1980- 1999
The 80’s “pop” song structure (Verse/Chorus/2nd Verse/Chorus/Finale/Chorus) emerged in contemporary American music and created a lighter music without the complex subject matter and emotive energy of the 60s and 70s. New genres were introduced, including rap, Latin, and reggae, and underground New York styles like funk, disco, and punk emerged. Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne inspired a generation of hard rock artists, and the contrasting sounds and styles that came out of the mid-80s continue today, ranging from world music, rap, bubble gum pop, electronic dance, techno, hip hop, and country rock.
The 1980s began with a restructuring at TRO and Essex. Essex entered into a new arrangement with former partner David Platz, who went on to establish Onward Music Ltd. and Bucks Music Group. Now led by Simon Platz, Onward has become a leading independent publisher throughout the world. Frank Richmond began as the managing director of Essex UK in 1980, and Larry Richmond came to TRO in 1981, working alongside Al Brackman until Al’s retirement in 1986.
Released in 1980, Black Sabbath’s "Heaven and Hell" was a critical and commercial success, becoming their third-highest-selling LP. 1981’s "Mob Rules" went gold in the US and UK charts, and the band’s first-ever concert album, "Live Evil," was released in 1983.
Rocky Burnette’s recording of "Tired of Toein’ the Line" reached No. 6 on the Billboard charts, while Dolly Parton’s cover recording of "But You Know I Love You" also reached the top 40 on the pop charts, and Power Station’s cover of "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" was a top 10 hit in 1985. Traffic also had success with "Smiling Phases" and "Hole in My Shoe," and Ozzy Osbourne’s solo career was a runaway success with the hit songs "Steal Away the Night," "No Bone Movies," and "Goodbye to Romance" from his 1981 release with Randy Rhoads.
In 1983, Howie Richmond received the first-ever Publisher of the Year award at the inaugural Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony. And in 1988, Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In the 90’s, the music industry was going through a sea change, embracing new challenges and technology. TRO opened the decade with a new sample recording of "Viva!," the song by Gerald Wilson. The sample, entitled "Viva Tirado," was recorded by Kid Frost and would reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another No. 1 single was created when Tupac Shakur recorded a sample of the Joe Cocker song "Woman to Woman" in his new work "California Love." The single was released in December 1995 and reached No. 1 on the Hot Rap charts. It remains one of Tupac’s best-known works.
In 1998, a little-known but highly acclaimed children’s songbook "Lullabies and Night Songs" by Alec Wilder and Bill Engvick inspired singer Shawn Colvin to perform many of its songs in her 1998 Christmas recording "Holiday Songs and Lullabies."
The accomplishments of the great writers from the 1960s and 70s began to pour in. The Who was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame (1990); Bill Evans received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys (1994); Pete Seeger, Pink Floyd, and David Bowie were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1996); and in 1999 Bart Howard’s "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)" was awarded the Towering Song Award by the National Academy of Popular Music.
The decade closed with a compilation release of over 125 hit recordings of the TRO catalog celebrating 50 years with songs and songwriters.
