By the '80s, ideology had mostly withered away, although the drive away from conformity continued unchecked. This opened up a non-dogmatic kind of non-conformity, full of fellow-feeling, that was much more enjoyable than the later rigid strains of out-of-the-crowd-ness. Those fed an apathetic, misanthropic attitude toward others, and really killed off the sense of community that used to exist even within the various groups outside the mainstream.
Here's a great example of a song that sounds vaguely African, though without the my-cool-black-friend, winking awareness of "I'm a white New Wave dude channeling Africa," and that has lyrics that are political, yet lacking in resentment or divisiveness. Who'd ever heard of political music that was upbeat, uplifting, and shimmering?
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