Trends of the Decades - The 1980s
Look around folks and don’t adjust the colours on the screen, this is just the 1980s and for whatever reason, neon was in! Bright colours, big hair, and shoulder pads to make an NFL quarterback blush were just part of the day-to-day in this technicolour leg warmer-wearing landscape. Kylie and Jason ruled the pop charts, The Trotters bossed TV land, and the Hand of God shook England’s football faithful to their core.
Without further ado, pop a Walkman on your hip, some bottle caps on your boots, and let’s Marty McFly into this wild decade!
The Tempest Photography Timeline
For Tempest, the 1980s proved a time of continued growth, both as a business and as an integral part of the Cornish landscape. The company had become something of a cornerstone of life as an employer for the local community with tales of company Christmas dinners, shared celebrations, and an almost family-like atmosphere spilling fondly across the local grapevine and still recalled with fondness today.
Photography in the ‘80s
The undeniable bond between mass marketing and photography was only strengthened in the ‘80s. Some photographers began adopting an almost film director approach to getting the perfect shot in frame.
Celebrity still dominated the popular images of the day, and every decade spawned a new generation of talented photographers braced to be catapulted into the fame spotlight themselves.
The Big Moments
In 1984, Bob Geldof rallied his pop star troops to record the Christmas charity single – Do They Know It’s Christmas. The song united the world in the fight against famine, whilst the video for the song remains a constant reminder of the horrors of 1980s hairstyles.
A year later, Michael Jordan was named the NBA’s ‘Rookie of the Year’. He went on to become one of the most celebrated athletes of all time and got to star in Space Jam opposite Bugs Bunny! Life goals…check.
The wreck of the Titanic was discovered a cool 73 years after it sank. However, there was no sign of Leonardo Di Caprio, last seen in the Atlantic, being stopped from climbing onto the broken door Kate Winslet was using as a life raft.
Star Wars sequel, The Empire Strikes Back mesmerised kids and adults alike. We got to meet Yoda, watch in awe as Snow Speeders took on the AT-AT menace, and ponder what is it that makes Stormtroopers such a bad shot. It’s probably those daft helmets, isn’t it?
An incredible 350 million people worldwide were glued to TV screens to find out who shot 'Dallas' character, JR Ewing. The only thing we could be certain of was that it wasn’t a Stormtrooper.
Seattle dentist, Barney Clark, received the world’s first heart transplant. And I think we should leave it there as we can’t beat that.
The Soundtrack
The eighties soundtrack was a synth-infused mix of upbeat drum machines and highly polished production. Whitney Houston wanted to dance with somebody, Rick Astley promised he was never gonna give us up, whilst Cyndi Lauper just wanted to have fun.
Elsewhere, Axl Rose and the Guns ‘n’ Roses gang were tearing a guitar-drenched path of destruction through the musical landscape, Madonna became a global phenomenon, and Jon Bon Jovi had great hair.
It was an era that still manages to put a twinkle in the eye of those who embraced its soundtrack, and one that finds a new home in the music-loving, nostalgia-hungry youth of today.
Our Favourites:
Madonna – Like a Prayer
Wham – Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
Guns ‘n’ Roses – Sweet Child o’ Mine
Salt-N-Pepa – Push It
Prince – Purple Rain
Kate Bush – Hounds of Love
The eighties...a time when kids played out until dark without mobile phones and spent their pocket money in the growing phenomenon that was video game arcades. Where fashion was bright, bold, and a little bonkers.
A time when Steven Spielberg seemed to be at the height of his storytelling powers, and before Michael Jordan had starred in Space Jam opposite Bugs Bunny. And for that alone, we salute you. But here come the ‘90s and things are about to get rebellious.
See you there!