- Culture of the 1980s
In the
1980s culture around the world became more homogenized - the "Eighties" in America is similar to the "Eighties" inEurope andAsia .*In the early 1980s, the first generation of computer graphics in arcade games produced the popular "
Space Invaders " arcade game (first released in 1978), followed by "Pac-Man ", "Donkey Kong", and "Frogger ". Towards the end of the decade, homevideo game console s began to outstrip thearcade game . The Japanese Famicom was released to the white public as theNintendo Entertainment System (also known as the NES) in 1985 and renewed public interest in video games following a brief decline caused by theVideo Game Crash of 1983 .
*Computer technology began to enter mainstream culture and appeared in movies such as "Tron" (1982) and "WarGames " (1983), using then-state of the artCGI special effects that would go on to have a major impact on movie making.
*Rubik's Cube ,Cabbage Patch Kids , "Baby on Board " signs,Teddy Ruxpin , andTrivial Pursuit fad s captured the interest of the American and British public.
*Many cartoon characters such asSmurfs ,Rainbow Brite ,Strawberry Shortcake ,Care Bears ,My Little Pony , GI Joe,Garfield ,He-Man and the Masters of the Universe ,Thundercats ,Voltron , and Transformers appeared in the media and on merchandise, becoming huge trends of the 1980s. Many of these reappeared about twenty years later in slightly updated versions asdecade nostalgia began to take hold.
*Martial arts andNinja mania swept North America due to the popularity ofKung Fu Theater and ninja movies. "The Karate Kid " became a blockbuster hit film, and raised interest inkarate . The emergence of self-styled martial arts experts gave rise to the so-called "McDojo " and "Bullshido " trends. The cartoon characters "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles " became a widely mass-marketed pop culture phenomenon in the late 1980s.
*"Raybans" orsunglasses became popular "must-wear" items, as well as Nike sneakers,Members Only jackets, men'sshorts and other athletic wear such as sweats and jerseys for an active generation of young people.
*Aerobics surged in popularity. The fad reached across exercise videos, fashion, and music trends as seen inOlivia Newton-John 's music video "(Let's Get) Physical", the 1983 movie "Flashdance " that inspired legwarmers as a fashion trend, and the popularJane Fonda workout videos.
*Americans became more health-conscious and sought a lighter diet, with "Lose weight", "Low-Cal", "Low-Salt", "Sugar-free", "No cholesterol" and other phrases becoming commonbuzzword s for modified foods and beverages. Fad diets became popular.
*MTV , an all-music television station, debuted in the United States in1981 .
*Australia n pop culture introduced new trends in the U.S. throughout the 1980s to enhance the continent's cultural image. Examples include celebritiesOlivia Newton-John , Jacko andYahoo Serious , musiciansINXS ,Midnight Oil andMen at Work , theCrocodile Dundee andMad Max movies, the Roos shoe brand andKoala Blue chain within the fashion segment, and tastes such as "shrimp on the barbie" andFoster's Lager .
*Rap music began to break into the mainstream, resulting in a string ofbreakdancing movies such as "Beat Street ", "Breakin' ", and "".Boom box es became widespread among inner city music listeners and especially breakdancers, for which the device became a vital element to the ritual. "Breakdance battles" were a more peaceful alternative to gang fights and became popular in music videos.
*In the U.S.,Spanish-language television and radio stations built two major networks (Univision — 1985 andTelemundo — 1986) to carry shows and music for the U.S.Latino audience, believed at the time to have been left out of the mainstream media.
*The De Lorean debuted in 1981, and was produced for three years before the company declared bankruptcy in 1983. The car was later popularized in the 1985 film "Back to the Future ".ports
Sport became more international in the 1980s as
satellite television grew, with many sporting events reaching more countries than before. Examples include the first live broadcasts of theSuper Bowl in theUnited Kingdom .In 1980, the US Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviet Union 4 to 3, bolstering many U.S. citizens' feelings of national pride in what was termed a
Miracle On Ice .In this decade, the West Indies established themselves as the unofficial world champions of cricket, though in a shock upset, they lost the
1983 Cricket World Cup to India. This victory is cited as the reasoncricket is almost a religion in India.Fact|date=December 2007Art
The visual arts and mass media merged during the decade. Nobody painted instead doing installations and performance art. Art exhibitions held in the 1980s included:
*1982:Documenta 7 & 8
*1982:TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes
*1982: The Darkroom
*1988: FreezeFashion
1980s fashion incorporated distinct trends from different eras, includingancient Egypt , early 20th century British royalty,Edwardian era buccaneer s, andpunk rock ers from the1970s . A conservative, masculine fashion look that was most indicative of the decade was the wide use of shoulder pads (similar to those worn by women in the1940s and to those worn inice hockey ). While in the 1970s the silhouette of fashion tended to be characterized by close-fitting clothes on top with wider looser clothes on bottom, this trend completely reversed itself in the early 1980s as both men and women began to wear loose shirts (tucked in) and tight close fitting pants. One variation of this trend was to wear loose-fitting long-sleeve shirts or sweaters with the sleeves scrunched up to the elbows). Men wore power suits, an example of the greater tendency for people to display their wealth. Brand names became increasingly important in this decade, makingRalph Lauren andCalvin Klein household names.Hairstyles are also well known from the decade. Big, messy hairstyles, similar to those worn by women in the 1940s, made popular with the introduction ofglam metal , became all the rage throughout the entire decade. Shorter hairstyles also became more common for women. Colourful hair colours (made popular by singerCyndi Lauper ), were also used widely during the era. The eighties also made popular the well known mullet haircut for both men and women and thejerry curl , a wet curly hair style that was very popular in theAfrican American community. The eighties also saw an interest in bright and colourful makeup as well as makeup used on men (as used by poodle rock bands of the era). The decade also saw the introduction and initial popularity ofhair crimping .In the United States, Madonna was known as the "Material Girl" and many teenage girls, sometimes referred to as "
Madonna wannabe s", looked to her for fashion statements. The popular movie "Flashdance " (1983) made ripped sweatshirts well-known to the general public. The television shows "Dallas" and "Dynasty" also had a similar impact. The television showMiami Vice influenced a whole generation of men by popularizing, if not actually inventing, the "T-shirt under Armani jacket"-style. The Crockett character played byDon Johnson also boosted Ray Ban's popularity by wearing a pair ofRay-Ban Wayfarer s (Model L2052, Mock Tortoise). Crockett's perpetually unshaven appearance also sparked a minor fashion trend, inspiring men to wear a small amount of beard stubble, also known asfive o'clock shadow or "designer stubble", at all times. The show's costume designerGianni Versace provided the fashion sense.Pastel colours dominated the series in clothes. People were also known to wear acid-washed jeans and jackets.Music
*The decade began with a backlash against
disco music and a movement away from the orchestral arrangements that had characterized much of the music of the 1970s. Music in the 1980s was characterized by unheard of electronic sounds accomplished through the use of synthesizers andkeyboards , along with drum machines. The Sheffield (UK) based bandThe Human League were pioneers of 'synthesized music' and were heavily influential in this genre. This made a dramatic change in music. The music channelMTV had just began so many very creative music videos were being made alongside songs. The very first video to be aired on MTV was Buggles- Video Killed The Radio Star. This video heavily showed off the use of synthesizers as they were new to many people and the sounds they produced had been unheard of.
*Michael Jackson revolutionized music with his best-selling album Thriller. "Thriller", released in 1982, is the world's all-time best selling album with over 104 million sold copies. His mannerisms and trends were copied repeatedly, from the single-glove, to the various jackets he wore, and the now-famous "moonwalk".
*In the United States,MTV was launched andmusic video s began to have a huge effect on the record industry. The first video aired wasVideo Killed the Radio Star by the British bandThe Buggles , and it proved oddly prophetic. Bands such asDuran Duran made lavish music videos which made MTV a cultural phenomenon. Early eighties groups such asDevo andHaircut 100 were pioneers. Pop artists such as Madonna andMichael Jackson mastered the format and turned it into big business.
*New Wave andSynthpop were developed by artists such asThe Cars ,Duran Duran ,A Flock of Seagulls ,Gary Numan ,Depeche Mode , Japan,Soft Cell ,Bananarama ,New Order , andTears for Fears , and become popular phenomena throughout the decade, especially in the early eighties.
* Artists withGender Bender styles such asBoy George ,Annie Lennox ,Pete Burns , and Marilyn were popular in America and Europe. The famousdrag queen Divine even had a top 20 hit in the UK (#16 in 1984) with "You Think You're A Man".
*Heavy metal ,Big Hair Band s andGlam metal , experienced extreme popularity in 1980s, becoming one of the most dominating music genres of the 1980s with artists such asIron Maiden ,Judas Priest ,Van Halen , Kiss,Twisted Sister ,Aerosmith , Poison,Ratt , Skid Row,Hanoi Rocks ,Mötley Crüe ,Def Leppard , Queen,Whitesnake ,Quiet Riot ,Bon Jovi ,Guns N' Roses ,AC/DC , and Rush, all receiving extensive airplay.
*Thrash metal appeared and became an underground sensation originating mostly in theBay Area (San Francisco), and New York City. A few of these acts, such asMetallica ,Megadeth (formed inLos Angeles ), Anthrax andSlayer (formed inHuntington Beach ), managed to achieve mainstream exposure (especially during the early 1990s), and were frequently seen as alternatives to the poppier "glam metal " bands of the day.
*Extreme metal began, with bands such as Venom, Bathory,Hellhammer ,Celtic Frost , Death, Possessed,Morbid Angel and gained prominence in the underground.
*House music was a new development in dance music mid-way through the decade, growing out of the post-disco scene early in the decade and later developed intoacid house , a harder form of dance often associated with the developing late 1980s drug culture.
*Hip hop and rap music, introduced by urban youths of predominantlyAfrican American descent, debuted in the pop culture scene as early as 1979, with theSugar Hill Gang 's single release "Rapper's Delight ". MTV picked up on this movement with "Yo! MTV Raps ", a one-hour show dedicated to hip-hop music videos,which began to air in 1988 and hip hop became popular in 1986 when the golden age started.
*The Hip hop scene evolved to become a powerful musical force, bringing with it several dance styles and began to diverse. As hip hop artists such asRun-D.M.C. ,Beastie Boys andLL cool J were the first to gather mainstream attention and by 1986 Hip Hop broke into the mainstream and became diverse, also Hip-Hops first female group calledSalt-n-Pepa marked the rise of women in Hip hop.
*Alternative rock appeared as a then-aptly titled alternative to the mainstream rock trends of the day, with American bands such as R.E.M.,The Replacements ,Sonic Youth ,They Might Be Giants ,Camper Van Beethoven , theViolent Femmes and the Pixies, and British bands such asThe Cure ,The Smiths andEcho and the Bunnymen , as pioneers. This style of music was widely popular with college students and received almost all of its airplay from college radio stations, to the extent that it was known ascollege rock in the US for much of the decade.
*Top-charting artists of the 1980s includePat Benatar ,Billy Idol ,Guns N' Roses ,Journey , Robert Palmer,New Kids on the Block ,The Police ,Lionel Richie ,Bananarama ,The Go-Go's ,Dire Straits ,Duran Duran ,Van Halen , Foreigner,John Farnham ,Phil Collins ,Huey Lewis and the News , Wang Chung,Tears for Fears ,Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam , Heart,Juice Newton ,Culture Club ,The Eurythmics ,Def Leppard ,Deacon Blue ,Bryan Adams , Queen,Depeche Mode ,U2 ,Simple Minds , Madonna,Cyndi Lauper ,Cher ,Rick Springfield ,Tina Turner ,Bruce Springsteen ,John Mellencamp ,Olivia Newton-John , Prince,Michael Jackson (the best-selling artist worldwide in the entire decade),Janet Jackson ,Whitney Houston ,Beastie Boys ,Kim Wilde ,Laura Branigan ,The Cars andBon Jovi .
*Records in aid ofEthiopia nfamine relief , by Band Aid ("Do They Know It's Christmas? ") andUSA for Africa ("We Are the World ") topped the charts, while theLive Aid famine relief concert inLondon andPhiladelphia attracted thousands of attendants and millions of television viewers. Other artists pushed fornuclear disarmament , racial harmony (Stevie Wonder andPaul McCartney in a 1981 duet release: "Ebony and Ivory "), and AIDS awareness.
*American singer Prince, French band Indochine ("3e sexe"),Canadian singerNorman Iceberg ("Be My Human Tonight"), Spanish bandMecano ("Mujer Contra Mujer") became part of a worldwide movement of artists writing innovative lyrics filled with sexual innuendos reflecting the then-popular and highly fashionable androgynous style.
*In the U.S.,contemporary Christian music gained popularity in the mid-80s with such crossover artists asAmy Grant ,Kathy Troccoli , BeBe andCeCe Winans ,Michael W. Smith ,Stryper , and Petra.
*With increased commercialization of popular music, thousands of new bands from all over the country sprang up in opposition by performing aggressive, stripped-down punk rock with an even larger amount of political and social awareness injected into the lyrics. Known asHardcore punk , it would go on to influence and create other musical genres well into the 21st century. Popular bands includedDead Kennedys in San Francisco,Minor Threat in Washington DC, Black Flag in Los Angeles andReagan Youth in New York City.
*El General recorded a first album andreggaeton was born in Panama.
*Prince was credited with jump-starting theMinneapolis sound .
*Power Ballad s became popular with bands such as Heart andGuns 'N' Roses .
*Weird Al Yankovic started his career, singing songs likeDare to Be Stupid (song) andEat It .Comics
*American superhero comics underwent a new age, sparked by
Alan Moore 's "Watchmen " and Frank Miller's "", that paved the way for more independent and creative ideas. Many different genres other than superheroes were introduced to comics, along with the first translations of manga.
*More adult-targeted comics featuring mature themes, strong violence, and strong language, like the examples cited above, began to become more widespread.
*Comic collecting grew wildly in popularity during the decade.Television
"See also": 1980s in television
*"
The Cosby Show " debuts in 1984 and is rated number 1 in theNielsen Ratings in the United States for five consecutive TV seasons.
*The decade began poorly for minorities and gays. Music videos featuring minorities were not played byMTV and gays were portrayed poorly by the media, especially by a widely seen homophobic documentary (which aired in 1980) about gays in San Francisco. With the rise ofAIDS , shows which portrayed gays or gay friendly characters were quickly pulled off the air (Three's Company ,Bosom Buddies ). However by the end of the decade more sympathetic gay characters started appearing on shows such as "Dynasty (TV series) , "Thirtysomething ", and "The Golden Girls ".
*Now regarded as an icon of the 1980s, "Miami Vice " (1984) redefined the cop show genre, combining film-like production values withMTV style music videos.
*"The Oprah Winfrey Show " hit the U.S. scene, shattering 20th century taboos and creating confession culture. According to a Yale study, the tabloid talk show genre popularized byOprah Winfrey 's success provided much needed high impact media visibility for gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, and transgender people, allowing them greater entry into mainstream culture. [http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/280640.html]
*Brandon Tartikoff became an executive at NBC and is credited with turning around NBC's low prime time reputation with such hit series as "Hill Street Blues ", "L.A. Law ", "ALF", "Family Ties ", "The Cosby Show ", "Cheers ", "Miami Vice ", "The Golden Girls ", "Knight Rider ", "The A-Team ", "St. Elsewhere ", "Night Court ", "Hunter", "Highway to Heaven ", "Matlock(TV series) ", "Remington Steele ", "A Different World ", "227" and "Empty Nest ". NBC is the #1 US television network for most of the decade.
*The Fox network was launched.CNN became the first 24-hour news channel. The growth ofcable television with hundreds of new cable networks of a certain field or interest, such as The Weather Channel which debuted in 1982, offered television viewers a much expanded menu from which to choose.
*In the UK, two rivalsatellite television services launch in 1989.British Satellite Broadcasting andSky Television offered viewers up to five extra channels, but both failed to gain the success enjoyed by cable television in North America. The two companies would later merge.
*Punky Brewster , reflecting many trends and fads of the 80s, captured the interest of younger viewers.
*Soap opera s gained popularity among high-schoolers and college students in the United States, thanks in part to thesupercoupling ofLuke Spencer and Laura Webber on the most popular soap of the day, "General Hospital ". High-budget evening soap operas are also popular with "Dynasty (TV series) ", "Knot's Landing ", and "Dallas (TV series) " running for most of the decade in the 10PM time slot.
*The gay community received an upsurge in popular exposure, with U.S. prime time ratings giants "Dynasty" and "The Golden Girls " and UK soap operas "Brookside " and "EastEnders ", featuring either regular or recurring gay characters throughout their long runs. These shows were highly influential in increasing the visibility of regular gay characters on television.
*The music-based cable networksMTV andMuchMusic first appeared on the airwaves, and became major pop cultural influences withmusic videos and in-depth coverage of musicians and trends amongNorth America nyouth .
*"He-Man and the Masters of the Universe ", the first animated children's television program built exclusively around a toy line, started a new trend of increasing the connection between children's programming andtoy advertising , alarming many parents andwatchdog organizations; an explosive number of toy tie-in cartoons follow, most notably (for the era) "Transformers", "" and "Dino-Riders ".
*Animation in the United States and elsewhere saw a dramatic improvement in production values and saw a resurgence of mainstream appeal, both in feature films and on television.Star Blazers ,Battle of the Planets ,Voltron , andRobotech helped to develop the first wave of organizedanime fandom in North America.
*"", regarded by some as the pinnacle of theStar Trek series, made its syndicated debut in 1987.
*"Murder, She Wrote " became a smash hit with audiences.
*"Mystery Science Theater 3000 " debuted on the Minneapolis UHF station KTMA in 1988; the following year it was picked up by the fledgling Comedy Channel, which later becameComedy Central .
*OnFebruary 1 1982 ,David Letterman became the host of NBC's "Late Night with David Letterman ", which remained on the air until 1993 when Letterman left forCBS .
*OnDecember 6 1989 , the once extremely successful and popular British science fiction series "Doctor Who " came to an end after more than 26 years and 703 episodes.
*The #1 shows on American network television throughout the decade:
**1979–1980: "60 Minutes "
**1980–1981: "Dallas"
**1981–1982: "Dallas"
**1982–1983: "60 Minutes "
**1983–1984: "Dallas"
**1984–1985: "Dynasty"
**1985–1986: "The Cosby Show "
**1986–1987: "The Cosby Show "
**1987–1988: "The Cosby Show "
**1988–1989: "The Cosby Show "
**1989–1990: "The Cosby Show " and "Roseanne "*
The Simpsons shorts debuted on theThe Tracey Ullman Show .The Simpsons would go on over the next 2 decades to become the longest-running American sitcom in history.Film
The 1980s was a prosperous and extremely active decade for the film industry, seeing many
box office hits. The industry began to put a greater emphasis on producing mass-market blockbusters in place of the more director-led approach of the 1970s. (Many film historians have pointed to the massive box office flop of "Heaven's Gate" in 1980 leading to studios wanting greater control of film production.) During the 1980s, much controversy arose over the colourization ofblack and white films.Video cassettes became extremely popular in households. A
videotape format war broke out betweenJVC andSony over their formats,VHS andBetamax . VHS eventually became the new standard, despite offering initial poorer quality recordings. Only after many years did VHS eventually catch-up, although the format always provided a recording length advantage. The widespread popularity of video cassettes aided in the rise of video rentals, with the first Blockbuster opening in1985 . TheSundance Institute was set up in 1981 to help independent film-makers gain professional contacts and experience. The firstSundance Film Festival was held in 1986. The cross-over success of the film "sex, lies and videotape " in 1989 paved the way for the independent film boom in the 1990s.The Crime and Gangster film genre was also active, with hits such as "The Untouchables" and the legendary "Scarface", both directed by
Brian De Palma .The
science fiction genre experienced a surge in popularity following the success of "Star Wars ". This is best exemplified bySteven Spielberg 's "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial " (1982), which shattered records for box office gross receipts and became the decade's biggest earner both in the United States and United Kingdom. Popular/Cult sci-fi films of the decade also included "Blade Runner ", "Aliens", "Tron" and "The Terminator ". The original "Star Wars" trilogy was concluded with ' (1980) and ' (1983). These sequels were as successful as the first film, leading to a sequel becoming "de riguer" for any successful film in the science fiction or action genres. Tie-in merchandise became extremely common following the success of "Star Wars" tie-in products.Special effects become more sophisticated and advanced with films like "Tron", "Predator" and "The Abyss ", paving the way for the CGI-intensive films of the 1990s. Also,Star Trek saw a resurgence of popularity for the original1960s TV series with the release of a series of popular films in the 1980s, highlighted by ', ', and" ".Action movies , common since the1950s , entered mass production, with actors likeHarrison Ford ,Tom Cruise ,Mel Gibson ,Sylvester Stallone ,Chuck Norris andArnold Schwarzenegger helping to pioneer the genre. Among the most famous action movies were the "Rambo " series, "RoboCop ", "Predator", "Die Hard ", "Lethal Weapon ", "Escape from New York " and "Commando". "Ghostbusters " (1984, directed byIvan Reitman ) was very popular and successful, as was "Back to the Future " (1985), which captivated audiences with its youth-oriented time travelfantasy . Moviesequel s became a trend as evidenced by "Ghostbusters II " and "Back to the Future Part II " (both 1989).Ronald Reagan frequently made references to "Back to the Future" and "Rambo".The Horror genre boomed with hit franchises including the "Friday the 13th" series, the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series and the "Halloween series". Others include the "
Hellraiser " films, "Poltergeist" and "Evil Dead " series', "The Lost Boys ", "The Fly", "The Shining" and "John Carpenter's The Thing ". Thesplatter genre became popular with such films asMy Bloody Valentine (film) ,Mortuary ,Phantasm andThe Hills Have Eyes . These films were often watched at home on video tapes rented fromvideo rental stores . In addition,thriller films were also popular, especially those with strong sexual content. NotablyBrian De Palma 's "Dressed to Kill" and "Body Double ", the hugley controversial art film "Blue Velvet " and the equally controversial "Fatal Attraction " about the consequences of infedility in marriage all caused strong commercial reaction.The 1980s also experienced many infamous high-profile commercial flops, including "Howard the Duck", "Ishtar", "Dune", "Revolution", "Inchon" and "
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen ". The most famous flop is "Heaven's Gate" which cost US$44 million to produce yet only grossed $3.4 million, leading the studioUnited Artists into bankruptcy.The success of "The Little Mermaid" (1989) heralded a renaissance for
Disney and animated films in general after a string of commercial failures.Teen film s arose as a highly successful genre, most notably those of John Hughes who, with the so-called "Brat Pack ", made such decade-defining films as "Sixteen Candles ", "The Breakfast Club ", "Weird Science", "Ferris Bueller's Day Off ", "Pretty In Pink " and "Uncle Buck ". Other teen films of the decade include "The Sure Thing ", "St. Elmo's Fire", "Risky Business ", "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure ", "Less Than Zero", the independent satire "Heathers ", "Fast Times at Ridgemont High ", "Say Anything" and "Rumble Fish ". In addition, teen sex comedies made their mark in the public eye, such as "Spring Break", "Porky's " and the "Lemon Popsicle " series. Several of these are set in the1950s , reflecting the 50's-nostalgia common at the time.Several films examining the United States' role in the
Vietnam war were released, most notably "Platoon" (1986), as well as "Full Metal Jacket ", "Hamburger Hill ", "Good Morning, Vietnam " (all 1987), "Born on the Fourth of July" and "Casualties of War " (both 1989). The "Rambo " series took a more visceral look at the effects of the war.Music/dance films appeared and became staples of the decade, notably "Fame", "
Flashdance ", "Footloose ", "Streets of Fire " and "Dirty Dancing ". Several breakdancing/hip-hop films were made including "Body Rock ", "Beat Street ", "Rappin' ", "Wild Style ", "Krush Groove ", "Breakin' " and its sequel "".In Britain, concern ensued over the violent content of the '
video nasties '. This led to the introduction of theVideo Recordings Act 1984 , which banned explicit films such as "The Driller Killer ", "I Spit On Your Grave " and "Cannibal Holocaust ", all which were quite controversial in the country in their day. At the time, many claimed that theHungerford massacre had been inspired by violent films. In the U.S., "Red Dawn " (1984) became the first film released with aPG-13 rating, and in the UK, "Batman" was the first to receive a 12 certificate.Video games
Although popularity of
video game s and arcades began in the mid to late 1970s, it continued throughout the 1980s with rapid growth in video game technology throughout the decade.Space Invaders , developed in Japan in 1978, was first previewed at a UK trade show in 1979, making a huge impact on the early 80s gaming scene. Many other games followed includingPac-Man , creating a "Pac Man fever craze" early in the decade, especially in 1982 and 1983;Donkey Kong andMario games became a highly successful franchise starting in 1981 and its popularity continues today.In the 1980s,
Atari failed to apply proper quality control to the software development process for its popular Video Computer Systemgame console . The amount of low-quality software caused a massive collapse of the home console industry. The release ofNintendo 's Famicom/NES console rectified the problem and revived home gaming by only being able to play games approved by the company.PC Engine andSega Mega Drive were next generation game consoles that were released during the last years of the decade.Home computer s became popular in the 1980s and during that decade they were used heavily for gaming. The prevailingIBM PC standard was born in 1981 but had a status of a non-entertainment "business machine" throughout the decade. TheCommodore 64 (1982) was the most popular 8-bit home computer and its successor, theAmiga (1985), was the most popular 16-bit home computer, although inexpensiveIBM PC compatibles overtook the home market in the US by 1990. The UK market was dominated by the 64, theBBC Micro and theZX Spectrum .ee also
Decade Nostalgia
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