'The 1980s' refers to the years from
1980 to
1989. Particularly in the
United Kingdom and
USA, this decade is often referred to as "the Me decade" or "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
UK, 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 saw the withdrawal of Soviet troops at the conclusion of the
Soviet-Afghan War, the
fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of
Cold War between the United States and the
Soviet Union. The era was characterized by conservative family values alongside a period of increased telecommunications, a shift towards liberal market economies and the new openness of
perestroika and
glasnost in the USSR. This transitional period also saw massive democratic revolutions such as the
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 in
China, the
Czechoslovak velvet revolution, and the overthrow of the
dictatorial regime in
Romania and other
communist Warsaw Pact states in
Central 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
The
Lamborghini Countach has become to some a symbol of automobiles in the 1980s.
★
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 1986 when
Rush Limbaugh began broadcasting from his flagship station,
WABC 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 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 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 and drug education expanded, bringing about movements such as
M.A.D.D., 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
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
U.S. Surgeon General. "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 accident.
★ 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,
recycle most of their nations' trash, and increase focus on
water 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
first Macintosh was introduced in 1984, the first commercially successful computer to use a
graphical user interface.
The 1980s included the transition between the
industrial 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
gaming systems, the first commercially available hand-held
mobile phones, and new
audio and
data storage 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
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
Apple Macintosh was introduced in January 1984 and became the first commercially successful computer to use a
graphical user interface. 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
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
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,
Sakigake, and others in the "
Halley Armada." The first
Space Shuttle mission,
STS-1, aboard the
Space Shuttle Columbia launched in 1981; and the
Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster occurred in 1986, the same year the
Soviet Union launched the
space station Mir.
The
accident at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the USSR occurred in April 1986, and became the world's worst nuclear accident.
Science
★ The
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome 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
Carbon allotrope 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'', 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'' (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,
Garfield, and
Transformers 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
pop culture phenomenon in the late 1980s.
★ "Raybans" or
sunglasses became popular "must-wear" items, as well as
Nike sneakers, men's
shorts and other
athletic wear 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 ''
(Let's Get) Physical'', 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.
Fad diets 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 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 ''.
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.
The
De Lorean DMC-12 had several 1980s automobile characteristics, including Brick Fascia rear lights, and improved safety features.
★ The
De Lorean 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:
★ 1982:
Documenta 7
★ 1984:
Von hier aus – Zwei Monate neue deutsche Kunst in Düsseldorf
★ 1987:
Documenta 8
★ 1988:
Freeze
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 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, 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
poodle rock bands of the era). The decade also saw the introduction and popularity of
hair crimping.
In the United States,
Madonna 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'' and ''
Dynasty'' 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
Armani jacket"-style. The
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 music of the 80's is one of the most memorable aspects, as it encompased the over-the-top flash and self-indulgence of the decade.
Thriller'', released in 1982, is the world's all-time best selling album with over 104 million sold copies.
★ The 'King of Pop'
Michael Jackson revolutionized music with his best-selling album
Thriller. His mannerisms and trends were copied repeatedly, from the single-glove, to the various jackets he wore, and the now-famous ''
moonwalk''.
★ 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 and
Michael Jackson mastered the format and turned it into big business.
★ The sounds of new technology, synthesizers and
keyboards, along with drum machines, lent an electronic, distinct sound to many 1980s records.
★
New Wave and
Synthpop were developed by artists such as
Duran Duran,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Gary Numan,
Depeche Mode,
Japan,
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,
Twisted Sister,
Aerosmith,
Poison,
Ratt,
Skid Row,
Mötley Crüe,
Def Leppard,
Queen,
Whitesnake,
Quiet Riot,
Bon Jovi,
Guns N' Roses,
AC/DC, and
Rush, 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 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.
★
Extreme metal began, with bands such as
Venom,
Bathory,
Hellhammer,
Celtic Frost,
Death,
Possessed,
Morbid Angel and gained prominence in the underground.
★
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 and
rap music, introduced by
urban 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 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.
★
Alternative rock appeared as a then-aptly titled alternative to the mainstream rock trends of the day, with American bands such as
R.E.M.,
The Replacements,
They Might Be Giants,
Camper Van Beethoven, the
Violent Femmes and the
Pixies, and British bands such as
The Cure,
The Smiths and
Echo and the Bunnymen, as pioneers.
★ Top-charting artists of the 1980s include
Pat Benatar,
Billy Idol,
Guns N' Roses,
Robert Palmer,
The Police,
Lionel Richie,
Bananarama,
The Go-Go's,
Dire Straits,
Duran Duran,
Van Halen,
Foreigner,
John Farnham,
Phil Collins,
Huey Lewis and the News,
Wang Chung,
Tears for Fears,
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam,
Heart,
Juice Newton,
The Eurythmics,
Def Leppard,
Deacon Blue,
Bryan Adams,
Queen,
Depeche Mode,
U2,
Madonna,
Cyndi Lauper,
Cher,
Rick Springfield,
Tina Turner,
Bruce Springsteen,
John Mellencamp,
Olivia Newton-John,
Prince,
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.
★ The famous Calum Beedling won the Olympic Schoolboy Gold in the 1987 CSAA Schoolboy race, he was also one of the first people to do this.
★ Records in aid of
Ethiopian
famine relief, by
Band Aid ("
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.
★
American singer
Prince,
French band
Indochine ("3e sexe"),
Canadian singer
Norman Iceberg ("Be My Human Tonight"),
Spanish 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.
★ In the U.S.,
contemporary Christian music gained popularity in the mid-80s with such crossover artists as
Amy Grant,
Kathy Troccoli,
BeBe and
CeCe Winans,
Michael W. Smith,
Stryper, and
Petra.
★ 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 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.
Comics
★ American superhero comics underwent a new age, sparked by
Alan Moore's ''
Watchmen'' and
Frank Miller's '', 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'':
1980s in television
''
The Cosby Show'' debuts in 1984 and is rated number 1 in the
Nielsen Ratings in the United States for five consecutive TV seasons.]]
★ 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 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.
[1]
★ 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 network 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 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
merge.
★
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'' 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
cartoons follow, most notably (for the era) ''
Transformers'', '' 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.
★ '', regarded by some as the pinnacle of the
Star Trek series, made its
syndicated debut in 1987.
★ In the
United Kingdom, the
Sky Television plc satellite service launched in 1989.
''
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 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:
★
★ 1979–1980: ''
60 Minutes''
★
★ 1980–1981: ''
Dallas''
★
★ 1981–1982: ''
Dallas''
★
★ 1982–1983: ''
60 Minutes''
★
★ 1983–1984: ''
Dallas''
★
★ 1984–1985: ''
Dynasty''
★
★ 1985–1986: ''
The Cosby Show''
★
★ 1986–1987: ''
The Cosby Show''
★
★ 1987–1988: ''
The Cosby Show''
★
★ 1988–1989: ''
The Cosby Show''
★
★ 1989–1990: ''
The Cosby Show'' and ''
Roseanne''
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'' in 1980 leading to studios wanting greater control of film production.) During the 1980s, much controversy arose over the
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 poorer quality recordings. The widespread popularity of video cassettes aided in the rise of video rentals, with the first
Blockbuster 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'' and the legendary ''
Scarface'', 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'', ''
Tron'' and ''
The Terminator''. The original ''Star Wars'' trilogy was concluded with '' (1980) and '' (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'' and ''
The Abyss'', paving the way for the
CGI-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 '', '', and'' ''.
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'', ''
Die Hard'', ''
Lethal Weapon'', ''
Escape from New York'' and ''
Commando''. ''
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'' series, the ''
Nightmare on Elm Street'' series and the ''
Halloween series''. Others include the ''
Hellraiser'' films, ''
Poltergeist'' and ''
Evil Dead'' series', ''
The Lost Boys'', ''
The Fly'', ''
The Shining'' and ''
John Carpenter's The Thing''.
The 1980s also experienced many infamous high-profile commercial flops, including ''
Howard the Duck'', ''
Ishtar'', ''
Dune'', ''
Revolution'', ''
Inchon'' and ''
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen''. The most famous flop is ''
Heaven's Gate'' 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) 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 who, with the so-called "
Brat Pack", made such decade-defining films as ''
Sixteen Candles'', ''
The Breakfast Club'', ''
Weird Science'', ''
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'', ''
Heathers'', ''
Fast Times at Ridgemont High'', ''
Say Anything'' and ''
Rumble Fish''. In addition, teen sex comedies made their mark in the public eye, such as ''
Spring Break'', ''
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'' (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'', ''
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 ''.
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
UK 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
Video Computer System game console. The amount of low-quality software caused a massive
collapse of the home console industry. The release of
Nintendo's
Famicom/NES 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
assassinated.
★ An attempt was made on the life of
Ronald Reagan.
★ 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
American cities. Crime and drug use rates began to fall toward the end of the decade.
★
Riots took place in the (mostly black) poor section of
Miami 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.
In Europe
★ Swedish Prime Minister
Olof Palme was
assassinated.
★ There was an assassination attempt on
Pope John Paul II.
★ Fall of the
Berlin Wall in
1989
In the United Kingdom
★
Margaret Thatcher held the office of
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from
1979 to
1990.
In Australia
★
Bob Hawke was
Prime Minister of
Australia for most of the 1980s.
★ Most Australian states decriminalized homosexuality.
Natural disasters
★
Mount St. Helens erupted in
Washington, U.S. on
May 18,
1980 — one of the biggest
volcanic events ever recorded. Sixty-five people were killed, there were massive mudflows to the west, and ash fell to the east (in
Yakima, Washington and
Spokane, Washington).
★ The 1989
Loma Prieta Earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area during the
1989 World Series, gaining worldwide attention. Seventy-two people were killed and thousands injured, with major structural damage on freeways and buildings and broken gas-line fires in
San Francisco. The cost of the damage totalled $10 billion.
★ Other natural disasters: The 1982–1983
El Nino brought destructive weather to most of the world; the 1985
Mexico earthquake registered 8.1 on the
Richter scale and devastated
Mexico City and other areas throughout central Mexico; the 1985
Nevado del Ruiz mudslide in
Colombia; the 1986
Lake Nyos toxic cloud in
Cameroon; and the 1988
Armenian earthquake rocked the
Caucasus region of the
USSR.
People
Entertainers
★
Asia
★
Kate Bush (singer-songwriter, ''
Never for Ever,
The Dreaming,
Hounds of Love,
The Whole Story,
The Sensual World'')
★
Petra (Christian rock and roll band)
★
Stryper (Christian heavy metal band)
★
Robert Palmer (rock musician, ''
Riptide)
★
Run-DMC (musicians, ''
Raising Hell'')
★
King Diamond (musicians, ''
Them'')
★
Corrosion Of Conformity (musicians, ''
Eye For An Eye'')
★
Paula Abdul (musician, ''
Forever Your Girl'')
★
Tiffany (singer) (musician, ''
Tiffany (album)'')
★
AC/DC (music band, ''
Back in Black'', ''
For Those About to Rock We Salute You'', ''
Who Made Who'', ''
Blow Up Your Video'')
★
Aerosmith (music band, ''
Done With Mirrors'', ''
Permanent Vacation'', ''
Pump'')
★
A-ha (musician band, ''
Take On Me'',''
The Sun Always Shines On TV'')
★
Brat Pack (actors)
★
Journey (music band, ''
Escape'', ''
Frontiers'', ''
Raised on Radio'')
★
Bon Jovi (music band, ''
Bon Jovi'', ''
7800 Fahrenheit'', ''
Slippery When Wet'', ''
New Jersey'')
★
Mötley Crüe (music band, ''
Shout at the Devil'', ''
Theatre of Pain'', ''
Girls, Girls, Girls'', ''
Dr. Feelgood (album)'')
★
Poison (music band, ''
Look What the Cat Dragged In'', ''
Open Up and Say...Ahh!'')
★
Amy Grant ( Contemporary Christian musician)
★
Cliff Richard (musician)
★
David Brooks (country singer)
★
Hall & Oates (pop singers)
★
Eazy-E (rap singer)
★
Garth Brooks (musician)
★
The Cars (music band, ''
Shake It Up'', ''
You Might Think'', ''
Drive'')
★
Phoebe Cates (actress, ''
Fast Times at Ridgemont High'', ''
Gremlins'')
★
Tracy Chapman (singer, ''
Tracy Chapman'')
★
David Cronenberg (director)
★
Genesis (music band)
★
Guns N' Roses (music band, ''
Appetite for Destruction'', ''
G N' R Lies'')
★
Tom Cruise (actor, ''
Top Gun'', ''
Rain Man'', ''
Risky Business'', ''
The Color of Money'')
★
Bo Derek (actress)
★
Matt Dillon (actor)
★
Dalida
★
David Bowie (musician, ''
Let's Dance'')
★
Depeche Mode (music band)
★
Europe (music band)
★
Duran Duran (music band, ''
Duran Duran'', ''
Rio'', ''
Seven And The Ragged Tiger'', ''
Notorious'', ''
Big Thing'')
★
Ozzy Osbourne (musician, ''
Blizzard of Ozz'', ''
Diary of a Madman'', ''
Bark at the Moon'', ''
The Ultimate Sin'', ''
No Rest for the Wicked'')
★
Emilio Estevez (actor, ''
The Breakfast Club'', ''
The Outsiders'', ''
Young Guns'')
★
Molly Ringwald (actress, ''
Sixteen Candles'', ''
The Breakfast Club'', ''
Pretty in Pink'')
★
Matthew Broderick (actor, ''
WarGames'', ''
Ferris Bueller's Day Off'', ''
Glory'')
★
Anthony Michael Hall (actor, ''
Sixteen Candles'', ''
The Breakfast Club'', ''
Weird Science'')
★
Andrew McCarthy (actor, ''
St. Elmo's Fire'', ''
Pretty in Pink'')
★ John Farnham (Australian singer, ''
You're The Voice'', ''
(Turn the) Pressure Down'', ''
Age Of Reason'')
★
Harrison Ford (actor, ''
Indiana Jones'' series, ''
Star Wars'' series, ''
Blade Runner'', ''
Witness'')
★
Jodie Foster (actress, ''
The Accused'')
★
Iron Maiden (music band, "
The Number Of The Beast")
★
INXS (music band, ''
The Swing'', ''
Kick'')
★
Max Headroom (fictitious character lives inside a TV set)
★
Nena (German singer ''
99 Luftballons'')
★
New Order (music band)
★
Hulk Hogan (U.S.
wrestler)
★
NWA (rap music group, ''
Straight Outta Compton'', ''
Fuck tha Police'')
★
Michael J. Fox (actor, ''
Family Ties'', ''
Back to the Future'' series, ''
Teen Wolf'')
★
Mel Gibson (actor, ''
Lethal Weapon'' series, ''
Mad Max'' series)
★
Whoopi Goldberg (actress, ''
The Color Purple'', ''
Jumpin' Jack Flash'')
★
Debbie Harry (musician from ''
Blondie'')
★
Paul Hogan (actor, ''
Crocodile Dundee'')
★
John Hughes (film director)
★
John Candy (actor, ''
Planes, Trains & Automobiles'', ''
Uncle Buck'')
★
Chrissie Hynde (musician from ''
Pretenders'')
★
Michael Jackson (musician, ''
Thriller'', ''
Bad'')
★
Janet Jackson (musician, ''
Control'', ''
Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'')
★
Elton John (musician)
★
Olivia Newton-John (pop singer)
★
Michael Keaton (actor, ''
Batman'', ''
Mr. Mom'', ''
Night Shift'')
★
Spike Lee (director)
★
Annie Lennox (singer from ''
Eurythmics'')
★
George Lucas (film director, ''
Indiana Jones'' series, ''
Star Wars'' series, ''
Captain Eo'')
★
David Lynch (director)
★
Madonna (musician, also known as ''
Material Girl''), ''
Madonna'', ''
Like a Virgin'', ''
True Blue'', ''
Who's That Girl Soundtrack'', ''
You Can Dance'', ''
Like a Prayer'')
★
Slayer (music band, "
Show No Mercy")
★
Megadeth (music band, "
Killing Is My Business, "
Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?")
★
Metallica (music band, ''
Kill 'Em All'', ''
Master of Puppets'', ''
Ride the Lightning'', ''
...And Justice for All'')
★
George Michael (musician from ''
Wham!'')
★
Pat Morita (actor, ''
The Karate Kid'')
★
Eddie Murphy (actor, ''
Saturday Night Live'', ''
Beverly Hills Cop'', ''
Trading Places'')
★
Jack Nicholson (actor, ''
Terms of Endearment'', ''
The Shining'', ''
Batman'', ''
Prizzi's Honor'', ''
Ironweed'', ''
Reds'')
★
Tom Petty (musician, ''
Hard Promises'', ''
Long After Dark'', ''
Southern Accents'', ''
Full Moon Fever'')
★
Pink Floyd (music band, "
The Final Cut", "
A Momentary Lapse of Reason")
★
The Police (music band, ''
Zenyatta Mondatta'', ''
Ghost in the Machine, ''
Synchronicity'')
★
Phil Collins (pop singer, from the music band
Genesis, ''
In The Air Tonight'', ''
Against All Odds'', ''
Sussudio'', ''
Take Me Home'')
★
Queen (music band)
★
Quiet Riot (music band, ''
Metal Health'')
★
Rush (music band, ''
Permanent Waves'', ''
Moving Pictures'', ''
Signals'', ''
Grace Under Pressure'', ''
Power Windows'', ''
Hold Your Fire'', ''
Presto'')
★
Sean Penn (actor)
★
Michelle Pfeiffer (actress, ''
Grease 2'', ''
Scarface'', ''
Dangerous Liaisons'')
★
Prince (musician ''
Purple Rain'', ''
Sign 'O' the Times'')
★
Kenny Rogers (musician)
★
Meg Ryan (actress)
★
Charlie Sheen (actor)
★
Sheena Easton (pop singer)
★
Arnold Schwarzenegger (actor, ''
The Terminator'', ''
Predator'', ''
Conan the Barbarian'')
★
Sylvester Stallone (actor, ''
Rambo'' series, ''
Rocky III'', ''
Rocky IV'')
★
Oliver Stone (director)
★
Meryl Streep (actress, ''
Ironweed'', ''
A Cry in the Dark'', ''
She-Devil'')
★
Patrick Swayze (actor, ''
Dirty Dancing'')
★
Judas Priest (music band, ''
British Steel'')
★
The Cure (music band)
★
U2 (music band, ''
War'', ''
The Joshua Tree'', ''
Rattle and Hum'')
★
Van Halen (music band, ''
Women and Children First'', ''
Fair Warning'', ''
Diver Down'', ''
MCMLXXXIV'', ''
5150'', ''
OU812'')
★
Sigourney Weaver (actress, ''
Working Girl'')
★
Bruce Willis (actor, ''
Moonlighting'', ''
Die Hard'', ''
Look Who's Talking'')
★
Cyndi Lauper (musician, ''
She's so Unusual'', ''
True Colors'', ''
A Night to Remember'')
★
MC Hammer (musician)
★
Whitesnake (music band, ''
Slide It In'', ''
Whitesnake'', ''
Slip of the Tongue'')
★
ZZ Top (music band, ''
Eliminator'', ''
Afterburner'')
★
Teena Marie (musician)
★
Laura Branigan (pop singer)
★
Kim Wilde (pop singer)
★
Red Hot Chili Peppers (music band)
★
Sheila E (band drummer)
★
New Edition (pop/r&b group)
Sports figures
★
Alexis Arguello (Nicaraguan
boxer)
★
Marco van Basten (Dutch
soccer player)
★
Wilfred Benitez (Puerto Rican
boxer)
★
Larry Bird (U.S.
basketball player)
★
Serge Blanco (French
rugby union player)
★
Allan Border (Australian cricket captain/batsman)
★
Ian Botham (Somerset & England cricket all-rounder)
★
Mike Brearley (Middlesex & England cricket captain/batsman)
★
George Brett (U.S.
baseball player)
★
Peter Brock (Australian
Motorsport legend)
★
Warwick Capper (Australian
football player)
★
David Campese (Australian
rugby union player)
★
Julio Cesar Chavez (Mexican
boxer)
★
Jose Canseco (U.S. baseball player)
★
Roberto Duran (Panamanian
boxer)
★
Dale Earnhardt (NASCAR hall of fame driver)
★
Paulo Roberto Falcão (Brazilian
soccer player)
★
Ric Flair (U.S.
wrestler)
★
Mike Gatting (Middlesex & England cricket captain/batsman)
★
Sunil Gavaskar (India cricket opening batsman)
★
Dwight Gooden] (U.S Baseball Player
★
Wilfredo Gómez (Puerto Rican
boxer)
★
Gordon Greenidge (West Indies cricket opening batsman)
★
Wayne Gretzky (Canadian
ice hockey player)
★
Florence Griffith Joyner (U.S.
track and field athlete)
★
Richard Hadlee (New Zealand cricket fast bowler)
★
Marvin Hagler (U.S.
boxer)
★
Alan Hansen (Liverpool & Scotland footballer))
★
Thomas Hearns (U.S.
boxer)
★
Hulk Hogan (U.S.
wrestler)
★
Larry Holmes (U.S.
boxer)
★
Bo Jackson (U.S.
American football and
baseball player)
★
Imran Khan (Pakistani
cricket player)
★
Jahangir Khan (Pakistani
squash player)
★
Earvin "Magic" Johnson (U.S.
basketball player)
★
Michael Jordan (U.S.
basketball player)
★
Jarmila Kratochvílová (Czech
track and field athlete)
★
Mario Lemieux (Canadian
ice hockey player)
★
Greg LeMond (U.S.
cyclist)
★
Ivan Lendl (Czech/U.S.
tennis player)
★
Sugar Ray Leonard (U.S.
boxer)
★
Carl Lewis (U.S.
track and field athlete)
★
Wally Lewis (Australian
rugby league player}
★
Gary Lineker (English
footballer)
★
Ronnie Lott (U.S.
American football player)
★
Saleem Malik (Pakistani
cricket player)
★
Diego Armando Maradona (Argentine
soccer player)
★
Malcolm Marshall (West Indies cricket fast bowler)
★
Don Mattingly (U.S.
baseball player)
★
John McEnroe (U.S.
tennis player)
★
Mal Meninga (Australian
rugby league player}
★
Mark Messier (Canadian
ice hockey player)
★
Javed Miandad (Pakistani
cricket player)
★
Joe Montana (U.S.
American football player)
★
Dale Murphy (U.S.
baseball player)
★
Martina Navrátilová (Czech/U.S.
tennis player)
★
Jack Nicklaus (U.S.
golfer)
★
Walter Payton (U.S.
American football player)
★
Nelson Piquet (Brazilian
racing driver)
★
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper (U.S.
wrestler)
★
Michel Platini (French
soccer player)
★
Kirby Puckett (U.S
baseball player)
★
Alain Prost (French
racing driver)
★
Jerry Rice (U.S.
football player)
★
Vivian Richards (West Indies cricket batsman)
★
Ian Rush (Welsh
soccer player)
★
Rebekah Broughton (Australian
Pie Eating player)
★
Nolan Ryan (U.S.
baseball player)
★
Ayrton Senna (Brazilian
racing driver)
★
Ozzie Smith (U.S.
baseball player)
★
Neville Southall (Welsh
soccer player)
★
Michael Spinks (U.S.
boxer)
★
Darryl Strawberry (U.S. baseball player)
★
Lawrence Taylor (U.S.
American football player)
★
Isiah Thomas (U.S.
basketball player)
★
Daley Thompson (English
track and field athlete)
★
Mike Tyson (U.S.
boxer)
★
Dwight Yorke (Trinidadian
footballer)
★
Steve Young (U.S. football player)
★
Zico (Brazilian
soccer player)
Others
★
United States President Ronald Reagan
★
First Lady of the United States Nancy Reagan
★
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
★
General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev
★
Diana, Princess of Wales
★
Martin Kippenberger
See also
★
1980s fashion
★
1980s in television
★
1980s decor
External links
★
American Cultural History 1980–1989
★
80s Nostalgia.com
★
80s.com
★
inthe80s.com
★
Popular, Well-Known Eighties Music and Playlist
★
80's ROCKS
العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español
