Many people believe that the vintage time was one of the best ones and the world where we live now has so many troubles for everyone. Indeed it’s true. With the advancement in technology and changes in mass media, the negative traits have definitely overcome the positive ones. Many authors have raised their voices in order to explain how blessed were the earlier times. Surely, the 1980s has been a great decade towards the global pop culture.
Overview of the 1980s
Talk about the decade which had a significant impact on the economic situation of many in the world. The 1980s is known as the Greed Decade because this was the time when young urban professionals increased and started getting great jobs. The decade in which we progressed and significant changes were seen in terms of fashion, music, computer technology, video games, sports, and political movements as well. Big hair and other funky hairstyles were adopted.
Rap music started to get big during this decade. The concept of breakdancing which is now considered an old-school approach was very popular in this decade. This period is also known for being more conservative than the other decades.
Books Inspired by Pop Culture in the 1980s
1. The 1980s (American Popular Culture Through History)
One of the many books that were inspired by the 1980s is this one which tells us about the excess and extremes of the 1980s. There was so much fluctuation in tastes and perceptions in the era that it does not even feel that all of this happened in the 1980s. We recommend this book because it takes you on a journey that feels very real. You will be able to visually imagine how the 1980s looked like.
It provides additional insights on the important events of the 1980s and clears many misconceptions which people have regarding the decade of the 80s. From important changes in the American society to Ronald Reagan’s War to travel influences, there is so much that you can discover about the 80s. You will find pretty much everything about pop culture from Micheal Jackson’s life, Stephen King, Miami Vice, Bonfire of the vanities, and music videos discussed in this book. Several negative things are also mentioned. If you are looking for one book that has it all regarding the 1980s, this would be the one we recommend.
2. The 1980s: A Critical and Transitional Decade
Talk about some critical perspective on the 1980s and this book has it all. It shows how the 1980s can be considered as a critical decade with topics regarding transnationality, important events such as Ronald Reagan Presidency, Cold War, and MTV. Moreover, you can read about a whole new world of the 1980s regarding cultural and social perceptions as well as the transformation that took place in the US as well as other parts of the world.
The book provides an excellent comparative analysis between the 1980s and 1960s evaluating the major differences as well as the similarities between the two eras. Readers have said that this book gives a more clear picture of the decade. The holistic analysis of the decade includes focal analysis on the literature, entertainment, arts, and other traditional aspects.
3. 80s Fashion: From Club to Catwalk
Curious to learn more about the fashion of earlier times or planning on throwing a theme party? This book will be useful for both cases. It is an excellent book for modern-day designers and women who are keen to follow a classic fashion style. Learn about the fascinating fashion history of the 80s that had a deep link with the music as well.
Talk about one book that has it all and we would present this one for fashion in the 80s. With a portfolio of the different leading designers of the fashion industry including Vivienne Westwood, Fiorucci, and Leigh Bowery, you can see how the trendsetters of the 80s looked like. Compare that with today’s fashion and there is no chance that you find the exact same one although jeans are something that we still see from the 80s.
4. The Great Book of 1980s Trivia: Crazy Random Facts & 80s Trivia
The most astonishing book inspired by the pop culture of the 80s is this one as it has so many unusual and unexpected facts that the reader questions himself whether or not this is accurate. Welcome aboard on the fantastic journey to the decade of 80s with the craziest facts and questions that will provide you knowledge about all the good and bad events which shaped the era.
From Madonna and Micheal Jackson to hijackings and bombings, you will find both happy and sad incidents that took place in this decade. What we love the most about this book is that it has answers to some conspiracies and controversies of the 1980s which were never solved. For example, hidden information of Reagan’s assassination, Lady Nancy’s negative remarks, Bill Cosby, and others as well. Buy it today to find out more about this era.
5. Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to ’80s Teen Movies
Kevin Smokler brings the comprehension of some of the teen movies of the 80s. The surprising part is that many of the movies discussed in this book have had their remakes later on. From fictional towns to real-life scenarios, this book creatively explains all of them. The 80s teen movies, as mentioned in this book, were among the very first ones to target the modern teen problems. This helped the storyline in getting better over time.
What makes this book more interesting is the fact that it contains different interviews from a number of top actors and directors of the 80s who seem to have some very crazy facts about the movies. Brat Pack America should be among the top collection of someone who is a keen fan of Hollywood and wants to learn more. Learn the hook and nook of 80s teen movies from this exceptional book.
Learn more about Muhammad Ali and his influences on pop culture – Muhammad Ali’s Amazing Impact on Pop Culture.
6. Tuesday Nights in 1980
Tuesday Nights in 1980 is perhaps the one book that has a storyline and not just some facts about the era. The book shows the time of the 1980s in the form of a narrative. From the other books we mentioned, you would gain knowledge but this one practically puts you in the imaginary period of the 1980s. The story takes us on the journey of two men that ascend in the downtown art scene where multiple tragedies strike them on their way.
Molly Prentiss has been known quite well for her details and liveliness that she explained for the 80s in her book. People who read it suggested that this book has a mixture of all emotions from rage to fear to love. Kirkus Reviews suggested this book as “An intoxicating Manhattan fairy tale”. It is also among the Editorial choice at Amazon.com which is yet another reason to have it in your collection.
7. Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the 1980s
Last but not least we have this amazing book on our list which features the media industry of the 1980s particularly talking about the artists and song makers that came in. Like the title says, it was a “New Wave” of artists which came during the 80s and many of them are still performing. Many famous artists today were born in that decade. The book celebrates the New Wave phenomena by having interviews with 35 of the most notable artists.
The book has been divided into multiple chapters each of which has a discussion of the popular songs by the artist and then coming to the history of the artist as well as the place being described in the songs. Any person can have a vivid idea about the songs of the 1980s through this book. The different bands which have participated in this include New Order, The Smiths, Echo, and the Bunnymen, Spandau Ballet, and A Flock of Seagulls.
Conclusion
There have been so many books that were inspired by the pop culture of the 1980s and we have mentioned some of the best ones above so you can easily find the one according to your interest. The greed decade surely had a lot of interesting stuff happening to make it more interesting for the readers. We highly recommend everyone to get the Trivia book as well as “The 1980s” since they have the most information on the era.