I got a question for those who lived in the 1970s through the 1980s.?

Question

It seems like in the early 80s', times drastically changed from the 70s like the style, music, and movies a lot differently than expected. Sorry if you don't understand my question but I guess what I'm trying to ask is, how and when did the 70s evolved into the 80s? Another question too, what decade did you like better?

Answer 1

The 1970's were my teen to early 20's and in those years was, of course, the Vietnam War and the US pulled the troops out. New things were blow-dryers or hot combs, pantyhose, Velcro. Life was simple to me during this time, not a big demand to look pretty or cool, you could just be yourself. The middle '70's, and those who lived then will well remember, was a Hugh Jesus Movement and alot of people became Christians during that time. The "pop"ular music reflected it, it was "cool" to go to church, crusades, and to be a Christian. Children and teens might not have agreed with their parents and other adults, but they still showed respect for the elderly or those in authority. Parents did not hand everything to their children, most of us had jobs at an early age and if we wanted something, then we saved our money and bought it ourselves.
The movement began to die out in the "80's when the "ME generation" came about. That is when people became selfish and absorbed only in satisfying their own wants and needs. Around 1980 or 81 came the scare of AIDS, unheard of before that time. AIDS was new and unknown, no cure, deadly and scared people into behaving differently. Cable TV, MTV, microwave ovens, answering machines, beepers all contributed to a change in our life style and the way we lived. Bad language and violent or sexual scenes on TV became more accepted and morals began to decline. Libya was the big scare during that time--a lot of people thought Libya would attack the US. The books "The Late Great Planet Earth" and then "Countdown to Armageddon" made people think about the end of times and a possible WW III.

Answer 2

You're right; I don't understand your question. The 70s evolved into the 80s just like the 20s to the 30s or the 40s to the 50s. Change happens and time goes on. I did not notice any drastic change during the time you mention. I preferred the 70s, because I was younger, but other than that I didn't notice much difference.

Answer 3

The 70s and the 80s were really no different from any other time period you care to mention. It is possible to trace changes in style, music and movies (i.e. popular culture) as you move through any recent time period. The decades are really just a convenient way for historians to categorise chunks of time - those of us who lived through it were aware of constant change, rather than a sudden change between 1979 and 1980.

The 70s were dominated by the super rock groups that had started to form in the late 60s and which, in the 80s had begun to be seen as "dinosaurs". I'm talking about bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Yes, Genesis (in their original form), etc.

The 80s saw a reaction against these in the formation of punk bands and the rise of The Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, The Clash, etc.

There had always been a rock v dance break in the music. Disco gradually became more influenced by funk and jazz rock, but it really didn't change as radically as rock during this period. Soul also went through various fashions (anyone remember "Northern Soul") but also remained largely unchanged.

As regards which was the best decade. Although I loved punk, I couldn't see why everyone had to like punk but hate the old rock bands, when I liked both. So, I enjoyed the 70s rather more when there was still a bit of a hangover from the hippy days of the 60s and no-one yet knew what a "Yuppie" was.

Answer 4

The type of music did change going into the 1980s and I believe it was motivated in part by a backlash against disco. Suddenly, disco wasn't cool anymore so the music started taking on a harder edge. That's why groups like The Clash, Blondie, The Pretenders, and The Police became popular. Another thing that changed music was the beginning of MTV. MTV didn't have much of an impact on my life since my musical tastes had already been formed but for those who were younger, they now got to see the artists as well as hear them. I don't think this was necessarily a good thing because for a long time afterwards, how people looked in music videos became more important than their talent.

As for which decade I liked better, I would say the 1970s because it was more of a formative time for me. I was already in my 20s when the 1980s started so many of the music trends and fashions were lost on me. I started becoming like my parents in how I no longer liked what younger people wore nor did I really enjoy their music.

Answer 5

The 70's were scary to me. Lots of tension around. The 80's were like a free-4-all, the economy was good, commercialization really took off, people were making money and spending it just as fast. Sex was out of control, lol, and people were not afraid to talk about it anymore. The big change in music that sticks in my mind, is the encouragement to "get some" whenever and wherever you could. "Sex, drugs, and rock and roll" could have been about the 80's more than any other decade, I suppose. Everything just seemed to explode in scale in the 80's. Probably like "The Roaring Twenties."

Answer 6

Usually music and fashion dictate the changes from one decade to another, otherwise life, in general, is pretty much the same...paying bills, struggles with love and family, happy moments and events as well as sad ones, deaths of loved ones...it's the rolling of the circle of life.

As far as fashion and music of those decades, I liked them all at the time, now I don't. I can say with certainty though that the movies in the 70's were the worst ever made.

Answer 7

The rapid spin away society took from the end of the Vietnam War fueled the excesses of drug use, crime, and the onset of the Islamic movement first fomented in Iran. Double digit inflation ruined the US economy, a lackluster liberal Democrat President Carter did nothing substantial to end the hostage crises in Iran for 444 days.

Then came Ronald Reagan...and the hostages were immediatley released on the day he took office. There were more terrorist acts, and each one was met with swift military response..one against Libya convinced Moammar Khadafy to quit his experiments with antagonizing the US. Prosperity was returned to the economy, inflation drastically reduced, and employment figures improved.

Having served with the Marines as one of the last Vietnam vets, I lived it...I'll take the 80's ! Oh, the 80's saw the death of disco ...one more reason to like thatt decade.

Answer 8

Can you explain a little more, I mean I can say the music really didn't change since they still had disco in through the eighties. Fashion changed since bell bottoms disappeared in the late 70s. Also men had shorter hair.

One thing sure hurt is that jobs were impossible to find...lol...I sure had a hard time getting one...lol....

I hope this helps a little bit.

Answer 9

I preferred the 1970's.
The reason I was younger then, than I was in the 1980's.

Answer 10

My dad told me that my uncle had a full beard at 13 and was able to buy alcohol un noticed while my dad was often mistaken for a little kid. Same with me.... I always have to have my id because everyone thinks I am a little kid. They say I look 13 or 14...... Then they think my ID is fake when I tell them I am 17...