1. Bryan Adams – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You – 06-1991
2. Guns N’ Roses – Live And Let Die – 12-1991
3. Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes – (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life – 01-1991
4. The Clash – Should I Stay Or Should I Go – 03-1991
5. The Scorpions – Wind Of Change – 09-1991
6. The Waterboys – The Whole Of The Moon – 04-1991
7. Robert Palmer – Mercy Mercy Me / I Want You – 01-1991
8. Extreme – More Than Words – 07-1991
9. Chesney Hawkes – The One And Only – 03-1991
10. Queen – Innuendo – 01-1991
11. Right Said Fred – I’m Too Sexy – 08-1991
12. Simply Red – Stars – 12-1991
13. Zucchero featuring Paul Young – Senza Una Donna (Without A Woman) – 04-1991
And the bubbling unders: Paula Abdul – Rush Rush – 06-1991 Oleta Adams – Get Here – 01-1991 Marc Almond – Jacky – 10-1991 Rick Astley – Cry For Help – 01-1991 Bananarama – Preacher Man – 01-1991 The Bee Gees – Secret Love – 03-1991 Michael Bolton – When A Man Loves A Woman – 11-1991 Cher – The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss) – 04-1991 Alice Cooper – Hey Stoopid – 07-1991 Deacon Blue – Twist And Shout – 08-1991 Jason Donovan – Any Dream Will Do – 06-1991 Guns N’ Roses – You Could Be Mine – 07-1991 Michael Jackson – Black Or White – 11-1911 James – Sit Down – 04-1991 Lenny Kravitz – It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over – 06-1991 Kirsty MacColl – Walking Down Madison – 06-1991 Madonna – Crazy For You – 03-1991 Brian May – Driven By You – 12-1991 Metallica – Enter Sandman – 08-1991 George Michael & Elton John – Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me – 12-1991 Bette Midler – From A Distance – 06-1991 Dannii Minogue – Jump To The Beat – 07-1991 Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit – 12-1991 Alexander O’Neal – All True Man – 01-1991 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Pandora’s Box – 07-1991 Queen – The Show Must Go On – 11-1991 Chris Rea – Auberge – 03-1991 R.E.M. – Shiny Happy People – 05-1991 Diana Ross – When You Tell Me That You Love Me – 12-1991 Roxette – Joyride – 03-1991 Salt-N-Pepa – Let’s Talk About Sex – 09-1991 Seal – Killer (EP) – 11-1991 Simply Red – Something Got Me Started – 09-1991 Slade – Radio Wall Of Sound – 10-1991 Soft Cell featuring Marc Almond – Tainted Love – 05-1991 Sonia – Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy – 09-1991 Lisa Stansfield – Change – 10-1991 Rod Stewart – Motown Song – 06-1991 Tina Turner – Way Of The World – 11-1991 Midge Ure – Cold Cold Heart – 08-1991 U2 – Mysterious Ways – 12-1991 Paul Young – Don’t Dream (It’s Over) – 11-1991
The 80s was a busy decade and saw me going from a single journey away from the UK (to Brittany in 1978) to four wonderful trips to Greek Islands, the first being Rhodes in 1985. The second of these (Crete, May ’86) included an off-the-cuff proposed and a mere 6-months later, I married my wonderful hubby, Bri, and we honeymooned in Corfu. A year later saw our second trip to Crete, and we came back with our first addition to the family, a beautiful, bouncing son whose arrival in July meant we didn’t get away during 1988. After a short week in Yorkshire a year later, our daughter burst into the world on November 30th 1989, with merely a month to go before the new decade.
1990 – Returning to work after maternity leave was harder this time, but I found a childminder who was a national treasure (Auntie Anne) and she brought up our first two way better than I could ever hope to. May/June Tremorel, Brittany (a gite most memorable for the full-sized pool table which dwarfed Chris) + Limousin in the Massif-Central – land-locked, lake-district with oppressive humidity. September Dunoon, Scotland
1991 – Ambitious or what? A 3-week, 3-centre holiday took us to Tremorel (Brittany), Biarritz (Pyrenees) & Loire. Then in October, back to the Loire.
1992 – La Grange, Royan with a small pool heated by solar panels – way ahead of its time. Then in September, back to the Loire (again – we loved that river and its environs!)
1993 – 16th May our second daughter gave up the week-long struggle and finally emerged into the light – a massive 9lb 9oz and on the 90th percentile for height. She was only 3.5 months old when we took a 2 week holiday (Lorgues, Var) which ended up in Eurodisney where Chris blended with the cowboys, Jo got a beautiful Belle ballgown and Tigger made a big fuss of Stephie.
1994 – Flayosc, Var (pool) + Disneyland, Paris
Steph took her first steps amid the vine-covered courtyard where we shared many a happy candle-lit barbeque. And Brian made the second of his daily pan-run journeys into town, accompanied by Garth Brooks’ “Sail My Vessel.” Wonderful stuff. More fond memories of Jo singing “Little Town,” “A Whole New World” and her signature tune “Part of Your World.” Most of which we have on DVDs which I torture her with on a regular basis.
1995 – Flayosc, Var (pool) + Disneyland, Paris. Yep, a total repeat of the previous year’s holiday. Except this time, the fridge in the room had been switched off and turned around. Also, some rotten thief stole the camcorder (and Steph’s nappy bag including my purse) on the second day so we have no video footage. Plenty of pix, though.
1996 – Moraira (with views of Calpe), Spain
Our first taste of the Costa Blanca, this beautiful market town is almost midway between Valencia (to the North) and Alicante (South) . First time we went, the place was very much an upmarket resort-in-the-making, including a spit-and-sawdust funfair. We were absolutely smitten with the Crazy Frog – the funkiest ride ever which went forwards, backwards, spun, undulated and even hopped. Not for the weak-stomached.
1997 – (Vidiago) Llanes, N.Spain
The coast of North Spain is nothing like as crowded and Brit-centric as the Eastern coast – chalk and cheese spring to mind. It’s way closer to Brittany, with a similar climate, lush green vegetation and glorious beaches. We discovered the Beach of Caves (Playa Cuevas del Mar), and it drew us back to the area several times.
1998 – Marans, La Rochelle (pool) + Disneyland
A wonderful holiday, the highlights of which included Bri reprising his Indiana Jones role piloting a punt and a motor boat through Green Venice. The glossy sheen had definitely worn off Disneyland, with everything a tad care-worn, cheaper and less generous than the previous two visits. The fridge had disappeared completely from the room in the cowboy hotel, portion sizes seemed smaller and worst of all, they were no longer showing the Beauty and the Beast show in the main theatre (Videopolis) in Fantasyland.
1999 – Camango, N.Spain + Moraira (Norte Mer), Spain
Another ambitious one with a week exploring the mountains and after a two-day drive via Madrid, a week in the sun, including a trip to nearby Benidorm for a ride on a submarine.
The start of the decade saw me with two kids under 18-months, which meant I didn’t have the same opportunities to listen to music. Suddenly all the cool music from the previous two decades got booted out by tuneless techno-drivel and repetitive hip-hop with lyrics which could have been written by five-year-olds. And it just got worse as the decade played out.
1. Heart – All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You – 04-1990 2. Alannah Myles – Black Velvet – 04-1990 3. Roxette – It Must Have Been Love – 06-1990 4. Berlin – Take My Breath Away – 10-1990 5. Tina Turner – Steamy Windows – 02-1990 6. Aerosmith – Dude (Looks Like A Lady) – 03-1990 7. The Beautiful South – A Little Time – 10-1990 8. Del Amitri – Nothing Ever Happens – 01-1990 9. The Farm – All Together Now – 12-1990 10. Jon Bon Jovi – Blaze Of Glory – 08-1990 11. Go West – King Of Wishful Thinking – 08-1990 12. The B-52s – Love Shack – 03-1990 13. Kylie Minogue – Better The Devil You Know – 05-1990
And a few which deserve an honorary mention: Luciano Pavarotti – Nessun Dorma – 06-1990 Sting – Englishman In New York – 08-1990 Seal – Crazy – 12-1990 AC/DC – Thunderstruck – 09-1990 Chris Rea – Tell Me There’s A Heaven – 02-1990 A-ha – Crying In The Rain – 10-1990 Cliff Richard – Saviour’s Day – 12-1990 Betty Boo – Doin’ The Do – 06-1990 Belinda Carlisle – (We Want) The Same Thing – 10-1990 Cher – Just Like Jesse James – 02-1990 Natalie Cole – Wild Women Do – 04-1990 Deacon Blue – Queen Of The New Year – 01-1990 Deee-Lite – Groove Is In The Heart / What Is Love – 09-1990 Bruce Dickinson – Tattooed Millionaire – 05-1990 Jason Donovan – Rhythm Of The Rain – 09-1990 EMF – Unbelievable – 11-1990 Erasure – Blue Savannah – 03-1990 The Hothouse Flowers – Give It Up – 05-1990 Whitney Houston – I’m Your Baby Tonight – 10-1990 Iron Maiden – Bring Your Daughter… To The Slaughter – 12-1990 Chris Isaak – Wicked Game – 12-1990 Janet Jackson – Black Cat – 09-1990 Londonbeat – I’ve Been Thinking About You – 09-1990 Madonna – Vogue – 04-1990 MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This – 06-1990 George Michael – Praying For Time – 08-1990 Kylie Minogue – Step Back In Time – 11-1990 New Kids On The Block – I’ll Be Loving You (Forever) – 03-1990 Sinead O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U – 01-1990 Robert Palmer & UB40 – I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight – 11-1990 The Proclaimers – King Of The Road (EP) – 11-1990 Cliff RIchard – From A Distance – 10-1990 Jimmy Somerville – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) – 01-1990 Lisa Stansfield – What Did I Do To You (EP) – 05-1990 Status Quo – The Anniversary Waltz – Part One – 09-1990 David A. Stewart featuring Candy Dulfer – Lily Was Here – 03-1990 Rod Stewart & Tina Turner – It Takes Two – 11-1990 Paul Young – Softly Whispering I Love You – 05-1990
Who doesn’t love a Marvel Movie? My absolute favourites are the Guardians of the Galaxy, but the Thor movies are second fave. I’ve always been keen on Norse Mythology, so it was great fun for me to dive into a bunch of the stories, especially the ones involving Loki. Such an awesome character, and the parallels between his mischief and what Isaac got up to made for some great storylines. This should give a clue:
They say three’s a crowd. And Isaac doesn’t like crowds.
He likes his cousin Lizzie even less. So the day she invites herself to stay and he gains a third woman sharing his life, he’s not a happy bunny.
Based on bitter childhood memories, he imagines she’ll pick up her cruel torment where she left off. He’s not wrong. And there’s no safety in numbers as all his housemates are fair game for her particular brand of torture. Even work holds none of its normal refuge as his boss sics a Rottweiler on him to scrutinise his every move.
2022 wanes, diminishing his opportunities to use the Time Machine for his grand plan. The trouble is, it requires a level of cooperation from certain individuals. And Isaac doesn’t do people.
If you like The Big Bang Theory, you’ll see a lot of Sheldon in Isaac – and fans of Marvel’s Thor movies (especially Loki) will appreciate some Norse myths which haven’t yet made the cut.
Fifth in the Time Doctors series, this fun-filled romp could be read as a stand-alone, but readers will have massive spoilers in going back to read the previous stories. What can I say? Pretty inevitable in a serialised story.
Anyway, you can pick up your copy of Turn Back Time by clicking the link – a steal at £2.99/$3.49 or read for free on Kindle Unlimited. Continue the fun adventures of a bunch of 30-something geeks as they explore their familys’ pasts with the aid of a temperamental time capsule in the attic.
Unemployment in England in the 80s had reached record-breaking numbers, the highest it’s ever seen since The Great Depression. It caused mass hysteria, riots, rebellion against manufacturing plant shutdowns and protests. Much of these numbers were caused by the government’s monetarist policies to tackle inflation. Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher also cut benefits to state workers in half. Despite her being the least popular prime minister, she remained in office for 18 years. The highest unemployment rate exceeded 3 million in 1984, reaching almost 12%. It didn’t come down until the economic boom during the mid 1980s, dropping below 2 million in early 1989 and reached 1.6 million at 7% by the end of the year.
1980
Capture of “The Yorkshire Ripper”
The “Yorkshire Ripper” was identified as Peter William Coonan, who was a serial killer of 13 women and attempted to murder seven others between 1975 and 1980. He was found guilty on May 22nd, 1980, being sentenced to 20 concurrent sentences of life imprisonment, which converted to a whole life order in 2019. All of his murders took place in West Yorkshire and some in Manchester.
Death of John Lennon
On the evening of December 8th, 1980, John Lennon of The Beatles was shot dead in the archway of The Dakota in his New York City apartment. His killer, Mark David Chapman, was an American Beatles fan who travelled from Hawaii but was angered by his lifestyle and public statements. His statement regarding the Beatles being “more popular than Jesus” was what really got to him as well as the lyrics of his later songs “God” and “Imagine”. Chapman said he was also inspired by the fictional character Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye. Chapman had also planned the killing for several months, waiting for Lennon at the Dakota since the morning of December 8th. He even met John Lennon who signed his copy of the album Double Fantasy. After coming back from a recording session with his wife, Yoko Ono, Chapman fired five hollow-point bullets from his .38 revolver, four of which hit John in the back. After being rushed to the Roosevelt Hospital in a police car, he was dead upon arrival at age 40. Thousands of music fans later held a 10-minute vigil in Liverpool in his memory.
1. Alice Cooper – Poison – 08-1989
2. Chris Rea – The Road To Hell (Part 2) – 10-1989
3. Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine – 06-1989
4. Mike & The Mechanics – The Living Years – 01-1989
5. Cher – If I Could Turn Back Time – 10-1989
6. Queen – The Miracle
7. Tina Turner – The Best – 09-1989
8. Billy Joel – We Didn’t Start The Fire – 10-1989
9. Chaka Khan – I’m Every Woman – 05-1989
10. Texas – I Don’t Want A Lover – 02-1989
11. Bette Midler – Wind Beneath My Wings – 07-1989
12. Lisa Stansfield – All Around The World – 10-1989
13. Tears For Fears – Sowing The Seeds Of Love – 09-1989
And the ones bubbling under Aerosmith – Love In An Elevator – 09-1989 Stevie Nicks – Rooms On Fire – 05-1989 Kate Bush – This Woman’s Work – 12-1989 Queen – The Miracle – 12-1989 Richard Marx – Right Here Waiting – 09-1989 The Bangles – Eternal Flame – 03-1989 Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning – 04-1989 Roxette – The Look – 05-1989 Tom Petty – I Won’t Back Down – 06-1989 Deacon Blue – Fergus Sings The Blues – 05-1989 Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy – 01-1989 Def Leppard – Rocket – 02-1989 Guns N’ Roses – Patience – 07-1989 Deborah Harry – I Want That Man – 10-1989 Bon Jovi – Lay Your Hands On Me – 09-1989 Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine – Rhythm Is Gonna Get You – 01-1989 Phil Collins – Another Day In Paradise – 11-1989 INXS – Mystify – 04-1989 Iron Maiden – Infinite Dreams (Live) – 11-1989 Belinda Carlisle – Leave A Light On – 10-1989 The Beautiful South – You Keep It All In – 09-1989 Kirsty MacColl – Days – 07-1989 Black Box – Ride On Time – 08-1989 Boy Meets Girl – Waiting For A Star To Fall – 01-1989 Cyndi Lauper – I Drove All Night – 06-1989 Michael Jackson – Leave Me Alone – 02-1989
The 1980s was truly an innovative time, dominated as it was by music, fashion and more than anything, gadgets. A lot of important technology, most of which is either still in use today or lay the foundation for things we couldn’t live without. Smartphones, tablets and streaming services being a few. we use now. Without the creation of the Graphical User Interface in 1984, where would personal computing be today? And the world’s most popular operating system, Microsoft Windows, entered the market in 1985. The invention of the first camcorder in 1983 changed how people create and even consume media. Some of these were relatively short lived, quickly superseded by smaller, faster, more portable developments. I’m sure to have missed a few – if you spot something, let me know via a comment.
MTV, 1981
MTV went on the air for the first time on Aug. 1, 1981, with the words: “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” The first music video to air on the new television station was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles.
The Columbia space shuttle 1981
Following the successful lunar missions in the late 60s and early 70s, the great minds at NASA decided to utilize their resources to create a new type of vehicle that could travel into space and return home safely. Launched in 1981, the Space Shuttle was far more than just a transportation vehicle; it could become an orbiting laboratory allowing astronauts and researchers to conduct a host of experiments with the aim of better understanding our universe. Even more so, the space shuttle has helped transport important maintaining equipment in space.
Stealth Planes 1981
Stealth technology would go on to change warfare. Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Co. performed a test flight of the world’s first radar-resistant aircraft, the F-117 Nighthawk, in 1981. Even though the plane was delivered to the United States Air Force in 1982, the plane was kept secret until 1988.
Camcorder, 1982 Prior to the invention of the camcorder, a bulky camera with heavy equipment was used (most usually for recording news) along with a separate sound recorder. Because both devices were bulky/heavy, it meant video recording was a two person job. The invention of this device combined the recoding and voice functions in a camera, eliminating the cable between them and increasing the recording freedom. In 1982, Sony released its Betamax camera for the use of news organizations. Only a year later, the company refined the Betamax and released it for the consumer market, where it quickly picked up in popularity. However, the competition between Betamax and VHS continued to boil and by 1985, Panasonic released a VHS camcorder and people began favouring this format over the Betamax.
Compact Disc player 1982
Though the Walkman (released in 1979) was the ultimate 80s symbol, cassettes degraded in quality over time. Sony and Phillips created an answer to this, the compact disc. The tremendous impact of the CD can not be overstated – it almost completely killed both the cassette and vinyl markets. Even more so, it also shifted the emerging computer industry. By the late 90s, the CD took over the markets. Sony released the world’s first commercial CD player, the CDP-101 which sold for around £540 (nearly £2,000 today), while CDs themselves cost around £12 each (£40 today). CD players were viewed as products for the wealthy, but as they slowly became more mainstream, prices dropped.
Mobile Phone, 1983
In the UK, The first mobile phone service was a car radio phone system that started in Manchester in 1959 by the GPO12. The first mobile phone sold in the UK was the Vodafone VM1, a Panasonic in-car handset that cost £1,200 and weighed nearly 5kg34. The first mobile phone that ordinary consumers could buy and use was the Motorola DynaTac 8000X, also known as The Brick, that launched in 1983 and cost around £2,5005. It had the dimensions of 300 x 44 x 89mm and weighed about 785g. It had an LED display and allowed an hour of talk time. Across the pond, although portable phone using radio links to make and receive calls were available in the late 70s, research was hampered because the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) placed restrictions on the allocation of frequencies. AT&T introduced the ideas of a cellular system, and with this new approach, it became easier to research and invent the mobile phone.
Apple Mackintosh, 1984
It’s predecessor, the Apple Lisa, released in 1983 was hailed by BYTE magazine as “the most important development in computers in the last five years, easily outpacing the IBM PC.” The Macintosh was introduced by a US$1.5 million Ridley Scott television commercial, “1984” which aired during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984, and is now considered a masterpiece more successful than the Mac itself. Again, BYTE quoted that the Macintosh attracted people who previously hated computers, saying there is, apparently, something about mice and pull-down menus and icons that appeal to people previously intimidated by DOS-based operating systems.
DNA Fingerprinting 1984
British geneticist Alec Jeffreys was studying hereditary family diseases, trying to trace genetic markers, when he accidentally discovered that every person has a unique DNA profile. The unique genetic profiles are derived from the profiles of one’s parents, which means that lineage can be traced back through generations with DNA testing. He successfully tested his discoveries when two murders occurred near the university. The new method worked to exonerate a suspect and convict a guilty one. Alec Jeffreys was knighted for his invention that changed the face of science forever. The world of forensic science owes its development to DNA fingerprinting.
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) 1985
Although available in Japan from 1983, this console suffered from a glut in the market (and the rise of PCs) so its release in the US in 1985 (partnered with Atari) tanked. The United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Australia and New Zealand all received the system in 1987, where it was distributed exclusively by Mattel. In Europe, the NES received a less enthusiastic response than it had elsewhere, and Nintendo lagged in market and retail penetration, though the console was more successful later.
Windows operating system 1985
Since its initial launch, Microsoft has released 10 major versions of the operating system. While Windows today looks a lot different than it did decades ago, it was the 1980s when it really got its start. Windows 1, spearheaded by Bill Gates, was an iconic moment in the tech industry because the new system relied heavily on the use of a mouse to input information, while other systems typically used keyboards.
CD-ROM, 1985
The first laser disc, an analogue storage device invented in 1978, developed into the Compact Disc read-only memory (CD-ROM). This pre-pressed compact disc contains data which can be accessed but not written onto. It was released with the intention of feeding it with music, but later it was made into a form by which any binary data could be stored in it. It was used to transfer games and other computer software. Ccertain CD types which hold only audio, while others can store audio, as well as data. The data CDs can be played only on computers, whereas the audio can be played on CD players as well.
Disposable Camera, 1986
Fujifilm’s Utsurun-Desu took the world by storm, with photography companies like Kodak, Canon, and Nikon quickly flooding the market and suddenly, instead of an expensive hobby, disposable cameras were ideal for kids to record the world around them, being cheap, easy to use and readily available.
Nintendo Game Boy 1989
This personal gaming device meant users could play different games by switching out the cartridges. The Gameboy was originally only released in Japan, but months after much success, it was available in the U.S. and Europe with games such as Super Mario Land and Tetris.
Other inventions, particularly in the field of medicine, included:
MS-DOS 1981
Scanning tunneling microscope 1981
Artificial Human Heart 1982
Human growth hormone 1982
Synthetic skin 1986
Hepatitis B Vaccine (DNA recombinant), 1986
Prozac 1987
Disposable Soft Contact Lenses, 1987
First 3-D video game1987
The RU-486 (abortion pill) 1988
Doppler radar 1988
Indiglo nightlight 1988
High-definition television 1989
1. Robbie Robertson – Somewhere Down The Crazy River – 08-1988
2. Deacon Blue – Dignity – 02-1988
3. Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine – 09-1988
4. INXS – Never Tear Us Apart – 07-1988
5. The Bangles – Hazy Shade Of Winter – 02-1988
6. All About Eve – Martha’s Harbour – 08-1988
7. The Commodores – Easy – 09-1988
8. Robert Palmer – She Makes My Day – 10-1988
9. The Christians – Harvest For The World – 10-1988
10. Whitesnake – Give Me All Your Love – 02-1988
11. George Michael – Kissing A Fool – 12-1988
12. Michael Jackson – Dirty Diana – 07-1988
13. Patrick Swayze featuring Wendy Fraser – She’s Like The Wind – 04-1988
And the ones that got away: The Hothouse Flowers – Don’t Go – 05-1988 Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine – 09-1988 Def Leppard – Armageddon It – 04-1988 Iron Maiden – Can I Play With Madness – 03-1988 Glenn Medeiros – Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You – 06-1988 Climie Fisher – Love Changes (Everything) – 03-1988 Whitney Houston – One Moment In Time – 09-1988 Danny Wilson – Mary’s Prayer – 04-1988 Womack & Womack – Teradrops – 08-1988 Freiheit – Keeping The Dream Alive – 12-1988 Everything But The Girl – I Don’t Want To Talk About It – 07-1988 Tnita Tikaram – Twist In My Sobriety – 11-1988 Fairground Attraction – Perfect – 04-1988 U2 – Angel Of Harlem – 12-1988 Kylie Minogue – I Should Be So Lucky – 02-1988 Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight – 06-1988 Enya – Orinoco Flow – 10-1988 The Travelling Wilburys – Handle With Care – 11-1988 Cher – I Found Someone – 01-1988 Billy Idol – Hot In The City – 01-1988 New Order – Blue Monday 1988 – 05-1988 Art Of Noise featuring Tom Jones – Kiss – 10-1988 Belinda Carlisle – Circle In The Sand – 05-1988 The Christians – Ideal World – 02-1988 Deacon Blue – Real Gone Kid – 10-1988 Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal – 11-1988 Phil Collins – Groovy Kind Of Love – 09-1988 Rick Astley – Together Forever – 02-1988 Scritti Politti – Oh Patti (Don’t Feel Sorry For Loverboy) – 05-1988 S-Express – Theme From S-Express – 04-1988 Pet Shop Boys – Left To My Own Devices – 11-1988 Prefab Sprout – The King Of Rock ‘N’ Roll – 05-1988 Aztec Camera – How Men Are – 03-1988 Bananarama – Nathan Jones – 11-1988 Bros – When Will I Be Famous – 02-1988 Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is A Place On Earth – 02-1988 Tracey Chapman – Fast Car – 06-1988 Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance – 12-1988 Bobby McFerrin – Don’t Worry, Be Happy – 10-1988 Tnita Tikaram – Good Tradition – 08-1988 Belinda Carlisle – I Get Weak – 03-1988 Yazz & Plastic Population – The Only Way is Up – 08-1988 Vanessa Paradis – Joe Le Taxi – 02-1988 Pet Shop Boys – Domino Dancing – 09-1988
’80s fashion was bold, bright and decadent. And that was just the men! In many ways, the 1980s were like any other decade, they just contained a little bit more of everything. Although the 60s and 70s had brough bright primaries and psychedelic combinations, the 80s had to up the ante with day-glo pink, orange and red (all in close proximity), and for me the stand-out colour: lime green – the neon version, of course. Fluorescent (aka neon) colours took over the decade, not just restricted to fashion, hair dyes and advertising. Here’s a top-to-toe of some of the 80s classic men’s fashion choices.
Crowning Glory – the Mullet
Every bit as important as the gear was the hairstyle. 80s were synonymous with big hair – back-combed to within an inch of life and kept in place with gel and mousse. The subject of much ridicule, nothing shouts 80s more than the mighty mullet. Popular among jocks, movie stars and everyone in between, it consists of hair that’s short in the front and on the sides, and then long in the back. Also popular were heavy metal perms, spiky mohawks, slicked-back ‘dos, buzzcuts, and casual side parts.
Highlights and a Pierced Ear
Ear piercings and highlights were to 1980s what tattoos are today. Whereas some guys had indulged in the 70s, it was mostly hippies and more often than not a single ear. Punk in the late 70s had people piercing all manner of body parts, and all of a sudden a discrete stud in the ear was okay for even the most conservative of guys. And the likes of George Michael paved the way for blonde highlights as lads attempted to emulate this bronzed Adonis.
Shirts: Oversized Printed/Hawaiian
With loud patterns and bright colours, the oversized printed shirt was NEVER tucked in, and often worn unbuttoned over a figure-hugging sports vest. The more garish the better – the tropical designs turned it into a full on Hawaiian, as popularised by Tom Sellick in Magnum PI. Frequently teamed with a curly-perm and moustache.
Slogan and Logo T-shirts
Logo t-shirts were definitely nothing new in ’80s men’s fashion, but the decade saw merchandising and sloganeering go to extremes, as brands and logos all but took over the nearest apparel store or gift shop. Certain (cheeky) slogans made your attitude/affiliations perfectly clear and rock band shirts advertised your musical tastes for all to see.
Baggy Jumpers At least 2 sizes too big, with the sleeve seam so far off the shoulder it nearly reached the elbow, the baggy jumper usually featured loud, contrasting colours and bold patterns, although not as loud as the women’s, whose sweaters often featured puffed sleeves or my personal favourite, the batwing sleeve.
Jackets: Bomber, Letterman or Leather
Even before Top Gun in 1986, leather bomber jackets were popular, as were their close cousin the letterman (or varsity) jackets, brought over here from the US via movies like the Breakfast Club, Teen Wolf, and the ground-breaking Thriller video from Michael Jackson. You weren’t officially an ’80s bad boy if you didn’t have at least one leather jacket, if not a closet full of them. Continuing a trend set forth by previous decades, the popular item was worn by bikers, punks, heavy metal rock gods, and pretty much anyone with a sense of fashion.
Double Denim
Started in the 70s with Status Quo being the poster boys, this scandalous pairing of blue jeans and denim jacket (and/or shirt) trended throughout the decade.
Tracksuits/Shell suits
It was definitely hip to be hoppin’ in any kind of sports gear, and the heavily branded, conservatively-coloured gym gear popularised by the coolest of hip-hop acts evolved into the most disastrous colour combinations (lime green and purple or pink was de-rigeur) in shiny, crumpled lightweight materials.
Power Suits No list of ’80s men’s fashion trends is complete without the power suit – the choice suit for powerful businessmen or those who sought to become such, as popularised by Gordon Gekko in Wall Street. Power suits will only die when mob-films stop being made i.e. never. As much a uniform as it was a style statement, the most common examples delivered sharp cuts and wide shoulder pads, worn with brightly-coloured braces (known as suspenders across the pond). Designers like Armani Versace employed bolder colours and lighter fabrics than his predecessors. Shoes: Sporty, high-top sneakers Air Jordans struck a balance between fashion and function while paving the way for an industry-wide trend. Originally available as high tops, these more than must-have footwear, also turned Nike into the global behemoth it is today. Notable mentions go to the Converse Chuck Taylor and Adidas Tennis shoes such as the Stan Smith, Superstar, or Spezial.
1. Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes – (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life – 11-1987 2. Heart – Alone – 07-1987 3. Gary Moore – Over The Hills And Far Away – 01-1987 4. Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballe – Barcelona – 11-1987 5. Kiss – Crazy Crazy Nights – 10-1987 6. Level 42 – Running In The Family – 02-1987 7. Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar On Me – 09-1987 8. Europe – Carrie – 05-1987 9. John Farnham – You’re The Voice – 05-1987 10. Black – Sweetest Smile – 07-1987 11. Randy Crawford – Almaz – 01-1987 12. Chris Rea – Let’s Dance – 06-1987 13. Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) – 05-1987
Here’s the first lot of bubbling unders – more to come. The Bee Gees – You Win Again – 10-1987 George Michael & Aretha Franklin – I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) Bon Jovi – Wanted Dead Or Alive – 04-1987 Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is A Place On Earth – 12-1987 The Christians – Ideal World – 12-1987 Crowded House – Don’t Dream It’s Over – 06-1987 Fleetwood Mac – Little Lies – 10-1987 The Gap Band – Oops Upside Your Head – 07-1987 Terence Trent D’Arby – If You Let Me Stay – 03-1987
And here’s the rest: A-ha – The Living Daylights – 07-1987 Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up – 08-1987 Bananarama – Love In The First Degree – 10-1987 The Bangles – Walking Down Your Street – 01-1987 Black – Wonderful Life – 08-1987 The Blow Monkeys – It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way – 02-1987 The Christians – Forgotten Town – 02-1987 Eric Clapton – Behind The Mask – 02-1987 The Communards – You Are My World – 02-1987 Michael Crawford & Sarah Brightman – The Music Of The Night – 02-1987 Curiosity Killed The Cat – Down To Earth – 01-1987 Terence Trent D’Arby – Wishing Well – 06-1987 Def Leppard – Animal – 08-1987 Fleetwood Mac – Big Love – 04-1987 Peter Gabriel – Big Time – 03-1987 Jan Hammer – Crockett’s Theme – 09-1987 George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You – 10-1987 The Hooters – Satellite – 12-1987 Whitney Houston – Didn’t We Almost Have It All – 08-1987 Hue & Cry – Labour Of Love – 07-1987 Billy Idol – Mony Mony – 10-1987 Janet Jackson – Let’s Wait Awhile – 03-1987 Michael Jackson – Bad – 09-1987 Johnny Hates Jazz – Shattered Dreams – 05-1987 Tom Jones – A Boy From Nowhere – 04-1987 Kenny G – Songbird – 07-1987 Kiss – Reason To Live – 12-1987 Level 42 – To Be With You Again – 05-1987 Living In A Box – Living In A Box – 04-1987 Los Lobos – La Bamba – 07-1987 Madonna – La Isla Bonita – 04-1987 Madonna – Who’s That Girl – 07-1987 Marillion – Incommunicado – 05-1987 Mel & Kim – Respectable – 03-1987 Mental As Anything – Live It Up – 02-1987 Freddie Mercury – The Great Pretender – 03-1987 George Michael – Faith – 10-1987 Mötley Crüe – Girls Girls Girls – 08-1987 Alison Moyet – Weak In The Presence Of Beauty – 03-1987 Alison Moyet – Love Letters – 12-1987 New Order – True Faith – 08-1987 Robbie Nevil – C’est La Vie – 01-1987 Alexander O’Neal – Criticize – 11-1987 Pet Shop Boys – It’s A Sin – 06-1987 Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield – What Have I Done To Deserve This – 08-1987 The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl – Fairytale Of New York – 12-1987 Iggy Pop – Real Wild Child (Wild One) – 01-1987 Prince – Sign ‘O’ The Times – 03-1987 Prince – U Got The Look – 08-1987 The Proclaimers – Letter From America – 11-1987 Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram – Somewhere Out There – 08-1987 Labi Siffre – (Something Inside) So Strong – 04-1987 Carly Simon – Coming Around Again – 02-1987 Nina Simone – My Baby Just Cares For Me – 11-1987 Simple Minds – Promised You A Miracle (Live) – 06-1987 Simply Red – Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye – 12-1987 Siouxsie & The Banshees – This Wheel’s On Fire – 01-1987 Bruce Springsteen – Brilliant Disguise – 10-1987 Squeeze – Hourglass – 09-1987 Starship – Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now – 04-1987 The Style Council – Wanted – 11-1987 Swing Out Sister – Surrender – 01-1987 T’Pau – Heart And Soul – 08-1987 T’Pau – China In Your Hand – 10-1987 UB40 – Rat In My Kitchen – 01-1987 U2 – With Or Without You – 03-1987 U2 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – 06-1987 U2 – Where The Streets Have No Names – 09-1987 Luther Vandross – I Really Didn’t Mean It – 07-1987 Suzanne Vega – Luka – 06-1987 Was (Not Was) – Walk The Dinosaur – 10-1987 Wax – Bridge To Your Heart – 08-1987 Wet Wet Wet – Wishing I Was Lucky – 05-1987 Wet Wet Wet – Sweet Little Mystery – 08-1987 Whitesnake – Still Of The Night – 04-1987 Whitesnake – Is This Love – 06-1987 Whitesnake – Here I Go Again – 11-1987 Bruce Willis – Respect Yourself – 03-1987 Bruce Willis – Under The Boardwalk – 06-1987 Steve Winwood – Valerie – 10-1987
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