Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your 1980s shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the 1980s offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of 1980s at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a 1980s? Wrong! If the 1980s is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about 1980s then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling 1980s? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about 1980s and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your 1980s wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your 1980s then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the 1980s site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about 1980s, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your 1980s, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
'''The 1980s''' refers to the years from
to . Particularly in the [United Kingdom and [USA, this decade is often referred to as "the Greed decade", reflecting the economic and social climate of the period. During this time the word "[yuppie" entered the lexicon in the [United States and [United Kingdom, referring to the well-publicized rise of a new [middle class. College graduates in their late 20s, early 30s were entering the workplace in prestigious office professions, holding more purchasing power with which they purchased trendy, luxurious goods. The decade witnessed a religious revival and the rise of conservatism, which began with a backlash against [disco music late in 1979.
The decade saw the withdrawal of Soviet troops at the conclusion of the
Soviet-Afghan War, the Berlin wall and the end of Cold War between the United States and the
Soviet Union. The era was characterized by a period of increased telecommunications, a shift towards liberal market economies and the new openness of perestroika and glasnost in the USSR, and the onset of the "Family values" iniative. This transitional period also saw massive democratic revolutions such as the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 in
China, the
Velvet Revolution, and the overthrow of the dictatorship regime in
Romania and other communist state
Warsaw Pact states in
Central Europe and Eastern Europe. These changes continued to be felt in the 1990s and into the 21st century.
The eighties are also well known (and often ridiculed) for the popular culture of the time such as the over-the-top fashion, big hair styles and the commercialization of music and film.
The 1980s was also an era of tremendous population growth around the world which, along with the 1970s and 1990s, was among the largest in human history. This growth occurred not only in developing regions but also developed western nations, where many newborns were the offspring of
Baby Boomers.
Social trends
- Political correctness became a concern in mainstream politics.
- American Conservatism peaked in 1984, but had declined by 1990.
- Social attitudes of the White American majority toward African Americans eased, showing more tolerance for people of color. The same went for every other ethnic, racial and national minority. Baby boomers, who first began to enter positions of power during the 1980s, likely did much to effect this change. During the 1980s, public bigotry became largely a thing of the past and racial prejudice lost moral acceptance; also during the decade, the popularized concept of multi-culturalism, particularly in advertising, first appeared.
- Right-wing talk radio started in 1984 when Rush Limbaugh began broadcasting from KFBK AM 1530 in Sacramento California. In 1989 he moved to his flagship station, WABC (AM) in New York City. Limbaugh became nationally syndicated by 1989.
- Gay issues entered public awareness through the tabloid talk show genre popularized by Oprah Winfrey, which gave gay, bisexual, and transvestite people an unprecedented degree of media visibility. Examples include the Bowers v. Hardwick Supreme Court decision, openly gay pop stars such as Boy George, Dead or Alive (band) and the Pet Shop Boys, and the increased perception of the AIDS epidemic as a "gay disease."
- The role of women in the workplace increased. Continuing the 1970s trend, more and more women in the English-speaking world took to calling themselves "Ms.", rather than "Mrs." or "Miss." A similar change occurred in Germany, with women choosing "Frau" instead of "Fräulein" in an effort to disassociate marital status from title. In most Western world countries, women began to exercise the option of keeping their maiden names after marriage; in Canada, legislation was enacted to end the practice of automatically changing a woman's last name upon marriage.
- Child abuse gained public attention as alleged incidents of child molestation were reported, in particular at day care facilities in various parts of the country. Several court cases were followed by the media, including California (the McMartin Preschool case), South Carolina (the Little Rascals Day Care case) and New Jersey (the Wee Care Day Nursery case), spreading hysteria among parents and teachers. Similar large-scale cases were also reported in Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
- Social welfare for handicapped children improved, and they were no longer ignored or forced into mental institutions.
- No-Fault divorce laws paved the way for increased divorce rates, as depicted in the movie Irreconcilable Differences, and divorce became widely acceptable in western countries. Conservatives espousing Family values responded by objecting to divorce, among other moral and cultural issues.
- National safety campaigns raised awareness of seat belt usage to save lives in automobile accidents, helping to make the measure mandatory in most countries and U.S. states by 1990. Similar efforts arose to push child safety seats and bike helmet use, already mandatory in a number of U.S. states and some countries.
- Alcohol education expanded, bringing about movements such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Nancy Reagan's Just Say No campaign and D.A.R.E.. By 1990, every state in the U.S. mandated the drinking age to be 21, the only country to ever do so.
- Rejection of tobacco smoking, perceived as more unhealthy and deadly than in previous decades, increased among Americans following a 1984 reconfirmation of earlier studies into the risks of smoking by the Surgeon General of the United States. "Smoking" and "non-smoking" sections in American restaurants became common, state efforts to combat underage smoking (such as banning cigarette sales to minors) intensified, and acknowledgment of smoking-related birth defects became more common.
- Opposition to nuclear power plants grew, especially after the catastrophic 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
- Environmental concerns intensified. In the United Kingdom, environmentally-friendly domestic products surged in popularity. Western European countries adopted "greener" policies to cut back on oil use, recycling most of their nations' trash, and increase focus on water conservation and energy conservation efforts. Similar "Eco-activist" trends appeared in the U.S. in the late 1980s.
- The U.S. support and pressure group Remove Intoxicated Drivers experienced rapid growth.
- Research on alcohol and weight expanded.
Technology
The Macintosh 128K was introduced in 1984, the first commercially successful computer to use a graphical user interface.
The 1980s included the transition between the industrial age and
information age. The petroleum supply disruptions which had marked the 1970s were not repeated, and new oil-field discoveries boosted supply and helped keep energy prices relatively low during most of the decade. The 1980s saw rapid developments in numerous sectors of technology which defined the modern consumer world.
Electronics such as the
personal computer, electronic
video game#Gaming platforms, the first commercially available hand-held
mobile phones, and new audio and data storage device technologies such as the
compact disc are all still prominent well into the
2000s. On the strength of their high-technology industries, the
Japanese economy soared to record highs in the 1980s.
In personal computing and electronics, the bulletin board system (BBS) gained popularity, compact discs were introduced in 1983 and Walkmans, VHS
videocassette recorders, and compact audio cassette players became popular in households in developed countries. Also in electronics, the first commercial hand-held
mobile phone was released in 1983, the
Motorola DynaTAC 8000X. The Macintosh was introduced in January 1984 and became the first commercially successful computer to use a
GUI. Several other computers were introduced in the 1980s including the IBM PC, Commodore 64,
Amiga,
Atari ST and
BBC Micro. In software,
Microsoft released the first versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system, which would later dominate the operating system market through the 1990s and into the 2000s. New digital technology contributed to the popularity of
synthesizers in
electronic music.
In the
United Kingdom, inventor Sir Clive Sinclair introduced the
Sinclair C5 electric transport vehicle in 1985, but it was a massive flop and a commercial disaster.
Interest in space exploration declined as the space shuttle took precedence.
Voyager 1 and
Voyager 2 passed
Saturn in 1980 and 1981 respectively. Voyager 2 went on to give the first up-close looks at
Uranus (1986) and Neptune (1989).
Japan and Europe had their first ventures into interplanetary exploration with the launches of
Giotto mission,
Sakigake, and others in the "Halley Armada." The first Space Shuttle program mission,
STS-1, aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia launched in 1981; and the
STS-51-L occurred in 1986, the same year the Soviet Union launched the space station
Mir.
The Chernobyl accident nuclear reactor in the USSR occurred in April 1986, and became the world's worst nuclear accident.
Science
- The AIDS was detected in a group of American homosexual men and entered global consciousness in June 1981. By 1985–1986 it was declared a pandemic as it spread across sub-Saharan Africa.
- The W and Z bosons were discovered at CERN.
- The scanning tunneling microscope was developed by Colin Mullins and Heinrich Rohrer.
- The allotropes of carbon fullerene was discovered.
- Geneticist Dr Alec Jeffreys developed DNA fingerprinting, a technique of significant benefit in criminal investigations.
- American chemist Kary Mullis discovered polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which became the basis of genetic fingerprinting and one of the key tools for many areas of work within the field of genetics.
Culture
Popular culture
- In the early 1980s, the first generation of computer graphics in arcade games produced the popular Space Invaders arcade game (first released in 1978), followed by Pac-Man, Donkey Kong (arcade game), and Frogger. Towards the end of the decade, home video game consoles began to outstrip the arcade game. The Japanese Famicom was released to the American public as the Nintendo Entertainment System (also known as the NES) in 1985 and renewed public interest in video games following a brief decline caused by the Video Game Crash of 1983.
- Computer technology began to enter mainstream culture and appeared in movies such as Tron (film) (1982) and WarGames (1983), using then-state of the art special effects that would go on to have a major impact on movie making.
- Rubik's Cube, Cabbage Patch Kids, "Baby on Board" signs, Teddy Ruxpin, and Trivial Pursuit fads captured the interest of the American and British public..
- Many cartoon characters such as Smurfs, Rainbow Brite, Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, My Little Pony, GI Joe#The 80s, Garfield, and Transformers (fiction) appeared in the media and on merchandise, becoming huge trends of the 1980s. Many of these reappeared about twenty years later in slightly updated versions.
- Martial arts and Ninja mania swept North America due to the popularity of Kung Fu Theater and ninja movies. The Karate Kid became a blockbuster hit film, and raised interest in karate. The emergence of self-styled martial arts experts gave rise to the so-called "McDojo" and "Bullshido" trends. The cartoon characters Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became a widely mass-marketed popular culture phenomenon in the late 1980s.
- "Raybans" or sunglasses became popular "must-wear" items, as well as Nike, Inc. athletic shoe, men's shorts and other sportswear such as sweats and jerseys for an active generation of young people.
- Aerobics surged in popularity. The fad reached across exercise videos, fashion, and music trends as seen in Olivia Newton-John's music video Physical (Olivia Newton-John song), the 1983 movie Flashdance that inspired legwarmers as a fashion trend, and the popular Jane Fonda workout videos.
- Americans became more health-conscious and sought lighter alternatives, with "Lose weight", "Low-Cal", "Low-Salt", "Sugar-free", "No cholesterol" and other phrases becoming common buzzwords for modified foods and beverages. Food faddism became popular.
- MTV, an all-music television station, debuted in the United States in 1981.
- Australian pop culture introduced new trends in the U.S. throughout the 1980s to enhance the continent's cultural image. Examples include celebrities Olivia Newton-John and Yahoo Serious, musicians INXS and Men at Work, the (Crocodile Dundee) movies, the Roos (shoes) shoe brand and Koala Blue chain within the fashion segment, and tastes such as "shrimp on the barbie" and Foster's Lager.
- Rap music began to break into the mainstream, resulting in a string of breakdancing movies such as Beat Street, Breakin', and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. Boom boxes became widespread among inner city music listeners and especially breakdancers, for which the device became a vital element to the ritual. "Breakdance battles" were a more peaceful alternative to gang fights and became popular in music videos.
- In the U.S., Spanish-language television and radio stations built two major networks (Univision — 1985 and Telemundo — 1986) to carry shows and music for the U.S. Latino audience, believed at the time to have been left out of the mainstream media. had several 1980s automobile characteristics, including Brick Fascia rear lights, and improved safety features.
- The De Lorean DMC-12 debuted in 1981, and was produced for three years before the company declared bankruptcy in 1983. The car was later popularized in the 1985 film Back to the Future.
Art
Art exhibitions held in the 1980s included:
Fashion
1980s fashion incorporated distinct trends from different eras, including ancient Egypt, early 20th century British royalty,
Edwardian era buccaneers, and
punk rockers from the
1970s. A conservative, masculine fashion look that was most indicative of the decade was the wide use of shoulder pads (similar to those worn by women in the 1940s and to those worn in ice hockey). While in the 1970s the silhouette of fashion tended to be characterized by close-fitting clothes on top with wider looser clothes on bottom, this trend completely reversed itself in the early 1980s as both men and women began to wear loose shirts (tucked in) and tight close fitting pants. One variation of this trend was to wear loose-fitting long-sleeve shirts or sweaters with the sleeves scrunched up to the elbows). Men wore power suits, an example of the greater tendency for people to display their wealth. Brand names became increasingly important in this decade, making
Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein household names.Lauper made popular the colourful hairstyles and makeup.
Hairstyles are also well known from the decade. Big, messy hairstyles, similar to those worn by women in the 1940s, made popular with the introduction of
glam metal, became all the rage throughout the entire decade. Shorter hairstyles also became more common for women. Colorful hair colors (made popular by singer Cyndi Lauper), were also used widely during the era. The eighties also made popular the well known
Mullet (haircut) for both men and women and the jerry curl, a wet curly hair style that was very popular in the
African American community. The eighties also saw an interest in bright and colorful makeup as well as makeup used on men (as used by
glam metal bands of the era). The decade also saw the introduction and popularity of hair crimping.
In the United States,
Madonna (entertainer) was known as the "Material Girl" and many teenage girls, sometimes referred to as "
Madonna wannabes", looked to her for fashion statements. The popular movie
Flashdance (1983) made ripped sweatshirts well-known to the general public. The television shows
Dallas (TV series) and
Dynasty (TV series) also had a similar impact. The television show Miami Vice influenced a whole generation of men by popularizing, if not actually inventing, the "
T-shirt under Giorgio Armani jacket"-style. The
James "Sonny" Crockett character played by Don Johnson also boosted Ray Ban's popularity by wearing a pair of
Ray-Ban Wayfarers (Model L2052, Mock Tortoise). Crockett's perpetually unshaven appearance also sparked a minor fashion trend, inspiring men to wear a small amount of beard stubble, also known as five o'clock shadow or "designer stubble", at all times. The show's costume designer Gianni Versace provided the fashion sense. Pastel colors dominated the series in clothes. People were also known to wear acid-washed jeans.
===Music===
- The decade began with a backlash against disco music and a movement away from the lush Disco orchestration that had characterized much of the music of the 1970's. Music in the 1980's was characterized by simpler and cheaper electronic sounds accomplished through the use of synthesizers and keyboards, along with drum machines.
- Michael Jackson revolutionized music with his best-selling album Thriller (album). Thriller, released in 1982, is the world's all-time best selling album with over 104 million sold copies. His mannerisms and trends were copied repeatedly, from the single-glove, to the various jackets he wore, and the now-famous Moonwalk (dance).
- In the United States, MTV was launched and music videos began to have a huge effect on the record industry. The first video aired was Video Killed the Radio Star by the British band The Buggles, and it proved oddly prophetic. Bands such as Duran Duran made lavish music videos which made MTV a cultural phenomenon. Early eighties groups such as Devo and Haircut 100 were pioneers. Pop artists such as Madonna (entertainer) and Michael Jackson mastered the format and turned it into big business.
- New Wave (music) and Synthpop were developed by artists such as Duran Duran, A Flock of Seagulls, Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Japan (band), Soft Cell, Bananarama, New Order, and Tears for Fears, and become popular phenomena throughout the decade, especially in the early eighties.
- Heavy metal, Big Hair Bands and Glam metal, experienced extreme popularity in 1980s, becoming one of the most dominating music genres of the 1980s with artists such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Van Halen, KISS (band), Twisted Sister, Aerosmith, Poison (band), Ratt, Skid Row (heavy metal band), Hanoi Rocks, Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Queen (band), Whitesnake, Quiet Riot, Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, and Rush (band), all receiving extensive airplay.
- House music was a new development in dance music mid-way through the decade, growing out of the post-disco scene early in the decade and later developed into acid house, a harder form of dance often associated with the developing late 1980s drug culture.
- Hip hop music and rapping music, introduced by Urban culture youths of predominantly African American descent, debuted in the pop culture scene as early as 1979, with the Sugar Hill Gang's single release Rapper's Delight. MTV picked up on this movement with "Yo! MTV Raps", a one-hour show dedicated to hip-hop music videos.
- The Hip hop music scene evolved to become a powerful musical force, bringing with it several dance styles. As hip hop artists such as Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow and N.W.A. gathered mainstream attention, hip hop's influence began to spread outside of Los Angeles and New York City, eventually taking off into America's shores during the 1980s in 1986.
- Top-charting artists of the 1980s include Pat Benatar, Billy Idol, Guns N' Roses, Robert Palmer (singer),New Kids on the Block, The Police, Lionel Richie, Bananarama, The Go-Go's, Dire Straits, Duran Duran, Van Halen, Foreigner (band), John Farnham, Phil Collins, Huey Lewis and the News, Wang Chung (band), Tears for Fears, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Heart (band), Juice Newton, The Eurythmics, Def Leppard, Deacon Blue, Bryan Adams, Queen (band), Depeche Mode, U2, Simple Minds, Madonna (entertainer), Cyndi Lauper, Cher, Rick Springfield, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Olivia Newton-John, Prince (musician), Michael Jackson (the best-selling artist worldwide in the entire decade), Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Beastie Boys, Kim Wilde, Laura Branigan, The Cars and Bon Jovi.
- Records in aid of Ethiopian famine relief, by Band Aid (band) ("Do They Know It's Christmas?") and USA for Africa ("We Are the World") topped the charts, while the Live Aid famine relief concert in London and Philadelphia attracted thousands of attendants and millions of television viewers. Other artists pushed for nuclear disarmament, racial harmony (Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney in a 1981 duet release: Ebony and Ivory), and AIDS awareness.
- United States singer Prince (entertainer), France band Indochine (band) ("3e sexe"), Canadian singer Norman Iceberg ("Be My Human Tonight"), Spain band Mecano ("Mujer Contra Mujer") became part of a worldwide movement of artists writing innovative lyrics filled with sexual innuendos reflecting the then-popular and highly fashionable androgynous style.
- With increased commercialization of popular music, thousands of new bands from all over the country sprang up in opposition by performing aggressive, stripped-down punk rock with an even larger amount of political and social awareness injected into the lyrics. Known as Hardcore punk, it would go on to influence and create other musical genres well into the 21st century. Popular bands included Dead Kennedys in San Francisco, Minor Threat in Washington DC, Black Flag (band) in Los Angeles and Reagan Youth in New York City.
- Prince was credited with jump-starting the Minneapolis sound.
- Ballads became popular with bands such as Heart (band).
Comics
- American superhero comics underwent a new age, sparked by Alan Moore's Watchmen and Frank Miller (comics)'s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, that paved the way for more independent and creative ideas. Many different genres other than superheroes were introduced to comics, along with the first translations of manga.
- More adult-targeted comics featuring mature themes, strong violence, and strong language, like the examples cited above, began to become more widespread.
Television
See also: List of years in television#1980s
The Cosby Show debuts in 1984 and is rated number 1 in the Nielsen Ratings in the United States for five consecutive TV seasons.
- The decade began poorly for minorities and gays. Music videos featuring minorities were not played by MTV and gays were portrayed poorly by the media, especially by a widely seen homophobic documentary (which aired in 1980) about gays in San Francisco. With the rise of AIDS, shows which portrayed gays or gay friendly characters were quickly pulled off the air (Three's Company, Bosom Buddies).
- Now regarded as an icon of the 1980s, Miami Vice (1984) redefined the cop show genre, combining film-like production values with MTV style music videos.
- The Oprah Winfrey Show hit the U.S. scene, shattering 20th century taboos and creating confession culture. According to a Yale University study, the tabloid talk show genre popularized by Oprah Winfrey's success provided much needed high impact media visibility for gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, and transgender people, allowing them greater entry into mainstream culture.
- Television saw a wide variety of trends and innovations. In the U.S., Cheers, The Cosby Show and Family Ties took top ratings on Thursday nights and the Fox Broadcasting Company was launched. CNN became the first 24-hour news channel. The growth of cable television with hundreds of new cable networks of a certain field or interest, such as The Weather Channel (United States) which debuted in 1982, offered television viewers a much expanded menu from which to choose.
- In the UK, two rival satellite television services launch in 1989. British Satellite Broadcasting and Sky Television offered viewers up to five extra channels, but both failed to gain the success enjoyed by cable television in North America. The two companies would later merger.
- Punky Brewster, reflecting many trends and fads of the 80s, captured the interest of younger viewers.
- Soap operas gained popularity among high-schoolers and college students in the United States, thanks in part to the supercoupling of Luke Spencer and Laura Webber on the most popular soap of the day, General Hospital.
- The gay community received an upsurge in popular exposure, with U.S. prime time ratings giants Dynasty (TV series) and The Golden Girls and UK soap operas Brookside and EastEnders, featuring either regular or recurring gay characters throughout their long runs. These shows were highly influential in increasing the visibility of regular gay characters on television.
- The music-based cable networks MTV and MuchMusic first appeared on the airwaves, and became major pop cultural influences with music videos and in-depth coverage of musicians and trends among North American youth.
- He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, the first animated children's television program built exclusively around a toy line, started a new trend of increasing the connection between children's programming and toy advertising, alarming many parents and watchdog organizations; an explosive number of toy tie-in Animated cartoon follow, most notably (for the era) The Transformers (TV series), G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and Dino-Riders.
- Animation in the United States and elsewhere saw a dramatic improvement in production values and saw a resurgence of mainstream appeal, both in feature films and on television. Star Blazers, Voltron, and Robotech helped to develop the first wave of organized anime fandom in North America.
- Star Trek: The Next Generation, regarded by some as the pinnacle of the Star Trek series, made its Television syndication debut in 1987.
- Murder, She Wrote became a smash hit with audiences.
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 debuted on the Minneapolis UHF station KTMA in 1988; the following year it was picked up by the fledgling Comedy Channel, which later became Comedy Central.
- The Simpsons debuted on Fox Broadcasting Company on December 17, 1989.
- On February 1, 1982, David Letterman became the host of NBC's Late Night with David Letterman, which remained on the air until 1993 when Letterman left for CBS.
- On December 6, 1989, the once extremely successful and popular British science fiction series Doctor Who came to an end after more than 26 years and 703 episodes.
- The #1 shows on American network television throughout the decade:
Film
The 1980s was a prosperous and extremely active decade for the film industry, seeing many box office hits. The industry began to put a greater emphasis on producing mass-market blockbusters in place of the more director-led approach of the 1970s. (Many film historians have pointed to the massive box office flop of
Heaven's Gate (film) in 1980 leading to studios wanting greater control of film production.) During the 1980s, much controversy arose over the film colorization of
black and white films.
Video cassettes became extremely popular in households. A videotape format war broke out between
JVC and Sony over their formats, VHS and
Betamax. VHS eventually became the new standard, despite offering initial poorer quality recordings. Only after many years did VHS eventually catch-up, although the format always provided a recording length advantage. The widespread popularity of video cassettes aided in the rise of video rentals, with the first
Blockbuster (movie rental store) opening in 1985. The Sundance Institute was set up in 1981 to help independent film-makers gain professional contacts and experience. The first
Sundance Film Festival was held in 1986. The cross-over success of the film
sex, lies and videotape in 1989 paved the way for the independent film boom in the 1990s.
The Crime and Gangster film genre was also active, with hits such as
The Untouchables (1987 film) and the legendary
Scarface (1983 film), directed by Brian De Palma.
The science fiction genre experienced a surge in popularity following the success of
Star Wars. This is best exemplified by
Steven Spielberg's
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), which shattered records for box office gross receipts and became the decade's biggest earner both in the United States and United Kingdom. Popular sci-fi films of the decade also included
Blade Runner,
Aliens (film),
Tron (film) and
The Terminator. The original
Star Wars trilogy was concluded with
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983). Tie-in merchandise became extremely common following the success of
Star Wars tie-in products. Special effects become more sophisticated and advanced with films like
Tron,
Predator (film) and
The Abyss, paving the way for the
Computer-generated imagery-intensive films of the 1990s. Also, Star Trek saw a resurgence of popularity for the original 1960s TV series with the release of a series of popular films in the 1980s, highlighted by
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan,
Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, and
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
Action movies, common since the 1950s, entered mass production, with actors like
Harrison Ford,
Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone,
Chuck Norris and
Arnold Schwarzenegger helping to pioneer the genre. Among the most famous action movies were the
Rambo series,
RoboCop,
Predator (film),
Die Hard,
Lethal Weapon,
Escape from New York and
Commando (film).
Ghostbusters (1984, directed by
Ivan Reitman) was very popular and successful, as was
Back to the Future (1985), which captivated audiences with its youth-oriented time travel
fantasy. Movie
sequels became a trend as evidenced by
Ghostbusters II and
Back to the Future Part II (both 1989). Ronald Reagan frequently made references to
Back to the Future and
Rambo.
The Horror genre boomed with hit franchises including the
Friday the 13th (film series) series, the
A Nightmare on Elm Street (film series) series and the
Halloween (film series). Others include the
Hellraiser films,
Poltergeist (film series) and
Evil Dead series',
The Lost Boys,
The Fly (1986 film),
The Shining (film) and
John Carpenter's The Thing.
The 1980s also experienced many infamous high-profile commercial flops, including
Howard the Duck (film),
Ishtar (film),
Dune (film),
Revolution (1985 film),
Inchon (film) and
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. The most famous flop is
Heaven's Gate (film) which cost US$44 million to produce yet only grossed $3.4 million, leading the studio
United Artists into bankruptcy. However, the success of
The Little Mermaid (1989 film) (1989) heralded a renaissance for Disney and animated films in general after a string of commercial failures.
Teen films arose as a highly successful genre, most notably those of
John Hughes (film director) who, with the so-called "Brat Pack", made such decade-defining films as
Sixteen Candles,
The Breakfast Club,
Weird Science (film),
Ferris Bueller's Day Off,
Pretty In Pink and
Uncle Buck. Other teen films of the decade include
The Sure Thing,
St. Elmo's Fire,
Risky Business,
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure,
Less Than Zero (film),
Heathers,
Fast Times at Ridgemont High,
Say Anything (film) and
Rumble Fish. In addition, teen sex comedies made their mark in the public eye, such as
Spring Break (film),
Porky's and the
Lemon Popsicle series. Several of these are set in the
1950s, reflecting the 50's-nostalgia common at the time.
Several films examining the United States' role in the Vietnam war were released, most notably
Platoon (film) (1986), as well as
Full Metal Jacket,
Hamburger Hill,
Good Morning, Vietnam (all 1987),
Born on the Fourth of July and
Casualties of War (both 1989). The
Rambo series took a more visceral look at the effects of the war.
Music/dance films appeared and became staples of the decade, notably
Fame (film),
Flashdance,
Footloose,
Streets of Fire and
Dirty Dancing. Several breakdancing/hip-hop films were made including
Body Rock,
Beat Street,
Rappin',
Wild Style,
Krush Groove,
Breakin' and its sequel
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.
In Britain, concern ensued over the violent content of the 'video nasties'. This led to the introduction of the Video Recordings Act 1984, which banned films such as
The Driller Killer,
I Spit On Your Grave and
Cannibal Holocaust. At the time, many claimed that the
Hungerford massacre had been inspired by violent films. In the U.S.,
Red Dawn (1984) became the first film released with a PG-13 rating, and in the UK,
Batman was the first to receive a 12 certificate.
Video games
Although popularity of
video games and arcades began in the mid to late 1970s, it continued throughout the 1980s with rapid growth in video game technology throughout the decade. Space Invaders, developed in Japan in 1978, was first previewed at a
United Kingdom trade show in 1979, making a huge impact on the early 80s gaming scene. Many other games followed including
Pac-Man, creating a
Pac Man fever craze early in the decade, especially in 1982 and 1983; Super Mario Bros. games became a highly successful franchise starting in 1985 and its popularity continues today.
In the 1980s,
Atari failed to apply proper quality control to the software development process for its popular
Atari 2600 game console. The amount of low-quality software caused a massive
video game crash of 1983. The release of Nintendo's
Nintendo Entertainment System console rectified the problem and revived home gaming by only being able to play games approved by the company.
PC Engine and Sega Mega Drive were next generation game consoles that were released during the last years of the decade.
Home computers become popular in the 1980s and during that decade they were used heavily for gaming, especially the
ZX Spectrum. The prevailing
IBM PC standard was born in 1981 but had a status of a non-entertainment computer throughout the decade. Along with the IBM PC, the Commodore 64 (1982) was the most popular 8-bit home computer and its successor, the
Amiga (1985), was the most popular 16-bit home computer.
International issues
In the United States
- Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States from 1981 to 1989.
- American schoolgirl Samantha Smith visited the Soviet Union after writing to Yuri Andropov and became involved in the growing peace movement between East and West before her death in 1985.
- John Lennon was Assassination in 1980.
- An Reagan assassination attempt on the life of Ronald Reagan, 1981.
- A Crack Cocaine epidemic occurred in urban areas of the U.S., such that violent crime and drug trafficking soared to record levels in most large United States cities. Crime and drug use rates began to fall toward the end of the decade.
- Riots took place in the poor section of Miami, Florida in May 1980 and January 1989.
- A poverty rate of 40% African Americans, 30% Hispanic and 20% White.
- An unemployment rate of 10% overall.
In Canada
- During The Right Honourable Pierre Elliot Trudeau's term as Prime Minister of Canada (and under his oversight), Queen Elizabeth II signed the New Constitution of Canada on 17 April, 1982. This Act severed all Political Depandances of the United Kingdom in Canada.
In Europe
- Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was Assassination.
- There was an assassination attempt on
'''The 1980s''' refers to the years from to . Particularly in the [United Kingdom and [USA, this decade is often referred to as "the Greed decade", reflecting the economic and social climate of the period. During this time the word "[yuppie" entered the lexicon in the [United States and [United Kingdom, referring to the well-publicized rise of a new [middle class. College graduates in their late 20s, early 30s were entering the workplace in prestigious office professions, holding more purchasing power with which they purchased trendy, luxurious goods. The decade witnessed a religious revival and the rise of conservatism, which began with a backlash against [disco music late in 1979.
The decade saw the withdrawal of Soviet troops at the conclusion of the Soviet-Afghan War, the Berlin wall and the end of Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. The era was characterized by a period of increased telecommunications, a shift towards liberal market economies and the new openness of perestroika and glasnost in the USSR, and the onset of the "Family values" iniative. This transitional period also saw massive democratic revolutions such as the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 in China, the Velvet Revolution, and the overthrow of the dictatorship regime in Romania and other communist state Warsaw Pact states in Central Europe and Eastern Europe. These changes continued to be felt in the 1990s and into the 21st century.
The eighties are also well known (and often ridiculed) for the popular culture of the time such as the over-the-top fashion, big hair styles and the commercialization of music and film.
The 1980s was also an era of tremendous population growth around the world which, along with the 1970s and 1990s, was among the largest in human history. This growth occurred not only in developing regions but also developed western nations, where many newborns were the offspring of Baby Boomers.
Social trends
- Political correctness became a concern in mainstream politics.
- American Conservatism peaked in 1984, but had declined by 1990.
- Social attitudes of the White American majority toward African Americans eased, showing more tolerance for people of color. The same went for every other ethnic, racial and national minority. Baby boomers, who first began to enter positions of power during the 1980s, likely did much to effect this change. During the 1980s, public bigotry became largely a thing of the past and racial prejudice lost moral acceptance; also during the decade, the popularized concept of multi-culturalism, particularly in advertising, first appeared.
- Right-wing talk radio started in 1984 when Rush Limbaugh began broadcasting from KFBK AM 1530 in Sacramento California. In 1989 he moved to his flagship station, WABC (AM) in New York City. Limbaugh became nationally syndicated by 1989.
- Gay issues entered public awareness through the tabloid talk show genre popularized by Oprah Winfrey, which gave gay, bisexual, and transvestite people an unprecedented degree of media visibility. Examples include the Bowers v. Hardwick Supreme Court decision, openly gay pop stars such as Boy George, Dead or Alive (band) and the Pet Shop Boys, and the increased perception of the AIDS epidemic as a "gay disease."
- The role of women in the workplace increased. Continuing the 1970s trend, more and more women in the English-speaking world took to calling themselves "Ms.", rather than "Mrs." or "Miss." A similar change occurred in Germany, with women choosing "Frau" instead of "Fräulein" in an effort to disassociate marital status from title. In most Western world countries, women began to exercise the option of keeping their maiden names after marriage; in Canada, legislation was enacted to end the practice of automatically changing a woman's last name upon marriage.
- Child abuse gained public attention as alleged incidents of child molestation were reported, in particular at day care facilities in various parts of the country. Several court cases were followed by the media, including California (the McMartin Preschool case), South Carolina (the Little Rascals Day Care case) and New Jersey (the Wee Care Day Nursery case), spreading hysteria among parents and teachers. Similar large-scale cases were also reported in Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
- Social welfare for handicapped children improved, and they were no longer ignored or forced into mental institutions.
- No-Fault divorce laws paved the way for increased divorce rates, as depicted in the movie Irreconcilable Differences, and divorce became widely acceptable in western countries. Conservatives espousing Family values responded by objecting to divorce, among other moral and cultural issues.
- National safety campaigns raised awareness of seat belt usage to save lives in automobile accidents, helping to make the measure mandatory in most countries and U.S. states by 1990. Similar efforts arose to push child safety seats and bike helmet use, already mandatory in a number of U.S. states and some countries.
- Alcohol education expanded, bringing about movements such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Nancy Reagan's Just Say No campaign and D.A.R.E.. By 1990, every state in the U.S. mandated the drinking age to be 21, the only country to ever do so.
- Rejection of tobacco smoking, perceived as more unhealthy and deadly than in previous decades, increased among Americans following a 1984 reconfirmation of earlier studies into the risks of smoking by the Surgeon General of the United States. "Smoking" and "non-smoking" sections in American restaurants became common, state efforts to combat underage smoking (such as banning cigarette sales to minors) intensified, and acknowledgment of smoking-related birth defects became more common.
- Opposition to nuclear power plants grew, especially after the catastrophic 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
- Environmental concerns intensified. In the United Kingdom, environmentally-friendly domestic products surged in popularity. Western European countries adopted "greener" policies to cut back on oil use, recycling most of their nations' trash, and increase focus on water conservation and energy conservation efforts. Similar "Eco-activist" trends appeared in the U.S. in the late 1980s.
- The U.S. support and pressure group Remove Intoxicated Drivers experienced rapid growth.
- Research on alcohol and weight expanded.
Technology
The Macintosh 128K was introduced in 1984, the first commercially successful computer to use a graphical user interface.
The 1980s included the transition between the industrial age and information age. The petroleum supply disruptions which had marked the 1970s were not repeated, and new oil-field discoveries boosted supply and helped keep energy prices relatively low during most of the decade. The 1980s saw rapid developments in numerous sectors of technology which defined the modern consumer world. Electronics such as the personal computer, electronic video game#Gaming platforms, the first commercially available hand-held mobile phones, and new audio and data storage device technologies such as the compact disc are all still prominent well into the 2000s. On the strength of their high-technology industries, the Japanese economy soared to record highs in the 1980s.
In personal computing and electronics, the bulletin board system (BBS) gained popularity, compact discs were introduced in 1983 and Walkmans, VHS videocassette recorders, and compact audio cassette players became popular in households in developed countries. Also in electronics, the first commercial hand-held mobile phone was released in 1983, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X. The Macintosh was introduced in January 1984 and became the first commercially successful computer to use a GUI. Several other computers were introduced in the 1980s including the IBM PC, Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST and BBC Micro. In software, Microsoft released the first versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system, which would later dominate the operating system market through the 1990s and into the 2000s. New digital technology contributed to the popularity of synthesizers in electronic music.
In the United Kingdom, inventor Sir Clive Sinclair introduced the Sinclair C5 electric transport vehicle in 1985, but it was a massive flop and a commercial disaster.
Interest in space exploration declined as the space shuttle took precedence. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 passed Saturn in 1980 and 1981 respectively. Voyager 2 went on to give the first up-close looks at Uranus (1986) and Neptune (1989). Japan and Europe had their first ventures into interplanetary exploration with the launches of Giotto mission, Sakigake, and others in the "Halley Armada." The first Space Shuttle program mission, STS-1, aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia launched in 1981; and the STS-51-L occurred in 1986, the same year the Soviet Union launched the space station Mir.
The Chernobyl accident nuclear reactor in the USSR occurred in April 1986, and became the world's worst nuclear accident.
Science
Culture
Popular culture
- In the early 1980s, the first generation of computer graphics in arcade games produced the popular Space Invaders arcade game (first released in 1978), followed by Pac-Man, Donkey Kong (arcade game), and Frogger. Towards the end of the decade, home video game consoles began to outstrip the arcade game. The Japanese Famicom was released to the American public as the Nintendo Entertainment System (also known as the NES) in 1985 and renewed public interest in video games following a brief decline caused by the Video Game Crash of 1983.
- Computer technology began to enter mainstream culture and appeared in movies such as Tron (film) (1982) and WarGames (1983), using then-state of the art special effects that would go on to have a major impact on movie making.
- Rubik's Cube, Cabbage Patch Kids, "Baby on Board" signs, Teddy Ruxpin, and Trivial Pursuit fads captured the interest of the American and British public..
- Many cartoon characters such as Smurfs, Rainbow Brite, Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, My Little Pony, GI Joe#The 80s, Garfield, and Transformers (fiction) appeared in the media and on merchandise, becoming huge trends of the 1980s. Many of these reappeared about twenty years later in slightly updated versions.
- Martial arts and Ninja mania swept North America due to the popularity of Kung Fu Theater and ninja movies. The Karate Kid became a blockbuster hit film, and raised interest in karate. The emergence of self-styled martial arts experts gave rise to the so-called "McDojo" and "Bullshido" trends. The cartoon characters Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became a widely mass-marketed popular culture phenomenon in the late 1980s.
- "Raybans" or sunglasses became popular "must-wear" items, as well as Nike, Inc. athletic shoe, men's shorts and other sportswear such as sweats and jerseys for an active generation of young people.
- Aerobics surged in popularity. The fad reached across exercise videos, fashion, and music trends as seen in Olivia Newton-John's music video Physical (Olivia Newton-John song), the 1983 movie Flashdance that inspired legwarmers as a fashion trend, and the popular Jane Fonda workout videos.
- Americans became more health-conscious and sought lighter alternatives, with "Lose weight", "Low-Cal", "Low-Salt", "Sugar-free", "No cholesterol" and other phrases becoming common buzzwords for modified foods and beverages. Food faddism became popular.
- MTV, an all-music television station, debuted in the United States in 1981.
- Australian pop culture introduced new trends in the U.S. throughout the 1980s to enhance the continent's cultural image. Examples include celebrities Olivia Newton-John and Yahoo Serious, musicians INXS and Men at Work, the (Crocodile Dundee) movies, the Roos (shoes) shoe brand and Koala Blue chain within the fashion segment, and tastes such as "shrimp on the barbie" and Foster's Lager.
- Rap music began to break into the mainstream, resulting in a string of breakdancing movies such as Beat Street, Breakin', and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. Boom boxes became widespread among inner city music listeners and especially breakdancers, for which the device became a vital element to the ritual. "Breakdance battles" were a more peaceful alternative to gang fights and became popular in music videos.
- In the U.S., Spanish-language television and radio stations built two major networks (Univision — 1985 and Telemundo — 1986) to carry shows and music for the U.S. Latino audience, believed at the time to have been left out of the mainstream media. had several 1980s automobile characteristics, including Brick Fascia rear lights, and improved safety features.
- The De Lorean DMC-12 debuted in 1981, and was produced for three years before the company declared bankruptcy in 1983. The car was later popularized in the 1985 film Back to the Future.
Art
Art exhibitions held in the 1980s included:
Fashion
1980s fashion incorporated distinct trends from different eras, including ancient Egypt, early 20th century British royalty, Edwardian era buccaneers, and punk rockers from the 1970s. A conservative, masculine fashion look that was most indicative of the decade was the wide use of shoulder pads (similar to those worn by women in the 1940s and to those worn in ice hockey). While in the 1970s the silhouette of fashion tended to be characterized by close-fitting clothes on top with wider looser clothes on bottom, this trend completely reversed itself in the early 1980s as both men and women began to wear loose shirts (tucked in) and tight close fitting pants. One variation of this trend was to wear loose-fitting long-sleeve shirts or sweaters with the sleeves scrunched up to the elbows). Men wore power suits, an example of the greater tendency for people to display their wealth. Brand names became increasingly important in this decade, making Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein household names.Lauper made popular the colourful hairstyles and makeup.
Hairstyles are also well known from the decade. Big, messy hairstyles, similar to those worn by women in the 1940s, made popular with the introduction of glam metal, became all the rage throughout the entire decade. Shorter hairstyles also became more common for women. Colorful hair colors (made popular by singer Cyndi Lauper), were also used widely during the era. The eighties also made popular the well known Mullet (haircut) for both men and women and the jerry curl, a wet curly hair style that was very popular in the African American community. The eighties also saw an interest in bright and colorful makeup as well as makeup used on men (as used by glam metal bands of the era). The decade also saw the introduction and popularity of hair crimping.
In the United States, Madonna (entertainer) was known as the "Material Girl" and many teenage girls, sometimes referred to as "Madonna wannabes", looked to her for fashion statements. The popular movie Flashdance (1983) made ripped sweatshirts well-known to the general public. The television shows Dallas (TV series) and Dynasty (TV series) also had a similar impact. The television show Miami Vice influenced a whole generation of men by popularizing, if not actually inventing, the "T-shirt under Giorgio Armani jacket"-style. The James "Sonny" Crockett character played by Don Johnson also boosted Ray Ban's popularity by wearing a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers (Model L2052, Mock Tortoise). Crockett's perpetually unshaven appearance also sparked a minor fashion trend, inspiring men to wear a small amount of beard stubble, also known as five o'clock shadow or "designer stubble", at all times. The show's costume designer Gianni Versace provided the fashion sense. Pastel colors dominated the series in clothes. People were also known to wear acid-washed jeans.
===Music===
- The decade began with a backlash against disco music and a movement away from the lush Disco orchestration that had characterized much of the music of the 1970's. Music in the 1980's was characterized by simpler and cheaper electronic sounds accomplished through the use of synthesizers and keyboards, along with drum machines.
- Michael Jackson revolutionized music with his best-selling album Thriller (album). Thriller, released in 1982, is the world's all-time best selling album with over 104 million sold copies. His mannerisms and trends were copied repeatedly, from the single-glove, to the various jackets he wore, and the now-famous Moonwalk (dance).
- In the United States, MTV was launched and music videos began to have a huge effect on the record industry. The first video aired was Video Killed the Radio Star by the British band The Buggles, and it proved oddly prophetic. Bands such as Duran Duran made lavish music videos which made MTV a cultural phenomenon. Early eighties groups such as Devo and Haircut 100 were pioneers. Pop artists such as Madonna (entertainer) and Michael Jackson mastered the format and turned it into big business.
- New Wave (music) and Synthpop were developed by artists such as Duran Duran, A Flock of Seagulls, Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Japan (band), Soft Cell, Bananarama, New Order, and Tears for Fears, and become popular phenomena throughout the decade, especially in the early eighties.
- Heavy metal, Big Hair Bands and Glam metal, experienced extreme popularity in 1980s, becoming one of the most dominating music genres of the 1980s with artists such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Van Halen, KISS (band), Twisted Sister, Aerosmith, Poison (band), Ratt, Skid Row (heavy metal band), Hanoi Rocks, Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Queen (band), Whitesnake, Quiet Riot, Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, and Rush (band), all receiving extensive airplay.
- Thrash metal appeared and became an underground sensation originating mostly in the Bay Area (San Francisco), and New York City. A few of these acts, such as Metallica, Megadeth (formed in Los Angeles), Anthrax (band) and Slayer (formed in Huntington Beach), managed to achieve mainstream exposure (especially during the early 1990s), and were frequently seen as alternatives to the poppier "glam metal" bands of the day.
- House music was a new development in dance music mid-way through the decade, growing out of the post-disco scene early in the decade and later developed into acid house, a harder form of dance often associated with the developing late 1980s drug culture.
- Hip hop music and rapping music, introduced by Urban culture youths of predominantly African American descent, debuted in the pop culture scene as early as 1979, with the Sugar Hill Gang's single release Rapper's Delight. MTV picked up on this movement with "Yo! MTV Raps", a one-hour show dedicated to hip-hop music videos.
- The Hip hop music scene evolved to become a powerful musical force, bringing with it several dance styles. As hip hop artists such as Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow and N.W.A. gathered mainstream attention, hip hop's influence began to spread outside of Los Angeles and New York City, eventually taking off into America's shores during the 1980s in 1986.
- Top-charting artists of the 1980s include Pat Benatar, Billy Idol, Guns N' Roses, Robert Palmer (singer),New Kids on the Block, The Police, Lionel Richie, Bananarama, The Go-Go's, Dire Straits, Duran Duran, Van Halen, Foreigner (band), John Farnham, Phil Collins, Huey Lewis and the News, Wang Chung (band), Tears for Fears, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Heart (band), Juice Newton, The Eurythmics, Def Leppard, Deacon Blue, Bryan Adams, Queen (band), Depeche Mode, U2, Simple Minds, Madonna (entertainer), Cyndi Lauper, Cher, Rick Springfield, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Olivia Newton-John, Prince (musician), Michael Jackson (the best-selling artist worldwide in the entire decade), Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Beastie Boys, Kim Wilde, Laura Branigan, The Cars and Bon Jovi.
- Records in aid of Ethiopian famine relief, by Band Aid (band) ("Do They Know It's Christmas?") and USA for Africa ("We Are the World") topped the charts, while the Live Aid famine relief concert in London and Philadelphia attracted thousands of attendants and millions of television viewers. Other artists pushed for nuclear disarmament, racial harmony (Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney in a 1981 duet release: Ebony and Ivory), and AIDS awareness.
- United States singer Prince (entertainer), France band Indochine (band) ("3e sexe"), Canadian singer Norman Iceberg ("Be My Human Tonight"), Spain band Mecano ("Mujer Contra Mujer") became part of a worldwide movement of artists writing innovative lyrics filled with sexual innuendos reflecting the then-popular and highly fashionable androgynous style.
- With increased commercialization of popular music, thousands of new bands from all over the country sprang up in opposition by performing aggressive, stripped-down punk rock with an even larger amount of political and social awareness injected into the lyrics. Known as Hardcore punk, it would go on to influence and create other musical genres well into the 21st century. Popular bands included Dead Kennedys in San Francisco, Minor Threat in Washington DC, Black Flag (band) in Los Angeles and Reagan Youth in New York City.
- El General recorded a first album and reggaeton was born in Panama.
- Prince was credited with jump-starting the Minneapolis sound.
- Ballads became popular with bands such as Heart (band).
Comics
- American superhero comics underwent a new age, sparked by Alan Moore's Watchmen and Frank Miller (comics)'s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, that paved the way for more independent and creative ideas. Many different genres other than superheroes were introduced to comics, along with the first translations of manga.
- More adult-targeted comics featuring mature themes, strong violence, and strong language, like the examples cited above, began to become more widespread.
Television
See also: List of years in television#1980sThe Cosby Show debuts in 1984 and is rated number 1 in the Nielsen Ratings in the United States for five consecutive TV seasons.
- The decade began poorly for minorities and gays. Music videos featuring minorities were not played by MTV and gays were portrayed poorly by the media, especially by a widely seen homophobic documentary (which aired in 1980) about gays in San Francisco. With the rise of AIDS, shows which portrayed gays or gay friendly characters were quickly pulled off the air (Three's Company, Bosom Buddies).
- Now regarded as an icon of the 1980s, Miami Vice (1984) redefined the cop show genre, combining film-like production values with MTV style music videos.
- The Oprah Winfrey Show hit the U.S. scene, shattering 20th century taboos and creating confession culture. According to a Yale University study, the tabloid talk show genre popularized by Oprah Winfrey's success provided much needed high impact media visibility for gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, and transgender people, allowing them greater entry into mainstream culture.
- Television saw a wide variety of trends and innovations. In the U.S., Cheers, The Cosby Show and Family Ties took top ratings on Thursday nights and the Fox Broadcasting Company was launched. CNN became the first 24-hour news channel. The growth of cable television with hundreds of new cable networks of a certain field or interest, such as The Weather Channel (United States) which debuted in 1982, offered television viewers a much expanded menu from which to choose.
- In the UK, two rival satellite television services launch in 1989. British Satellite Broadcasting and Sky Television offered viewers up to five extra channels, but both failed to gain the success enjoyed by cable television in North America. The two companies would later merger.
- Punky Brewster, reflecting many trends and fads of the 80s, captured the interest of younger viewers.
- Soap operas gained popularity among high-schoolers and college students in the United States, thanks in part to the supercoupling of Luke Spencer and Laura Webber on the most popular soap of the day, General Hospital.
- The gay community received an upsurge in popular exposure, with U.S. prime time ratings giants Dynasty (TV series) and The Golden Girls and UK soap operas Brookside and EastEnders, featuring either regular or recurring gay characters throughout their long runs. These shows were highly influential in increasing the visibility of regular gay characters on television.
- The music-based cable networks MTV and MuchMusic first appeared on the airwaves, and became major pop cultural influences with music videos and in-depth coverage of musicians and trends among North American youth.
- He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, the first animated children's television program built exclusively around a toy line, started a new trend of increasing the connection between children's programming and toy advertising, alarming many parents and watchdog organizations; an explosive number of toy tie-in Animated cartoon follow, most notably (for the era) The Transformers (TV series), G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and Dino-Riders.
- Animation in the United States and elsewhere saw a dramatic improvement in production values and saw a resurgence of mainstream appeal, both in feature films and on television. Star Blazers, Voltron, and Robotech helped to develop the first wave of organized anime fandom in North America.
- Star Trek: The Next Generation, regarded by some as the pinnacle of the Star Trek series, made its Television syndication debut in 1987.
- Murder, She Wrote became a smash hit with audiences.
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 debuted on the Minneapolis UHF station KTMA in 1988; the following year it was picked up by the fledgling Comedy Channel, which later became Comedy Central.
- The Simpsons debuted on Fox Broadcasting Company on December 17, 1989.
- On February 1, 1982, David Letterman became the host of NBC's Late Night with David Letterman, which remained on the air until 1993 when Letterman left for CBS.
- On December 6, 1989, the once extremely successful and popular British science fiction series Doctor Who came to an end after more than 26 years and 703 episodes.
- The #1 shows on American network television throughout the decade:
Film
The 1980s was a prosperous and extremely active decade for the film industry, seeing many box office hits. The industry began to put a greater emphasis on producing mass-market blockbusters in place of the more director-led approach of the 1970s. (Many film historians have pointed to the massive box office flop of Heaven's Gate (film) in 1980 leading to studios wanting greater control of film production.) During the 1980s, much controversy arose over the film colorization of black and white films.
Video cassettes became extremely popular in households. A videotape format war broke out between JVC and Sony over their formats, VHS and Betamax. VHS eventually became the new standard, despite offering initial poorer quality recordings. Only after many years did VHS eventually catch-up, although the format always provided a recording length advantage. The widespread popularity of video cassettes aided in the rise of video rentals, with the first Blockbuster (movie rental store) opening in 1985. The Sundance Institute was set up in 1981 to help independent film-makers gain professional contacts and experience. The first Sundance Film Festival was held in 1986. The cross-over success of the film sex, lies and videotape in 1989 paved the way for the independent film boom in the 1990s.
The Crime and Gangster film genre was also active, with hits such as The Untouchables (1987 film) and the legendary Scarface (1983 film), directed by Brian De Palma.
The science fiction genre experienced a surge in popularity following the success of Star Wars. This is best exemplified by Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), which shattered records for box office gross receipts and became the decade's biggest earner both in the United States and United Kingdom. Popular sci-fi films of the decade also included Blade Runner, Aliens (film), Tron (film) and The Terminator. The original Star Wars trilogy was concluded with Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983). Tie-in merchandise became extremely common following the success of Star Wars tie-in products. Special effects become more sophisticated and advanced with films like Tron, Predator (film) and The Abyss, paving the way for the Computer-generated imagery-intensive films of the 1990s. Also, Star Trek saw a resurgence of popularity for the original 1960s TV series with the release of a series of popular films in the 1980s, highlighted by Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
Action movies, common since the 1950s, entered mass production, with actors like Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris and Arnold Schwarzenegger helping to pioneer the genre. Among the most famous action movies were the Rambo series, RoboCop, Predator (film), Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Escape from New York and Commando (film). Ghostbusters (1984, directed by Ivan Reitman) was very popular and successful, as was Back to the Future (1985), which captivated audiences with its youth-oriented time travel fantasy. Movie sequels became a trend as evidenced by Ghostbusters II and Back to the Future Part II (both 1989). Ronald Reagan frequently made references to Back to the Future and Rambo.
The Horror genre boomed with hit franchises including the Friday the 13th (film series) series, the A Nightmare on Elm Street (film series) series and the Halloween (film series). Others include the Hellraiser films, Poltergeist (film series) and Evil Dead series', The Lost Boys, The Fly (1986 film), The Shining (film) and John Carpenter's The Thing.
The 1980s also experienced many infamous high-profile commercial flops, including Howard the Duck (film), Ishtar (film), Dune (film), Revolution (1985 film), Inchon (film) and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. The most famous flop is Heaven's Gate (film) which cost US$44 million to produce yet only grossed $3.4 million, leading the studio United Artists into bankruptcy. However, the success of The Little Mermaid (1989 film) (1989) heralded a renaissance for Disney and animated films in general after a string of commercial failures.
Teen films arose as a highly successful genre, most notably those of John Hughes (film director) who, with the so-called "Brat Pack", made such decade-defining films as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science (film), Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pretty In Pink and Uncle Buck. Other teen films of the decade include The Sure Thing, St. Elmo's Fire, Risky Business, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Less Than Zero (film), Heathers, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Say Anything (film) and Rumble Fish. In addition, teen sex comedies made their mark in the public eye, such as Spring Break (film), Porky's and the Lemon Popsicle series. Several of these are set in the 1950s, reflecting the 50's-nostalgia common at the time.
Several films examining the United States' role in the Vietnam war were released, most notably Platoon (film) (1986), as well as Full Metal Jacket, Hamburger Hill, Good Morning, Vietnam (all 1987), Born on the Fourth of July and Casualties of War (both 1989). The Rambo series took a more visceral look at the effects of the war.
Music/dance films appeared and became staples of the decade, notably Fame (film), Flashdance, Footloose, Streets of Fire and Dirty Dancing. Several breakdancing/hip-hop films were made including Body Rock, Beat Street, Rappin', Wild Style, Krush Groove, Breakin' and its sequel Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.
In Britain, concern ensued over the violent content of the 'video nasties'. This led to the introduction of the Video Recordings Act 1984, which banned films such as The Driller Killer, I Spit On Your Grave and Cannibal Holocaust. At the time, many claimed that the Hungerford massacre had been inspired by violent films. In the U.S., Red Dawn (1984) became the first film released with a PG-13 rating, and in the UK, Batman was the first to receive a 12 certificate.
Video games
Although popularity of video games and arcades began in the mid to late 1970s, it continued throughout the 1980s with rapid growth in video game technology throughout the decade. Space Invaders, developed in Japan in 1978, was first previewed at a United Kingdom trade show in 1979, making a huge impact on the early 80s gaming scene. Many other games followed including Pac-Man, creating a Pac Man fever craze early in the decade, especially in 1982 and 1983; Super Mario Bros. games became a highly successful franchise starting in 1985 and its popularity continues today.
In the 1980s, Atari failed to apply proper quality control to the software development process for its popular Atari 2600 game console. The amount of low-quality software caused a massive video game crash of 1983. The release of Nintendo's Nintendo Entertainment System console rectified the problem and revived home gaming by only being able to play games approved by the company. PC Engine and Sega Mega Drive were next generation game consoles that were released during the last years of the decade.
Home computers become popular in the 1980s and during that decade they were used heavily for gaming, especially the ZX Spectrum. The prevailing IBM PC standard was born in 1981 but had a status of a non-entertainment computer throughout the decade. Along with the IBM PC, the Commodore 64 (1982) was the most popular 8-bit home computer and its successor, the Amiga (1985), was the most popular 16-bit home computer.
International issues
In the United States
- Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States from 1981 to 1989.
- American schoolgirl Samantha Smith visited the Soviet Union after writing to Yuri Andropov and became involved in the growing peace movement between East and West before her death in 1985.
- John Lennon was Assassination in 1980.
- An Reagan assassination attempt on the life of Ronald Reagan, 1981.
- A Crack Cocaine epidemic occurred in urban areas of the U.S., such that violent crime and drug trafficking soared to record levels in most large United States cities. Crime and drug use rates began to fall toward the end of the decade.
- Riots took place in the poor section of Miami, Florida in May 1980 and January 1989.
- A poverty rate of 40% African Americans, 30% Hispanic and 20% White.
- An unemployment rate of 10% overall.
In Canada
- During The Right Honourable Pierre Elliot Trudeau's term as Prime Minister of Canada (and under his oversight), Queen Elizabeth II signed the New Constitution of Canada on 17 April, 1982. This Act severed all Political Depandances of the United Kingdom in Canada.
In Europe
- Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was Assassination.
- There was an assassination attempt on
