Led by a group of young people with orthodox music training, mainland artists created a music with a critical spirit, very different from Taiwan and Hong Kong pop. This music not was only popular in the PRC, but even blew southeast over to Taiwan and Hong Kong, where it became known as "northwest wind" music.
一九八七年前後，由一群擁有正統音樂背景的詞曲人領軍，創作出多首迥異於台港樂風的雄渾、豪邁、融合北方民歌旋律及搖滾編曲，充滿批判精神的歌曲，如「信天游」、「黃土高坡」等，一夕紅遍大江南北，被統稱為「西北風」。