Robot Rock Hall of Fame: The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer

Before we get into tonight's cyber-jam, let's honor one more key figure in the robot rock canon. Without it, electronic music as we know it would not exist.

When the Roland TR-808 emerged in 1980 as an affordable entry into synth drum programming, it was panned as sounding thin and unrealistic. But it became legendary precisely because it didn't sound like real drums. From 1980 to current pop hits, the 808 continues to be iconic because of its unique sounds, even if they exist primarily in software today.

This groundbreaking musical device could be lauded and examined indefinitely, it's just that historic. But in three minutes, you can get a solid grasp of its importance via this documentary from Nelson George and Waajeed. 

Robot Rock Hall of Fame: RoboCop

As we prep for more jheri curl funk, champagne soul, lazer boogie, and now ROBOT ROCK this Saturday, let us recall our favorite '80s icons of machinery and artificial intelligence.

In a dystopian future Detroit, a police officer is murdered and resurrected as a one-man crime stopping cyborg without any of the pesky abuses of power that occur among his human colleagues.

And of course, like all of our Robot Rock Hall of Famers, RoboCop has appropriately Axel F theme music, courtesy of Sleaze Boys.

Robot Rock Hall of Fame: Johnny 5

As we prep for more jheri curl funk, champagne soul, lazer boogie, and now ROBOT ROCK this Saturday, let us recall our favorite '80s icons of machinery and artificial intelligence.

The adorable star of the Short Circuit movies aimed to remind us of our own goodness as a species, since when he became sentient, he was filled with love rather than genocidal destruction like one of his distant relatives.

Johnny 5 even helped El Debarge land his only solo #1 single.

Robot Rock Hall of Fame: Max Headroom

As we prep for more jheri curl funk, champagne soul, lazer boogie, and now ROBOT ROCK this Saturday, let us recall our favorite '80s icons of machinery and artificial intelligence.

Max Headroom's not actually a robot, but he's a computer generated artificial intelligence entity, so that counts.

Who knew that this satirical electronic television host would predate an actual era of media oversaturation and talking television bobbleheads 25 years later? Mind blown. 

After getting his start on a British music video show, Max Headroom became a real '80s phenomenon with two seasons of his own show on American airwaves.

He even landed a cameo role on a tune by robot rock pioneers Art of Noise.

Robot Rock Hall of Fame: The Terminator

As we prep for more jheri curl funk, champagne soul, lazer boogie, and now ROBOT ROCK this Saturday, let us recall our favorite '80s icons of machinery and artificial intelligence.

This menacing killing machine was a man of few words and brutal efficiency who catapulted Former California Governor Ah-nuld into true stardom.

He also had some sharp comedic timing and timeless catchphrases for a genocidal murder-bot, lampooned in hilariously awful fashion by Arnee & The Terminators