1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Energy
In 1982 the eastern and western parts of Bangladesh were electrically connected through the commissioning of double circuit 230 KV transmission line across the Jamuna river energized at 132 KV through the first East-West Interconnector. In 1989 Petrobangla contracted Chevron to develop the Bibiyana, Jalalabad, and Moulvibazar gas fields, which allowed Chevron to eventually become the largest gas producer in the country.


1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Financial Services
While in the 1970s the Financial Sector of Bangladesh was dominated by Public Sector banks (see here), in 1980s the Government started to pursue Privatization agenda. Uttara Bank and Pubali Bank were privatized in 1983. Other Private banks which started operation in this decade include Islami Bank Bangladesh, United Commercial Bank, The City Bank  and National Bank in 1983, Arab Bangladesh Bank in 1985 and Al Baraka Bank (later named Oriental bank and subsequently ICB Islamic Bank) in 1987.


1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Financial Services
The government's encouragement during the late 1970s and early 1980s of agricultural development and private industry brought changes in lending strategies. The number of rural bank branches doubled between 1977 and 1985, to more than 3,330. Denationalisation and private industrial growth led the Bangladesh Bank and the World Bank to focus their lending on the emerging private manufacturing sector. Scheduled bank advances to private agriculture, as a percentage of sectoral GDP, rose from 2 percent in FY 1979 to 11 percent in FY 1987, while advances to private manufacturing rose from 13 percent to 53 percent.


1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Financial Services
The transformation of finance priorities brought with it problems in administration. No sound project-appraisal system was in place to identify viable borrowers and projects. Lending institutions were often instructed by the political authorities. In addition, the incentive system for the banks stressed disbursements rather than recoveries, and the accounting and debt collection systems were inadequate to deal with the problems of loan recovery. The rate of recovery on agricultural loans was only 27 percent in FY 1986, and the rate on industrial loans was even worse.


1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Financial Services
As a result of this poor showing, major donors applied pressure to induce the Government and banks to take firmer action to strengthen internal bank management and credit discipline. As a consequence, recovery rates began to improve in 1987. The National Commission on Money, Credit, and Banking recommended broad structural changes in Bangladesh's system of financial intermediation early in 1987, many of which were built into a three-year compensatory financing facility signed by Bangladesh with the IMF in February 1987.


1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Financial Services
One major exception to the management problems of Bangladeshi banks was the Grameen Bank, which begun as a government project in 1976 and established in 1983 as an independent bank. In the late 1980s, the bank continued to provide financial resources to the poor on reasonable terms and to generate productive self-employment without external assistance. About 70 percent of the borrowers were women, who were otherwise not much represented in institutional finance. The average loan by the Grameen Bank in the mid-1980s was around Tk2,000 (US$25), and the maximum was just Tk18,000 (for construction of a tin-roof house). Repayment terms were 4 percent for rural housing and 8.5 percent for normal lending operations.


1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Financial Services
The wave of Privatization touched the insurance sector and capital market as well. Until 1985, Jiban Bima Corporation was the only institution to handle life insurance business in Bangladesh. Through the Insurance (Amendment) Ordinance 1984 and Insurance Corporations (Amendment) Ordinance 1984, the government allowed the private sector to establish insurance companies. In the mid-1980s, two private investment companies namely, National Credit Ltd. and Bangladesh Commerce and Investment Ltd., were permitted to participate in the capital market, although their activities remained limited.


1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Education
During 1980s, the reports of ‘Mazid Khan Commission 1983’ and ‘Mofiz Commission 1988’ on education were not formally adopted for implementation, but the Ershad Government took a number of measures to increase the salary subvention to non- government educational institutions including the formation of BCS (General Education) Cadre. The period also saw increased focus on religious education. The primary education coverage did not improve much from earlier decade. 4.5-5.5 million primary-school-age children remained outside schools throughout the decade; and even for those in school, there were only 1.9 teachers per 1,000 students.


1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Education
Based on World Bank data, in 1980, there were 2.66 million secondary school students (including higher secondary) in the country, which grew to 3.41 million by the end of the decade. Secondary school enrollment rate slightly improved from 18.5% to 19.9% during the same period. Due to increased focus on female education, ratio of female students in secondary education improved significantly from 24.1% to 32.4%. Number of teachers covering the students grew from 112 to 130 thousand.


1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Education
Throughout this decade the secondary and higher secondary education administration for the country, used to be managed by 4 general education boards set-up in the 1960s, namely Dhaka, Rajshahi, Comilla and Jessore; a Technical Education Board and a Madrasah Education Board. The office of the Director of Public Instruction (DPI) was upgraded as the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) in 1981.


1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Education
Since independence the tertiary education of the country used to be managed by four general education universities, namely University of Dhaka, University of Rajshahi, University of Chittagong and Jahangirnagar University along with 2 specialized universities - Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology and Bangladesh Agricultural University. In addition, Institute of Postgraduate Medicine and Research (IPGMR) served as a Government-controlled postgraduate institute for medical research and studies. On 22 November 1979, the foundation of the Islamic University was set up in Kushtia, but it began operations on 28 June 1986.


1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Education
Islamic University of Technology, first known as Islamic Center for Technical, Vocational Training and Research (ICTVTR) was proposed in the 9th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) held in Dakar, Senegal on 24–28 April 1978. Foundation stone of ICTVTR was laid by president Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh on 27 March 1981 in the presence of Yasir Arafat, the then-chairman of the PLO, and Habib Chatty, the then-Secretary General of OIC. The construction of the campus was completed at Gazipur in 1987 at a cost of US$11 Million and ICTVTR was formally inaugurated by  the President of Bangladesh on 14 July 1988.


1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Education
The Shahjalal University of Science and Technology was also established in this decade (1986), but it started its career on 13 February 1991.


1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Mass Media
In the 1980s the Government continued to maintain tight control over the mass media. In March 1982 General Hossain Mohammad Ershad ordered thesuspension of a number of newspapers and  made penalty provisions for criticizing Martial Law. In this environment the newspapers continued to operate and a few notable publications started their journey - including Daily Inqilab and Jaijaidin. In 1988, United News of Bangladesh was founded as the country's first fully computerised privately owned news agency.


1980s in Bangladesh, Infrastructure, Mass Media
Bangladesh Television, the state-owned television network, started transmission in colour-format from the beginning of the decade. It continued to serve as the only television network available in the country throughout the decade. The state-owned Radio Bangladesh (later renamed Bangladesh Betar) was the only radio station in the country. It shifted its head office to the National Broadcasting House, Agargaon in 1983.


1980s in Bangladesh, Culture, Literature
In the 1980s Bangladesh had a vibrant literary scene. The struggle of contemporary life under autocratic rule has often come up as the central theme of the works produced.


1980s in Bangladesh, Culture, Literature
Notable literary works from Bangladeshi authors from this decade include Shawkat Osman's Artanad; Selina Hossain's Yapita Jiban, Nil Mayurer Yauban, Chand Bene, Pokamakader Gharbasati and Nirantar Ghantadhvani; Humayun Ahmed's Aguner Poroshmoni; Rahat Khan's Bhalamander Taka; Syed Shamsul Huq's Duratva, Nuruldiner Sara Jiban, Mahashunye Paran Master, Ayna Bibir Pala, Swapna Sankranta and Bristi O Bidrohigon; Hasan Azizul Huq's Patale Haspatale;  Abu Rushd's Mahendra Mistanna Bhandar; Akhtaruzzaman Elias' Khoyari, Chilekothar Sepai and Dudhbhate Utpat, Shamsur Rahman's Octopus, Montage , poetry Khub Beshi Valo Thakte Nei and Buk Tar Bangladesher Hridoy, Mamunur Rashid's drama Ora Achhe Balei, Ekhane Nobar and Iblis, Selim Al Deen's Kittankhola; Momtajuddin Ahmed's Ki Chaha Shankhachil; Ahsan Habib's poetry Megh Bole Choitrey Jabo; Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah's Firey Chai Swarno Gram, Manusher Manchitra, Chhobolo, Galpa and Diechi shokol akaash; Moinul Ahsan Saber's Porasto Sahish and Pathor Somoy; Muhammed Zafar Iqbal's Dipu Number Two; Humayun Azad's Shob Kichu Noshtoder Odhikare Jabe, Nilima Ibrahim's Banhi Balay; M. R. Akhter Mukul's autobiographical Ami Bijoy Dekhechi; Jahanara Imam's Ekatturer Dinguli; and Bashir Al Helal's non-fiction Bhasha Andoloner Itihas; Ahmed Sofa's Ekjan Ali Kenaner Utthan Patan and Maranbilash ; Mokbula Manzoor's Atmaja O Amra and Imdadul Haq Milan's Rupnagor. In this decade the literature circle of the country lost luminaries like: Qazi Motahar Hossain (1981), Muhammad Enamul Haque (1982), Aroj Ali Matubbar (1985), poet Ahsan Habib (1985) and Abu Hena Mustafa Kamal (1989).


1980s in Bangladesh, Culture, Visual  arts
Throughout the 80s the photography field was vibrant. While the stalwarts like Manzoor Alam Beg, Pavel Rahman and  Anwar Hossain were active, documentary photography practice was pioneered by Shahidul Alam; who went on to set up the Drik Picture Library in 1989. The field of painting was equally active with the painters experimenting with a number of mediums in various branches of art. Painter SM Sultan did some of his best work in the 1980s. Artist Shahabuddin Ahmed was another major contributor in the field. Painter cartoonist Rafiqun Nabi made his mark with his creation "tokai".


1980s in Bangladesh, Culture, Visual  arts
The emergence of a large number of female painters was a notable development of the decade. While abstract form remained dominant, other ultra-modern western trends such as conceptual art, especially installation, started to become popular in Bangladeshi art. Notable painters from this decade include Ranjit Das, Kazi Raqib, Jamal Ahmed, Muhammad Eunus, Tarun Ghosh, Shahadat Husain, Ruhul Amin Kajol, GS Kabir, Dhali Al-Mamun, Nasreen Begum, Rokeya Sultana, Shishir Bhattacharjee, Nazlee Laila Mansur, Dilara Begum Jolly, Niloofar Chaman and Atia Islam Anne. However, in this decade the death of master painter, "Potua" Quamrul Hassan (1984) made the nation grieve.


1980s in Bangladesh, Culture, Visual  arts
The 1980s were an important period in architecture because divergent ideas started to pervade the country's architectural thought. An architectural research group named Chetona (awareness) aimed to make critical thought an integral part of architectural practice. The Aga Khan Award for Architecture also had a significant impact in this decade. Bangladeshi Architect Fazlur Rahman Khan continued to perform at his peak in this decade, though most of his creations were outside Bangladesh.


1980s in Bangladesh, Culture, Performing arts
In this decade music directors and composers like Alauddin Ali,  Alam Khan, Khandaker Nurul Alam and Ali Hossain and singers like Sabina Yasmin, Andrew Kishore, Subir Nandi, Runa Laila, Syed Abdul Hadi, Mitali Mukherjee and Nilufar Yasmin led the music arena with modern Bengali music and playback music of films. Uccharon were the biggest band of that era; and their frontman Azam Khan, a freedom fighter, cemented himself as a pop culture phenomenon.


1980s in Bangladesh, Culture, Performing arts
On the other hand, Spondan featuring musicians like Nasir Ahmed Apu, Firoz Shai, Ferdous Wahid, reinvented Bangla folk music and became one of the most popular rock bands of the time. The Akhand Brothers Band (featuring Lucky and Happy Akhand), who produced several hit songs in that decade led the scene of pop music, until Happy met an untimely demise in 1987. Successful music bands like Souls, Feedback, Feelings (later renamed Nagar Baul) and Miles release their first albums in this decade.


1980s in Bangladesh, Culture, Performing arts
The theatre groups which started their journey in the 1970s continued to production in this decade, but due to financial constrains the initial zeal somehow subsided. Notebale among these in Dhaka city were Theatre, Nagarik Natya Sampraday, Natyachakra, Aranyak Natyadal, Dhaka Theatre and, in Chittagong, Theatre '73, Tirjak Nattyagoshthi and Arindam. The range of texts performed by the groups varied widely, from Euro-American plays to contemporary originals written by group members themselves. Among the leading playwrights were Abdullah al Mamun, Mamunur Rashid, Syed Shamsul Huq, Selim Al Deen, and Momtazuddin Ahmed.


1980s in Bangladesh, Culture, Performing arts
In response to the ongoing struggle against the autocratic rule in the political arena, many groups also took up theatre as a medium for popular protest. Another important area of proliferation was the Mukta Natak movement initiated by Aranyak, in which members of the group sought to create performances with rural landless peasants. In mainstream theatre, a notable development was the attempt taken up by Dhaka Theatre and a number of other groups to incorporate indigenous performance elements in modern theatre practice.


1980s in Ghana
1980s in Ghana details events of note that happened in Ghana in the years 1980 to 1989.


1980s in Ghana, National holidays
In addition, several other places observe local holidays, such as the foundation of their town. These are also "special days."


1980s in Hong Kong
1980s in Hong Kong marks a period when the territory was known for its wealth and trademark lifestyle. Hong Kong would be recognised internationally for its politics, entertainment and skyrocketing real estate prices.


1980s in Hong Kong, Background
After being made a crown colony since 1843, the status of Hong Kong was changed effectively under the British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1 January 1983. The Act renamed all existing British colonies to dependent territories. The renaming did not change how the government operated but it affected the nationality status of Hong Kong's then over 5 million inhabitants, most of whom were to become British Dependent Territory citizens – a status that could no longer be transmitted by descent.


1980s in Hong Kong, Background
Regardless of the competing claims for sovereignty, China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping recognised that Hong Kong, with its free market economy, could not be assimilated into the People's Republic overnight and that any attempt to do so would not be in the interests of either. He advocated a more pragmatic approach known as the one country, two systems policy, in which Hong Kong (as well as Macau, and potentially also Taiwan) would be able to retain their economic systems within the PRC.


1980s in Hong Kong, Background
On 19 December 1984, the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong (The Joint Declaration) was signed between the PRC and UK governments. Under this agreement, Hong Kong would cease to be a British Dependent Territory on 1 July 1997 and would thenceforth be a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the PRC. Citizens opposed to the handover led to the first wave of emigration.


1980s in Hong Kong, Demographics, Population
Hong Kong's population topped five million just at the beginning of the 1980s, and rose at an annual average rate of 1.3% over the next ten years. The additional 700,000 residents raised the population to 5.73 million at the end of the decade. The population of females rose 1.5% per annum, faster than that for males (1.4% p.a. ), although females would remain a minority until 1996.


1980s in Hong Kong, Demographics, Population
The decade also saw the first signs of population ageing, as the number of residents under the age of 25 fell by 1.2%. Households shrank in size from an average of 4.01 occupants in 1982 (the earliest available data) to 3.67 at decade's end. The 1980s were also characterised by the lowest population increase due to net migration (30.1%), as opposed to natural expansion.


1980s in Hong Kong, Demographics, Immigration and emigration
From 1978 to September 1980, nearly 23,000 illegal immigrants from Mainland China entered Hong Kong. The government abolished the "touch-base" policy on 23 October 1980. After this date, any illegal immigrants captured would be sent back to their originating countries immediately. There were public outcries in the early 1980s over decreasing wages due to the large influx of mainland immigrants raising supply against demand.


1980s in Hong Kong, Demographics, Immigration and emigration
On the other hand, citizens of Hong Kong were beginning to emigrate to the UK, Canada and United States in large numbers due to the uncertainty of the handover in 1997. From 1980 to 1986, an estimated 21,000 people left Hong Kong permanently every year. Beginning in 1987, the numbers rose sharply to 48,000 people a year.


1980s in Hong Kong, Culture, Education
In the early 1980s, Hong Kong's education system could only accommodate 2% of the youth who wanted to seek higher education. It was not until 1989 that the government decided to expand the programs domestically. Prior to this, it was expected that higher education should be gained abroad.


1980s in Hong Kong, Culture, Education
Two special institutes opened to train young athletes and performers, respectively. The Jubilee Sports Centre opened in 1982 while the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts was founded in 1984 to educate students of the performing arts, music, and related technical professions.


1980s in Hong Kong, Culture, Entertainment
The mid-'80s saw the popularising of the Walkman. It was one of the key factors in contributing to the rise of the cantopop culture. Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui and Alan Tam were among the biggest pop stars. Other shows related to Super Sentai and Transformers were translated and broadcast regularly. The franchising of toy stores such as Toys "R" Us flooded the malls of Hong Kong. Japanese import stores like Sogo in Causeway Bay also made Hello Kitty a cultural icon.


1980s in Hong Kong, Culture, Entertainment
The performing arts received a boost in the 1980s with the opening of numerous new Urban Council performance venues including the Tsuen Wan Town Hall (1980), Tuen Mun Town Hall (1987), Sha Tin Town Hall (1987), Hong Kong Cultural Centre (1989) and Sheung Wan Civic Centre (1989).


1980s in Hong Kong, Culture, Cinema
Domestic movies in the late '80s would put Hong Kong cinema on the international map. Jackie Chan was recognised for his acrobatic displays and his stunt team. Chow Yun-fat was known for his TV drama performances. His collaboration with John Woo set the de facto standard for triad films in A Better Tomorrow.


1980s in Hong Kong, Culture, Natural disasters
In the 1980s, there were 10 Typhoons which had a signal of number 8 and 1 Typhoon 10, The 3 worst typhoons were Typhoon Ellen, Typhoon Gordon and Typhoon Joe. The longest typhoon 8 was Severe Tropical Storm Lynn which had Typhoon 8 status for 28 hours and 45 Minutes.


1980s in Hong Kong, Politics
In response to China's Tiananmen Square protests on 27 May 1989, over 300,000 people gathered at Victoria Park for a gathering called "Democratic songs dedicated for China". Many famous Hong Kong and Taiwan artists performed and expressed their support for the students in Beijing.


1980s in Hong Kong, Politics
The massacre in Tiananmen Square on 4 June 1989 shocked the public. More than one million residents demonstrated to express their sorrow.


1980s in Hong Kong, Economy, Manufacturing
In the early 1980s, younger Hong Kong workers began avoiding the manufacturing industry entirely. Hong Kong's on-going evolution away from manufacturing picked up steam during the decade, as production's share of the economy fell from 22.8% in 1980 to 16.7% ten years later. Replacing it was a greater reliance on services, which rose from 68.3% to 75.4% of GDP. The fastest growing sectors were foreign trade, logistics and communications and general personal and community services. The lack of investment in domestic industry, along with China's economic reform, began opening up manufacturing to the mainland. Middle-aged men and women who had spent decades in manufacturing were suddenly left with no place to go.


1980s in Hong Kong, Economy, Real estate
In 1960, the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Technical College were one of the first schools to offer real estate education, but the curriculum was considered a sub program. In 1981, the University of Hong Kong became the first institution to be accredited by the RICS. It was the first step in connecting real estate education and the industry itself. By 1983, 61% of capital investments belonged to the real estate sector. The amount of money entering the communities for infrastructure expenses in the 1980s eclipsed the sum of all real estate investments from 1940 to 1979.


1980s in Hong Kong, Economy, Real estate
An up-to-date understanding of the industry along with the high-density population provided many with the opportunity to capitalise on realty sales. Areas like Lan Kwai Fong were improving at the time and became an "alternative" or "open" avenue to attract people who wanted things to be different. If construction was not open before, many areas found themselves redeveloping.


1980s in Hong Kong, Economy, Finance
The lack of foreign-exchange control, and low tax, contributed to the competitiveness of Hong Kong's economy. Though a floating rate, coupled with panic about intensified political talk of the handover, sent consumer confidence to an all-time low, causing Black Saturday in 1983. The end result was that Hong Kong adopted a linked exchange rate system. The exchange rate between the Hong Kong dollar and the United States dollar was fixed at HKD $7.8 = US$1. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority's exchange fund was responsible for keeping the market rate stable. In the short period from just a decade previously, inflation would also increase from 5% in the 1970s to 12.7% by 1983.


1980s in Hong Kong, Economy, Transport
The Modified Initial System, the first line of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), was officially opened by Princess Alexandra in February 1980. Over the course of the 1980s the MTR expanded rapidly. An extension to Tsuen Wan opened in 1982, while the more technically challenging Island line opened in 1986. The new metro system was instantly successful at attracting heavy patronage.


1980s in Hong Kong, Economy, Transport
In addition, the much older Kowloon–Canton Railway (KCR) was fully modernised in the early 1980s. It was double-tracked and electrified. New stations were built to serve growing new towns and new housing estates, while many several older stations were closed. The KCR also opened a new light rail network in 1988 to link the new towns of Yuen Long and Tuen Mun.


1980s in Irish television
For articles on Irish television in the 1980s please see:


1980s in Japan
In Japan during the 1980s, the economy was in a boom where buyers found themselves paying the highest prices for goods and commodities. As of March 1980, the unemployment rate in Japan was 4.9%; a very low number compared to the unemployment rate during the height of the 1990s. The following decade would see Japan's economy decline substantially, giving rise to the name the Lost Decade.


1980s in Japan, 1980s in Japan, Entertainment
The 1980s saw the firm establishment of anime and manga as major forms of entertainment for the Japanese public. Studio Ghibli, arguably the most famous and respected animation studio in Japan, was established by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki in 1985 following the success of Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Newtype, one of the two major anime industry magazines, was started in 1985 as well.


1980s in Japan, 1980s in Japan, Entertainment
Examples of Japanese products created and distributed during the 1980s included Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., and classic anime like Astro Boy and Akira. Nintendo Co., Ltd. (NCL) came of age offering video arcade games and their famous Family Computer (also known as the Famicom) video game system. American-based Atari struggled to compete in Japan but they couldn't defeat the Sega-Nintendo duopoly in the video arcade realm. Future Japanese game designers would cut their teeth during this era playing 8-bit games and end up designing video games on much more complicated architectures (systems like the Nintendo 64 and the Game Boy).


1980s in Japan, 1980s in Japan, Entertainment
Professional wrestling was declining in the 1980s in Japan, even though the WWF was experiencing a boom worldwide. Even the most predominant men's and women's wrestling leagues were losing popularity like America's World Wrestling Federation. By the 2000s, professional wrestling was relegated to the midnight hours by television broadcasting. However, a few crucial championships would bring women's wrestling into a new era of the 1980s.


1980s in Japan, 1980s in Japan, Entertainment
Osamu Tezuka, considered the "god of manga" in Japan, died on 9 February 1989. Hibari Misora, one of the most popular and best selling female pop artists in Japan, died on 24 June 1989. She had held her last public performance in Kitakyushu in February that same year.


1980s in Japan, 1980s in Japan, Entertainment, Cinema, television, and video
Award-winning live action films released during the 1980s include Zigeunerweisen (1980), Kagemusha (1980), Station (1981), Fall Guy (1982),  The Ballad of Narayama (1983),  The Funeral (1984),  Gray Sunset (1985),  House on Fire (1986),  A Taxing Woman (1987),  The Silk Road (1988), and Black Rain (1989).


1980s in Japan, 1980s in Japan, Entertainment, Cinema, television, and video
NHK started experimental broadcasting of TV program using the BS-2a satellite on May, 1984. The satellite BS-2a was launched in preparation for the start of full scale 2-channel broadcasts. Broadcasting Satellite BS-2a was the first national DBS (direct broadcasting satellite), transmitting signals directly into the home of TV viewers. One of the three transponders malfunctioned 2 months after launch (March 23, 1984) and a second transponder malfunctioned 3 months after launch (May 3, 1984), so the scheduled satellite broadcasting had to be hastily adjusted to test broadcasting on a single channel.


1980s in Japan, 1980s in Japan, Entertainment, Cinema, television, and video
Later, NHK started regular service (NTSC) and experimental HDTV broadcasting using BS-2b in June 1989. Some Japanese producers of home electronic consumer devices began to deliver TV sets, VCRs and even home acoustic systems equipped with built-in satellite tuners or receivers. Such electronic goods had a specific BS logo.


1980s in Japan, Demographics
Two cities were named designated cities during the 1980s: Hiroshima in 1980, and Sendai in 1989.


1980s in Japan, Demographics, Population
The birth rate in Japan continued to drop significantly during the 1980s, dropping from about 14 births per thousand to about 10 births per thousand. Deaths per thousand saw a slight increase from about 5.5 to about 6. The aging of the population was already becoming evident in the aging of the labor force and the shortage of young workers in the late-1980s, with potential impacts on employment practices, wages and benefits, and the roles of women in the labor force.


1980s in Japan, Demographics, Population
In addition, the median age of the elderly population was rising in the late 1980s. The proportion of people age 65–85 was expected to increase from 6% in 1985 to 15% in 2025. Because the incidence of chronic disease increases with age, the health care and pension systems are expected to come under severe strain. In the mid-1980s the government  began to reevaluate the relative burdens of government and the private sector in health care and pensions, and it established policies to control government costs in these programs.


1980s in Japan, Demographics, Population
Recognizing the lower probability that an elderly person will be residing with an adult child and the higher probability of any daughter or daughter-in-law's participation in the paid labor force, the government encouraged establishment of nursing homes, day-care facilities for the elderly, and home health programs. Longer life spans are altering relations between spouses and across generations, creating new government responsibilities, and changing virtually all aspects of social life.


1980s in Japan, Demographics, Internal migration
Between 6 million and 7 million people moved their residences each year during the 1980s. About 50% of these moves were within the same prefecture; the others were relocations from one prefecture to another. During Japan's economic development in the twentieth century, and especially during the 1950s and 1960s, migration was characterized by urbanization as people from rural areas in increasing numbers moved to the larger metropolitan areas in search of better jobs and education. Out-migration from rural prefectures continued in the late 1980s, but more slowly than in previous decades.


1980s in Japan, Demographics, Internal migration
In the 1980s, government policy provided support for new urban development away from the large cities, particularly Tokyo, and assisted regional cities to attract young people to live and work there. Regional cities offered familiarity to those from nearby areas, lower costs of living, shorter commutes, and, in general, a more relaxed life-style than could be had in larger cities. Young people continued to move to large cities, however, to attend universities and find work, but some returned to regional cities (a pattern known as U-turn) or to their prefecture of origin (a pattern referred to as J-turn).


1980s in Japan, Demographics, Internal migration
Government statistics show that in the 1980s significant numbers of people left the largest central cities (Tokyo and Osaka) to move to suburbs within their metropolitan areas. In 1988 more than 500,000 people left Tokyo, which experienced a net loss through migration of nearly 73,000 for the year. Osaka had a net loss of nearly 36,000 in the same year. However, the prefectures showing the highest net growth are located near the major urban centers, such as Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, and Kanagawa around Tokyo, and Hyogo, Nara, and Shiga near Osaka and Kyoto. This pattern suggests a process of suburbanization, people moving away from the cities for affordable housing but still commuting there for work and recreation, rather than a true decentralization.


1980s in Japan, Economy
Overall real economic growth was called a "miracle", with a 4% average during the 1980s. Throughout the 1970s, Japan had the world's second largest gross national product (GNP)—just behind the United States— and ranked first among major industrial nations in 1990 in per capita GNP at US$23,801, up sharply from US$9,068 in 1980. After a mild economic slump in the mid-1980s, Japan's economy began a period of expansion in 1986 that continued until it again entered a recessionary period in 1992. Economic growth averaging 5% between 1987 and 1989 revived industries, such as steel and construction, which had been relatively dormant in the mid-1980s, and brought record salaries and employment.


1980s in Japan, Economy
Unlike the economic booms of the 1960s and 1970s, when increasing exports played the key role in economic expansion, domestic demand propelled the Japanese economy in the late 1980s. This development involved fundamental economic restructuring, moving from dependence on exports to reliance on domestic demand. The boom that started in 1986 was generated by the decisions of companies to increase private plant and equipment spending and of consumers to go on a buying spree. Japan's imports grew at a faster rate than exports. Japanese postwar technological research was carried out for the sake of economic growth rather than military development. The growth in high-technology industries in the 1980s resulted from heightened domestic demand for high-technology products and for higher living, housing, and environmental standards; better health, medical, and welfare opportunities; better leisure-time facilities; and improved ways to accommodate a rapidly aging society.


1980s in Japan, Economy
Japan introduced the national consumption tax of three percent in 1989.


1980s in Japan, Economy, Finances
Tokyo became a major financial center, home of some of the world's major banks, financial firms, insurance companies, and the world's largest stock exchange, the Tokyo Securities and Stock Exchange. Even here, however, the recession took its toll. In the decades following World War II, Japan implemented stringent tariffs and policies to encourage the people to save their income.


1980s in Japan, Economy, Finances
With more money in banks, loans and credit became easier to obtain, and with Japan running large trade surpluses, the yen appreciated against foreign currencies. This allowed local companies to invest in capital resources much more easily than their competitors overseas, which reduced the price of Japanese-made goods and widened the trade surplus further. And, with the yen appreciating, financial assets became very lucrative.


1980s in Japan, Economy, Finances
With so much money readily available for investment, speculation was inevitable, particularly in the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the real estate market. The Nikkei stock index hit its all-time high on December 29, 1989, when it reached an intra-day high of 38,957.44 before closing at 38,915.87. The rates for housing, stocks, and bonds rose so much that at one point the government issued 100-year bonds. Additionally, banks granted increasingly risky loans.


1980s in Japan, Economy, Finances
The Plaza Accord was signed in September 1985. This agreement between the governments of France, West Germany, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom, was to depreciate the US dollar in relation to the Japanese yen and German Deutsche Mark by intervening in currency markets. The exchange rate value of the dollar versus the yen declined by 51% from 1985 to 1987. Most of this devaluation was due to the $10 billion spent by the participating central banks. Currency speculation caused the dollar to continue its fall after the end of coordinated interventions.


1980s in Japan, Economy, Finances
The recessionary effects of the strengthened yen in Japan's export-dependent economy created an incentive for the expansionary monetary policies that led to the Japanese asset price bubble of the late 1980s. The Louvre Accord was signed in 1987 to halt the continuing decline of the US Dollar. The signing of the Plaza Accord was significant in that it reflected Japan's emergence as a real player in managing the international monetary system.


1980s in Japan, Economy, Health care
National health expenditures rose from about 1 trillion yen in 1965 to nearly 20 trillion yen in 1989, or from slightly more than 5% to more than 6% of Japan's national income. The system has been troubled with excessive paperwork, assembly-line care for out-patients (because few facilities made appointments), over medication, and abuse of the system because of low out-of-pocket costs to patients. Another problem is an uneven distribution of health personnel, with rural areas favored over cities.


1980s in Japan, Economy, Health care
By the early 1980s, pensions accounted for nearly 50% of social welfare and social security expenditures because people were living longer after retirement. A major revision in the public pension system in 1986 unified several former plans into the single Employee Pension Insurance Plan. In addition to merging the former plans, the 1986 reform attempted to reduce benefits to hold down increases in worker contribution rates. It also established the right of women who did not work outside the home to pension benefits of their own, not only as a dependent of a worker. Everyone aged between twenty and sixty was a compulsory member of this Employee Pension Insurance Plan.


1980s in Japan, Economy, Health care
Despite complaints that these pensions amounted to little more than "spending money," an increasing number of people planning for their retirement counted on them as an important source of income. Benefits increased so that the basic monthly pension was about US$420 in 1987, with future payments adjusted to the consumer price index. Forty percent of elderly households in 1985 depended on various types of annuities and pensions as their only sources of income.


1980s in Japan, Economy, Health care
Some people are also eligible for corporate retirement allowances. About 90% of firms with thirty or more employees gave retirement allowances in the late 1980s, frequently as lump sum payments but increasingly in the form of annuities.


1980s in Japan, Economy, Health care
In the late 1980s, government and professional circles were considering changing the system so that primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of care would be clearly distinguished within each geographical region. Further, facilities would be designated by level of care and referrals would be required to obtain more complex care. Policy makers and administrators also recognized the need to unify the various insurance systems and to control costs.


1980s in Japan, Economy, Manufacturing
During the 1980s, the Japanese economy shifted its emphasis away from primary and secondary activities (notably agriculture, manufacturing, and mining) to processing, with telecommunications and computers becoming increasingly vital. Information became an important resource and product, central to wealth and power. The rise of an information-based economy was led by major research in highly sophisticated technology, such as advanced computers. The selling and use of information became very beneficial to the economy.


1980s in Japan, Economy, Manufacturing
Japanese cars had a 33% hold on the American automobile market at that time and then-current U.S. President Ronald Reagan waged a price war against the new Japanese automobiles. As a result, Japanese auto manufactures took advantage of their vehicles' superior MPG (miles per gallon) rating.


1980s in Japan, Economy, Real estate
At the height of the bubble, real estate values were extremely over-valued. Between 1955 and 1989, land prices in the six largest cities increased 15,000% (+12% a year). Urban land prices generally increased 40% from 1980 to 1987; in the six largest cities, the price of land doubled over that period. For many families, this trend put housing in central cities out of reach. The result was lengthy commutes for many workers; daily commutes of two hours each way are not uncommon in the Tokyo area.


1980s in Japan, Economy, Real estate
Prices were highest in Tokyo's Ginza district in 1989, with choice properties fetching over US$1.5 million per square meter ($139,000 per square foot). Prices were only slightly less in other areas of Tokyo.


1980s in Japan, Environment
In a 1984 the Environmental Agency had issued its first white paper. In the 1989 study, citizens thought environmental problems had improved compared with the past, nearly 41% thought things had improved, 31% thought that they had stayed the same, and nearly 21% thought that they had worsened. Some 75% of those surveyed expressed concern about endangered species, shrinkage of rain forests, expansion of deserts, destruction of the ozone layer, acid rain, and increased water and air pollution in developing countries. Most believed that Japan, alone or in cooperation with other industrialized countries, had the responsibility to solve environmental problems.


1980s in Japan, Environment
After the moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986, Japanese government started its whaling for research purposes the following year. This whaling program has been criticized by environmental protection groups and anti-whaling countries, who say that the program was not for scientific researches.


1980s in Japan, Environment, National parks
Several national and quasi-national parks were established during the 1980s. Hidaka Sanmyaku-Erimo Quasi-National Park in Hokkaidō is the largest quasi-national park in Japan and was opened in October 1981. Kushiro Shitsugen National Park in Hokkaidō, known for its wetlands, was opened in July 1987.


1980s in Japan, Environment, Natural disasters
On May 26, 1983, a tsunami caused by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in the Sea of Japan killed 107 people, including three in South Korea.


1980s in Japan, Environment, Natural disasters
Mount Ontake, thought to be inactive, had a series of eruptions in 1980. In 1981, the caldera lake volcano Lake Shikotsu erupted in Hokkaidō, followed in 1982 by Mount Tarumae, which is located on its shores. Mount Kusatsu-Shirane in Kusatsu, Gunma Prefecture, erupted in 1983. The Kaitoku Seamount erupted in 1984, Mount Tokachi—located in Hokkaidō—and Izu-Tobu—located on the Izu Peninsula—erupted in 1989.


1980s in Japan, Politics
Hirohito, the emperor Shōwa, died in the year 1989 after serving his people for more than 60 years, ending the Shōwa era. His son Akihito acceded to the throne in 1989, starting the Heisei era. He would have been, at the time of his abdication in 2019, the 20th most senior monarch or lifelong leader. He is the world's only reigning monarch whose title is customarily translated into English as "Emperor" (as is Akihito's successor, Naruhito).


1980s in Japan, Politics
There were a number of prime ministers who served during the 1980s. Masayoshi Ōhira had to finish his second term in June 1980 and call early elections when the LDP's Fukuda, Nakasone and Miki factions abstained or voted with the opposition in a vote of no-confidence. He was only the second Christian to hold this office, the first having been Tetsu Katayama (1947–1948). Zenkō Suzuki was appointed LDP president and Prime Minister following the sudden death of Ōhira, who died of a heart attack during the 1980 general election campaign.


1980s in Japan, Politics
The sympathy vote generated by Ohira's death resulted in a landslide for the ruling LDP, handing Suzuki the largest parliamentary majority any Prime Minister had enjoyed for many years, and silencing inner-party opposition. Suzuki chose not to run for reelection to the presidency of the LDP in 1982, and was succeeded by Yasuhiro Nakasone in November 1982.


1980s in Japan, Politics
Yasuhiro Nakasone served three terms and implemented a policy of economic liberalization. Among his biggest projects was the privatization of the Japanese National Railways. On foreign policy, he sought close alignment with the United States maintaining a personal friendship with U.S. president Ronald Reagan. Nakasone gained notoriety among the various non-Japanese ethnic groups in Japan (particularly the sizeable Korean minority) for proclaiming that Japan's success was because it did not have ethnic minorities, like the US. He then clarified his comments, stating that he meant to congratulate the US on its economic success despite the presence of "problematic" minorities. Nakasone was replaced by Noboru Takeshita in November 1987, and both were implicated, along with other LDP lawmakers, in the Recruit scandal that broke the following year.


1980s in Japan, Politics
In June 1989, Sōsuke Uno became Prime Minister only to resign less than three months later in August 1989 amid a sex scandal revealed by a geisha. The controversy surrounding Uno's extramarital affair was more focused on irresponsibility rather than immorality; Uno supposedly did not support his mistress, at the least not with an appropriate amount, which led her to complain publicly. The story was not widely publicized in Japan until The Washington Post picked up the story from the Mainichi Shimbun, bringing international attention to Uno.


1980s in Japan, Politics
Following Uno's resignation, most LDP lawmakers refused to associate with him, and he quickly lost control over his faction within the party. He was succeeded by the final Prime Minister of the 1980s, Toshiki Kaifu, who was seen as a reformer within the LDP. Kaifu's appointment was a reaction to the  political scandals of the late 1980s, but his attempts to reform the party were ultimately unsuccessful. The defeat in the House of Councillors elections of 1989 was the prelude for the LDP's decline as dominant party in the 1990s.


1980s in Japan, Politics, International agreements
Japan signed the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, defining the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world's oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources, in December 1982. In November 1983, Japan agreed to the International Tropical Timber Agreement. The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer was agreed upon in September 1987. The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal was signed in March 1989.


1980s in Latin music
This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in Latin music in the 1980s, namely in Ibero-America.


1980s in Latin music, Overview
The 1980s saw the major record labels such as RCA/Ariola, CBS, and EMI form their own Latin music divisions. By 1985, Billboard noted that the Latin music industry saw increase in awareness from major corporations such as Coca-Cola promoting Julio Iglesias and Pepsi advertising Menudo.


1980s in Latin music, Overview, Latin pop
The romantic balada, which gained popularity in the 1970s, continued to dominate the Latin music charts in the 1980s. Veteran balladeers who continued to be popular in this decade include Julio Iglesias, José José, Roberto Carlos, and Juan Gabriel. The Latin balada is characterized by its bolero origin by fusing music from the United States with pop, R&B, and rock. The 1980s was a golden era for the Venezuelan entertainment industry as popular telenovelas from the country also led to several actors to become successful singers such as Carlos Mata and Guillermo Dávila.


1980s in Latin music, Overview, Latin pop
Theme songs from telenovelas also became popular on radio airwaves in Venezuela. Female balada singers that became topped the Latin music charts includes Ana Gabriel, Daniela Romo, Rocío Dúrcal, Gloria Estefan, and Marisela. Notably, several baladas were Spanish-language covers of songs originally performed in Italian. Notable Spanish-language covers of Italian songs include "Maldita Primavera" by Yuri, "Toda la Vida" by Emmanuel and Franco, "Yo No Te Pido la Luna" by Daniela Romo, and "Tan Enamorados" by Ricardo Montaner.


1980s in Latin music, Overview, Latin pop
Aside from the baladas, several Latin pop artists and bands performed variety of Spanish-language pop and dance music targeted to the younger audience. These include Yuri, Marisela, Mecano, Miguel Bosé, Timbiriche, Menudo, and Flans. "Que Te Pasa" became the longest-running chart of the 1980s, spending 16 weeks on top of the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart. Juan Gabriel and Rocío Dúrcal collaborated with Chuck Anderson to incorporate mariachi arrangements on their ballads. Child pop singers such as Pablito Ruiz, Luis Miguel, Pedrito Fernández, and Lucerito had a prepubescent following. The Miami Sound Machine, whose vocals were led by Gloria Estefan, gained international fame in 1985 with their crossover hit song "Conga". The song blends both pop music and Latin music from the Caribbean.


1980s in Latin music, Overview, Regional Mexican
In the 1980s, the regional music scene in both Mexico and the Mexican American community in the United States was dominated by grupera. This style of Mexican music combines cumbia, norteño, and rock music. The lyrics are rooted with romantic themes including heartbroken songs. Several notable grupera ensembles include Los Caminantes, Los Yonic's, Los Bukis, and Los Temerarios.


1980s in Latin music, Overview, Regional Mexican
Norteño band Los Tigres del Norte continued their success from the 1970s with their corridos involving social commentary such as "Jaula de oro" ("The Golden Cage") which tells of a Mexican man who crosses the Mexico-United States border illegally and raises a family in the United States who denies their Mexican heritage while the man longs to return to his country. Its parent album reached number one on the Regional Mexican charts in the United States. Similarly, Mexican singer-songwriter Joan Sebastian incorporated sounds of rancheras and ballads on his songs and was dubbed "El Rey del Jaripeo" ("The King of Mexican Rodeo").


1980s in Latin music, Overview, Regional Mexican
Tejano music was also popular to the Mexican Americans living in the United States mainly in Texas. Its style is characterized by its influences from polka, cumbia, bolero, and ranchera as well as pop, rap, country music and reggae. Tejano bands such as Mazz, La Mafia, and Little Joe and La Familia pushed Tejano's popularity beyond the United States. Ranchera Vicente Fernández still remain relevant in the 1980s. His album, Por Tu Maldito Amor (1989), became the longest running number one Regional Mexican album of the decade in the United States with 21 weeks consecutive weeks at this position. American singer Linda Ronstadt, who is of Mexican descent, released Canciones de Mi Padre, a collection of songs that her father would sing. The album was certified double platinum by the RIAA for shipping over two million copies in the United States.


1980s in Latin music, Overview, Tropical/salsa
The New York salsa, which was popularized Fania Records in the 1970s, saw a major decline in the scene. Merengue music from the Dominican Republic became favored by Latinos living in New York City. Wilfrido Vargas was credited for bringing merengue attention to the younger audience. Merengue music also became popular even in Puerto Rico. Another factor to merengue's popularity in the dance clubs was that it was easier to dance to compared to salsa. Milly Quezada, lead vocals of the group Milly y los Vecinos, became the first notable female merengue singer.


1980s in Latin music, Overview, Tropical/salsa
The group was formed by her husband Rafael Vasquez, who was also her manager. Other notable merengue acts in the 1980s include Bonny Cepeda, Fernando Villalona, Juan Luis Guerra & 4.40 and Los Hijos del Rey. Vargas also formed the first all-female band Las Chicas del Can. Juan Luis Guerra performed not only love songs, but also social commentary about the poverty in the Dominican Republic and those living abroad such as "Visa Para un Sueño" ("Visa For a Dream") and "Ojala Que Llueva Café" ("I Hope It Rains Coffee").


1980s in Latin music, Overview, Tropical/salsa
Although New York salsa faded in popularity, another form of salsa music gained attention in its place. This form of salsa, which was slower-placed and more focused on its romantic lyrics, was known as salsa romántica. The salsa romántica movement helped salsa continued to be relevant in spite of the rise of merengue music as well as moving away from lyrics dealing with social class. Salsa romántica was characterized by its influence by the aforementioned romantic ballads and more pop-leaning sounds. In fact, several famous songs done by salsa romántica singers were covers of songs originally sung by balada musicians.


1980s in Latin music, Overview, Tropical/salsa
"Lluvia", a song first composed by Luis Ángel, was covered by Eddie Santiago and became on the highest-peaking salsa romántica on the Hot Latin Tracks at number four. A sub-style of salsa romántica also included erotic lyrics and became known as salsa erotica. "Ven Devórame Otra Vez" by Lalo Rodríguez, a notable salsa erotica song, became a top ten hit on the Hot Latin Tracks chart. Other famous salsa romantica singers include Frankie Ruiz, Luis Enrique, Willie Gonzalez, David Pabón, and José Alberto "El Canario".


1980s in Latin music, Overview, Tropical/salsa
In the early 1980s, Cuban musician and bandleader Roberto Torres had a major hit with his cover version of "Caballo Viejo". The song was performed as a charanga vallenata style, a combination of the Cuban charanga and the Colombian vallenato music. It was later inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007.


1980s in Latin music, Overview, Rock en español
Soda Stereo released Signos in 1986 which helped pop rock en español music reach to an audience beyond Argentina.


1980s in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe regained its independence from the United Kingdom on 17 April 1980. Canaan Banana, a Methodist minister and theologian, became the first President of Zimbabwe on 18 April.


1980s in Zimbabwe
On 17 February 1982 the government of Zimbabwe accused Joshua Nkomo, leader and founder of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU), of plotting a coup d'état, and dismissed him from the cabinet.


1980s in Zimbabwe
The Gukurahundi (also known as the "Matabeleland genocide") began in 1983. More than 300,000 youths signed up for service in the Youth Brigade.


1980s in Zimbabwe
Prime Minister Robert Mugabe (ZANU) and Joshua Nkomo (ZAPU) signed a Unity Accord on 22 December 1987, giving the ZAPU leader a place in the government, freeing dissidents, and bringing a formal end to violence of the Gukurahundi. Mugabe became the new President of Zimbabwe after reforming the constitution on 31 December 1987, abolishing the position of Prime Minister.


1980s in Zimbabwe
Morgan Tsvangirai was elected Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions in 1988.


1980s in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) merged with the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) under the name Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) on 19 December 1989.


1980s in Zimbabwe
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1980s in Zimbabwe
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1980s in comics
This article lists major events in the field of comics during the 1980s.


1980s in comics
Publications: 1980 - 1981 - 1982 - 1983 - 1984 - 1985 - 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - 1989


1980s in fashion
Fashion of the 1980s placed heavy emphasis on cheap clothes and fashion accessories and very big poofy hair. Apparel tended to be very bright and vivid in appearance. Punk fashion began as a reaction against both the hippie movement of the past decades and the materialist values of the current decade. The first half of the decade was relatively tame in comparison to the second half, which is when the iconic 1980s color scheme had come into popularity.


1980s in fashion
Hair in the 1980s was typically big, curly, bouffant and heavily styled. Television shows such as Dynasty helped popularize the high volume bouffant and glamorous image associated with it. Women from the 1980s wore bright, heavy makeup. Everyday fashion in the 1980s consisted of light-colored lips, dark and thick eyelashes, and pink or red rouge (otherwise known as blush).


1980s in fashion
Some of the top fashion models of the 1980s were Brooke Shields, Christie Brinkley, Gia Carangi, Joan Severance, Kim Alexis, Carol Alt, Yasmin Le Bon, Renée Simonsen, Kelly Emberg, Ines de la Fressange, Tatjana Patitz, Elle Macpherson, and Paulina Porizkova.


1980s in fashion, Men's fashion, Late 1980s (1987–89), Parachute pants
Parachute pants are a style of trousers characterized by the use of ripstop nylon or extremely baggy cuts. In the original tight-fitting, extraneously zippered style of the late 1970s and early 1980s, "parachute" referred to the pants' synthetic nylon material. In the later 1980s, "parachute" may have referred to the extreme bagginess of the pant. These are also referred to as "Hammer" pants, due to rapper MC Hammer's signature style. Hammer pants differ from the parachute pants of the 1970s and early 1980s. They are typically worn as menswear and are often brightly colored. Parachute pants became a fad in US culture in the 1980s as part of an increased mainstream popularity of breakdancing.


1980s in fashion, Subcultures of the 1980s
Robert Smith of the Cure based his gothic look from Siouxsie Sioux's and being a guitarist in her band.


1980s in fashion, Hairstyles, Women's hairstyles
Although straight hair was the norm at the beginning of the decade, as many late-1970s styles were still relevant, the perm had come into fashion by 1980.


1980s in fashion, Hairstyles, Women's hairstyles
Big and eccentric hair styles were popularized by film and music stars, in particular among teenagers but also adults. These hairstyles became iconic during the mid 1980s and include big bangs worn by girls from upper elementary, middle school, high school, college and adult women. There was generally an excessive amount of mousse used in styling an individual's hair, which resulted in the popular, shiny look and greater volume. Some mousse even contained glitter.


1980s in fashion, Hairstyles, Women's hairstyles
Beginning in the late 80s, high ponytails, side ponytails, and high side ponytails with a scrunchie or headband became common among girls from upper elementary, middle school, high school, college and adult women.


1980s in fashion, Hairstyles, Men's hairstyles
By 1983, short hair had made a comeback for men, in reaction to the shag and mod haircuts of the mid to late 70s. The sideburns of the 1960s and 1970s saw a massive decline in fashion, and many guys wore regular haircuts and quiffs. Beards went out of style due to their association with hippies, but moustaches remained common among blue collar men.


1980s in fashion, Hairstyles, Men's hairstyles
From the mid 1980s until the early 1990s, mullets were popular in suburban and rural areas among working-class men. This contrasted with a conservative look preferred by business professionals, with neatly groomed short hair for men and sleek, straight hair for women. Some men also wore bangs in styles such as regular frontal or side swept bangs but they were not as big as women or girls bangs. Hairsprays such as Aqua Net were also used in excess by fans of glam metal bands such as Poison.


1980s in fashion, Hairstyles, Men's hairstyles
During the late 80s, trends in men's facial hair included designer stubble.


1980s in fashion, Image gallery
Lady Diana in 1985 wearing a dress with shoulder pads.


1980s in fashion, Image gallery
Young woman in Europe wearing a jacket with shoulder pads, 1985.


1980s in film
The decade of the 1980s in Western cinema saw the return of studio-driven pictures, coming from the filmmaker-driven New Hollywood era of the 1970s. The period was when "high concept" films gained popularity, where movies were to be easily marketable and understandable, and, therefore, they had short cinematic plots that could be summarized in one or two sentences. The modern Hollywood blockbuster is the most popular film format from the 1980s. Producer Don Simpson is usually credited with the creation of the high-concept picture of the modern Hollywood blockbuster.


1980s in film
The decade also saw 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 teen comedy subgenre also rose in popularity during this decade.


1980s in film
In the US, the PG-13 rating was introduced in 1984 to accommodate films that straddled the line between PG and R, which was mainly due to the controversies surrounding the violent content of the PG films Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins (both 1984).


1980s in film
Some have considered the 1980s in retrospect as one of the weaker decades for American cinema in terms of the qualities of the films released. Quentin Tarantino (director of Pulp Fiction) has voiced his own view that the 1980s was one of the worst eras for American films. Film critic Kent Jones also shares this opinion.


1980s in film
However, film theorist David Bordwell countered this notion, saying that the "megapicture mentality" was already existent in the 1970s, which is evident in the ten highest-grossing films of that decade, as well as with how many of the filmmakers part of New Hollywood were still able to direct many great pictures in the 1980s (Martin Scorsese, Brian de Palma, etc. ).


1980s in film, Top-grossing films
The following are the 10 top-grossing films of the decade:


1980s in film, Highest-grossing films
In the list, where revenues are equal numbers, the newer films are listed lower, due to inflation making the dollar-amount lower compared to earlier years.


1980s in film, Trends
The films of the 1980s covered many genres, with hybrids crossing between multiple genres. The trend strengthened towards creating ever-larger blockbuster films, which earned more in their opening weeks than any previous film, due in part to staging releases when audiences had little else to choose.


1980s in jazz
In the 1980s in jazz, the jazz community shrank dramatically and split. A mainly older audience retained an interest in traditional and straight-ahead jazz styles. Wynton Marsalis strove to create music within what he believed was the tradition, creating extensions of small and large forms initially pioneered by such artists as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. In the early 1980s, a commercial form of jazz fusion called pop fusion or "smooth jazz" became successful and garnered significant radio airplay. Smooth jazz saxophonists include Grover Washington Jr., Kenny G, Kirk Whalum, Boney James, and David Sanborn.


1980s in jazz
Smooth jazz received frequent airplay with more straight-ahead jazz in "quiet storm" time slots at radio stations in urban markets across the U.S., helping to establish or bolster the careers of vocalists including Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Chaka Khan, and Sade. In this same time period Chaka Khan released Echoes of an Era, which featured Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, and Lenny White. She also released the song "And the Melody Still Lingers On (Night in Tunisia)" with Dizzy Gillespie reviving the solo break from "Night in Tunisia".


1980s in jazz, Overview
According to Robert Christgau, in the 1980s Miles Davis capitalized on the popularity of the electric fusion style he had pioneered in the 1970s. In the Newsweek article "The Problem With Jazz Criticism", Stanley Crouch considered Davis' playing of fusion as a turning point that led to smooth jazz. In Aaron J. West's introduction to his analysis of smooth jazz, "Caught Between Jazz and Pop" he states, "I challenge the prevalent marginalization and malignment of smooth jazz in the standard jazz narrative. Furthermore, I question the assumption that smooth jazz is an unfortunate and unwelcomed evolutionary outcome of the jazz-fusion era. Instead, I argue that smooth jazz is a long-lived musical style that merits multi-disciplinary analyses of its origins, critical dialogues, performance practice, and reception."


1980s in jazz, Overview
Acid jazz developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and was influenced by jazz-funk and electronic dance music. Vibraphonist Roy Ayers is considered a forerunner of acid jazz. Although acid jazz often contains electronic composition (sometimes including sampling or live DJ cutting and scratching), it is just as likely to be played live by musicians who showcase jazz interpretation as part of their performance. Nu jazz is influenced by jazz harmony and melodies. There are usually no improvisational aspects.


1980s in jazz, Overview
It ranges from combining live instrumentation with beats of jazz house, exemplified by St Germain, Jazzanova, and Fila Brazillia, to more band-based improvised jazz with electronic elements such as that of The Cinematic Orchestra, Kobol, and the Norwegian "future jazz" style pioneered by Bugge Wesseltoft, Jaga Jazzist, Nils Petter Molvær, and others. Nu jazz can be very experimental in nature and can vary widely in sound and concept.


1980s in jazz, Overview
Jazz rap developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and incorporates jazz influence into hip hop. In 1988, Gang Starr released  the debut single "Words I Manifest", sampling Dizzy Gillespie's 1962 "Night in Tunisia", and Stetsasonic released "Talkin' All That Jazz", sampling Lonnie Liston Smith. Gang Starr's debut LP, No More Mr. Nice Guy (Wild Pitch, 1989), and their track "Jazz Thing" (CBS, 1990) for the soundtrack of Mo' Better Blues, sampling Charlie Parker and Ramsey Lewis. Gang Starr also collaborated with Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard. Groups making up the collective known as the Native Tongues Posse tended towards jazzy releases; these include the Jungle Brothers' debut Straight Out the Jungle (Warlock, 1988) and A Tribe Called Quest's People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (Jive, 1990) and The Low End Theory (Jive, 1991).


1980s in jazz, Overview
In 1987, the US House of Representatives and Senate passed a resolution proposed by Democratic Representative John Conyers Jr. to define jazz as a unique form of American music stating, among other things, "...that jazz is hereby designated as a rare and valuable national American treasure to which we should devote our attention, support and resources to make certain it is preserved, understood and promulgated."


1980s in motorsport
This page documents some of the events that happened in motorsport in the 1980s.


1980s in music
This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 1980s.


1980s in music
The 1980s saw the emergence of electronic dance music and new wave, also known as Modern Rock. As 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. Soft rock, glam metal, thrash metal, shred guitar characterized by heavy distortion, pinch harmonics, and whammy bar abuse became very popular. Adult contemporary, quiet storm, and smooth jazz gained popularity. In the late 1980s, glam metal became the largest, most commercially successful brand of music worldwide.


1980s in music
The 1980s are commonly remembered for an increase in the use of digital recording, associated with the usage of synthesizers, with synth-pop music and other electronic genres featuring non-traditional instruments increasing in popularity. Also during this decade, several major electronic genres were developed, including electro, techno, house, freestyle, and Eurodance, rising in prominence during the 1990s and beyond. Throughout the decade, R&B, hip hop, and urban genres were becoming commonplace, particularly in the inner-city areas of large, metropolitan cities; rap was especially successful in the latter part of the decade, with the advent of the golden age of hip hop. These urban genres—particularly rap and hip hop—would continue their rise in popularity through the 1990s and 2000s.


1980s in music
A 2010 survey conducted by the digital broadcaster Music Choice, which polled over 11,000 European participants, revealed that the 1980s was the most favoured tune decade of the last 40 years.


1980s in music
Notable artists include Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bobby Brown, Janet Jackson, George Michael (as well as Wham! ), Prince, Whitney Houston, and The Police.


1980s in music, Economics
Reflecting on changes in the music industry during the 1980s, Robert Christgau later wrote in Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s (1990):


1980s in music, Economics
The '80s were above all a time of international corporatization, as one major after another gave it up to media moguls in Europe and Japan. By 1990, only two of the six dominant American record companies were headquartered in the U.S. Bizzers acted locally while thinking globally in re audiences/markets (will it sell in Germany? Australia? Venezuela? Indonesia now that we've sunk the pirates? the U.S.S.R.?) and artists/suppliers (world music was a concept whose geoeconomic time had come). After a feisty start, independent labels accepted farm-team status that could lead to killings with the bigs.


1980s in music, Economics
Cross-promotional hookah became the rule—the soundtrack album, the sponsored tour, the golden-oldie commercial, the T-shirt franchise, the video as song ad and pay-for-play programming and commodity fetish. Record executives became fewer impresarios than arbitragers, speculating in abstract bundles of rights whose physical characteristics meant little or nothing to them. Rock was mere music no longer. It was reconceived as intellectual property, as a form of capital itself.


1980s in music, Economics
Commercial stardom, as measured by music recording sales certifications, replaced artistry as an indication of a musician's significance, according to Christgau. "When art is intellectual property, image and aura subsume aesthetic substance, whatever exactly that is", he explained. "When art is the capital, sales interface with aesthetic quality—Thriller's numbers are part of its experience."


1980s in music, North America, Pop
The 1980s saw the reinvention of Michael Jackson, and the worldwide superstardom of Prince, Madonna and Whitney Houston, who were all among the most successful musicians during this time.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
Michael Jackson, along with Prince, was the first African American artist to have his music videos in heavy rotation on MTV, with "Beat It", and "Billie Jean". (Donna Summer placed the first two videos by an African American female artist, with "She Works Hard for the Money" and "Unconditional Love", both in 1983.) Jackson's Thriller (1982) is the best-selling album of all time, selling 25 million copies during the decade. The album had sold over 65 million copies.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
His other album, 1987's Bad, has the honour of being the first album in history to have five number-one singles on the  Billboard Hot 100. Its accompanying world tour also made history by being the highest-grossing tour by a solo artist in the 1980s, as well as the highest-grossing at the time. In addition to being the biggest selling artist of the decade,  Jackson had nine number-one singles – more than any other activities during the decade – and spent the longest time at number one (27 weeks) in the 1980s. He won numerous awards, including "Artist of the Decade" and "Artist of the Century", and was arguably the biggest star of the 1980s.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
Madonna was the best-selling female artist of the decade. Her third studio release, True Blue, became the best-selling female album of the 1980s. Other Madonna albums from the decade include Like a Virgin, one of the best selling albums of all-time, and Like a Prayer ("As close to art as pop music gets," said Rolling Stone). Madonna made music videos a marketing tool and was among the first to make them an art form. Her songs topped several charts, such as: "Like a Virgin", "Papa Don't Preach", "La Isla Bonita" and "Like a Prayer". Madonna was named artist of the decade by several magazines and awards.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
Whitney Houston was one of the most successful artists of the decade. Her eponymous debut studio album was the best-selling debut album by a solo artist at the time, and her sophomore album Whitney is the first female album to debut at No. 1 in the Billboard 200. She also became the first and only artist to earn seven consecutive number-one songs on the Billboard Hot 100,  from "Saving All My Love for You" in 1985 to "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" in 1988. Her crossover appeal on the popular music charts as well as her prominence on MTV influenced generations of African American artists.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
Paula Abdul hit it big in 1988. With her debut album Forever Your Girl, she was the first female to have four number-one singles from a debut album (only The Jackson 5 had done the same with their debut). She had five top ten hits from the album.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
By 1980, the disco genre, largely dependent on orchestras, was replaced by a lighter synthpop production, which subsequently fuelled dance music.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
In the latter half of the 1980s, teen pop experienced its first wave, with bands and artists including Exposé, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, New Edition, Stacey Q, The Bangles, New Kids on the Block, Laura Branigan, Boy George and others becoming teen idols.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
Prominent American urban pop acts of the 1980s include Tina Turner, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Whitney Houston and Diana Ross. African American artists like Lionel Richie and Prince became some of the decade's biggest stars. Their hit albums included 1999, Purple Rain, and Sign o' the Times by Prince and Lionel Richie, Can't Slow Down, and Dancing on the Ceiling by Richie.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
Prince was one of the decade's most prolific artists, not just by being the top-charting artist in the US and worldwide. He was responsible for artists such as Vanity 6, for whom he wrote the dance chart-topping "Nasty Girl"; Morris Day and The Time, for whom he wrote the top 20 "Jungle Love"; Sheila E., for whom he wrote the top ten songs "The Glamorous Life" and number 11 "A Love Bizarre"; and Wendy & Lisa and Apollonia 6.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
He wrote "I Feel for You" for Chaka Khan, which won him a Grammy for best R&B song; "Sugar Walls" for Sheena Easton; and as well as doing a duet with "U Got the Look", he wrote "Manic Monday", a number two pop hit for The Bangles. Artists that covered his music included Tom Jones, who brought his version of the song "Kiss" into the top 40 for the second time in the decade. Melissa Morgan brought her cover of "Do Me, Baby" to the top of the R&B charts in 1986.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
Other notable artists that covered Prince during the 1980s were The Pointer Sisters and Cyndi Lauper. He also won an Academy Award for the song "Purple Rain". In 1989, Irish singer Sinead O'Connor would record a cover of his song "Nothing Compares 2 U", which would become the biggest song of the year worldwide in the new decade to follow. Prince had four number-one singles and 14 top ten hits on the Hot 100 Chart.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
Lionel Richie teamed with Diana Ross to record one of the decade's biggest hits "Endless Love", which topped the Billboard charts for nine weeks. Other songs by Richie, such as "All Night Long" and "Hello" also topped the charts, and he would have a total of five number one hits and thirteen top ten singles. Diana Ross brought "Upside Down" to the top spot in 1980; she would have two number-one singles, and eight top ten hits in the decade.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
Tina Turner topped the charts with "What's Love Got to Do with It" and scored a total of six top ten singles. Donna Summer's "She Works Hard for the Money" was a continuation of the feminist movement started in the 70s and a rallying cry for those who worked hard and wanted to be treated fairly. She would have five top ten singles in the decade.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A., AC/DC's Back in Black, Def Leppard's Hysteria, and Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet were some of the decade's biggest-selling albums on the Billboard Top 200 chart.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
During the mid-1980s American pop singer Cyndi Lauper was considered the "Voice of the MTV Generation of '80s" and so different visual style that made the world for teens. Her first two albums She's So Unusual (1984) and True Colors (1986) were critically and commercially successful, spawning the hits, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", "Time After Time", "She Bop", "All Through the Night", "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough", "True Colors" and "Change of Heart".


1980s in music, North America, Pop
Several British artists made the successful transition to pop during the 1980s and saw great commercial success, such as David Bowie, Phil Collins, John Lennon, Billy Ocean, Sheena Easton and Paul McCartney. Many British pop bands also dominated the American charts in the early 1980s. Many of them became popular due to their constant exposure on MTV, these bands included The Human League, Culture Club, Duran Duran, and Wham!. Between the four, they have had 9 U.S. number ones with hits like "Don't You Want Me", "Karma Chameleon", "The Reflex" and "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go". In the later part of the decade, Rick Astley, George Michael as a solo artist, Terence Trent D'Arby, and Fine Young Cannibals all found chart success.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
At the beginning of the 1980s, Australian artists like Olivia Newton-John, Men at Work, Air Supply and AC/DC all had chart success, later in the decade INXS scored hits. Olivia Newton-John's hit Physical would top the Hot 100 for 10 weeks and be the decade's biggest hit in the US; she would have six top ten singles during the 80s.


1980s in music, North America, Pop
American artists such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Kool & the Gang, The Pointer Sisters, Billy Joel, Hall & Oates, Prince, Kenny Rogers and John Mellencamp, then known as John Cougar, ruled the charts throughout the decade in the US. Prince, Madonna, Jackson, Joel and Springsteen along with U2, Dire Straits, Phil Collins, The Police, Queen, The Rolling Stones and Eurythmics achieved tremendous success worldwide.


1980s in music, North America, Rock
In the 1980s, rock music was more precisely defined and split up into multiple subgenres.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Hard rock and heavy/glam metal
Beginning in 1983 and peaking in success in 1986-1990, the decade saw the resurgence of hard rock music and the emergence of its glam metal subgenre. Bands such as AC/DC, Queen, Def Leppard, Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Quiet Riot, Scorpions, Europe, Ratt, Twisted Sister, Poison, Dokken, Whitesnake, and Cinderella were among the most popular acts of the decade. The 1980s saw the emergence of wildly popular hard rock band Guns N' Roses and the successful comebacks of Aerosmith and Alice Cooper in the late 1980s.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Hard rock and heavy/glam metal
The success of hard rock act Van Halen spanned throughout the entire decade, first with singer David Lee Roth and later with Sammy Hagar. Queen, which had expanded its music to experimental and crossover genres in the early 1980s, returned to guitar-driven hard rock with The Miracle in 1989. Additionally, a few women managed to achieve stardom in the 1980s hard rock scene: Pat Benatar and Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, who had been around since the mid 1970s, are prime examples of female success in hard rock, and so are both ex-Runaways Joan Jett and Lita Ford.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Hard rock and heavy/glam metal
The arena rock trend of the 1970s continued in the 1980s with bands like Styx, Rush, Journey, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, ZZ Top, and Aerosmith.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Hard rock and heavy/glam metal
Traditionally associated (and often confused) with hard rock, heavy metal was also extremely popular throughout the decade, with Ozzy Osbourne achieving success during his solo career; bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Dio were also widely popular British acts. Speed metal pioneer Motörhead maintained its popularity through the releases of several albums. Underground scenes produced an array of more extreme, aggressive Metal subgenres: thrash metal broke into the mainstream with bands such as Metallica, Slayer, Exodus, Anthrax, and Megadeth. By the late 1980s, Metallica would achieve mainstream success and would become one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Other styles like death metal and black metal would remain a subcultural phenomena.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Hard rock and heavy/glam metal
The decade also saw the emergence of a string of guitar virtuosi: Eddie Van Halen, George Lynch, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Randy Rhoads, Jason Becker and Yngwie Malmsteen achieved international recognition for their skills. While considerably less numerous, bass guitar virtuosi also gained momentum in the 1980s: Geddy Lee (of Rush), Billy Sheehan (of David Lee Roth and Mr. Big fame), Cliff Burton (of Metallica) and alternative/funk metal bassist Les Claypool (of Primus fame) became famous during that period. Iron Maiden founder and bassist Steve Harris has also been praised numerous times for his galloping style of bass playing.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Hard rock and heavy/glam metal
Both hard rock and heavy metal were extremely popular live genres and bands toured extensively around the globe.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Alternative rock
By 1984, a majority of groups signed to independent record labels were mining from a variety of rock and particularly 1960s rock influences. This represented a sharp break from the futuristic, hyper-rational post-punk years.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Alternative rock
Throughout the 1980s, alternative rock was mainly an underground phenomenon. While on occasion a song would become a commercial hit or albums would receive critical praise in mainstream publications like Rolling Stone, alternative rock in the 1980s was primarily relegated to independent record labels, fanzines and college radio stations. Alternative bands built underground followings by touring constantly and regularly releasing low-budget albums. In the case of the United States, new bands would form in the wake of previous bands, which created an extensive underground circuit in America, filled with different scenes in various parts of the country. Although American alternative artists of the 1980s never generated spectacular album sales, they exerted a considerable influence on later alternative musicians and laid the groundwork for their success.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Alternative rock
Early American alternative bands such as R.E.M., The Hits, The Feelies, and Violent Femmes combined punk influences with folk music and mainstream music influences. R.E.M. was the most immediately successful; its debut album, Murmur (1983), entered the Top 40 and spawned a number of jangle pop followers. Alternative and indie pop movements sprang up in other parts of the world, from the Paisley Underground of Los Angeles (The Bangles, Rain Parade) to Scotland (Aztec Camera, Orange Juice), Australia (The Church, The Triffids), and New Zealand's Dunedin sound (The Clean, The Chills).


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Alternative rock
American indie record labels SST Records, Twin/Tone Records, Touch and Go Records, and Dischord Records presided over the shift from the hardcore punk that then dominated the American underground scene to the more diverse styles of alternative rock that were emerging. Minnesota bands Hüsker Dü and The Replacements were indicative of this shift. Both started as punk rock bands, but soon diversified their sounds and became more melodic.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Alternative rock
By the late 1980s, the American alternative scene was dominated by styles ranging from quirky alternative pop (They Might Be Giants and Camper Van Beethoven), to noise rock (Big Black, Swans) to industrial rock (Ministry, Nine Inch Nails) and to early Grunge (Mudhoney, Nirvana). These sounds were in turn followed by the advent of Boston's the Pixies and Los Angeles' Jane's Addiction.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Alternative rock
American alternative rock bands of the 1980s included Hüsker Dü, The Replacements, Minutemen, R.E.M., Dinosaur Jr., Pixies, and Sonic Youth which were popular long before the Grunge movement of the early 1990s.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Alternative rock
New singers and songwriters included Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Mark Heard, Lucinda Williams, Patti Smith, Rickie Lee Jones, Terence Trent D'Arby, Stevie Nicks, Suzanne Vega, Cheryl Wheeler and Warren Zevon. Rock and even punk rock artists such as Peter Case, Phil Collins and Paul Westerberg transitioned to careers as solo singers.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Alternative rock
In the late 1980s, the term was applied to a group of predominantly female U.S. artists, beginning with Suzanne Vega whose first album sold unexpectedly well, followed by the likes of Tracy Chapman, Nanci Griffith, k.d. lang and Tori Amos, who found success first in the United Kingdom, then in her home market.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Other trends
Various older rock bands made a comeback. Bands originating from the early to mid-1960s such as The Beach Boys and The Kinks had hits with "Kokomo", "Come Dancing" and "Do It Again". Bands with popularity in the mid-1970s such as the Steve Miller Band and Steely Dan also had hits with "Abracadabra" and "Hey Nineteen". Singer and songwriter Bruce Springsteen released his blockbuster album Born In The USA, which produced a record-tying 7 hit singles. Stevie Ray Vaughan and George Thorogood sparked a revival of Atomic blues and Blues rock.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Other trends
Massively successful hard rock band Led Zeppelin disbanded after drummer John Bonham's 1980 death, while contemporaries AC/DC continued to have success after the death of former frontman Bon Scott. Country rock saw a decline after Lynyrd Skynyrd's 1977 plane crash and 1980 disbanding of the genre's most successful band, the Eagles. The Grateful Dead had their biggest hit in band history with "Touch of Grey". The Who managed to provide the hit songs "You Better You Bet" and "Eminence Front" before burning out after the death of their drummer Keith Moon.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Other trends
Hardcore punk flourished throughout the early to mid-1980s, with bands leading the genre such as Black Flag, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Suicidal Tendencies, D.O.A., and Dead Kennedys amongst others. It began to wane in the latter half of the decade, with the New York hardcore scene dominating the genre. However, it experiences a jumpstart in the late 1980s with emerging bands such as Operation Ivy and Green Day that would define not just the so-called "East Bay" sound but impact the next decade's punk and alternative sound. Some of which is still around today.


1980s in music, North America, Rock, Other trends
The 1980s proved a difficult time for many 1960s-70s veterans, many of them unable or unwilling to adapt to current trends. Music icons such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and The Rolling Stones released albums that were often poor quality and critically panned as they attempted to grapple with the changing times. MTV in particular was a problem for many artists, as it put a premium on youthfulness, good looks, and showmanship. Artists who became strongly associated with disco music also fell from grace and were often banned from radio play.


1980s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B originated in the 1980s, when musicians started adding disco-like beats, high-tech production, and elements of hip hop, soul and funk to rhythm and blues, making it more danceable and modern. The top mainstream R&B artists of 1980s included Michael Jackson, Prince, Jermaine Jackson, James Ingram, The S.O.S. Band, Stevie Wonder, Kool & the Gang, Jeffrey Osborne, Smokey Robinson, Rick James, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Earth, Wind & Fire, New Edition, Evelyn King, Marvin Gaye, The Jets, DeBarge, Midnight Star, Club Nouveau, Stephanie Mills, Jody Watley, Rockwell, Rene and Angela, and Freddie Jackson.


1980s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
In the mid-1980s, many of the recordings by artists Luther Vandross, Freddie Jackson, Sade, Anita Baker, Teddy Pendergrass, Peabo Bryson and others became widely heard on the new quiet storm radio format. The term had originated with Smokey Robinson's 1975 album A Quiet Storm. Quiet storm has been described as "R&B's answer to soft rock and adult contemporary—while it was primarily intended for black audiences, quiet storm had the same understated dynamics, relaxed tempos and rhythms, and romantic sentiment."


1980s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
Tina Turner made a huge comeback during the mid-1980s, while Donna Summer, Diana Ross, The Pointer Sisters and Irene Cara had success on the pop charts first half of the decade. Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and Jody Watley had it in the second half of the decade. Irene Cara's Flashdance... What a Feeling was the number one song worldwide in 1983, and for the decade of the 80s.


1980s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
Richard J. Ripani wrote that Janet Jackson's third studio album Control (1986) was "important to the development of R&B for several reasons", as she and her producers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, "crafted a new sound that fuses the rhythmic elements of funk and disco, along with heavy doses of synthesizers, percussion, sound effects, and a rap music sensibility." Ripani wrote that "the success of Control led to the incorporation of stylistic traits of rap over the next few years, and Janet Jackson was to continue to be one of the leaders in that development."


1980s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
That same year, Teddy Riley began producing R&B recordings that included hip hop influences. This combination of R&B style and hip hop rhythms was termed new jack swing, and was applied to artists such as Bobby Brown, Keith Sweat, Guy, Today, Wreckx-n-Effect, Big Daddy Kane, Kool Moe Dee, Heavy D & the Boyz, Tammy Lucas, Nayobe, Abstrac, Deja, Starpoint, and Bell Biv DeVoe.


1980s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
Michael Jackson remained a prominent figure in the genre in the late 1980s, following the release of his album Bad (1987) which sold 6 million copies in the US in the 80s, and went on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide. Janet Jackson's 1989 album Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 continued the development of contemporary R&B into the 1990s, as the album's title track "Rhythm Nation" made "use of elements from across the R&B spectrum, including use of a sample loop, triplet swing, rapped vocal parts and blues notes."


1980s in music, North America, Contemporary R&B
The release of Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 became the only album in history to produce number one hits on the Billboard Charts Hot 100 in three separate calendar years—"Miss You Much" in 1989, "Escapade" and "Black Cat" in 1990, and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" in 1991—and the only album in the history of the Hot 100 to have seven top 5 hit singles.


1980s in music, North America, Hip hop
Encompassing graffiti art, break dancing, rap music, and fashion, hip-hop became the dominant cultural movement of the African American communities in the 1980s. The Hip hop musical genre had a strong influence on pop music in the late 1980s which continues to the present day.


1980s in music, North America, Hip hop
During the 1980s, the hip hop genre started embracing the creation of rhythm by using the human body, via the vocal percussion technique of beatboxing. Pioneers such as Africa Bambaataa, DJ Kool Herc, Melle Mel, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Whodini, Sugarhill Gang, Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie and Buffy from the Fat Boys made beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using their mouth, lips, tongue, voice, and other body parts. "Human Beatbox" artists would also sing or imitate turntablism scratching or other instrument sounds.


1980s in music, North America, Hip hop
The 1980s also saw many artists make social statements through hip hop. In 1982, Melle Mel and Duke Bootee recorded "The Message" (officially credited to Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five), a song that foreshadowed the socially conscious statements of Run-DMC's "It's Like That" and Public Enemy's "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos".


1980s in music, North America, Hip hop
Popular hip hop artists of the 1980s include Kurtis Blow, Run D.M.C., Beastie Boys, NWA, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Boogie Down Productions, Kid N Play, MC Lyte, EPMD, Salt N Pepa,  and Ice-T, Schooly D, Slick Rick, Kool Moe Dee, Whodini, MC Hammer, among others.


1980s in music, North America, Electronic music
In the 1980s, dance music records made using only electronic instruments became increasingly popular, largely influenced by the electronic music of Kraftwerk and 1970s disco music. Such music was originally born of and popularized via regional nightclub scenes in the 1980s, and became the predominant type of music played in discothèques as well as the rave scene.


1980s in music, North America, Electronic music
House music is a style of electronic dance music which originated in Chicago, Illinois, in the early 1980s. House music was strongly influenced by elements of soul- and funk-infused varieties of disco. Club play from pioneering DJs like Ron Hardy and Lil Louis, local dance music record shops, and the popular Hot Mix 5 shows on radio station WBMX-FM helped popularize house music in Chicago and among visiting DJs & producers from Detroit. Trax Records and DJ International Records, local labels with wider distribution, helped popularize house music outside of Chicago. It eventually reached Europe before becoming infused in mainstream pop & dance music worldwide during the 1990s.


1980s in music, North America, Electronic music
It has been widely cited that the initial blueprint for techno was developed during the mid-1980s in Detroit, Michigan, by Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May (the so-called "Belleville Three"), and Eddie Fowlkes, all of whom attended school together at Belleville High, near Detroit. Though initially conceived as party music that was played on daily mixed radio programs and played at parties given by cliquish, Detroit high school clubs, it has grown to be a global phenomenon.


1980s in music, North America, Country music
As the 1980s dawned, pop-influenced country music was the dominant style, through such acts as Kenny Rogers, Ronnie Milsap, T.G. Sheppard, Eddie Rabbitt, Crystal Gayle, Anne Murray and Dolly Parton. The 1980 movie Urban Cowboy, a romantic comedy starring John Travolta and Debra Winger, spawned a successful soundtrack album featuring pop-styled country songs, including "Lookin' for Love" by Johnny Lee, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band, "Could I Have This Dance" by Murray and "Love the World Away" by Rogers. The songs, and the movie itself, resulted in an early 1980s boom in pop-style country music, and the era is sometimes known as the "Urban Cowboy Movement".


1980s in music, North America, Country music
By the mid-1980s, country music audiences were beginning to tire of country-pop. Although some pop-country artists continued to record and release successful songs and albums, the genre, in general, was beginning to suffer. By 1985, a New York Times article declared country music "dead". However, by this time, several newcomers were working behind the scenes to reverse this perception.


1980s in music, North America, Country music
The year 1986 brought forth several new artists who performed in traditional country styles, such as honky-tonk. This sparked the "new traditionalist" movement, or return to traditional country music. The most successful of these artists included Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam, Ricky Van Shelton and Holly Dunn. Also, artists like Kathy Mattea and Keith Whitley, both of whom had been performing for a few years prior, had their first major hits during 1986; Mattea was more folk-styled, while Whitley was pure honky-tonk.


1980s in music, North America, Country music
But the new traditionalist movement had already taken hold as early as 1981 when newcomers such as Ricky Skaggs and George Strait had their first big hits. Reba McEntire had her first big hit in 1980 followed by 15 other number one hit singles during the decade. Also, songwriter–guitarist and Chet Atkins protégée Steve Wariner also emerged as a popular act starting in the early 1980s. Another boom period for newcomers with new traditionalist styles was 1989, when artists such as Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lorrie Morgan and Travis Tritt had their first big hits.


1980s in music, North America, Country music
It was Whitley who was seen as being one of the torchbearers of the new traditionalist movement, thanks to his pure honky-tonk style in the vein of Lefty Frizzell and others, and his star power was set to rise into the 1990s; however, Whitley was a known heavy drinker, and it was alcohol poisoning that ended his life in May 1989, just weeks after a song about triumph over personal demons – "I'm No Stranger to the Rain"—became a huge country hit. In keeping with the neotraditionalist movement, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris teamed up to release 1987's Platinum-selling Trio album. Composed mostly of traditional songs set to acoustic arrangements, the album won a Grammy in 1988 for best country collaboration.


1980s in music, North America, Country music
Vocal duos were also popular because of their harmonies, most notably The Bellamy Brothers and The Judds. Several of the Bellamy Brothers' songs included double-entendre' laden hooks, on songs such as "Do You Love as Good As You Look". The Judds, a mother-and-daughter duo, combined elements of contemporary pop and traditional country music on songs such as "Why Not Me" and "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Ol' Days)".