when did the 80s era end?

[Victor]

a couple of day ago I was complaining to my girlfriend that I did not live at the greatest era of the 80s because I was born 1989 at the end of the 80s so she says that she had heard that the 80s ended about at 1994.I was happy to hear that but maybe you know more specific when did the 80s had ended?

[Elvis the Alligator]

I was born in '85 and have memories from about '88.For me '88 to '91 was roughly the same era, and so I associate them as a cluster. Obviously eras aren't mathematical, i.e. 1990 is far closer to 1989 than 1980 is etc, given how much difference there can be in a decade. A lot of it comes down to personal, political, world events, etc. I put the cut off at '91, as personally I felt I had outgrown the previous era at '92, especially as we moved house that year. I was recently composing music with my memories from that era, and it was strange because visually it related 100% to '89/90, etc. But sound wise I was going for an early 80's vibe (even though I wasn't even alive).

[miamijimf]

a couple of day ago I was complaining to my girlfriend that I did not live at the greatest era of the 80s because I was born 1989 at the end of the 80s so she says that she had heard that the 80s ended about at 1994.I was happy to hear that but maybe you know more specific when did the 80s had ended?

That's a very interesting question that I discuss briefly in my ebook in the section that describes the 80s in Miami. It certainly didn't end when the calendar flipped to 1990. It was a very important decade as evidenced by the recent National Geographic six part series called "The 80s, The Decade That Made Us." If you ask 100 people you are likely to get 100 different answers. Some would point to the end of the Reagan Administration, others would point out the fall of the Soviet Union that changed the world etc or even something as late as the economic downturn in the mid 2000s that slowed down the building boom, economic optimism, and investments. Clothing styles, music etc change all the time but the core of a decade consists of values, attitudes, and beliefs. In my opinion those don't really change, they evolve over time. Take for example the core beliefs of the US Founding Fathers. We still believe in equality and free enterprise but today equality is for everyone and free enterprise is no longer totally unrestricted. So IMO the 80s is still with us in a way.

[Beach_Vice]

Really good question.I was born in 1980 and I remember things from as far back as 1983. From my childhood, I remember things were 'as they were' until the early nineties. I remember 1992 was starting to be different. The radio stations played less upbeat music and a lot of people I know switched to achey-breaky-heart kind of up beat country. People and cars started dressing/being painted in darker colors and earth tones. Electronics went from silver and wood grain to flat black plastic. Cassette tapes were less popular and CD's replaced records in all the infomercials. People stopped wearing jean jackets and started wearing smaller lens glasses and sunglasses. Aviators and Ray-Bans went out of style. Long hair on men became a less popular thing once again as it was before the sixties, baggier clothes on young people came in to style from the ever growing rap scene. With the Desert storm war and grunge music a new tone was set on TV and the news. A lot of the comedies we watched just ended their many seasons run and were replaced by new young adult shows ie. 90210, Friends, Melrose place. Dallas was out, X-files was in. The wonder years, Rosanne and Married with children shaped a dirtier side of TV that I think ushered in a change from happy family TV (family ties, who's the boss, Facts of life, growing pains). Cheers ended, Frasier began. It was the end of a cycle and the media wanted something they hadn't done before. Enter gritty TV. Cops and the like. All the good times the yuppies had had making their money in the eighties was now a fat bank account in the nineties, and they were more grown up now, and more serious. It was time to get serious. And the nineties speaks to that. Now that they're having midlife crisis' (as I'm sure every human will as age is in fact debilitating) there has been a fun revival for several years. May also be due to the overwhelming dullness and general down tone of the nineties. Just an observation.It was like a huge mood change from my perspective. I was only 11 in 1992, and I didn't like the new music, although eighties-esqe music was still coming out until somewhere around 1993/4, synths probably gone by 1992 though. Luckily we all still listened to radio's back then, and there were plenty still playing seventies and eighties varieties.

[Kavinsky]

I dont know, I just remember coming back from a family trip to germany in 1996 only to see that suddenly Fox 25 had switched over to a new 3D graphical interface and that the internet and cell phones had really started to pick up steam in my two month absence. and that kind of spelled the end of what was probably the end of the remnants of the 1980's to me really, and the music went much more towards the way of a dark techno and electronica, like NIN and then rap started to really get noticed and get big finally. and ever since then it seems like its just gone weird and out of control reallyhell if it wasnt for people posting independent music to youtube like this one

and BBC radio I probably would have gone nuts listening to this modern musicas this dubstep feels like someones doing each others heads in and the rap really sucks nowadays. although it seems like some of the stuff like Katey Perry, namely the firework song I was unfortunately subjected to while waiting for them to make my Sub at Deangelo's is just a modern rehash of celion dion so I guess some things have stayed the same and never changeand going by the cars, my chosen primary interest things first started to show signs of going sour when the ferrari 360 hit the streets in 1998 and pop up headlights started disappearing, although by now almost all of the technical bugs of all that new technology that started showing up have more or less been seriously worked out by now.

[Stinger390X]

I agree with BEACHVICE that the Grunge movement had a lot to do with change. I remember the 91-92 era vividly as I was teaching highschool then, and I remember when Cobain offed himself the kids were all crying etc. Moods, clothes and fashion, music, values all seem to change around that era and the free thinking 80s were closing.The Gulf war was a big factor too. I remember we had a staff meeting the day the war started and were told to avoid all studies for the day and just talk to the students. I remember stating that in the Vietnam war boys their age were going off to war under conscription. This scared a lot of the students but I assured them this was an American war and Canadians would not go in large numbers or be drafted. It was however quite an eye opener for the youth of that day. I think it was a "Pinch" into reality?The eighties had no such far reaching dilemmas like war as Reagan defused the cold war almost single handed. There were good times mostly, however the music of the 80s did say a lot politically if you listen closely to the lyrics. The music of the 90's was back to just mushy garbage like "ooh baby ooh" and had little to say.

[BlueAir]

Sooo...was '93 still the '80s era?If so then hopefully I was part of the '80s :)Im trying to keep the '80s sound alive by making my own synthesizer instrumental songs.Right now I got six tunes made but it isn't the best sounding stuff but its good enough:radio:Some '80s styles are back and some groups have a '80s synth sound to them.I hope that the Vice style becomes popular again:cool:

[Victor]

Really good question.I was born in 1980 and I remember things from as far back as 1983. From my childhood' date=' I remember things were 'as they were' until the early nineties. I remember 1992 was starting to be different. The radio stations played less upbeat music and a lot of people I know switched to achey-breaky-heart kind of up beat country. People and cars started dressing/being painted in darker colors and earth tones. Electronics went from silver and wood grain to flat black plastic. Cassette tapes were less popular and CD's replaced records in all the infomercials. People stopped wearing jean jackets and started wearing smaller lens glasses and sunglasses. Aviators and Ray-Bans went out of style. Long hair on men became a less popular thing once again as it was before the sixties, baggier clothes on young people came in to style from the ever growing rap scene. With the Desert storm war and grunge music a new tone was set on TV and the news. A lot of the comedies we watched just ended their many seasons run and were replaced by new young adult shows ie. 90210, Friends, Melrose place. Dallas was out, X-files was in. The wonder years, Rosanne and Married with children shaped a dirtier side of TV that I think ushered in a change from happy family TV (family ties, who's the boss, Facts of life, growing pains). Cheers ended, Frasier began. It was the end of a cycle and the media wanted something they hadn't done before. Enter gritty TV. Cops and the like. All the good times the yuppies had had making their money in the eighties was now a fat bank account in the nineties, and they were more grown up now, and more serious. It was time to get serious. And the nineties speaks to that. Now that they're having midlife crisis' (as I'm sure every human will as age is in fact debilitating) there has been a fun revival for several years. May also be due to the overwhelming dullness and general down tone of the nineties. Just an observation.It was like a huge mood change from my perspective. I was only 11 in 1992, and I didn't like the new music, although eighties-esqe music was still coming out until somewhere around 1993/4, synths probably gone by 1992 though. Luckily we all still listened to radio's back then, and there were plenty still playing seventies and eighties varieties.[/quote'] Thats a very good point.every post here is awesome and very informant to me.personally to me 80s era ended at 1996 till that year was still a lot of style of the 80s.as I mentioned in one post 80s never be going out of style they are just pushed of a bunch of new styles that these days are so many that you can not say what is what.I still remember my childhood and all of the best memories are the 80s music,movies and style even how people was talking was different back then.TV shows started to be more "dirty talking" not so much of good comedy had left.but to me(and I believe to any Vicer here or other 80s fan) 80s are still alive and kicking.to this day I still listen to cassette tapes,dress in the 80s style,watch classic movies and use Vice quotes in my life so they had not ended to me at all but I wish I would lasted much longer in the main world picture.thanks to you all for your help at my question:thumbsup:

[cageyJG]

Grunge killed it. The '80s officially ended on July 9, 1993. I'll buy a soda for anyone who can correctly figure out why this date was important and offer a reasonable explanation.

[Victor]

I added a poll to this thread so let the results speak for them selfs:)

[Ferrariman]

The 80's are over?! Oh no :cry:

[Victor]

The 80's are over?! Oh no :cry:

to us 80s will never end:cool:

[mvnyc]

The advent of the "Seattle Sound" pretty much was the nail in the coffin for the 80's. I remember working at MTV at the time and in 1990, there was a poster for the group "Warrant" up on an executive's wall. In 1991, the poster hanging in their office was of the group "Nirvana."

[agent 47]

The 80's are over?! Oh no :cry:

Yes it's sad ... I'm going to miss the 1880's as well.:cry:

[cageyJG]

The 80's are over?! Oh no :cry:

Yes it's sad ... I'm going to miss the 1880's as well.:cry:

Hehehehe! Like Wild Wild West attire?

[Elvis the Alligator]

hell if it wasnt for people posting independent music to youtube like this one

and BBC radio I probably would have gone nuts listening to this modern music

Good to see another Power Glove fan.For those unaware' date=' there has been many bands in the past few years emulating the 80's synth sound (mostly instrumental tracks). The game Hotline Miami gave further exposure to this. Many of these bands are (directly) influenced by Miami Vice including Miami Nights 1984, Gina Calabrese and Miami Supercops.For anyone interested, I'd recommend these three Youtube channels which showcase a lot of this excellent music:[url']http://www.youtube.com/user/ManiacSynth/videoshttp://www.youtube.com/user/NewRetroWave/videoshttp://www.youtube.com/user/neros77/videos

[Viceman Cometh]

The advent of the "Seattle Sound" pretty much was the nail in the coffin for the 80's. I remember working at MTV at the time and in 1990' date=' there was a poster for the group "Warrant" up on an executive's wall. In 1991, the poster hanging in their office was of the group "Nirvana."[/quote']Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!I'd say the last great 80s year was 1988 -- but the 80s irrevocably came to end in Sept. 1991 with the release of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

[Viceman Cometh]

BTW, mvnyc -- since you worked at MTV, I have a question.I remember distinctly, Dec. of 1991, during MTV News, back when they did their little preview of videos debuting in the next week -- they promoted Smells Like Teen Spirit. At the time, I thought it was odd that a band no one had ever heard of would get such a prime promotional mention. Then, within weeks, MTV was shoving Nirvana down our throats like nobody's business.It always made me wonder, was this a pay for play situation? Did MTV take payola from Geffen to promote Nirvana?

[Victor]

the 80s irrevocably came to end in Sept. 1991 with the release of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

Oh that bought a lot of memories.I remember my godfather always sit down next to TV ant watch MTV still remember those songs like Nirvana or AC/DC or Ace of Base.back then when I was a kid always turned to play around my godfather when he was watching MTV and always was playing war that automatically he was the enemy but it always turned bad for me go to war with him after trowing a grenade(small ball or some other toy that fitted in my hand at the time back then):)the "enemy" turned up chasing me around the house for blowing him up:):)

[Tekka]

Around 1991 or so.

[mvnyc]

was this a pay for play situation? Did MTV take payola from Geffen to promote Nirvana?

You are correct about it being December, 1991. Record companies (back then) would pay extra to have their videos as an "exclusive", but that is as far as the money trail went. I know there was a news piece back then highlighting the "Seattle Sound" around that time, so it was a case of good timing on Nirvana's part. That song single-handedly ended the "hair band" dominance on MTV.

[Viceman Cometh]

Thanks for the info!

[Kavinsky]

well with MTV and the music videos right now their putting some serious money into them, with downright top notch production values and photography.hell they look better shot than some of the movies nowadays, so maybe the trend of putting money into the music videos, heavy amounts of it on a movie level and studio backing to get them noticed is what started the downfall of modern music and the 1980's style.hell the new Missy Eliot video makes the Rod Stuart one of him being around the pool with a bunch of women for the entire song look like childs play. not to mention ever since that Jlo and Ben Affleck thing they seem to pimp every single big person constantly for 8 months it seems and even if your not a fan or a viewer of MTV you cant escape it anywhere, I mean I think even now theres not a single person left on the planet who hasnt sadly heard of Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga.and there chosen demographic is supposed to be 12 to 18 year olds really, not the entire bloody nation.

[Diplo]

Wow, MTV really must be perceived different in the US. At least in Germany, music television in general seems to have lost its edge, because there's more "scripted reality" bs and dating shows, but almost now music videos. So, when did the 80s era end? Imho, in Germany it's much clearer, because the fall of the Berlin wall later in 89 and the reunification had a huge impact. The beginning of the Gulf war in 1990 marked the beginning of a new decade, too, from my perspective. I must have been in 9th or 10th grade at that time, and I remember us older students spontaneously organising a minute of silence for all students at the schoolyard. For some younger students it was the first time they experienced war in the media, and quite a lot of them didn't know how to deal with it. The mullet stayed for a couple of years longer, especially with soccer fans in Germany. Also, around 1990, new cars weren't that box-shaped anymore. More curves, less reectangular angles. The 80s Giugiaro-era was almost completely much over around 87/88, except for some VW models. Especially in Germany, and also Europe I suppose, not only grunge and seattle-sound finished off the 80s musically, but also the emergence of techno and rave as a mass phenomenon. It really put an end to softer 80s synth pop. At least from my perspective, shows like the X-Files and Twin Peaks ended 80s television. From then on, shows were more gritty, more about conspiracies and dubious characters. Retrospectively I think, that's what Vice adopted pretty early, but in a much more restrained way. I can't really pick just one year the 80s definitely ended, but I think that whole 80s-vibe was at its peak when Vice was at its peak, too.

[miamijimf]

"I can't really pick just one year the 80s definitely ended, but I think that whole 80s-vibe was at its peak when Vice was at its peak, too."Certainly agree. Many, if not most, people in the US think of Crockett and Tubbs, pastel shirts, and the Miami Vice theme music when they think of the 80s.