past interests in [[Collectivism and individualism|collectivist]] social activism. The period coming to be known dismissively as the "[[The "Me" Decade and the Third Great Awakening|Me Decade]]", rock releases frequently celebrated a [[Hedonism|hedonistic]], self-indulgent abandonment. Multiple artists also pursued an arena rock sound based on [[Artistic inspiration|individual inspiration]] and achievement, particularly in [[anthem]]ic songs about independence.{{sfn|McDonald|2009|pp=54–56, 62–65, 196–206}}{{sfn|Waksman|2009|pp=21–31}} In terms of the changing trends into the 1980s and onward, the style essentially replaced [[disco]] in terms of mass pop culture appeal.{{sfn|Donaldson|2009|p=248}}

During the 1980s, arena rock evolved in a way that was performance-driven yet far more aggressive and confrontational. Mainstream rock became dominated by these hair metal (also known as "[[glam metal]]" and "[[pop metal]]") bands, with a large emphasis still being put on both on music and visuals. Flashy clothing with elements such as heavy makeup and dramatic hairstyles became common. Prominent examples of this genre include [[Def Leppard]], [[Mötley Crüe]] and [[Poison (American band)|Poison]]. Their popularity crashed after the success of [[alternative rock]] and [[grunge]] bands who began to break through into popular consciousness with an even more abrasive sound, particularly artists influenced by the success of [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] in the early 1990s.<ref name="Hair">{{cite web|title= Pop/Rock » Heavy Metal » Hair Metal |website= [[AllMusic]] |access-date= 18 June 2017 |url= http://www.allmusic.com/style/hair-metal-ma0000011902}}</ref><ref name="Pop">{{cite web|title= Pop/Rock » Heavy Metal » Pop-Metal |website= [[AllMusic]] |access-date= 18 June 2017 |url= http://www.allmusic.com/style/pop-metal-ma0000002785}}</ref>

The website [[AllMusic]] has opined that "[o]ld-fashioned hard rock became a scarce commodity in the post-alternative rock era; after grunge, many guitar bands not only adopted a self-consciously serious attitude, but also resisted the urge to write fist-pumping, arena-ready choruses."<ref name="Hard">{{cite web|title= Pop/Rock » Hard Rock » Hard Rock |website= [[AllMusic]] |access-date= 18 June 2017 |url= http://www.allmusic.com/style/hard-rock-ma0000002636}}</ref> Multiple artists have continued to play on to [[cult following]]s.<ref name="Hair"/><ref name="Pop"/> Bands [[Bon Jovi]] and [[Van Halen]] in particular achieved significant commercial success into the 1990s.{{sfn|Prown|Newquist|1997|pp=2142–15}}{{refn|group=nb|One example of a direct continuity of sound between groups is how, in 1988, the band [[Aerosmith]] gave the outfit [[Guns N' Roses]] (GnR) a touring opportunity for the latter's [[Appetite for Destruction Tour|first major set of performances]], with GnR guitarist [[Slash (musician)|Slash]] adapting and expanding their mutual, arena-friendly style.<ref name="Slash">{{cite magazine|first= Steve |last= Appleford |title= Aerosmith Get Pumped for Tour With Slash: 'It's Still Rock & Roll' |magazine= [[Rolling Stone]] |date= 10 April 2014 |access-date= 8 June 2017 |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/aerosmith-get-pumped-for-tour-with-slash-its-still-rock-roll-20140410}}</ref> The [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] has remarked that the nine-minute-long GnR [[Single (music)|single]] "[[November Rain]]" and its related [[music video]] "solidified the band as a group of musicians capable of lavish arena-rock level productions both on and off the stage". The band notably performed the song at the [[1992 MTV Video Music Awards]] alongside [[Elton John]],<ref name="Essential"/> a musician who rose to prominence in the arena rock movement back in the 1970s.{{sfn|Waksman|2009|pp=21–31}}}} Later in the 90s and 2000s, [[post-grunge]] acts such as [[Creed (band)|Creed]] and [[Nickelback]] released their own successful arena rock anthems.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Anderson |first1=Kyle |title=Accidental revolution: the story of grunge |date=2007 |publisher=St. Martin's Griffin |location=New York |isbn=9780312358198 |pages=5–6 |edition=1st |quote=An entire generation of young musicians was growing up with the sort of stuff that trickled onto the radio after Kurt's death, and it didn't take them long to figure out what was working and what wasn't. They copied Pearl Jam, which is not necessarily a bad idea, but they noticed that the artier stuff didn't sell as well as the heavy arena anthems of their first album. They copied Soundgarden, a fine pursuit on its own, but they failed to take into account the intricacies of that band's songs. These young musicians went on to form bands such as Creed and Nickelback, and listeners were stuck with a whole generation of flaccid wannabes carrying the torch for mediocrity. They sold millions but were as empty as the hair-metal bands their forefathers had fought so hard to vanquish.}}</ref>