Worst year of the 80s, to you?

Probably 1988, I guess.  It was definitely the decade's worst year for music, and there weren't really many interesting films, either.  Not enough happened otherwise to redeem the year for me.

I thought 1985 was. Perhaps it was the letdown after the best year, 1984, but I don't have many, if any, favorite songs from that year.  1989 comes in a close second, perhaps because it was depressing to realize we were leaving the 80's.  :\'(

I think it was 1987 cause of the Iran-Contra Affair.

1980. After disco and before MTV. Lennon shot down by a fan turned foe. Mt. Saint Helens erupts. Iran-Iraq war in full swing. An inflationary recession in full swing. America boycotting the Moscow Olympics. Cowboy wear being the latest fad. Many '70s TV shows in decline or cancelled and most good '80s shows not yet in full swing, with a ten-week writers' strike. Cold War tensions were starting to wax again. At least you had The Empire Strikes Back and Reagan winning the election.

Worst year of the 80s, to you?
Any year or decade is good when you are blessed with God's Gracious Gift of being alive.

http://adst.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Reagan-assassination-attempt.jpg
1981: The year Reagan was almost assassinated.

http://adst.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Reagan-assassination-attempt.jpg
1981: The year Reagan was almost assassinated.


Where's Reagan?  :\'(  :\'(

Where's Reagan?  :\'(  :\'(


I believe a few of the guys are covering him from the attempted assassination?

http://adst.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Reagan-assassination-attempt.jpg
1981: The year Reagan was almost assassinated.
The gun, the suit Reagan was wearing are on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

http://adst.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Reagan-assassination-attempt.jpg
1981: The year Reagan was almost assassinated.
The attempted assassination of United States President Ronald Reagan that occurred on March 30th 1981.
N1Jid5uRFo4

Where's Reagan?  :\'(  :\'(


Reagan was already whisked away heading to the hospital. This is a picture of the aftermath shortly after.

Probably 1988, I guess.  It was definitely the decade's worst year for music, and there weren't really many interesting films, either.  Not enough happened otherwise to redeem the year for me.


What? Beetlejuice, Chucky, Samuel Franciso, John McClane, Young Guns, Roger Rabbit, BIG, Rainman, Beaches, Twins? Not enough happened otherwise? The Wonder Years, blossom hats, biker shorts, jean shorts with poison airbrushed on the back (yes, Bell Biv Devoe owes everything to this), The Bourne Identity, Lunchables, Just Do It, Jumpman shirt, Powerade, Scattergories, Roseanne, Mark Paul Gosselaar becomes Zack Morris, Murphy Brown, Foxtrot, Enya, Sinead 'O Connor, Read My Lips, Teddy Grahams, Kylie Minogue, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures, tight rolled Levi 501 jeans were in, Nintendo Power, Yo! MTV raps airs, Information Society…somebody stop me! I loved 1988; the times were beginning to look more like 1990.

This seems to be an almost purely American forum as no one has mentioned 1986 and the nuclear catastrophe of Chernobyl that eliminated an entire town and sent radioactive radiation over almost all of Europe.  :\'(
I remember that I wasn't allowed to play outside after that and I live ca. 1.500 km (930 miles) away from it. The game hunters shoot here in Germany still has to be tested on radioactivity and especially in southern Germany a lot of it can't be consumed by humans because of too high contamination (wild boars are somehow very receptive to radioactive radiation).

What? Beetlejuice, Chucky, Samuel Franciso, John McClane, Young Guns, Roger Rabbit, BIG, Rainman, Beaches, Twins? Not enough happened otherwise? The Wonder Years, blossom hats, biker shorts, jean shorts with poison airbrushed on the back (yes, Bell Biv Devoe owes everything to this), The Bourne Identity, Lunchables, Just Do It, Jumpman shirt, Powerade, Scattergories, Roseanne, Mark Paul Gosselaar becomes Zack Morris, Murphy Brown, Foxtrot, Enya, Sinead 'O Connor, Read My Lips, Teddy Grahams, Kylie Minogue, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures, tight rolled Levi 501 jeans were in, Nintendo Power, Yo! MTV raps airs, Information Society…somebody stop me! I loved 1988; the times were beginning to look more like 1990.


I love the 80s in general, but I think 1988 was when the decade first started to feel stale and tired.  Even with a few good films like Beetlejuice and the occasional strong album like Look Sharp! and Strictly Business, it's all offset by things like NKOTB's lousy debut, Oliver & Company (one of the weakest films in the Disney canon, imo, far worse than The Black Cauldron), and mostly forgettable top 40 hits.  It's still a far, far preferable year to anytime in the past decade (though 2009-2011 are decent), but the rest of the 80s just excited me more.

1989 was part of the period during which the 80s were starting to decline, but it had a lot of its own independent trends that made it feel fresher than 1988.  For one thing, it's possibly my favorite year ever for movies, thanks to Back to the Future Part II, The Little Mermaid, Tim Burton's Batman, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Dead Poets Society.  Musically, it was more diverse than '88, featuring colorful albums like the Pixies' Doolittle (easily superior to Surfer Rosa imo, though Where Is My Mind is awesome), RHCP's Mother's Milk, Aerosmith's Pump, and Kate Bush's The Sensual World.  Geopolitically, it was a particularly exciting year thanks to the end of the Cold War and fall of the Berlin Wall, not to mention it was the first year that Bush the Elder (the most underrated president, imo) was in office.  The end of the year also saw the premiere episodes of Seinfeld and the Simpsons.

I love the 80s in general, but I think 1988 was when the decade first started to feel stale and tired.  Even with a few good films like Beetlejuice and the occasional strong album like Look Sharp! and Strictly Business, it's all offset by things like NKOTB's lousy debut, Oliver & Company (one of the weakest films in the Disney canon, imo, far worse than The Black Cauldron), and mostly forgettable top 40 hits.  It's still a far, far preferable year to anytime in the past decade (though 2009-2011 are decent), but the rest of the 80s just excited me more.

1989 was part of the period during which the 80s were starting to decline, but it had a lot of its own independent trends that made it feel fresher than 1988.  For one thing, it's possibly my favorite year ever for movies, thanks to Back to the Future Part II, The Little Mermaid, Tim Burton's Batman, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Dead Poets Society.  Musically, it was more diverse than '88, featuring colorful albums like the Pixies' Doolittle (easily superior to Surfer Rosa imo, though Where Is My Mind is awesome), RHCP's Mother's Milk, Aerosmith's Pump, and Kate Bush's The Sensual World.  Geopolitically, it was a particularly exciting year thanks to the end of the Cold War and fall of the Berlin Wall, not to mention it was the first year that Bush the Elder (the most underrated president, imo) was in office.  The end of the year also saw the premiere episodes of Seinfeld and the Simpsons.


I think the 80s is one of the most fun decades to live in, pop culturally.

This seems to be an almost purely American forum as no one has mentioned 1986 and the nuclear catastrophe of Chernobyl that eliminated an entire town and sent radioactive radiation over almost all of Europe.  :\'(
I remember that I wasn't allowed to play outside after that and I live ca. 1.500 km (930 miles) away from it. The game hunters shoot here in Germany still has to be tested on radioactivity and especially in southern Germany a lot of it can't be consumed by humans because of too high contamination (wild boars are somehow very receptive to radioactive radiation).


Everyone is welcome to answer, from anywhere, on this thread and website.  8)

Yeah, I've read a bit about Chernobyl, and I would be scared of radiation if I went through what you went through also.

The attempted assassination of United States President Ronald Reagan that occurred on March 30th 1981.
N1Jid5uRFo4


all this was because Hinkley wanted to prove to Jodie Foster something so stupid.

I think the 80s is one of the most fun decades to live in, pop culturally.


To be fair, the 90s never had a chance because they were all about getting to the first decade of this crappy century. With that said, I loved 1990,1991 and 1992. I'd much rather live in 1983 over 1993 anyday; I'm pretty sure most of the world would, also.

To be fair, the 90s never had a chance because they were all about getting the first decade of this crappy century. With that said, I loved 1990,1991 and 1992. I'd much rather live in 1983 over 1993; I'm pretty sure most of the world would, also.


People were mentally getting ready for 'the new millennium.'     

People were mentally getting ready for 'the new millennium.'   


It's hard to believe the 2000s were ever once thought of as 'the future'.  ;D

It's hard to believe the 2000s were ever once thought of as 'the future'.  ;D


Too true, Early90sguy.

From an older person's perspective, it was frightening when the calendar changed from 1969 to 1970. 1970 was the future. Having witnessed the first moon landing and watching Neil Armstrong take that first step, many of us believed we'd be living on Mars by the end of the 1970s ;D

People were mentally getting ready for 'the new millennium.'   


and a lot of people were scared.

The entire decade looks incredibly naff to me.

1987: The stock market crash.

The entire decade looks incredibly naff to me.


Well, the 80s, and even a lot of the 70s fashion, is very um....tacky. Haha.

and a lot of people were scared.


Not at first, but 1999 changed all of that.

Not at first, but 1999 changed all of that.


people were afraid of the Y2K bug.

people were afraid of the Y2K bug.


I was one of them. ;D

people were afraid of the Y2K bug.
In the 1980's?

In the 1980's?


No, 1999.

We are getting a bit off-topic here, sorry about that.

No, 1999.

We are getting a bit off-topic here, sorry about that.
That was Howard...


people were afraid of the Y2K bug.
?

In the 1980's?


I don't think so, the year 2000 was 15-20 years later.

That was Howard...
?


Sorry I was off topic. :(

My Dad wasn't a fan of most of the late 80s culture! ;D  He didn't like the hair bands,new jack swing type music! He HATED the Detroit Bad Boys Pistons! His favorite cartoon characters from the Hannah Barbara era were being turned into kids. However, he loved Cheers and The Cosby Show! Maybe because he was in his late 20s and was getting older!

The entire decade looks incredibly naff to me.


:o

What?

The '80s were the best decade for pop culture all around! Everything that happened from '93 to '99 killed the '90s for most people over the age of six at that time.

:o

What?

The '80s were the best decade for pop culture all around! Everything that happened from '93 to '99 killed the '90s for most people over the age of six.

My old man thinks the 60s,70s, and early 80s were the best!! Then again he's a late boomer!!

My Dad wasn't a fan of most of the late 80s culture! ;D  He didn't like the hair bands,new jack swing type music! He HATED the Detroit Bad Boys Pistons! His favorite cartoon characters from the Hannah Barbara era were being turned into kids. However, he loved Cheers and The Cosby Show! Maybe because he was in his late 20s and was getting older!


Most parents of that time could not tell you the difference between Pump Up the Jam and Pump Up the Volume.  ;D

I would have to say 1989... I graduated high school in 1988, and George Bush became President in 1989, which is why that year felt more like the early 90s than the 80s... And it seemed like 1989 was darker and a bit more depressing than every other year in the decade put together...

Depends, if you mean "worst" in terms of world events (i.e. disasters, deaths, tragedies etc) then it is either 1980 or 1986. 1986 saw the Space Shuttle Explosion and the Chernobyl disaster, and with 1980 you had the murder of John Lennon, which was in my opinion, the most shocking celebrity death in history.

If you mean worst by what pop culture had to offer, then hands down it's 1988.
1988 seemed like a very boring year in pop culture, there weren't really any notable songs or movies when compared to the rest of the decade.

Well, I was too young in the 80s to focus on world events, disasters, deaths, those kinds of things. So the 80s were good to me. All I did was watch music videos, cartoons, I played with my dolls, listened to music. I think 1980 and 1981 had the worst music though. Lol.

If you mean worst by what pop culture had to offer, then hands down it's 1988.
1988 seemed like a very boring year in pop culture, there weren't really any notable songs or movies when compared to the rest of the decade.

Really? I wouldn't say that. Maybe, it's because you're from the UK.

In terms of pop culture, 1980 or maybe even 1981 was the most boring year of the '80s (besides for some exceptions).

1988 had many hit songs like "Faith" by George Michael, "Need You Tonight" by INXS, "Sweet Child o' Mine" by Guns N' Roses, "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston, "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle, etc. You also had the emergence of Gangsta rap and New Jack Swing.

In American TV, 1988 saw the debut of hit shows such as The Wonder Years, Murphy Brown, 48 Hours, America's Most Wanted and Roseanne.

1988 also had hit and cult classic movies such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Big, Rain Man, Coming to America, Die Hard, Beetlejuice, They Live and Child's Play.

There was also two Olympic games in 1988: The 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada & the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.

In the US, the 1988 Presidential election was BY FAR the most exciting and closest election of the 1980s (1980 was not close and pretty boring and the 1984 election was not only boring but a LANDSLIDE).

I don't really hate any 80's year, but I will say that 1981 is really boring to me.

80 and 81 were pretty boring post-70's/not-80s-enough years. 82-84 is where it really began to take off. On the other hand, the best year of the 80's has to be 1986 hands down!


Really? I wouldn't say that. Maybe, it's because you're from the UK.

In terms of pop culture, 1980 or maybe even 1981 was the most boring year of the '80s (besides for some exceptions).

1988 had many hit songs like "Faith" by George Michael, "Need You Tonight" by INXS, "Sweet Child o' Mine" by Guns N' Roses, "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston, "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle, etc. You also had the emergence of Gangsta rap and New Jack Swing.

In American TV, 1988 saw the debut of hit shows such as The Wonder Years, Murphy Brown, 48 Hours, America's Most Wanted and Roseanne.

1988 also had hit and cult classic movies such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Big, Rain Man, Coming to America, Die Hard, Beetlejuice, They Live and Child's Play.

There was also two Olympic games in 1988: The 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada & the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.

In the US, the 1988 Presidential election was BY FAR the most exciting and closest election of the 1980s (1980 was not close and pretty boring and the 1984 election was not only boring but a LANDSLIDE).


I agree! 1988 was excellent all around!

80 and 81 were pretty boring post-70's/not-80s-enough years. 82-84 is where it really began to take off. On the other hand, the best year of the 80's has to be 1986 hands down!
I like 1987 slightly more than 1986 but 1986 was still awesome!.


I agree! 1988 was excellent all around!

Hell yeah! 8)

Really? I wouldn't say that. Maybe, it's because you're from the UK.

In terms of pop culture, 1980 or maybe even 1981 was the most boring year of the '80s (besides for some exceptions).

1988 had many hit songs like "Faith" by George Michael, "Need You Tonight" by INXS, "Sweet Child o' Mine" by Guns N' Roses, "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston, "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle, etc. You also had the emergence of Gangsta rap and New Jack Swing.

In American TV, 1988 saw the debut of hit shows such as The Wonder Years, Murphy Brown, 48 Hours, America's Most Wanted and Roseanne.

1988 also had hit and cult classic movies such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Big, Rain Man, Coming to America, Die Hard, Beetlejuice, They Live and Child's Play.

There was also two Olympic games in 1988: The 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada & the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.

In the US, the 1988 Presidential election was BY FAR the most exciting and closest election of the 1980s (1980 was not close and pretty boring and the 1984 election was not only boring but a LANDSLIDE).


No doubt 1988 had some good movies and songs, but as #Infinity said this was really the last year of the 80's zeitgeist so by this point, the 80's were getting tired and stale. 1989 seems more eventful though, with the Disney renaissance and the return of Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters II, and Back To The Future Part II as well as the emergence of various new music trends that would define the 90's such as house, hardcore rap and even a little bit of grunge with Nirvana's first album "Bleach".

No doubt 1988 had some good movies and songs, but as #Infinity said this was really the last year of the 80's zeitgeist so by this point, the 80's were getting tired and stale. 1989 seems more eventful though, with the return of Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters II, and Back To The Future Part II as well as the emergence of various new music trends that would define the 90's such as house, hardcore rap and even a little bit of grunge with Nirvana's first album "Bleach".


I'd argue that, despite 1988 being the last "true" 80's year in some viewpoints, the culture of the time was still noteworthy and going on pretty strong.

And speaking of Bleach, if we're gonna consider albums released from the underground then grunge was already a thing in 1985 with Green River's Come on Down.

Listen to this:

GuK9hBGGyDg


I like 1987 slightly more than 1986 but 1986 was still awesome!.
Hell yeah! 8)


Yeah, 1987 was just such a good year, too! 8)

No doubt 1988 had some good movies and songs, but as #Infinity said this was really the last year of the 80's zeitgeist so by this point, the 80's were getting tired and stale. 1989 seems more eventful though, with the Disney renaissance and the return of Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters II, and Back To The Future Part II as well as the emergence of various new music trends that would define the 90's such as house, hardcore rap and even a little bit of grunge with Nirvana's first album "Bleach".

JordanK1982 already said what needed to be said.

Well, I was too young in the 80s to focus on world events, disasters, deaths, those kinds of things. So the 80s were good to me. All I did was watch music videos, cartoons, I played with my dolls, listened to music. I think 1980 and 1981 had the worst music though. Lol.


I think I would have to disagree, it had good music.

I'd argue that, despite 1988 being the last "true" 80's year in some viewpoints, the culture of the time was still noteworthy and going on pretty strong.

And speaking of Bleach, if we're gonna consider albums released from the underground then grunge was already a thing in 1985 with Green River's Come on Down.

Listen to this:

GuK9hBGGyDg

Yeah, 1987 was just such a good year, too! 8)


I agree, 1987 was a good year too, a good year for music.

No doubt 1988 had some good movies and songs, but as #Infinity said this was really the last year of the 80's zeitgeist so by this point, the 80's were getting tired and stale. 1989 seems more eventful though, with the Disney renaissance and the return of Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters II, and Back To The Future Part II as well as the emergence of various new music trends that would define the 90's such as house, hardcore rap and even a little bit of grunge with Nirvana's first album "Bleach".


1989 also had the Fall of the Berlin Wall and ultimately the collapse of communism, which according to some people marked the start of the 21st century politically.

1980, IMO.

Carter was a pretty feckless leader, the economy was terrible, the '70s hadn't really shed their cultural identity at all yet, the U.S. murder rate reached an all time high, and it was the only year of the decade without home computers or MTV. On the plus side, it was quite a good year for cinema and New Wave was starting to come on strong though it had yet to take hold of the top 40 charts , but as a whole 1980 seemed like a gloomier time for America and doesn't really fit well with the rest of the decade.

On reflection, the whole of the 1980s were fine for me.

1982. Nobody has particularly fond memories of it. It was a transitional year in pop culture. Television was lackluster. E.T. and Michael Jackson's Thriller came out, but Thriller was released late in the year and dominated in 1983. The country was in a recession, and Cold War tensions were building up again with the Soviets.

1982. Nobody has particularly fond memories of it. It was a transitional year in pop culture. Television was lackluster. E.T. and Michael Jackson's Thriller came out, but Thriller was released late in the year and dominated in 1983. The country was in a recession, and Cold War tensions were building up again with the Soviets.

Really?

In 1982, you had movies such as:

*Blade Runner
*Tron
*Fast Times at Ridgemont High
*Poltergeist
*E.T. the Extraterrestrial
*Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
*Conan the Barbarian
*First Blood
*Rocky III

In 1982, you had the debut of TV shows such as:

*Newhart
*Family Ties
*Knight Rider
*Cheers
*St. Elsewhere

In sports, you had:

*The 1982 FIFA World Cup (Italy won defeating West Germany)
*The NY Islanders three-peat as Stanley Cup champions defeating the Vancouver Canucks.
*The "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers win the 1982 NBA Finals beating the Philadelphia 76ers which was a rematch of the 1980 NBA Finals, which the Lakers also won.
*The St. Louis Cardinals win the 1982 World Series beating the Milwaukee Brewers in 7 games.
*The San Francisco 49ers defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, 26-21, in Super Bowl XVI.

Don't even get me started on the music.

In the US, there was a economic recession at the end of 1982 but still overall...the year was great for pop culture.

1982, next to 1984, is one of the greatest years of the 80's in terms of film.

Your films response was good. I knew 48 Hours would come up. I will concede that 1982 was great for films. But I personally don't like anything else about it. It still gets my vote, unless someone can convince me to go with my runner up- 1981.


Really?

In 1982, you had movies such as:

*Blade Runner
*Tron
*Fast Times at Ridgemont High
*Poltergeist
*E.T. the Extraterrestrial
*Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
*Conan the Barbarian
*First Blood
*Rocky III

In 1982, you had the debut of TV shows such as:

*Newhart
*Family Ties
*Knight Rider
*Cheers
*St. Elsewhere

In sports, you had:

*The 1982 FIFA World Cup (Italy won defeating West Germany)
*The NY Islanders three-peat as Stanley Cup champions defeating the Vancouver Canucks.
*The "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers win the 1982 NBA Finals beating the Philadelphia 76ers which was a rematch of the 1980 NBA Finals, which the Lakers also won.
*The St. Louis Cardinals win the 1982 World Series beating the Milwaukee Brewers in 7 games.
*The San Francisco 49ers defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, 26-21, in Super Bowl XVI.

Don't even get me started on the music.

In the US, there was a economic recession at the end of 1982 but still overall...the year was great for pop culture.

It still gets my vote, unless someone can convince me to go with my runner up- 1981.
I was born in 1981...that should be reason enough. ;)

1982, next to 1984, is one of the greatest years of the 80's in terms of film.


You had some good films in 1984.

1982, next to 1984, is one of the greatest years of the 80's in terms of film.


1984 was not only the greatest year in film for the 80's, but of all time.

Your films response was good. I knew 48 Hours would come up. I will concede that 1982 was great for films. But I personally don't like anything else about it. It still gets my vote, unless someone can convince me to go with my runner up- 1981.

1981 was far more boring than 1982, IMO.

1981 was far more boring than 1982, IMO.


music-wise? ???

music-wise? ???

In general.

I can see why some people say 1982. There's just something about the feeling of the year that is.....stale. http://www.kanyetothe.com/forum/Smileys/default/HWaQd6Z.png http://www.kanyetothe.com/forum/Smileys/default/HWaQd6Z.png http://www.kanyetothe.com/forum/Smileys/default/HWaQd6Z.png
http://www.kanyetothe.com/forum/Smileys/default/HWaQd6Z.png

I can see why some people say 1982. There's just something about the feeling of the year that is.....stale. http://www.kanyetothe.com/forum/Smileys/default/HWaQd6Z.png http://www.kanyetothe.com/forum/Smileys/default/HWaQd6Z.png http://www.kanyetothe.com/forum/Smileys/default/HWaQd6Z.png
http://www.kanyetothe.com/forum/Smileys/default/HWaQd6Z.png

Nah...1980 and 1981 feel stale :-X.

Nah...1980 and 1981 feel stale :-X.


Did you at least like the music in 80 and 81? ???

Did you at least like the music in 80 and 81? ???

Some of it.

Some of it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7skQvj-aBV8
How about this song from 1981? ???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7skQvj-aBV8
How about this song from 1981? ???

It's decent.

The thing about 1980 and 1981 that make them seem so stale is that they're caught in between the whole 70's/80's transition and have no real direction. The distinct 70's identity was gone but the colorful 80's had yet to show themselves.

Would you agree that at least part of 1982 was included in this "staleness"?


The thing about 1980 and 1981 that make them seem so stale is that they're caught in between the whole 70's/80's transition and have no real direction. The distinct 70's identity was gone but the colorful 80's had yet to show themselves.

Would you agree that at least part of 1982 was included in this "staleness"?


The early part was but '82 was a very changeful year that I feel fits more alongside 83 (and even 84 to a certain point) rather than 80 and 81.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7skQvj-aBV8
How about this song from 1981? ???
Classic!

Spam reported.

1980. After disco and before MTV. Lennon shot down by a fan turned foe. Mt. Saint Helens erupts. Iran-Iraq war in full swing. An inflationary recession in full swing. America boycotting the Moscow Olympics. Cowboy wear being the latest fad. Many '70s TV shows in decline or cancelled and most good '80s shows not yet in full swing, with a ten-week writers' strike. Cold War tensions were starting to wax again. At least you had The Empire Strikes Back and Reagan winning the election.


People say 1980 was the only year that didn't have MTV and this and that.  While 1980 didn't have MTV yet, people were getting their music videos off the several hour block on USA called video concert hall.

Yes Regan winning the 1980 election was significant and was instrumental in setting the tone for the rest of the decade. Rubikks cube, pac man, and space invaders dropped that year. Rubikks cube became a staple of the 80s, along with video game pac man

Spam reported.

Excellent :)

From the information in this thread, even though I didn't live at any point during the decade, I want to say it's either 1981, 1986, or 1989.

Maybe 1980 but that is more a case of least favourite rather than worst.

Still plenty of brilliant tunes and flicks that year although it seems to be the height of a recession so no fun and a bit of a confused transition between 70s and 80s.

I was born in 1999, so obviously I can't say from experience. But musically, 1989 is LAME. Very few songs I like compared to the abundance of masterpieces earlier in the decade. It seems like the 80's kinda fizzled out by then

Most of the decade sucked for me but I would have to say that 1988 was the worst. In 1989 I was dealing with the fallout of '88 but then got hit without another bombshell and my life did a totally 180 degrees.


Cat

Im so sorry Cat :(

I was born in 1999, so obviously I can't say from experience. But musically, 1989 is LAME. Very few songs I like compared to the abundance of masterpieces earlier in the decade. It seems like the 80's kinda fizzled out by then

Well, I was born in the same year as you but I disagree.

1989 had great music hits, IMO. But, I'm generally a fan of late '80s & early '90s music in general.

I'm not as big of a fan of early '80s music.

Well, I was born in the same year as you but I disagree.

1989 had great music hits, IMO. But, I'm generally a fan of late '80s & early '90s music in general.

I'm not as big of a fan of early '80s music.


well in terms of the 80's, we're exact opposites then. I love the super synthy fun stuff from 1982 - 1985. Late 80's/early 90's is probably my LEAST favorite era of pop music since the 50's

well in terms of the 80's, we're exact opposites then. I love the super synthy fun stuff from 1982 - 1985. Late 80's/early 90's is probably my LEAST favorite era of pop music since the 50's

The early '80s were from 1980-1983. Mid '80s were 1984-1986 and late '80s 1987-1989.

Popular music from '80 to '83 was either meh to just OK, in my opinion. With a few exceptions (like MJ's Thriller album, for example).

I love popular music from the rest of the decade though (1984-1989) - for the most part.

There are parts of 1989 that's very bland and kinda 'empty' if you know what I mean. Like a leftover 80's instead of a real 80's year.
I still like 1989 but I can see why it can be seen as a lackluster 80's year.  ::)  ::)