1980s

Often remembered for its materialism and consumerism, the decade also saw the
rise of the "yuppie," an explosion of blockbuster movies and the emergence of
cable networks like MTV, which introduced the music video and launched the
careers of many iconic artists. People from this decade belongs to the
generation X.
Trends of the 1980s
Games
Video arcade games reached its zenith in the 1980s. The age brought with it many
technically innovative and genre-defining games developed and released in the first
few years of the decade, including:
Pacman (1980)
- On May 22, 1980, the Pac-Man video game was released in Japan and by October of
the same year, it was released in the United States.
-The yellow, pie-shaped Pac-Man character, who travels around a maze trying to eat
dots and avoid four mean ghosts, quickly became an icon of the 1980s. To this day,
Pac-Man remains one of the most popular video games in history.

-The name "Pac-Man" continues the eating theme of the game. In Japanese, "puck-
puck" (sometimes said "paku-paku") is a word used for munching. So, in Japan, Namco
named the video game Puck-Man. After all, it was a video game about a pizza eating
super-powered cookies.

-However, when it was time for the video game to be sold in the U.S., many were
worried about the name "Puck-Man," mostly because the name sounded a bit too
similar to a particular four-letter word in English. Thus, Puck-Man underwent a name
change and became Pac-Man when the game came to the States.

-designed by a Japanese game designer Toru Iwatani.

-the design of this game was inspired when the designer was eating a pizza.
-the designer recently said that the Pac-Man character is also a simplification of
the Kanji character for mouth, which is kuchi.
-was developed over the course of a year by the Japanese company, Namco.
- is credited with being a landmark in video game history and is among the most
famous arcade games of all time.
- became a social phenomenon that inspired an animated television series and a top-
ten hit music single.
-was the first game to achieve widespread popularity in mainstream culture and the
first game character to be popular in his own right.
-In the early 1980s, the nonviolent and goofy nature of Pac-Man made it a phenomenal
attraction.

-In 1982 an estimated 30 million Americans spent $8 million a week playing Pac-Man,
feeding quarters into machines located in arcades or bars.

-Its popularity among teenagers made it threatening to their parents: Pac-Man was
loud and stunningly popular, and the arcades where the machines were located were
noisy, congested places.

-Many towns in the United States passed statutes to regulate or restrict the games, just
as they were allowed to regulate pinball machines and pool tables to combat
gambling and other "immoral" behaviors.

-Des Plaines, Illinois, banned people under 21 from playing video games unless they
were accompanied by their parents. Marshfield, Massachusetts, banned video games
outright.

-Other cities used licensing or zoning to limit video game playing. A license to run an
arcade could stipulate that it had to be at least a certain distance from a school, or it
could not sell food or alcohol.

-because of the immense popularity there were spinoffs that was created. The most
popular of these was Ms. Pac-Man, which first appeared in 1981 as an unauthorized
version of the game.

-Ms. Pac-Man was created by Midway, the same company authorized to sell the
original Pac-Man in the U.S. Ms. Pac-Man became so popular that Namco eventually
made it an official game.

-A few of the other notable spin-offs were Pac-Man Plus, Professor Pac-Man, Junior Pac-
Man, Pac-Land, Pac-Man World, and Pac-Pix. By the mid-1990s, Pac-Man was available
on home computers, game consoles, and hand-held devices.

-As with anything super popular, merchandising went wild with the Pac-Man image.
You could purchase Pac-Man T-shirts, mugs, stickers, a board game, plush dolls, belt
buckles, puzzles, a card game, wind-up toys, wrapping paper, pajamas, lunch boxes,
sheets, bumper stickers, plus so much more.

-In addition to buying Pac-Man merchandise, kids could satisfy their Pac-Man cravings
by watching a 30-minute Pac-Man cartoon that started airing in 1982. Produced by
Hanna-Barbera, the cartoon lasted for two seasons.

-there was a song created in 1982 inspired from the game, titled “Pac-Man Fever” sang
by Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia which made it all the way up to No.9 on Billboard’s
Top 100 chart.
Fashion

When it comes to fashion, minimalism has been the go-to look for some time now, but
there’s currently a change in the air. Perhaps feeling a little bored with all those
simplistic styles, designers and style stars alike have brought forward a new wave of
maximal fashion that appears straight from the ’80s. Big shoulders, bright colours, and
plenty of statement styles are making fashion fun once again. Perfect for creating
exciting and eye-catching outfits, this ’80s fashion trend promises to infuse your
wardrobe with a new and glamorous sense of style.

Fashion in the 1980s was all about excess. Everything was big, bold, and utterly
glamorous. During the day, ladies rocked power suits with big shoulder pads to prove
that they were just as powerful as the gents. By night, they got glammed-up in sequin
and one-shoulder styles. A love of brands and designer labels was also evident during
the decade. Towards the second half of the ’80s punk looks started trending thanks to
the celebrities of the day.

Fanny Packs

-Fanny packs are perhaps the world’s most polarizing trend and the oldest, with a
history as up-and-down as a celebrity marriage.

-Perhaps the oldest fashion trend in the world, the fanny pack first appeared about
5,000 years ago, as a part of the tremendous wardrobe of Ötzi, aka the Iceman, whose
mummified bod was discovered in the Ötzal Alps between Germany and Austria. Ötzi,
who lived sometime between 3400 and 3100 BCE, wore clothing made from six different
animal species and 17 different trees, and it is from calf leather, aka a primitive fanny
pack. The belt pouch contained three flint tools, one bone awl, and a lump of Fomes
fomentarius or, true tinder fungus.

The Fanny Pack: The 1980s

-Other civilizations like the Egyptians, the Scots, English knights, and others continued
Ötzi’s tradition of pouches fastened to the body with a lace or strap

-In the ’80s and you will find the fanny pack in its purest and most polarizing form.
Usually made from nylon or ripstop, they were durable, colorful, practical and not chic.
Their functionality meant they were quickly adopted by tourists, on whom the fanny
pack was often a feature of a sloppily-assembled or ill-fitting outfit of T-shirt and baggy
shorts. Tourism in both New York and Japan boomed during the ’80s, perhaps solidifying
a worldwide image of the sloggy American cramming their belongings in a cheap little
bag that rested gently on the butt.
-Fanny packs continued to evolve and change, some of its example are the Chanel
Fanny Pack of 1994, the Ironic Fanny Pack of the late 1990s-2014, the Skater Bag of Mid-
90s-present day, the Cross-Body Bag and the “Waist Bag” of 2015-2017, the Chest Rig of
2017 and the Tactical Vest of 2018.

Music

Music in the 1980s was all about image and with the advent and popularity of MTV, the
images that accompanied artists became more important than ever. When it came to
music during the decade, nothing was understated, not the sound, not the fashion, not
even the charity. The 1980s reflected the beginning of a period of great income
disparity and a focus on affluence was reflected in the music. There were also several
new genres that popped up including, Hip Hop, New wave and Hair Metal, all of which
have influenced music today.

Thriller

-is a song recorded by American singer Michael Jackson. It was released as the seventh
and final single from Jackson's album Thriller on January 23, 1984.
-It was filmed in Palace Theater, 630 S Broadway, Los Angeles, California, USA.
-The song estimated budget is $1,100,000
-premiered on MTV and launched a dance craze, a red-jacket fashion favorite, and
more pricey and ambitious videos by other top-tier artists.
-It was directed John Landis and written by Landis and Jackson.
-The title-track from Jackson’s 1982 album was written by Rod Temperton and
produced by Quincy Jones, and became the seventh single after such hits as “Billie
Jean” and “Beat It.” The landmark film went on to win three MTV Awards, two American
Music Awards and a Grammy, and is the first and only music video to be inducted into
the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

-it’s the most popular, critically acclaimed music video in history, one whose fame
helped push the album it was a part of to become the highest-selling album in music
history, with some estimates claiming over 100 million copies sold worldwide.

-The 3D version of the music video and restored documentary Making Michael
Jackson’s Thriller, directed by Jerry Kramer, premiered at the Venice Film Festival in
2017. This September, it became the first music video released in IMAX 3D. The song re-
entered the Hot 100 on Nov. 10, 2018 at No. 31, the highest it has been since April 7,
1984.

-Songwriter Rod Temperton wanted to write a theatrical song to suit Jackson's love of
film. The music and lyrics evoke horror films, with sound effects such as thunder,
footsteps and wind. It ends with a spoken-word sequence performed by horror
actor Vincent Price.
-"Thriller" received positive reviews and became the album's seventh top-ten single on
the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. It reached the top of the charts in France and Belgium and
the top ten in many other countries. It appears on several of Jackson's greatest hits
albums.

Movies

The decade of the 1980s tended to consolidate the gains made in the seventies rather
than to initiate any new trends equal to the large number of disaster movies, buddy
movies, or "rogue cop" movies that characterized the previous decade. Designed and
packaged for mass audience appeal, few 80s films became what could be called
'classics'.

The era was characterized by the introduction of 'high-concept' films - with cinematic
plots that could be easily characterized by one or two sentences (25 words or less) -
and therefore easily marketable and understandable. Producer Don Simpson
(partnered with Jerry Bruckheimer) has been credited with the creation of the high-
concept picture (or modern Hollywood blockbuster), although its roots could be seen in
the late 70s (i.e., the prototypical Jaws (1975), Saturday Night Fever (1977), Star Wars
(1977), Alien (1979) - known in high-concept terms as "Jaws in Space").

After the innovations of the 70s, films in the 80s were less experimental and original, but
more formulaic, although there was a burst of films eager to capitalize on new special
effects (CGI) techniques now available. Predictions were grim for the industry
production costs were soaring while ticket prices were declining. The average ticket
price at the beginning of the decade was about $3, and over $4 by the end of the
decade, while the average film budget was over $18 million. However, fears of the
demise of Hollywood proved to be premature.

Ghostbuster

-is a 1984 American fantasy comedy film produced and directed by Ivan Reitman and
written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd and Ramis
as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler.
-Aykroyd conceived Ghostbusters as a project for himself and fellow Saturday Night
Live alumnus John Belushi, with the protagonists traveling through time and space.
Aykroyd and Ramis rewrote the script following Belushi's death and after Reitman
deemed Aykroyd's initial vision financially impractical.
-Filming took place from October 1983 to January 1984.
-Ghostbusters was released in the United States on June 8, 1984. It received positive
reviews and grossed $242 million in the United States and more than $295 million
worldwide, making it the highest-grossing comedy film of its time.
-at the 57th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Visual Effects and Best Original
Song (for the theme song).
-the American Film Institute ranked Ghostbusters28th on its 100 Years...100 Laughs list of
film comedies.
-in 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in
the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
-Ghostbusters launched a media franchise, which includes a 1989 sequel, two
animated television series (The Real Ghostbusters and Extreme Ghostbusters), video
games, and a 2016 reboot.

Gadgets

The 1980s was a decade where science and technology reached groundbreaking
strides. We’re talking about an era that introduced us to such high-tech innovations as
8-bit gaming consoles, compact audio systems, mobile phones, portable listening
devices, and state-of-the-art music instruments. A time when Apple was just on the
come up, Casio played trendsetter on the wristwatch front, Nintendo ushered in the
next generation of home entertainment, and Sony reigned supreme as the electronics
king. Being an '80s baby rocked.

Sony Walkman

-Sony co-founder Masaru Ibuka got the wheels turning months before when he asked
for a way to listen to opera that was more portable than Sony's existing TC-D5 cassette
players. The charge fell to Sony designer Norio Ohga, who built a prototype out of
Sony's Pressman cassette recorder in time for Ibuka's next flight.

-it may have stumbled in the '90s with the brilliant yet poorly received MiniDisc format,
but back in the '80s Sony started a musical revolution with the Walkman. Music had
defined every decade and generation, but it was a grounded medium resigned to
chunky record players and cassette decks. Then the Japanese electronics came along
with a portable device in a small form factor and changed everything.
-Technically, the original Walkman cassette player arrived in 1979, but it didn't properly
take off and become the runaway success we remember it for today until the Sony
Walkman WM-2 popped up in 1981. It shifted a mind-melting 2.5 million units and turned
the humble mix tape into soundtrack you could take anywhere.

-The 1980s could well have been the Walkman decade. The popularity of Sony's device
and those by brands like Aiwa, Panasonic and Toshiba who followed in Sony's lead
helped the cassette tape outsell vinyl records for the first time in 1983.

-By 1986 the word "Walkman" had entered the Oxford English Dictionary. Walkman had
come to be the generic term for portable audiocassette players.

- its launch coincided with the birth of the aerobics craze, and millions used the
Walkman to make their workouts more entertaining.
-the Walkman went on to become one of Sony's most successful brands of all time,
transitioning formats over the years into CD, Mini-Disc, MP3 and finally, streaming music.

-Sony retired the classic cassette tape Walkman line in 2010, and was forced to pay
a huge settlement to the original inventor of the portable cassette player, Andreas
Pavel.

-They heyday of the Walkman may be over but the name lives on today in the form of
new MP3 players and Sony's Walkman app.