Hey folks! Today we will consider the 80s pop culture. Let’s first understand what is pop culture. Pop culture is a collection of activities, beliefs, artistic output, and artifacts prominent in a civilization at that time. People’s responses to films as an art form tend to be the greatest, hence movies and the cinema have a significant influence on pop culture.
Trend-driven attitudes that alter people’s philosophies and bring about societal change are known as popular culture. Pop Culture classes include entertainment music, television, video games, sports, politics, fashion, and technology. In this post, you will get to the nostalgic 80s pop culture that influenced the culture for future generations.
Without further discussion, Let’s explore different aspects of pop culture including technology, video games, fashion trends, and music during the 1980s.
Launch of the popular MTV
MTV channel was launched at the beginning of the 80s era. MTV brought music videos and they became widely popular. It serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group. The channel has made a lasting impact on the music culture. Music videos brought a new way of storytelling through music and visuals. The first music video was Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles.
Music and Pop Icons in the Decade
The 80s decade is popular for the rise of the hip-hop genre. It is considered the golden age of the hip-hop music scene. The hip-hop music scene evolved in the late 80s. Beastie Boys, Furious Five, Public Enemy, Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, and N.W.A. were among the popular artists of the genre.
With the advent of bands like Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Europe, and Megadeth, the hard rock, heavy metal, and glam metal subgenres rose to prominence during the decade. The 1980s also marked the rise in the popularity of song parodies.
Country music’s attraction to young people and record-breaking numbers propelled it into a new sphere of popularity. In the middle to late 1980s, Detroit, Michigan, became the epicenter of the techno genre of electronic dance music. House music also debuted in Chicago, Illinois, in the early 1980s.
Michael Jackson’s Thriller became a chart-topping album of the decade. Moreover, Duran Duran, R.E.M., Beastie Boys, Madonna, Prince, and Whitney Houston made waves in the 80s music scene.
Fashion Trends That Influence the Generations
Let’s consider what kind of fashion trend was popular in the 80s. 1980s fashion includes neon apparel, ripped jeans, shoulder pads, leather pants, and leather aviator jackets. Jumpsuits, members-only jackets, skin-tight acid-washed jeans, Izod Lacoste, and “preppy” polo shirts were also in trend.
Furthermore, Miniskirts made a comeback to fashion trend after years. The era is famous for its loud and shiny makeup with bright eyeshadows, and excessive use of liners and blush.
Colorful-dyed hair, perm, hi-top fade, big hair, Jheri curl, and mullet were popular hair trends during the 80s. Ray Ban Aviator sunglasses also became trendy in the decade.
Popular Video Games Emerged in the Era
The decade is famous for the emergence of Video Games. Pac-Man was the first game to gain immense recognition in mainstream culture, as well as the first gaming character to become well-known on his own.
Super Mario Bros., Tetris, Frogger, Mega Man, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Mega Man, Final Fantasy, Castlevania, and Pac-Man are some of the most popular video games of the 1980s.
The young market category saw the introduction of handheld electronic LCD games. The ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 were the two main gaming computers of the 1980s when they first appeared in 1982.
Nintendo introduced the Famicom, which had been available in Japan since 1983, to the US market as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Before the following generation of consoles emerged in the early 1990s, the NES dominated the markets in Japan and the United States in the 1980s, it was dubbed as the Nintendo era.
Technology and Automobile Advancements in the 1980s
Let’s find out the tech advancements that take place in the era. The demand for Personal computers increased. IBM launched its PC model 5150, which was the first DOS-compatible PC. The Macintosh 128k introduced a PC with a graphical user card.
The Commodore 64 became the best-selling computer model of all time. You know what, both analog and digital HDTV(high-definition television) were originally introduced in the 80s.
Moreover, VHS became the dominant home video system standard over the competitor Betamax standard. Thanks to the Hayes Microcomputer Products which introduced Smartmodem. It carved out the way for today’s modern modems.
Computer Network FidoNet was launched in the early decade. Microsoft released MS-DOS, Windows 1.0, and Windows 2.0 in the 80s. Even the basic Compact Disc(CD) for distribution and audio listening was also launched in that period. Polaroid cameras were highly popular at that time.
The early decade was not that good for automobile companies. Some companies were near bankruptcy. However, things changed in the middle decade. Especially, some European brands faced a comedown in the North American market.
Popular Sports Events of the Decade
The ice hockey team New York Islanders won the Stanley Cup for 4 straight years in the 1980s. India and Australia won the Cricket World Cup in 1983 and 1987 respectively.
The WWF’s first WrestleMania was held at Madison Square Garden in 1985. Football team Liverpool F.C. proved to be one of the most successful teams as they became English champions six times in the decade.
A boycott spearheaded by the US and 64 other nations in opposition to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 caused the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow to be canceled.
Population Increase in the 80s
Do you know the 1980s era has been popular for population growth? The decade saw one of the largest population growth. The world’s population increased from 4.4 to 5.3 billion people. It surpassed the growth of previous and next decades i.e. 1970s and 1990s. If we talk about regions or countries, Middle Eastern, African, and South Asian countries witnessed the largest growth in terms of population.
Emergence of Blockbusters and Cult Classics
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Return of the Jedi, The Empire Strikes Back, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Batman, and Rain Man are some commercially successful films of the 80s era.
Movies of the 1980s that won the Oscars include Ordinary People, Chariots of Fire, Gandhi, Terms of Endearment, Amadeus, Out of Africa, Platoon, The Last Emperor, Rain Man, and Driving Miss Daisy.
The 1980s decade is considered the golden age of teen films. Some of the most notable movies include The Breakfast Club, Class, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Sixteen Candles, Mannequin, Porky’s, and Pretty in Pink.
Apart from this, Japanese anime movies also emerged in the decade. The Castle of Cagliostro, Castle in the Sky, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind were among the most successful ones.
Some of the most popular animated television shows include The Smurfs, The Super Mario Bros Super Show!, Masters of the Universe, Thundercats, The Simpsons, DuckTales, and M.A.S.K.
The Globalization of 80s Pop Culture
The 1980s are famous for setting pop culture trends we still see today. This decade brought new subcultures that helped shape youth culture and rebellion.
The way people dressed, the music they listened to, and social rules from that time have had a long-lasting effect on later generations making people feel nostalgic and giving today’s creators new ideas to work with. The energy of the 80s keeps reminding us how one era can influence for years to come.
Also, you must know the best famous singers & musicians of the 80s ever.
We have discussed the 80s pop culture that influenced the future generations. Was this post helpful to you? If yes, then don’t forget to like and share it. Follow Siachen Studios to get more entertaining posts and updates.
