This topic was prompted by the "TV in the age of Trump" thread, where somebody mentioned that contrary to popular memory, there was a lot of countercultural creativity and entertainment. Unfortunately, having been born just one year shy of the '80s, I missed all of it - my impression of the '80s is as a super conservative period.

I am interested in learning about this topic, however. Are there any recommendations about how/where I should start? Good examples of music/TV/films that best exhibit this counterculture attitude? Thanks in advance.

In general, punk and post-punk music bore the mantle of counterculture throughout the 80s. Artists like Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp also carried the voice of the disenfranchised while still scoring numerous smash hits. There was also Jimmy Sommerville, who achieved lots of chart success as the frontmant of Bronski Beat and the Communards not only as an openly gay man, but with explicitly homosexual lyrical themes, something you hardly ever come across even today.

Movies and television, on the other hand, barely had anything risqué to offer unless you imported them from abroad. Controversial themes and ideas rarely found much of a place in mainstream media. The most socially conscious pieces were usually either confined to conventional polish (The Cosby Show, Beverly Hills Cop, etc.) or period pieces (i.e., Full Metal Jacket, The Color Purple).

In general, punk and post-punk music bore the mantle of counterculture throughout the 80s. Artists like Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp also carried the voice of the disenfranchised while still scoring numerous smash hits. There was also Jimmy Sommerville, who achieved lots of chart success as the frontmant of Bronski Beat and the Communards not only as an openly gay man, but with explicitly homosexual lyrical themes, something you hardly ever come across even today.

Movies and television, on the other hand, barely had anything risqué to offer unless you imported them from abroad. Controversial themes and ideas rarely found much of a place in mainstream media. The most socially conscious pieces were usually either confined to conventional polish (The Cosby Show, Beverly Hills Cop, etc.) or period pieces (i.e., Full Metal Jacket, The Color Purple).


Might Dead Poets Society count as a countercultural movie? Or would it be more accurate to say that was the beginning of the drift towards Nineties mainstream non-conformity?

Might Dead Poets Society count as a countercultural movie? Or would it be more accurate to say that was the beginning of the drift towards Nineties mainstream non-conformity?


I'd probably say the latter. Around the same time it came out, alternative music was picking up a little more momentum and television was finally evolving into something more variable with the rise of non-Big 3 channels like Fox and shows like Roseanne, Married... with Children, and ultimately The Simpsons.

Check out the movie Repo Man. There's a lot of criticism directed towards Reagan's new laws, older hippies selling out and TV Evangelists (which were a huge thing in the 80's) among other things. Not only that, but there's a lot of punk rock references and since you're a fan of early 80's hardcore punk, that might be something of interest to you. It's a great film that I think you'll really like if counterculture is what you're looking for! In general, so many directors and writers in the 80's tried to purposely recapture that "cult flim" feel of smaller 50's and 60's movies (though, in those days, being weird and cult-like was unintentional) so we got a lot of faux-cult movies with wacky plots that deviated from regular movie formulas like Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure, Brazil, Bill and Ted, Return of the Living Dead, Beetlejuice, etc.

You might also like books by Bret Easton Ellis like Less Than Zero and The Rules of Attraction which satirize and parody the pretentious yuppie college student archetypes and consumerist attitudes that were common in 1985-1987. American Psycho is another really good book, too, though that came out in 1991.

I can give you some good music recommendations, too, if you let me know specifically what genres you're into.

since you're a fan of early 80's hardcore punk
I can give you some good music recommendations, too, if you let me know specifically what genres you're into.


Dude, well remembered! Thanks for the recommendations. As far as music recommendations, I'm good for whatever (except country) - I won't presume to say that I like everything, but I am definitely open to trying anything. Pop, rock, hair metal, EDM...whatever you got, lay it on me!

And thanks for the movie recs, I had a feeling I'd see Brazil on there. That's been on my list for a loooooong time.

Dude, well remembered! Thanks for the recommendations. As far as music recommendations, I'm good for whatever (except country) - I won't presume to say that I like everything, but I am definitely open to trying anything. Pop, rock, hair metal, EDM...whatever you got, lay it on me!

And thanks for the movie recs, I had a feeling I'd see Brazil on there. That's been on my list for a loooooong time.


No problem! Brazil is a really, really good movie so definitely check that out as soon as possible! Another one I forgot to mention is After Hours which is in a similar vein.

Good counterculture music from the 80's tends to be in the new wave/goth/synthpop/alt rock realm with bands like Depeche Mode, The Smiths, R.E.M., Husker Du, The Replacements, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Tears for Fears, The Jesus & Mary Chain, New Order and Bauhaus. Some good punk bands to check out, if you don't already know them, would be Minor Threat (who were not only counterculture to the mainstream but also towards punk itself with the straight edge philosophy), Dead Kennedys, Reagan Youth, Articles of Faith, Bad Religion and Black Flag. Check out some industrial like Skinny Puppy, early Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, too. I'd even include some pop/glam like Madonna, Prince, Motley Crue And Cyndi Lauper due to how much they pissed Tipper Gore off. Not exactly 100% counterculture but if you pissed Tipper Gore off, you probably did something right.