In the Best of the '80s show, School of Rock will travel back in time to an era of fluorescent clothes, poofy hair, and the best synth-driven pop anthems you will ever hear. On August 1, 1981, music fans were catapulted into the '80s music era by the debut of a cultural phenomenon: MTV. This new music format - the music video - gave old and new artists alike the chance to reach unimaginable numbers of diverse audiences and sell millions of records and cassette tapes. The '80s would not have had its soundtrack without Michael Jackson. Jackson began the '80s on a sonic high that carried over from 1979’s “Off the Wall”, but he struck gold with the worldwide phenomenon that was Thriller. Also making a huge impact on the '80s were super-star Pop acts like Madonna, Prince, and all-girl band The Bangles. Synth-driven music became massively popular, with artists like Eurythmics, Flock of Seagulls, and The Cars becoming stars. Although Pop acts reigned supreme in the '80s, Rock bands like Guns N’ Roses, Journey, Bon Jovi, and Living Colour reaped the benefits of the ‘decade of excess’.