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Decade of the Gregorian calendar (1980–1989) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1980s (pronounced "nineteen-eighties", shortened to "the '80s" or "the Eighties") was the decade that began on 1 January 1980, and ended on 31 December 1989.
The decade saw a dominance of conservatism and free market economics, and a socioeconomic change due to advances in technology and a worldwide move away from planned economies and towards laissez-faire capitalism compared to the 1970s. As economic deconstruction increased in the developed world, multiple multinational corporations associated with the manufacturing industry relocated into Thailand, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, and China. Japan and West Germany saw large economic growth during this decade. The AIDS epidemic became recognized in the 1980s and has since killed an estimated 40.4 million people (as of 2022[update]).[1] Global warming theory began to spread within the scientific and political community in the 1980s.
The United Kingdom and the United States moved closer to supply-side economic policies, beginning a trend towards global instability of international trade that would pick up more steam in the following decade as the fall of the USSR made right-wing economic policy more powerful.
The final decade of the Cold War opened with the US-Soviet confrontation continuing largely without any interruption. Superpower tensions escalated rapidly as President Reagan scrapped the policy of détente and adopted a new, much more aggressive stance on the Soviet Union. The world came perilously close to nuclear war for the first time since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, but the second half of the decade saw a dramatic easing of superpower tensions and ultimately the total collapse of Soviet communism.
Developing countries across the world faced economic and social difficulties as they suffered from multiple debt crises in the 1980s, requiring many of these countries to apply for financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Ethiopia witnessed widespread famine in the mid-1980s during the corrupt rule of Mengistu Haile Mariam, resulting in the country having to depend on foreign aid to provide food to its population and worldwide efforts to address and raise money to help Ethiopians, such as the Live Aid concert in 1985.
Major civil discontent and violence occurred, including the Angolan Civil War, the Ethiopian Civil War, the Moro conflict, the Salvadoran Civil War, the Ugandan Bush War, the insurgency in Laos, the Iran–Iraq War, the Soviet–Afghan War, the 1982 Lebanon War, the Falklands War, the Second Sudanese Civil War, the Lord's Resistance Army insurgency, and the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. Islamism became a powerful political force in the 1980s and many jihadist organizations, including Al Qaeda, were set up.
By 1986, nationalism was making a comeback in the Eastern Bloc, and the desire for democracy in socialist states, combined with economic recession, resulted in Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost and perestroika, which reduced Communist Party power, legalized dissent and sanctioned limited forms of capitalism such as joint ventures with companies from capitalist countries. After tension for most of the decade, by 1988 relations between the communist and capitalist blocs had improved significantly[2] and the Soviet Union was increasingly unwilling to defend its governments in satellite states.
1989 brought the overthrow and attempted overthrow of a number of governments led by communist parties, such as in Hungary, the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 in China, the Czechoslovak "Velvet Revolution", Erich Honecker's East German regime, Poland's Soviet-backed government, and the violent overthrow of the Nicolae Ceaușescu regime in Romania. Destruction of the 155-km Berlin Wall, at the end of the decade, signaled a seismic geopolitical shift. The Cold War ended in the early 1990s with the successful Reunification of Germany and the USSR's demise after the August Coup of 1991.
The 1980s was an era of tremendous population growth around the world, surpassing the 1970s and 1990s, and arguably being the largest in human history. During the 1980s, the world population grew from 4.4 to 5.3 billion people. There were approximately 1.33 billion births and 480 million deaths. Population growth was particularly rapid in a number of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian countries during this decade, with rates of natural increase close to or exceeding 4% annually. The 1980s saw the advent of the ongoing practice of sex-selective abortion in China and India as ultrasound technology permitted parents to selectively abort baby girls.[3]
The 1980s saw great advances in genetic and digital technology. After years of animal experimentation since 1985, the first genetic modification of 10 adult human beings took place in May 1989, a gene tagging experiment[4] which led to the first true gene therapy implementation in September 1990. The first "designer babies", a pair of female twins, were created in a laboratory in late 1989 and born in July 1990 after being sex-selected via the controversial assisted reproductive technology procedure preimplantation genetic diagnosis.[5] Gestational surrogacy was first performed in 1985 with the first birth in 1986, making it possible for a woman to become a biological mother without experiencing pregnancy for the first time in history.[6]
The global internet took shape in academia by the second half of the 1980s, as well as many other computer networks of both academic and commercial use such as USENET, Fidonet, and the bulletin board system. By 1989, the Internet and the networks linked to it were a global system with extensive transoceanic satellite links and nodes in most developed countries.[7] Based on earlier work, from 1980 onwards Tim Berners-Lee formalized the concept of the World Wide Web by 1989. Television viewing became commonplace in the Third World, with the number of TV sets in China and India increasing by 15 and 10 times respectively.[8]
The Atari Video Computer System console became widespread in the first part of the decade, often simply called "Atari". The 1980 Atari VCS port of Space Invaders was its first killer app. The video game crash of 1983 ended the system's popularity and decimated the industry until the Nintendo Entertainment System re-established the console market in North America. The hand-held Game Boy launched in 1989. Super Mario Bros. and Tetris were the decade's best selling games. Pac-Man was the highest grossing arcade game. Home computers became commonplace. The 1981 IBM PC led to a large market for IBM PC compatibles. The 1984 release of the Macintosh popularized the WIMP style of interaction.
The most prominent armed conflicts of the decade include:
The most notable wars of the decade include:
The most notable internal conflicts of the decade include:
The most notable terrorist attacks of the decade include:
The most prominent coups d'état of the decade include:
Africa
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Prominent assassinations, targeted killings, and assassination attempts include:
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 12 April 1980 | William R. Tolbert Jr., 20th President of Liberia, is killed during a military coup. His death marks the end of Americo-Liberian rule in Liberia.[11] |
| 30 March 1981 | Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States, was shot in Washington, D.C. by a mentally disturbed individual. Reagan's press secretary, James Brady, was also shot, along with a police officer and a US Secret Service agent.[12] |
| 13 May 1981 | Pope John Paul II is shot and wounded in Saint Peter's Square.[13] |
| 30 May 1980 | Ziaur Rahman, the sixth president of Bangladesh, was assassinated by a faction of officers of Bangladesh Army, in the southeastern port city of Chittagong.[14] |
| 30 August 1981 | Mohammad-Ali Rajai, 2nd President of Iran and Mohammad-Javad Bahonar, 48th Prime Minister of Iran, are both killed when a bomb explodes in Bahonar's office. Iranian officials alleges the bomb was planted by elements of the People's Mujahedin of Iran, though others allege the bombing was orchestrated by political rivals within the Islamic Republican Party.[15][16] |
| 6 October 1981 | Anwar Sadat, 3rd President of Egypt, is assassinated at a military parade in Cairo.[17] |
| 21 August 1983 | Benigno Aquino Jr., a longtime political opponent of Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos, is killed after landing in the Philippines after three years of self-imposed exile.[18] |
| 12 October 1984 | Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, avoids being the target of a bombing at a hotel orchestrated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army. The blast does kill five including Anthony Berry, an MP and Deputy Chief Whip.[19] |
| 31 October 1984 | Indira Gandhi, 3rd Prime Minister of India, is assassinated by her own bodyguards in response to the Indian Army's attack on Golden Temple to destroy Sikh Militant stronghold in Amritsar earlier in the decade.[20] |
| 28 February 1986 | Olof Palme, Prime Minister of Sweden, is assassinated while walking home from a cinema in Stockholm.[21] |
| 15 October 1987 | Thomas Sankara, 1st President of Burkina Faso, is assassinated in a coup organized by his former colleague, Blaise Compaoré.[22] |
The 1980s had many fundamental advances in medicine and biology. The first surrogate pregnancy of an unrelated child took place on 13 April 1986, in Michigan.[6] The first genetically modified crops, tobacco (Nicotiana) plants were grown in China in 1988.[23]
Gene therapy techniques became established by the end of the 1980s, allowing gene tagging and gene therapy to become a possibility, both of which were first performed in human beings in May 1989 and September 1990, respectively.
Arcade and video games had been growing in popularity since the late 1970s, and by 1982 were a major industry. But a variety of factors, including a glut of low-quality games and the rise of home computers, caused a tremendous crash in late 1983. For the next three years, the video game market practically ceased to exist in the US. But in the second half of the decade, it would be revived by Nintendo, whose Famicom console and mascot Mario had been enjoying considerable success in Japan since 1983. Renamed the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), it would claim 90% of the American video game market by 1989. The 1980s are considered to be the decade when video games achieved massive popularity. In 1980, Pac-Man was introduced to the arcades, and became one of the most popular video games of all time. Also in 1980, Game & Watch was created; it was not one of the best known game systems, but it facilitated mini-games and was concurrent with the NES. Donkey Kong, released in 1981, was a smash arcade hit and market breakthrough for Nintendo. Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, and the Mega Man series would become major hits for the console.
The personal computer experienced explosive growth in the 1980s, transitioning from a hobbyist's toy to a full-fledged consumer product. The IBM PC, launched in 1981, became the dominant computer for professional users. Commodore created the most popular home computers of both 8-bit and 16-bit generations. MSX standard was the dominant computer platform in Japan and in most parts of Asia. Apple Computer superseded its Apple II and Lisa models by introducing the first Macintosh computer in 1984. It was the first commercially successful personal computer to use a graphical user interface (GUI) and mouse,[24] which started to become general features in computers after the middle of the decade. Electronics and computers were also at the forefront of the advertising industry, with many commercials like "1984" from Apple achieving acclaim and pop-culture relevance.[25]
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Walkman and boomboxes, invented during the late 1970s, became very popular as they were introduced to various countries in the early 1980s, and had a profound impact on the music industry and youth culture. Consumer VCRs and video rental stores became commonplace as VHS won out over the competing Betamax standard. In addition, in the early 1980s various companies began selling compact, modestly priced synthesizers to the public. This, along with the development of Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), made it easier to integrate and synchronize synthesizers and other electronic instruments, like drum machines, for use in musical composition.
High definition television (HDTV) of both the analog and digital variety were first developed in the 1980s though their use did not become widespread until the mid-2000s.
In 1981, Hayes Microcomputer Products started selling the Smartmodem. The Smartmodem paved the way for the modern modems that exist today, mainly because it was the first modem to transform what had previously required a two-stage process into a process involving only one stage. The Smartmodem contributed to the rise in popularity of BBS systems in the 1980s and early 1990s, which were the main way to connect to remote computers and perform various social and entertainment activities before the Internet and the World Wide Web finally became popular in the mid-1990s.
The 1980s witnessed a rapid expansion in the communications industry. Almost a decade after Martin Cooper, then an employee of Motorola, made the first mobile phone call in 1973, Millicom Inc., a telecommunications agency, and E.F. Johnson & Co., introduced the first portable cellular phone commercially available for use on a cellular network, the “Lunch Box” in 1981.[28][29][30] Two years later, Motorola launched the DynaTAC 8000X or the “Brick,” the first commercially available handheld mobile phone weighing 3 pounds (1.4 kg).[30] While revolutionary, these early products were bulky and challenging to handle. This led to fierce competition in the market, with companies vying to produce a lighter, more portable phone, setting the stage for the future of mobile technology.
The race for a slimmer version of the portable cell phone was underway, and technology entrepreneur Jan Stenbeck was determined to lead the charge. Stenbeck founded the tech start-up Technophone with a singular goal in mind: to create a lightweight, pocket-sized mobile phone. In 1986, under the guidance of Technophones chief executive officer, Nils Martensson, the company unveiled the first pocket-sized mobile phone, the Excell PCT105.[28][31][32]
American interplanetary probes continued in the 1980s, the Voyager duo being the most known. After making a flyby of Jupiter in 1979, they went near Saturn in 1980–1981. Voyager 2 reached Uranus in 1986 (just a few days before the Challenger disaster), and Neptune in 1989 before the probes exited the Solar System.
No American probes were launched to Mars in the 1980s, and the Viking probes, launched there in 1975, completed their operations by 1982. The Soviets launched two Mars probes in 1988, but they failed.
The arrival of Halley's Comet in 1986 was met by a series of Soviet, Japanese and European Space Agency (ESA) probes, namely Halley Armada.
After a six-year hiatus, American space flights with astronauts resumed with the launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia in April 1981. The shuttle program progressed smoothly from there, with three more orbiters entering service in 1983–1985. But that all came to an end with the tragic loss of the Challenger (STS-51-L) on 28 January 1986, taking with it seven astronauts, including Christa McAuliffe, who was to have been the first teacher in space. In full view of the world, a faulty O-ring on the right solid rocket booster allowed hot gases to burn through the external fuel tank and cause it to explode, destroying the shuttle in the process. Extensive efforts were made to improve NASA's increasingly careless management practices, and to make the shuttle safer. Flights resumed with the launch of Discovery in September 1988.
The Soviet program with cosmonauts went well during the decade, experiencing only minor setbacks. The Salyut 6 space station, launched in 1977, was replaced by Salyut 7 in 1982. Then came Mir in 1986, which ended up operating for more than a decade, and was destined to be the last in the line of Soviet space stations that had begun in 1971. One of the Soviet Union's last "superprojects" was the Buran space shuttle; it was only used once, in 1988.
The American auto industry began in the 1980s in a thoroughly grim situation, faced with poor quality control, rising import competition, and a severe economic downturn.[33] Chrysler and American Motors (AMC) were near bankruptcy, and Ford was little better off.[34] Only General Motors (GM) continued with business as usual. But the auto makers recovered with the economy by 1983, and in 1985 auto sales in the United States hit a new record. However, the Japanese were now a major presence, and would begin manufacturing cars in the US to get around tariffs. In 1986, Hyundai became the first Korean auto maker to enter the American market. In the same year, the Yugoslavian-built Yugo was brought to the US, but the car was so small and cheap, that it became the subject of jokes. It was sold up to 1991, when economic sanctions against Yugoslavia forced its withdrawal from the American market.
As the decade progressed, cars became smaller and more efficient in design. In 1983, Ford design teams began to incorporate aerodynamic styling to decrease drag while in motion. The Thunderbird was one of the first cars to receive these design changes. In 1985, Ford released the Taurus with a design that was revolutionary among domestic mass market automobiles.
GM began suffering significant losses in the late 1980s, partially the result of chairman Roger Smith's restructuring attempts, and partially because of increasingly dated cars. An example were customers who increasingly purchased European luxury cars rather than Cadillacs. In 1985, GM started Saturn (the first new American make since the Edsel), with the goal of producing high-quality import fighters. Production would not begin until 1990.
Chrysler introduced its new compact, front-wheel drive K-cars in 1981. Under the leadership of Lee Iacocca, the company turned a profit again the following year, and by 1983 paid off its government loans. A succession of models using this automobile platform followed. The most significant were the minivans in 1984. These proved a to be popular and they would dominate the van market for more than a decade. In 1987, Chrysler purchased the Italian makes of Lamborghini and Maserati. In the same year, Chrysler bought AMC from Renault laying to rest the last significant independent US automaker, but acquiring the hugely profitable Jeep line and continuing the Eagle brand until the late 1990s.[35]
The DMC DeLorean was the brainchild of John DeLorean, a flamboyant former GM executive. Production of the gull-winged sports car began in Northern Ireland in 1981. John DeLorean was arrested in October 1982 in a sting operation where he was attempting to sell cocaine to save his struggling company. He was acquitted of all charges in 1984, but too late for the DeLorean Motor Company, which closed down in 1983. The DeLorean gained renewed fame afterward as the time machine in the Back to the Future film trilogy.
The imposition of corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) fuel-mileage standards in 1979 spelled the end of big-block engines, but performance cars and convertibles reemerged in the 1980s. Turbochargers were widely used to boost the performance of small cars, and technology from fuel injection began to take over from the widely used application of carburetors by the late 1980s. Front-wheel drive also became dominant.
The 1980s marked the decline of European brands in North America by the end of the decade. Renault, Citroën, and Peugeot ceased importation by the end of the decade. Alfa Romeo would continue until 1993. Fiat also ceased imports to North America in the 1980s.
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In the United States, MTV was launched and music videos began to have a larger effect on the record industry. Pop artists/bands such as Duran Duran, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Prince, Cyndi Lauper and Madonna mastered the format and helped turn this new product into a profitable business. At the beginning of the decade new wave fell from favor with the rise of the New Romantic,[39][40][41] new pop and synthpop genres developed by many British and American artists, popular phenomena throughout the decade especially in the early and mid-1980s. Music grew fragmented and combined into subgenres such as house, goth, and rap metal.[42] Famous music videos include those of Peter Gabriel.
The advent of numerous new technologies had a significant impact on 1980s music, and led to a distinct production aesthetic that included synthesizer sounds, drum machines and drum reverb.
Duran Duran, the biggest band of the 1980s, were leaders in the Second British Invasion, with a level of fame similar to Beatlemania by 1984. Their breakthrough album was Rio (1982). The single "Hungry Like the Wolf" was number 1 in Canada. UK number 1 singles include "Is There Something I Should Know?" and "The Reflex", which was the band's most successful single and was also number 1 in the US and on the Eurochart Hot 100. "A View to a Kill", theme song of the James Bond film, was number 1 in the US. "Notorious" was number 1 in Italy, Spain and Canada. "The Wild Boys" was number 1 in West Germany and South Africa. The band went on to sell over 100 million records and win Brit, Grammy and MTV awards.
Michael Jackson was one of the icons of the 1980s and his leather jacket, white glove, and Moonwalk dance were often imitated. Jackson's 1982 album Thriller became—and currently remains—the best-selling album of all time, with sales estimated by various sources as somewhere between 65 and 110 million copies worldwide. His 1987 album Bad sold over 45 million copies and became the first album to have five number-one singles chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Jackson had the most number-one singles throughout the decade (9), and spent the most weeks at number one (27 weeks). His 1987 Bad World Tour grossed over $125 million worldwide, making it the highest grossing world tour by a solo artist during the decade. Jackson earned numerous awards and titles during the 1980s, the most notable of which were a record eight Grammy Awards and eight American Music Awards in 1984, and the honor of "Artist of the Decade" by US President George H. W. Bush. Jackson was arguably the biggest star during this time, and would eventually sell more than one billion records around the world.
Prince was a popular star of the 1980s and the most successful chart act of the decade. His breakthrough album 1999, released in 1982, produced three top-ten hits and the album itself charted at number nine on the Billboard 200. His sixth studio album Purple Rain was an international success, boosting Prince to superstardom and selling over 25 million copies worldwide. The album produced the US number-one singles, "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy" and sold 13 million copies in the US as of 1996. Prince released an album every year for the rest of the decade, all charting within the top ten, with the exception of Lovesexy. He went on to sell over 120 million records worldwide and win seven Grammy Awards.
The '80s were above all a time of international corporatization... [Rock music] was reconceived as intellectual property, as a form of capital itself... The '80s were when stars replaced artists as bearers of significance... The '80s took rock sexuality and rock sexism over the top... The '80s were a time of renewed racial turmoil after ten-plus years of polite resegregation... Technology changed everything in the '80s. Cable brought us MTV and the triumph of the image. Synthesizers inflected the sounds that remained. Sampling revolutionized rock and roll's proprietary relationship to its own history. Cassettes made private music portable—and public. Compact discs inflated profitability as they faded into the background of busy lives.
Madonna and Whitney Houston were groundbreaking female artists of the decade.[44] The keyboard synthesizer and drum machine were among the most popular instruments in music during the 1980s. After the 1980s, electronic instruments continued to be the main component of mainstream pop.
Synth pop and new pop musicians included the Eurythmics, Pet Shop Boys, Spandau Ballet, A Flock of Seagulls, INXS, Ultravox, Men Without Hats, Icehouse, Toni Basil, OMD, Visage, Alphaville, A-ha, Martha and the Muffins, Talk Talk and Depeche Mode. Pop rock bands included Tears for Fears and Transvision Vamp. Ska bands included Madness and The Specials.
Stock Aitken Waterman songs were sung by Bananarama, Dead or Alive, Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue and Donna Summer.
Hard rock, heavy metal, and glam metal became some of the most dominant music genres of the decade, peaking with the arrival of such bands as Mötley Crüe, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Poison, Europe, Megadeth, Slayer, Sepultura, Anthrax, and virtuoso guitarists such as Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen. The scene also helped 1970s hard rock artists and bands such as AC/DC, Heart, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Blue Öyster Cult, Deep Purple, Queen, Van Halen, KISS, Ronnie James Dio, Rush and Judas Priest reach a new generation of fans.
The 1980s were also known for song parodies becoming more mainstream, a trend led by parodic musician "Weird Al" Yankovic. He was best known for his Michael Jackson parodies "Eat It" and "Fat" as well as other parodies like "Another One Rides The Bus" (parody of "Another One Bites The Dust" by Queen).
By 1989, the hip hop scene had evolved, gaining recognition and exhibiting a stronger influence on the music industry. This time period is also considered part of the golden age of hip hop. The Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Run-D.M.C., Grandmaster Flash, the Furious Five, N.W.A, LL Cool J, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Ice-T, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Tone Lōc, Biz Markie, The Sugar Hill Gang and others experienced success in this genre.
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Country music advanced into a new realm of popularity with youth appeal and record-breaking marks. Groundbreaking artists such as Alabama, Hank Williams Jr., Reba McEntire, George Strait, Ricky Skaggs, Janie Fricke, The Judds, and Randy Travis achieved multiple platinum and award status, foreshadowing the genre's popularity explosion in the 1990s. Country legends from past decades, such as George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Conway Twitty, the Oak Ridge Boys, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, Don Williams, Crystal Gayle, Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell, and the Statler Brothers, remained popular and continued to score hits throughout the decade.
The techno style of electronic dance music emerged in Detroit, Michigan, during the mid to late 1980s. The house music style, another form of electronic dance music, emerged in Chicago, Illinois, in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino and gay communities, first in Chicago, then in New York City and Detroit. It eventually reached Europe before becoming infused in mainstream pop and dance music worldwide.
Leading punk rock bands included Black Flag, Minor Threat, Suicidal Tendencies and Minutemen. Punk rock gave birth to many subgenres like hardcore, which in turn gave birth to a few counterculture movements, most notably the Straight Edge movement which began in the early 1980s. College rock caught on in the underground scene of the 1980s in a nationwide movement with a distinct D.I.Y approach. Bands like the Pixies, R.E.M., The Replacements, Sonic Youth, XTC, The Smiths, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Stone Roses, The Jesus and Mary Chain etc. experienced success in this genre. The 1980s also saw the birth of the grunge genre, with the arrival of such bands as Soundgarden and Nirvana.
Siouxsie and the Banshees and Pigbag were post punk bands. New Order and U2 had post punk origins.
Former Beatle John Lennon and Yoko Ono released their joint number 1 album Double Fantasy in November 1980. This was Lennon's final album before his murder in December 1980. Led Zeppelin disbanded after drummer John Bonham's 1980 death. Brian Johnson became lead singer of AC/DC after predecessor Bon Scott died in 1980. Reggae musician Bob Marley died from a lentiginous skin melanoma in 1981. Motown singer Marvin Gaye was shot dead by his father in 1984. Airplane crashes killed Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist Randy Rhoads in 1982, and Kyu Sakamoto in 1985. Karen Carpenter died from complications of anorexia nervosa in 1983. Her death resulted in widespread attention and research into eating disorders and body dysmorphia. Other deaths include Tim Hardin in 1980, Harry Chapin in 1981, Metallica bassist Cliff Burton in 1986, Andy Gibb in 1988 and Hibari Misora in 1989.
In 1984, the British supergroup Band Aid was formed to raise aid and awareness of the economic plight of Ethiopia. In 1985's Live Aid concert, featuring many artists, promoted attention and action to send food aid to Ethiopia whose people were suffering from a major famine.
During the 1980s, Japan had the second largest music market in the world.[45] Popular music included kayōkyoku, idols, new music, rock and techno-pop. Artists and bands included Seiko Matsuda, Akina Nakamori, Hiroko Yakushimaru, Yōko Oginome, Yoko Minamino, Chisato Moritaka, Wink, Saki Kubota, Rebecca, the Southern All Stars, Eiichi Ohtaki and Yellow Magic Orchestra.[46][47][48][49] The song "Hana" by Shoukichi Kina, was a hit overseas, and sold 30 million copies.[50]
Artists singing in Italian included Al Bano and Romina Power and Matia Bazar. Rondò Veneziano were a baroque pop outfit.
Artists who topped the US annual album chart included Pink Floyd, REO Speedwagon, Asia, Bruce Springsteen, George Michael and Bobby Brown. Artists who topped the US annual singles chart included Blondie, Kim Carnes, Olivia Newton-John, The Police, Wham!, Dionne & Friends (which consisted of Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder) and The Bangles.
The UK best selling album of the 1980s was by Dire Straits. The best selling single was by Band Aid. Artists who topped the UK annual singles chart included The Human League, Dexys Midnight Runners, Culture Club, Jennifer Rush, The Communards, Cliff Richard and Black Box. Artists who topped the UK annual albums chart included ABBA, Adam and the Ants, Barbra Streisand and Jason Donovan.
Other famous and popular female singers included Belinda Carlisle, Bette Midler, Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion, Debbie Gibson, Deniece Williams, Diana Ross, Gloria Estefan, Janet Jackson, Joan Jett, Kate Bush, Kim Wilde, Laura Branigan, Martika, Nena, Pat Benatar, Paula Abdul, Samantha Fox, Sheena Easton, Tiffany Darwish and Tina Turner. Other famous and popular male singers included Billy Joel, Billy Ocean, Bob Dylan, Bryan Adams, David Bowie, Don Henley, Frank Sinatra, Freddie Mercury, George Harrison, Nik Kershaw, Paul McCartney, Paul Young, Phil Collins, Rick Springfield, Robert Palmer, Sting and Terence Trent D'Arby. Other famous and popular bands included Bee Gees, Boston, Cheap Trick, The Cure, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Genesis, Hall & Oates, Imagination, The Jackson 5, KC and the Sunshine Band, Kool & the Gang, Lipps Inc., Miami Sound Machine, Mike and the Mechanics, Men at Work, Motörhead, New Kids on the Block, The Pointer Sisters, The Rolling Stones, The Stranglers, Tight Fit, Toto, UB40, Whitesnake, Yes and ZZ Top.
Other artists with US number 1 singles included John Cougar, Captain & Tennille, Rupert Holmes, Eddie Rabbitt, Stars on 45, Air Supply, The J. Geils Band, Steve Miller Band, Patti Austin, James Ingram, John Waite, Huey Lewis and the News, Ready for the World, Jan Hammer, Mr. Mister, Marilyn Martin, Falco, Simply Red, Peter Cetera, Amy Grant, Steve Winwood, Patti LaBelle, Michael McDonald, Bruce Hornsby, Gregory Abbott, Billy Vera, Club Nouveau, Aretha Franklin, Cutting Crew, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Atlantic Starr, Los Lobos, Bob Seger, Siedah Garrett, Billy Idol, Exposé, Bobby McFerrin, Richard Marx, The Beach Boys, The Escape Club, Will to Power, Sheriff, Roxette, Fine Young Cannibals, Michael Damian, Milli Vanilli and Bad English.
Other artists with US number 1 albums include Journey and Stevie Nicks.
French musicians included Florent Pagny, F.R. David, France Gall, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Johnny Hallyday, Julie Pietri, Michel Berger, Patrick Bruel and Renaud. Austrian, Dutch and German musicians included C. C. Catch, Dschinghis Khan, Joy, Modern Talking and Sandra Cretu. Other popular musicians included Bad Boys Blue, Baltimora, Demis Roussos and Ryan Paris.
Other artists contributing music to cinema films included Vangelis, Limahl, Ray Parker Jr., Survivor, Starship, Simple Minds, Kenny Loggins, Azumi Inoue, Michael Sembello, Lindsey Buckingham and John Parr.
Other musicians included Earth Wind & Fire, Frank Zappa, Gloria Gaynor, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Luther Vandross, Paul Anka, Queensrÿche, Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Talking Heads, Twisted Sister and the Village People.
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Critically acclaimed films and thespians
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