Much of pop culture today is influenced by the past. Some of today’s trends, such as scrunchies and cropped jeans, originated in the 1980s. People today are looking back in time for fashion, music, and film. Modern musicians make their music sound like the 80s. New films, such as Ghostbusters, are originally from the 80s but made more modern. 1980s pop culture was full of iconic artists, dances, fashion, and films that shaped modern trends.
The 1980s were the peak for many renowned artists. Artists such as Michael Jackson and Madonna ruled the charts with hits like “Thriller” and “Holiday”. One-hit-wonders like Dexy’s Midnight Runners and A-Ha had their fifteen minutes of fame, too. New genres formed, too. In the 1980s, disco was not as popular, but songs like “Billie Jean” and “Another One Bites the Dust” showed disco could still be successful (Leight). The most popular genres were pop, rock, and the new hip hop. Music was very influential in the 80s and many people looked up to their favorite artists.
Along with the new music came new dance trends. Kids all over were doing the cabbage patch and the robot. Some dances were popularized by celebrities. Janet Jackson showed off the running man in her “Rhythm Nation” music video. Everyone wanted to be able to do Michael Jackson’s moonwalk, or copy Molly Ringwald’s infamous dance from The Breakfast Club. Certain dances went with certain songs. If “Thriller” or “U Can’t Touch This” came on, everybody was on the dance floor doing their best impression of the King of Pop and MC Hammer. Dancing was huge in the 80s, and with upbeat songs like “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” and “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”, it isn’t very hard to see why.
The 80s were a time of bold and risky fashion trends. The 80s were a time of experimenting with new styles and patterns. “Along with 1970s fashion, 1980s fashion was one of the most experimental periods in style history thanks to enduring style icons from Princess Diana to Madonna, Joan Collins to Boy George” (Leaper). People pushed the limits of fashion and totally redefined the word itself. Everyone wanted to dress like their favorite celebrities, which caused trends to spread fast. “The power jacket became a Michael Jackson style signature and one of the most copied cuts of the decade” (Leaper). Even men experimented in their fashion. Whether it was suits, leather jackets, heavy metal, or hip-hop clothing, style was big in this time. Many trends from the 1980s are still worn today.
The 1980s were the start of many famous television series. Everyone was watching it, and some even call the 80s the “Golden Age of Television”. “One major transformation was the expanded role of television. Cable television, although available in the 1970s, became standard for most American households” (Life in the 1980s). CNN was useful for anyone who wanted to see the news. Kids’ channels, like Nickelodeon, entertained children with cartoons. Sports fanatics could watch ESPN 24 hours a day. Popular shows such as Cheers and Happy Days are still referenced today. Other shows, like Roseanne and Full House, got their own reboots in 2018 and 2016, respectively. T.V. was very popular in the 80s, and only grew from there.
Because music and T.V were so big in 1980s, it’s safe to assume that there was a place where both combined. That place was MTV. “Arguably the most important event to influence music during the 1980s was the creation of the cable network MTV (Music Television)” (Music Played in the 1980s Popular Music From the 80s). It’s not the modern MTV that is on today. “Did MTV of the 80s have The Real World? Heck no. But it did have tons of music videos, awesome VJs and music news unavailable everywhere else” (Sooney). MTV completely changed the game for both music and television. Many artists made their music videos better and more exciting so it would be played on the network. The very first music video to be played was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles. This seems to fit as MTV was taking over the music industry. Eventually, MTV started to change. “In the late 1980s, MTV began introducing non-music programming and slowly, over time, the flavor of MTV began to change” (Sooney). Now MTV is filled with shows like Wild ‘n Out and Jersey Shore. MTV has and continues to influence music and entertainment greatly.
Of course, it’s hard to talk about entertainment in the 80s without mentioning films. The decade was filled with classics like E.T. and Ghostbusters, but what really sets the 80s apart from other decades is the collection of movies targeted towards the youth. Many films like Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Sixteen Candles were made to be relatable to teens who were growing up in this time. These movies have something else in common: John Hughes. “No filmmaker captures growing up in suburban America during the 80s better than John Hughes” (Life in the 1980s).