{"id":7343,"date":"2026-11-12T12:50:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T17:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/?p=7343"},"modified":"2026-11-12T12:04:37","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T17:04:37","slug":"3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Classics From the 1980s That Perfected the Art of the Drum Machine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We typically remember most forms of pop music by the vocal hooks. From there, a guitar (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/facts\/van-halen\/panama\">\u201cPanama\u201d<\/a>) or possibly the piano (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1k8craCGpgs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cDon\u2019t Stop Believin\u2019\u201d<\/a>) helps define the song. But in the 1980s, the drum machine was equally as crucial, as you\u2019ll hear below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cWhen Doves Cry\u201d by Prince<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Prince and the Revolution - When Doves Cry (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UG3VcCAlUgE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prince created the knocking rhythm that powers \u201cWhen Doves Cry\u201d on a LinnDrum. Designed by Roger Linn, the drum machine became a defining feature of music in the 1980s\u2014from pop and rock to hip-hop and R&amp;B. With detuned samples, Prince\u2019s groove remains one of his funkiest. Even on a track without bass, it\u2019s hard to find a groover deeper than this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Why do we scream at each other?<br>This is what it sounds like when doves cry<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cThe Boys Of Summer\u201d by Don Henley<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Don Henley - The Boys Of Summer\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6RUIeX6UCT8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Released in 1984, the same year as <em>Purple Rain<\/em>, Don Henley\u2019s signature solo track was written on the above-mentioned LinnDrum. Tinkering with the drum machine and an Oberheim synthesizer, guitarist Mike Campbell created an instrumental that he presented to Tom Petty. But Petty didn\u2019t think it fit the Heartbreakers, who were recording <em>Southern Accents<\/em> at the time. So Petty\u2019s producer, Jimmy Iovine, played it for Henley, who penned an iconic lament about fading youth and lost ideals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Out on the road today,<br>I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac.<br>A little voice inside my head said:<br>\u201cDon\u2019t look back, you can never look back.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u201cIn The Air Tonight\u201d by Phil Collins<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight (Official Music Video) [HD Upgrade]\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YkADj0TPrJA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though many drummers may have feared the popularity of drum machines in the 1980s, it didn\u2019t put them all out of work. Phil Collins, one of rock music\u2019s best-known percussionists, crafted what remains one of the most recognizable machine-generated grooves in pop history. Producer Hugh Padgham, who helped pioneer the gated reverb sound that became a feature of the decade, perfected the technique on \u201cIn The Air Tonight\u201d. A Roland CR-78 drives the track for nearly four minutes before Collins enters with an epic acoustic drum fill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh, Lord.<br>And I\u2019ve been waiting for this moment, for all my life, oh, Lord.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Photo by Jonathan Wiggs\/The Boston Globe via Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We typically remember most forms of pop music by the vocal hooks. From there, a guitar (\u201cPanama\u201d) or possibly the piano (\u201cDon\u2019t Stop Believin\u2019\u201d) helps define the song. But in the 1980s, the drum machine was equally as crucial, as you\u2019ll hear below. \u201cWhen Doves Cry\u201d by Prince Prince created the knocking rhythm that powers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":973477,"featured_media":7346,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"byline":{"profiles":[{"type":"byline_id","atts":{"term_id":316,"post_id":2139}}]},"savage_platform_role_ideator":[],"savage_platform_role_editor":[],"savage_platform_role_senior_editor":[],"savage_platform_role_photographer":[],"savage_platform_role_illustrator":[],"savage_platform_role_translator":[],"savage_platform_role_as-told-to":[],"savage_platform_role_reviewed-by":[],"savage_platform_disable_recirculation":false,"savage_platform_article_type":"news","savage_platform_vice_article_type":"article","savage_platform_article_intent":"","savage_platform_show_affiliate_disclaimer":false,"savage_platform_markdown_available":false,"savage_platform_markdown_version":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"wp_curate_deduplication":false,"wp_curate_unique_pinned_posts":false,"savage_platform_featured_image_caption":"","_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"savage_platform_subheadline":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[36],"byline":[316],"class_list":["post-7343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lists","tag-pop-music"],"savage_platform_primary_term":{"category":{"term_name":"Lists","term_id":14,"term_link":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/category\/lists\/"},"post_tag":{"term_name":"pop music","term_id":36,"term_link":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/tag\/pop-music\/"}},"hide_from_homepage":false,"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>3 Classics From the 1980s That Perfected the Art of the Drum Machine - Songfacts Articles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"See how Prince, Don Henley, and Phil Collins crafted iconic tracks in the 1980s that were powered by drum machines.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"3 Classics From the 1980s That Perfected the Art of the Drum Machine - Songfacts Articles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"See how Prince, Don Henley, and Phil Collins crafted iconic tracks in the 1980s that were powered by drum machines.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Songfacts Articles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-11-12T17:50:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Roland-CR-78.jpg?w=1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Thom Donovan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Thom Donovan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\\\/\"},\"author\":[{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/?post_type=profile&#038;p=2139\"}],\"headline\":\"3 Classics From the 1980s That Perfected the Art of the Drum Machine\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-11-12T17:50:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":415,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2026\\\/11\\\/Roland-CR-78.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"pop music\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Lists\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\\\/\",\"name\":\"3 Classics From the 1980s That Perfected the Art of the Drum Machine - Songfacts Articles\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2026\\\/11\\\/Roland-CR-78.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-11-12T17:50:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"See how Prince, Don Henley, and Phil Collins crafted iconic tracks in the 1980s that were powered by drum machines.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2026\\\/11\\\/Roland-CR-78.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2026\\\/11\\\/Roland-CR-78.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":675,\"caption\":\"Photo by Jonathan Wiggs\\\/The Boston Globe via Getty Images\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"3 Classics From the 1980s That Perfected the Art of the Drum Machine\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/\",\"name\":\"Songfacts Articles\",\"description\":\"Better understand and enjoy the songs you love\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Songfacts Articles\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/songfacts-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/songfacts-logo.png\",\"width\":575,\"height\":180,\"caption\":\"Songfacts Articles\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/?post_type=profile&#038;p=2139\",\"name\":\"Thom Donovan\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/author\\\/thom-donovan\\\/\",\"description\":\"Thom Donovan is a contributor to SongFacts as well as a recording artist and published songwriter. His songwriting work has been associated with Kobalt and Nettwerk, and he has performed globally alongside artists such as Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Robert Plant, and Social Distortion. Donovan is also the author of The Twin Affair, his debut [&hellip;]\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/T010M2RB9SP-U0B6063CX96-ea45c7fbc0b8-512.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.songfacts.com\\\/articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/T010M2RB9SP-U0B6063CX96-ea45c7fbc0b8-512.jpg\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Thom Donovan\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"3 Classics From the 1980s That Perfected the Art of the Drum Machine - Songfacts Articles","description":"See how Prince, Don Henley, and Phil Collins crafted iconic tracks in the 1980s that were powered by drum machines.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"3 Classics From the 1980s That Perfected the Art of the Drum Machine - Songfacts Articles","og_description":"See how Prince, Don Henley, and Phil Collins crafted iconic tracks in the 1980s that were powered by drum machines.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/","og_site_name":"Songfacts Articles","article_published_time":"2026-11-12T17:50:00+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Roland-CR-78.jpg?w=1200","width":1200,"height":675,"type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Thom Donovan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Thom Donovan","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/"},"author":[{"@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/?post_type=profile&#038;p=2139"}],"headline":"3 Classics From the 1980s That Perfected the Art of the Drum Machine","datePublished":"2026-11-12T17:50:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/"},"wordCount":415,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Roland-CR-78.jpg","keywords":["pop music"],"articleSection":["Lists"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/","url":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/","name":"3 Classics From the 1980s That Perfected the Art of the Drum Machine - Songfacts Articles","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Roland-CR-78.jpg","datePublished":"2026-11-12T17:50:00+00:00","description":"See how Prince, Don Henley, and Phil Collins crafted iconic tracks in the 1980s that were powered by drum machines.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Roland-CR-78.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Roland-CR-78.jpg","width":1200,"height":675,"caption":"Photo by Jonathan Wiggs\/The Boston Globe via Getty Images"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"3 Classics From the 1980s That Perfected the Art of the Drum Machine"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/","name":"Songfacts Articles","description":"Better understand and enjoy the songs you love","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/#organization","name":"Songfacts Articles","url":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/12\/songfacts-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/12\/songfacts-logo.png","width":575,"height":180,"caption":"Songfacts Articles"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/?post_type=profile&#038;p=2139","name":"Thom Donovan","url":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/author\/thom-donovan\/","description":"Thom Donovan is a contributor to SongFacts as well as a recording artist and published songwriter. His songwriting work has been associated with Kobalt and Nettwerk, and he has performed globally alongside artists such as Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Robert Plant, and Social Distortion. Donovan is also the author of The Twin Affair, his debut [&hellip;]","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/05\/T010M2RB9SP-U0B6063CX96-ea45c7fbc0b8-512.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/05\/T010M2RB9SP-U0B6063CX96-ea45c7fbc0b8-512.jpg","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Thom Donovan"}}]}},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"3 Classics From the 1980s That Perfected the Art of the Drum Machine","url":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Roland-CR-78.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Roland-CR-78.jpg"},"articleSection":"Lists","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Thom Donovan"}],"creator":["Thom Donovan"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Songfacts Articles","logo":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/12\/songfacts-logo.png"},"keywords":["pop music"],"dateCreated":"2026-11-12T17:50:00Z","datePublished":"2026-11-12T17:50:00Z","dateModified":"2026-11-12T17:50:00Z","custom_metadata":[],"section":"Lists"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"3 Classics From the 1980s That Perfected the Art of the Drum Machine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/3-classics-from-the-1980s-that-perfected-the-art-of-the-drum-machine\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Roland-CR-78.jpg?w=150&amp;h=150&amp;crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2026-11-12T17:50:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Lists\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"pop music\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Thom Donovan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-metadata\" content=\"Array\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/articles.songfacts.com\/p.js"},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/11\/Roland-CR-78.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/973477"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7347,"href":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7343\/revisions\/7347"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7343"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=7343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}