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Vinyl Is Back. Here Are Some Other 1987 Trends We Would Welcome
For the first time since 1987, vinyl records outsold CDs, so yes, we're taking you on a trip down memory lane.
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Pierre Guillaud
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AFP via Getty Images
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When we heard last week that for — the first time since 1987 — vinyl records outsold CDs in the United States, we got to wondering:
If vinyl is back, what else from that year might be fun to revisit? The pegged pant? Shoulder pads?
It's 1987 and Yves Saint Laurent is looking fabulous surrounded by models in his spring-summer 1987 haute-couture collection.
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Pierre Guillaud
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AFP via Getty Images
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Here are some highlights from the year of our Lord 1987 that could inform our modern day, for the better.
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Music
1987 was a great year for music, and we can only hope that the folks who are making vinyl sales soar are doing so by paying respect to these artists. Among the year’s legendary releases were Whitney Houston’s Whitney, The Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill, Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction, U2’s Joshua Tree, and Michael Jackson’s Bad.
Also in 1987, Def Leppard played the L.A. Sports Arena for the beginning of their Hysteria tour. Missed that show? You can make it up; the band is on a global tour this year with pals Mötley Crüe.
Def Leppard, then, circa 1985. L-R: Steve Clark, Rick Savage, Joe Elliott, Pete Willis, Rick Allen.
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Getty Images
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Hulton Archive
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Def Leppard, now. (L-R) Vivian Campbell, Phil Collen, Rick Allen, Rick Savage, and Joe Elliott
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Emma McIntyre
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Getty Images
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Film
It wasn’t a bad year for Hollywood, either. Films released in 1987 include such classics as Dirty Dancing, Lethal Weapon, Fatal Attraction, Eddie Murphy Raw, Good Morning Vietnam, Moonstruck, and Three Men and a Baby.
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Obviously, there were a lot of things that needed to change in 1980s Hollywood (and many things still do.)
But good storytelling never goes out of style — just take a look at this year’s Oscar winners.
Ke Huy Quan shows off his moves at Heathrow Airport in 1984.
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Express/Getty Images
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Hulton Archive
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Ke Huy Quan on Sunday with his Oscar.
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Angela Weiss
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AFP via Getty Images
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Sports
Led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, the Lakers took home the NBA championship against their rivals, the Boston Celtics.
Teammates help Magic Johnson #32 of the Los Angeles Lakers off the floor during an NBA game at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles in 1987. (Photo by:
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Mike Powell
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Getty Images
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Center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers takes a shot during a game against the Golden State Warriors in their 86-87 championship season.
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Rick Stewart/Allsport
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Getty Images
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As much as we’d love to bring that championship back this season, though, our boys in purple and gold have a 49% chance of making the playoffs and just a 1% chance of winning the Finals, according to FiveThirtyEight. But who are we to rule out an upset?
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Fashion
The acid wash jeans is poised for a comeback.
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bentaboe/Getty Images
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iStockphoto
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Cher in the mid-'80s
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Keystone/Getty Images
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Hulton Archive
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Acid-washed denim, shoulder pads, and enormous hair were the order of pretty much any given day in 1987. Vogue magazine also published covers featuring this police-officer-looking hat and Cindy Crawford in a popped, shimmering collar.
We wouldn’t be mad to see any of those items return (again), and acid-washed jeans are already head-banging their way into 2023. Maybe we could just do without the ozone-destroying hairspray.
TV
In 1987, five family members living in Springfield, USA made their small-screen debut. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson first appeared on Apr. 5 as an animated short on The Tracy Ullman Show:
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Two years later they got their very own show. And the rest...well, it's not history yet. There's no need to wish for them to be back; they’re still going strong and will be for at least two more seasons.
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Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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