I'm not in any denial. If all you can think of when someone mentions the 80's is "hair bands", then you have been listening to too much commercial radio and watching too much VH-1. The "hair bands" were only a small fraction of the rock music scene. Sorry, but I don't put ANY of the bands from NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) in the same category. Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Winger, Poison did in no way sound similar to Iron Maiden, Diamond Head, or Savage. Metallica brought thrash to a head in the states. Not to even mention the more prog leanings of Queensryche, Dream Theatre, and Savatage.
To top it off, NONE of the bands above sound similar to each other, and though there were a few knockoffs, there were far more original sounding artists then than now. Everything is now written and recorded in CreedHz.
Not yet convinced? Then you probably forgot all about guitar solos. Cuz since grunge, the solo from a post 80's song is pretty much taboo.
Still unconvinced? Then take a gander at ticket sales to those 80's acts still trying to tour. Anthrax got bumped off a recent Motley Crue tour because ticket sales were pathetic, and instead of getting rid of the fog machines and babes, they decided to damper the livelihood of their tourmates instead.
Furthermore, what is now the equivalent of the diverse New Wave movement that spread like wildfire and was embraced by the non metal genre?
Denial my ass, the eighties haven't returned.