From Walkmans glued to every hip to shoulder pads that defied gravity, 1981 had style (and attitude) in spades. Just before the neon colors and big hair of the ’80s hit their stride, Prince was climbing the charts with a major hit, Reagan had just taken office, and MTV was about to blast into living rooms with something called a music video.
But in between the headlines and big moments, life also carried on in quiet, everyday ways. Here are 32 vintage photos from 1981 that are brimming with nostalgia.
1. ‘I Love This Picture of My Father From 1981. Back When We Still Repaired Things!’
2. Outgoing US President Jimmy Carter Sits With President-Elect Ronald Reagan En Route to Reagan’s Inauguration on Jan. 20, 1981
3. ‘My Mother and Her Friends From University in Baghdad, Iraq’
4. IBM Launches Its First Personal Computer: the IBM 5150
5. Two students From Robertson High School in New Mexico Pose for a Prom Photo
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6. Reagan During His Swearing-In Ceremony at the White House
7. Lady Diana Spencer Marries Prince Charles on July 29. An Estimated 750 Million People Worldwide Tuned in To Watch the Royal Event
8. MTV Launches Its First Music Video Featuring The Buggles’ ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ on August 1
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9. An Ad for the Sony Walkman, Advertising Music on the Go
10. ‘High School Students, 1981’
11. Chaos Erupts After President Reagan Was Shot Outside the Washington Hilton Hotel by John Hinckley Jr. on March 30
12. The First Orbital Space Shuttle Mission Sees the Columbia STS-1 Lift Off From NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on April 12
13. ‘Yearbook Photo, Long Beach High School, Class of 1981’
14. Kids at a Backyard Pool Party
15. ‘The Lower East Side, NYC, Looking Post-Apocalyptic’
16. Pope John Paul II After Being Shot and Almost Killed in Vatican City on May 13. The Pope Later Forgave the Shooter, Mehmet Ali Ağca
17. Inside a NYC Subway Car Full of Graffiti
18. The Jacksons, First Known as the Jackson 5, Pose for a Backstage Snap
19. ‘David Lee Roth Partying Backstage’
20. On the Boardwalk in Seaside Heights, New Jersey
21. Ah, the Classic Pizza Party
22. ‘Van Halen at the Forum in Los Angeles, June 20, 1981’
23. ‘Night View From Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles, 1981’
24. ‘My Mom and Dad at a High School Dance, 1981’
25. Larry Bird, Mid-Dunk, Leads the Boston Celtics to the 1981 NBA Finals, Defeating the Houston Rockets 4-2
26. Core Memories Being Made
27. ‘My Mom With My Grandpop Before a High School Dance, 1981.’ Something Tells Us Nobody Was Messing With Grandpop
28. ‘Young Teenagers Pictured Enjoying a Night Ride on the #6 Train in the South Bronx’
29. Prince After Releasing His Breakout Album ‘Controversy’
30. ‘Family Camping Trip, Upstate New York, 1981’
31. ‘At Home With Steve Jobs, 1981’
32. ‘Post-Punk Madonna, 1981’
More ’80s content:
- 15 Photos of 1980s Fashion That Oozed Wealth — Join us as we take a stroll down memory lane to revisit some of the 1980s fashion that was designed to turn heads and flash wealth.
- 10 Throwback Photos That Capture a Typical 1980s Weekend — See how families spent their downtime in the Eighties before the dawn of streaming and social media.
- 10 Scenes From the Beach That Scream 1980s Summer — Here are some nostalgic snapshots of a 1980s beach day, complete with bright swimsuits and bodies slathered in coconut oil.
