The first popular artist was Pappo, who created the band Riff influenced by the contemporary new wave of British heavy metal.
The second half of the 1980s saw the success of hard rock bands such as Kamikaze, Alakran and Rata Blanca, with an aesthetic similar to the contemporary glam metal.
Pappo, who was already a famous musician and had been in Europe for some time, created a band influenced by the new wave of British heavy metal, Riff.
Riff broke up when a concert at the Ferrocarril Oeste stadium ended with huge vandalism, and V8 tried to emigrate to Brazil.
A new magazine appears, Riff Raff, and the discos Halley and Cemento became important venues for concerts.
Some of those bands were Horcas, Lethal and Nepal; the most popular one was Hermética, led by ex-V8 bass player Ricardo Iorio.
The Argentine Currency Board established in 1991 eased the imports of foreign albums and the tours of international bands.