80s Music History Essay

MTV galloped through the ’80s as a factor of musical taste, style and fashion. During the early ’80s, the network helped introduce an entire stable of new music stars. For almost the entirety of the decade of the ’80s, MTV was a force to be reckoned with, serving as the music video headquarters for the pop music world. As such, monster ’80s artists like the Police, Michael Jackson and Bon Jovi gained great exposure to audiences through their constant appearances in the MTV rotation of videos. As the network gained popularity, it began to diversify programming, introducing a stable of music-themed shows. As the decade drew to a close, MTV began a gradual move away from music programming in favor of content geared toward reality TV and celebrity/pop culture. AIDS The history of HIV and AIDS in the USA began in 1981, when the United States of America became the first country to officially recognise a strange new illness among a small number of gay men. Today, it is generally accepted that the origin of AIDS probably lies in Africa. However, the USA was the first country to bring AIDS into the public consciousness and the American reaction undoubtedly contributed to the establishment of AIDS as one of the most politicised, feared and controversial diseases in the history of modern medicine – a reputation that stands today. Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, actor and businessman. Often referred to as the â€Å"King of Pop†, or by his initials MJ,[2] Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His release of 1982 album â€Å"Thriller,† is still the best sold album of all time., See more:  The 3 Types of Satire Essay Madonna When you think about clothes in the 1980s the most popular style that comes to mind is Madonna. She wore layers of coats, skirts, and shirts, but best known for her accessories, such as hair bows and religious symbols in her jewelry, gloves, and necklaces. Although much of her success was derived from her image, many of her songs from the 80’s, such as â€Å"Holiday,† and â€Å"Lucky Star,† weaved their way into the fabric of 80s pop music turning her into a legend within her time. Prince Prince Rodgers Nelson, born June 7th, 1958, known by his stage name Prince was a pioneer of 80s glam and a champion for male heels. Valley Girls Started in the Sanfernando Valley a fluent teenage girls who ultimately defined 80s slang. Phrases that uniquely marked the 80s way of speaking such as â€Å"Barf me out,†, â€Å"gag me with a spoon,† â€Å"totally tubular,† â€Å"narly,† and â€Å"eat my shorts,†. Rubics Cube Invented by Hungarian scientist, Eron Rubic, it seemed like such a simple puzzle, yet the rubics cube mesmorized millions of people with its complexity. The rubics cube began one of the most popular toys of the 20th century and an icon of the 80s. Pac-man Arcade game developed by Namo, distributed in the US, beginning in 1980. Considered a classic in video games and is virtually synomonas in 1980s pop culture. Reguared as one of the most influential video games of all time John Lennon On December 12th, 1980 english musician and one of the founders of the Beatles, John lennon was assinated by Mark David Chapman in front of his new york apartment home. His message was one of unity, peace, and a better future for all, a message which many youth from the 1980s responded to. Berlin Wall â€Å"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!† n June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan spoke the people of West Berlin at the base of the Brandenburg Gate, near the Berlin wall. Due to the amplification system being used, the President’s words could also be heard on the Eastern (Communist-controlled) side of the wall. The address Reagan delivered that day is considered by many to have affirmed the beginning of the end of the Cold War and the fall of communism. On Nov. 9-11, 1989, the people of a free Berlin tore down that wall. The tearing of the wall represting the reuniting of Germany. Cell Phones In the early 1980’s it became more popular to have a car phone. The costs were high. A car phone could cost between $200 and $1000 dollars plus installation. The phone plans in the 1980’s were not like they are today. You could get a 30 minute plan for $49 per month. Roaming was extra and long distance was through your long distance carrier. You would receive two bills per month.In the early 1980’s the first real â€Å"bag phones† started getting popular. It would cost about $250 for a cheap one and $800 for a really good one. The battery life was limited to about 1 hour and the bags were about the size of a midsized pocket book. The plans were the same as the car phones.The first â€Å"cell phones† were really large with a long antenna. In the mid 1980’s they were about $400. There were no discounts for signing up for a 1 or 2 year plan. CD Rom Audio CDs and audio CD players have been commercially available since October 1982. standard CDs have a diameter of 120 millimetres (4.7 in) and can hold up to 80 minutes of uncompressed audio or 700 MiB (actually about 703 MiB or 737 MB) of data. The Mini CD has various diameters ranging from 60 to 80 millimetres (2.4 to 3.1 in); they are sometimes used for CD singles, storing up to 24 minutes of audio or delivering device drivers.