The 1980s fashion had heavy emphasis on expensive dressing and fashion accessories. Apparels tend to be overly bright and vivid in appearance. Women expressed an image of wealth and success through shiny costume jewelry like large faux-gold earrings, pearl necklaces and clothing covered with sequins and diamante. Punk fashion began as a reaction against both the hippie movement of the past decades and the materialist values of the current decade. Hair in the 1980s was generally big, curly, bouffant and heavily styled. This was in contrast to the long and straight style worn in the 1970s. Television shows such as Dynasty helped popularize the high volume bouffant and glamorous image associated with it. Women from the 1980s wore a heavy and bright makeup. Everyday fashion makeup in the '80s comprised having light-colored lips, dark and thick eyelashes, pink and light blue blusher. With the arrival of the aerobics craze of the mid 1980s the classic leotard moved from the dance floor to the gym, accompanied by matching tights, legwarmers, and elastic headbands. Leggings were a big part of this trend. They were usually worn with oversized sweaters and sweatshirts in the cooler months and with oversized T-shirts in the warmer months. It was also popular to wear slouch socks and sneakers, especially Keds with leggings. Plaid skirts with leggings were also worn with sneakers especially Keds and slouch socks or with ballet flats or boat shoes as part of the preppy look. In the 1980s, rising pop star Madonna proved to be very influential to female fashions. She first emerged on the dance music scene with her "street urchin" look consisting of short skirts worn over leggings, necklaces, rubber bracelets, fishnet gloves, hairbows, long layered strings of beads, bleached, untidy hair with dark roots, headbands, and lace ribbons. In her "Like a Virgin" phase, millions of young girls around the world emulated her fashion example that included brassieres worn as outerwear, huge crucifix jewelry, lace gloves, tulle skirts, and boytoy belts.
The 1980s saw the emergence of pop, dance music and new wave. As the term disco fell out of fashion in the decade's early years, genres such as post-disco, Italo disco, Euro disco and dance-pop became more popular. Rock music continued to enjoy a wide audience. Sub-genres such as new wave, soft rock, and glam metal and shred guitar characterized by heavy distortion, pinch harmonics and whammy bar abuse became very popular. Adult contemporary, quiet storm, and smooth jazz gained popularity. The 1980s saw the reinvention of Michael Jackson, the superstardom of Prince and the emergence of Madonna, Whitney Houston, & Janet Jackson—who were all the most successful musicians during this time. Their videos became a permanent fixture on MTV and gained a worldwide mass audience. Michael Jackson was the first African American artist to have his music video aired on MTV. Michael Jackson's Thriller album from 1982 is the best-selling album of all time.
Madonna was the most successful female artist of the decade. Her third studio album, True Blue, became the best-selling female album of the 1980s. Other Madonna albums from the decade include Like a Virgin which became one of the best selling albums of all-time and Like a Prayer which was called "as close to art as pop music gets" by Rolling Stone.
Some of the most successful post-punk bands at the beginning of the decade, such as Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Psychedelic Furs, also continued their success during the 1980s. Members of Bauhaus and Joy Division explored new stylistic territory as Love and Rockets and New Order respectively. The second generation of British post-punk bands that broke through in the early 1980s, including The Smiths, The Cure, The Fall, The Pop Group, The Mekons, Echo and the Bunnymen and Teardrop Explodes, tended to move away from dark sonic landscapes.
Madonna was the most successful female artist of the decade. Her third studio album, True Blue, became the best-selling female album of the 1980s. Other Madonna albums from the decade include Like a Virgin which became one of the best selling albums of all-time and Like a Prayer which was called "as close to art as pop music gets" by Rolling Stone.
Some of the most successful post-punk bands at the beginning of the decade, such as Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Psychedelic Furs, also continued their success during the 1980s. Members of Bauhaus and Joy Division explored new stylistic territory as Love and Rockets and New Order respectively. The second generation of British post-punk bands that broke through in the early 1980s, including The Smiths, The Cure, The Fall, The Pop Group, The Mekons, Echo and the Bunnymen and Teardrop Explodes, tended to move away from dark sonic landscapes.
In the '80s, cartoons were one word: awesome. Not only were they one of the reasons to wake up really early on Saturday mornings, they gave us memorable characters and catchphrases, and some helpful advice and lessons we may or may have not needed for the future.
When you think of the '80s, a few images come to mind: shoulder pads, big hair, and all-cheesy-everything—essentially summed up in the Teen Witch "Top That!" dance-off. However, the decade had more to contribute to pop culture than being known as the New Jersey of the 20th century. It was also an era for incredible classic movies, ones that shifted the film industy as we know it.
From John Hughes' The Breakfast Club to Steven Spielberg's E.T., the movies of the 1980s not only shaped its generation, but inspired subsequent generations in every way imaginable. At least a few of these films are guaranteed to be close to your heart: The 50 Best Movies of the '80s.
The 1980s saw the continued rise of the blockbuster, an increased amount of nudity in film and the increasing emphasis in the American industry on film franchises, especially in the science fiction, horror, and action genres. Much of the reliance on these effect-driven blockbusters was due in part to the Star Wars films at the advent of this decade and the new cinematic effects it helped to pioneer.
The 1980s saw an immense amount of thriller films, many being of an erotic nature, including Fatal Attraction (1987) and Body Heat (1981). Perhaps one of the most influential examples of 80s thriller films was David Lynch's bizarre cult classic Blue Velvet (1986), which dealt with the underworld of a seemingly idyllic American suburbia, a subject which has spawned many inferior imitations well into the first decade of the 21st century and Stanley Kubrick's horror/thriller The Shining (1980).
The decade started by continuing the blockbuster boom of the mid-1970s. The sequel to 1977's Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, opened in May, 1980 becoming the highest-grossing film of the year. The film is considered among the best of films of the decade (being the highest rated 1980s film on IMDb). It was followed by Return of the Jedi (1983) finishing the trio. It perfectly set the euphoric fantastical tone of many of the similar films to come.
From John Hughes' The Breakfast Club to Steven Spielberg's E.T., the movies of the 1980s not only shaped its generation, but inspired subsequent generations in every way imaginable. At least a few of these films are guaranteed to be close to your heart: The 50 Best Movies of the '80s.
The 1980s saw the continued rise of the blockbuster, an increased amount of nudity in film and the increasing emphasis in the American industry on film franchises, especially in the science fiction, horror, and action genres. Much of the reliance on these effect-driven blockbusters was due in part to the Star Wars films at the advent of this decade and the new cinematic effects it helped to pioneer.
The 1980s saw an immense amount of thriller films, many being of an erotic nature, including Fatal Attraction (1987) and Body Heat (1981). Perhaps one of the most influential examples of 80s thriller films was David Lynch's bizarre cult classic Blue Velvet (1986), which dealt with the underworld of a seemingly idyllic American suburbia, a subject which has spawned many inferior imitations well into the first decade of the 21st century and Stanley Kubrick's horror/thriller The Shining (1980).
The decade started by continuing the blockbuster boom of the mid-1970s. The sequel to 1977's Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, opened in May, 1980 becoming the highest-grossing film of the year. The film is considered among the best of films of the decade (being the highest rated 1980s film on IMDb). It was followed by Return of the Jedi (1983) finishing the trio. It perfectly set the euphoric fantastical tone of many of the similar films to come.
Reference: rowne, Ray B.; Browne, Pat (15 June 2001). United States guide to pop culture Popular Press. pp. 357–. ISBN 978-0-87972-821-2. Retrieved 11 August 2012. Lauraine Leblanc. Pretty in Punk: Girls' Gender Resistance in a Boys' Subculture. Rutgers University Press, 1999. P.52 http://www.cracked.com/funny-860-the-80s/#ixzz35WbNzLPx www.last.fm/tag/70s explorethe80s.com