You may have noticed that the 1980s are starting to make a resurgence of late. Not only is the 1980s set Stranger Things series reintroducing the world to Kate Bush and other iconic tunes, but even Marvel movies see Thor rocking along to some seriously cool 1980s GnR tunes.
This is reflected everywhere, movies, television programs, music, dress sense – and you can even find lots of slot games set in the 1980s at sites such as Good Luck Mate. But why are we all still so fascinated with the decade of bad taste… big hair, fluorescent colours and sheer fun. Let’s take a look at why everything was better in the 80s…
Table of Contents
The Teen Movies
There was no better time than the 980s for teen movies. Not only did we see some pretty gross comedies like ‘Porkies’, but we also saw the emergence of more iconic teen films such as The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink – and who can forget the darkness of Heathers? These movies really encapsulated the angst of being a teenager.
The Rise of Alternative Comedy
The 1980s saw the comedy scene emerge from the comfort of the 1970s into a more social and political sphere, with programs such as The Young Ones, Alexei Sayle, The Comic Strip, Blackadder and French, and Saunders. Comedy, as we know it, was changed forever.
Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want to Have Fun
We can all remember Cyndi Lauper, crazy hair and crazy make-up – and a real music Howitzer. She managed to blend bubblegum pop tunes with a cartoon style. She did fun songs – and soulful songs and was really Madonna before Ms Ciccone actually became Madonna. Grisly Just Want to Have Fun washer statement song – and brought in a new style of pop music that was simply joyful, happy and fun!
The Cure
The iconic Robert Smith and his gang – famous for their smeared lipstick, filled the decade with song after song of cryptic, crazy and crazily brilliant tracks. They had a run of game-changing songs whilst constantly reinventing themselves and their output.
Mixtapes
Many have said that home-taping songs killed the music scene – but we all still loved to compile those mixtapes for the people we love. Filling cassettes with their favourite songs – and creating the perfect music mix.
If you have seen High Fidelity, you will understand the importance that mixtapes had on the generation. Setting the tape deck up, select the perfect songs – and then design the perfect cassette cover with your own personal message. As good as it is, Spotify simply doesn’t tick those same boxes!
The Smiths
A very deep and moody and intelligent band. They had an intense run of singles from Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me and Hand in Glove. They combined Jangling riffs with psychosexual undertones and intelligent lyrics. This was the start of Indie music as we know it now.
Super Mario Brothers
The Super Mario Bros are our favourite Nintendo characters that are simple and fun. These days, computer games are dark, somewhat masochistic, and metatextual. However, when we played Super Mario Bros, we enjoyed happier gameplay and simpler gameplay. Two cool cartoon Italian plumbers had to get through the levels and avoid killer mushrooms – that’s it!
Crazy Escapist Television Shows
How can we forget the big shoulder pads and bouffant hairstyles we encountered in soaps such as Dallas and Dynasty? Our TV screens were filled with beautiful people all getting mixed up with each other in lots of hijinx – affairs, shooting, and even alien abduction. And who can forget the whole season where Bobby died – and came back the next season because it was all a dream? They don’t make them like that anymore!
There are so many more reasons why it stands out from the rest. From crazy Saturday mornings, weird toys like the Cabbage Patch Kids and Teddy Ruxpin, and people actually listening to all songs on an album. It was filled with the best comedy films, the best Steven Spielberg epics, Michael Jackson’s moonwalking, Madonna’s quirky outfits – and her Immaculate Collection. So, let’s remember with fondness the era of power ballads, Prince and GNR – and be happy that they are making a comeback!
