Pegs, You're exactly right. When it was used as another instrument it could be fine. When it replaced a bnd the songs sounded so stiff and robotic. I love how the synth was used on Van Halen's "Jump." That's an example of the former.
That's a great example of the musical use of a synthesizer! Too often as the 80s wore on, they were used as replacements for horn sections (and sounded pretty cheezy in both live and studio settings) and bass guitars. Lord have mercy, how I LOATHE synthesizer bass (and drums while we're at it, with a special hatred for "cannon shot" snare drums!). If a tune has those elements, it's really gotta have something else to hold my interest, because I'm immediately turned off by that stuff.
Sade, an artist whose early work I really admire, used a lot of drum machines on the early recordings, but at least there was some tasty fretted and fretless electric bass, percussion, keys, guitar and expecially sax work to hold one's interest (note my screen name, LOL!).