The eighties were an interesting time to be alive. In fact, the eighties are generally considered to be a very interesting period of American history. Neon colors, disco music, and the fashion of the decade all have flourished throughout these years. In addition to being an important time for pop culture, much of the decade’s history is also highly relevant to popular music, fashion, games, as well as movies and TVs.
80s Fashion
Some of the most popular fashions in the 80s were neon colors, leg warmers, and shoulder pads. Neon colors pop up again with styles such as neon leggings and neon sneakers. Many other popular dress styles from the 1980s are also still being worn today.
Additionally, the 80s showed a rising trend involving power suits. Power suits are a style of business attire that is typically made to create a sharp and looming silhouette. These are the clothes that took advantage of shoulder pads the most. Women who loved wearing more androgynous styles tended to indulge in power suits at this time, and the trend continued to blossom even until now.
80s Music
80s music is a very diverse genre of music that includes many different subgenres within it, including pop punk, hip hop, techno and new wave. As a whole, the eighties saw an increase in popular music that was influenced by dance and electronic influences. Pop artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince were beginning to incorporate dance and electronic sounds into their music during this time period.
This was largely because the eighties were a transitional era between disco-era music and hip-hop-era music. By mixing together the best elements of both eras, artists like Madonna became stars in both eras simultaneously.
80s Games
The 80s were the decade that made video games and arcade games popular in America. Video games were not as widely accepted by Americans during the prior decades, but this changed with the introduction of video games like Pong by Atari to American households.
The year 1981 saw an important event in American gaming history when Atari released “Adventure” for its game system. This game was extremely influential, because it marked the first time that players could experience a role-playing adventure game on a home console. It is considered one of the most influential games ever made, and has been re-released multiple times over the years. Other influential video games during this era include Donkey Kong, the Super Mario Bros. franchise, and Pac-Man.
80s Movies and TV
During the eighties, movies and television shows began to take on a new form that was also influenced by the video gaming culture of the time. Many movies flourished by featuring a fictional, fantastical world, including Steven Spielberg’s E.T. (1982) and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982).
In addition to games and movies, television shows also became much more complex in the eighties. Shows like “The A Team”, “MacGyver”, “Miami Vice” and “Hill Street Blues” all played an important role in developing television into what it is today.
