See also Cable television; Demographics of Can-
ada; Demographics of the United States; FOX
network; Journalism; Pauley, Jane; Rivera, Geraldo;
Soap operas; Tabloid television; Television; Winfrey,
Oprah.
Talking Heads
Identification American New Wave rock band
Date 1974-1991
A rock band that combined an art-school sensibility with
pop and punk influences, Talking Heads profoundly influ-
enced the sound of popular music in the 1980’s.
Talking Heads was formed in the mid-1970’s at the
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Provi-
dence by classmates Tina Weymouth (bass and vo-
cals), David Byrne (guitar and vocals), and Chris
Frantz (drums). The band released its debut album,
Talking Heads: 77in 1977, a pivotal year for both
punk and New Wave music. By then, it had added
Jerry Harrison as a fourth member, playing guitar
and keyboards.
By the time Talking Heads’ fourth album,Remain
in Light(1980), came out, the band had become a
fixture on the New York City punk scene, playing fre-
quent gigs at important music clubs CBGB and the
Mudd Club. The group had its first top ten hit with
the single “Burning Down the House” from 1983’s
albumSpeaking in Tongues. Talking
Heads took advantage of the new
music video format to impress their
unique style on the new MTV gener-
ation, producing striking videos for
both “Burning Down the House”
and an earlier single, “Once in a
Lifetime.” Both became popular
standards in the MTV rotation.
Talking Heads followed up their
first top ten single with a major U.S.
tour. The film director Jonathan
Demme documented the tour in
what became the 1984 concert film,
Stop Making Sense. A live album of
the same name followed.Little Crea-
turescame out in 1985, and Byrne
directed a musical comedy in 1986
calledTrue Stories. The accompany-
ing album and a follow-up in 1988,
Naked, were the last original studio albums recorded
by the band. Issues of control and increasing interest
in pursuing separate projects made it difficult for
the band members to work together. After a long hi-
atus, they announced in 1991 that Talking Heads
had officially broken up.Impact Talking Heads drew from a vast pool of
sources that grew and altered from one album to
the next. During the 1980’s, they incorporated into
their music African, Caribbean, and South Ameri-
can rhythms, as well as funk and abstract sounds
more often associated with avant-garde composers
such as Philip Glass. In the mid-1980’s, they intro-
duced both electronic and hip-hop elements into
their songs, confirming and transforming the influ-
ence of those genres on popular music. Although
the group was closely associated with other New York
City bands of the time, such as the Ramones and
Blondie, it brought a distinctive and revolutionary
type of music to the popular music scene, becoming
one of the most influential bands of the 1980’s.Further Reading
Bowman, David.This Must Be the Place: The Adventures
of Talking Heads in the Twentieth Centur y. New York:
HarperEntertainment, 2001.
Gittins, Ian.Talking Heads: Once in a Lifetime—-The
Stories Behind Ever y Song. Milwaukee: Hal Leon-
ard, 2004.The Eighties in America Talking Heads 941
Talking Heads in 1983. From left: David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth,
and Chris Frantz.(Deborah Feingold/Archive Photos)