What happened in 1980 that set the United States on a path that has brought us to where we are today -- a post-truth world, democracy under attack by autocracy, a sharply divided populace poised to contest those divisions more sharply than ever? The short answer is stagflation, gas lines, and the hostage crisis in Iran, setting the stage for the ascent of Ronald Reagan to the White House, however unlikely that seemed at the time. Historian Jim Cullen searches for additional clues in pop culture, looking at movies, music, television, and books of the era.

Now might be the right time to disclose that Jim Cullen was my daughter's history teacher and adviser in high school. I met with him to discuss my daughter's progress on several occasions. There was also open school night, where teachers gave parents short classes -- one of my favorites was Cullen's 12 Albums That Changed the World (in tandem with another teacher).

So as a fan of Jim Cullen the teacher, and a fan of books about the pop culture of pivotal years (1970 and 971 in pop music, 2000 in TV) this book is right in my wheelhouse. But while I raced through it and certainly enjoyed it and was intrigued by its premise(s), I'm left somewhat unsettled.

One one hand, the reason 1980 was so pivotal was that it allowed the far right, crushed in 1964 when Goldwater ran against LBJ, to retake control of political discourse, leading directly to the 1994 Contract With America, the contested 2000 election that saddled us with the Bush-Cheney wars, and the abominable Trump years, the Big Lie, 1/6, and who knows what may yet come but it sure doesn't look too healthy.

There was also enduring damage caused by the pivot from Keynesian economics to the now discredited trickle down theory that only served to further enrich the already rich while creating huge debt and deficits (as mentioned by Cullen). I was a Ph.D. candidate in economics in 1980, right in the middle of that fiscal vs. monetary policy debate, with Milton Friedman the most vocal champion of the latter.

Indeed, Friedman and by extension Reagan did not believe in limited governmental intervention in the economy, they just wanted that intervention to benefit business and the wealthy rather than the social programs favored by liberals -- corporate welfare instead of social welfare. That was the original Big Lie that convinced many people to support the upward redistribution of wealth that has continued unabated since then.

With as much clarity that we now have with 20-20 hindsight, I would have liked to see a historian like Cullen look for direct clues to when facts were overtaken by opinion and propaganda -- he mentions this briefly in his conclusion referring to the Reagan-Carter debate, but it really needed to be the major mystery that had to be solved. We know Lee Atwater had a lot to do with it, but his name is never mentioned in this book.

The other thing hindsight shows us is that what started in 1980 and has been amplified in the past six or seven years is a culture war based on racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. The 60s and 70s was the era of civil rights, the women's movement, the sexual revolution, Stonewall, etc. Perhaps the most prescient event leading into 1980 was the Disco Demolition Night in 1979, a decidedly racist and homophobic event that is a direct antecedent to what we're experienced these days.

I'm reminded of a meme I saw on the internet: to someone with privilege, equality feels like oppression -- 1980 was the first big event in national politics where the privileged reacted against the equality that had been emerging for the non-privileged (ironically headlining their ideology with terms like "equality"). I feel it should have been one of the main trends he should have been looking for. Indeed, rather than looking for rare signs of conservatism, he should have been looking at what was so prevalent in pop culture that led to such a harsh backlash.

The other problem I had: the rightward turn in politics was years in the making, given that stagflation began in 1973, meddling in Iran and the Middle East dated back to the 1950s, liberal politics began with FDR in the 1930s, you get the idea. Meanwhile, the movies, books, music, and TV shows of 1980 all took at least a year to be conceived, executed, and released, before Reagan became a viable candidate, so they don't really reflect the mood in 1980 when Reagan kind of came out of nowhere.

Reagan aside, the signs Cullen is looking for predate 1980 -- the movie Network in 1976, Rocky taking on a black champion and a Russian, Rambo the survivalist taking on the world, Dirty Harry and Charles Bronson taking the law into their own hands to rid the nation of, you guessed it, launching the vigilante genre of the 70s and 80s.

Many of the examples Cullen cites from 1980, especially in TV and music, are more of an expression of the diversity and tolerance that was taking place up to 1980 rather than a harbinger of a retrograde turn to a more conservative past. Especially in music, the 1980s were a time when hip hop took off, gay influences skyrocketed, and world music emerged, while traditional country music took a back seat to crossover sub-genres, even neo-country disco.

There are some clues in three things Cullen examines in depth. The Heaven's Gate fiasco was in fact a conservative retaking of the movie business by studios over independent directors who were dominating cinema (though the real trend was, as Cullen points out and everyone already knows, the blockbuster model of Jaws and Star Wars). Punk was a reaction against progressive pop and rock, pulling the industry back to a simpler time when anyone could rock out and play loud -- a conservative turn even though its practitioners were by and large radical and anarchic. And the Preppy Handbook was perhaps the most striking augur of what was coming in the 1980s, though it seems like its timing was serendipitous rather than prescient.

Overall, I enjoyed reading about all the music, movies, books and TV shows of the 70s into the 80s, and the politics. But I don't feel that Cullen made a case for pop culture being any kind of canary in the coal mine. I don't believe that case is even there to be made, except maybe via some nifty metaphors. Nevertheless, there is much food for thought.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing an advance reading copy in exchange for this honest review. Sorry for the critique, Mr. Cullen. Stella says hey!

Jim Cullen’s “1980: A Pivotal Year” is a great overview of the historical importance through popular culture: Film, Music, Television, and Publishing. Given the political nature of the “Pivotal Year,” I had hoped for a Kurlanskyesque deep dive à la “1968;” on that front, “1980” just didn’t do it for me. The first few chapters are almost list-like in their presentation of key films, songs and musicians, and TV shows. Only when Cullen gets to the chapter built around Television does he start to get more into the political narrative and in establishing a zeitgeist for 1980. Given the size of the book, around 180 pages of text, it seems like an enormous task to present the copious amount of information Cullen attempts, with its accompanying backdrop and beyond 1980 references - and I would have preferred a longer, meatier tome, if it had meant a deeper presentation of what it meant to be living in 1980. Cullen picks up steam in the last half of the book, presenting a more cohesive narrative of the rise of Reagan and the fall of Carter, as well as the oppressive economic backdrop of Friedman’s school of Neo-conservativism. If you want to have a good point of reference for the pop culture mood and scene of the late 70s and early 80s, this is a great book.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I personally couldn't really get into this book. But I was still a very young child during that time. I do love history and reading on history but for me this was just not a for me. My other reviews people seem to enjoy it and can relate to it because there were old enough at that time. Overall interesting book again was a miss for me. 3.5

Whether author Jim Cullen lived the 1980s or relied solely on research, it really won't matter to the reader of this clear and interesting overview of a decade with a conservative Reagan administration at the helm of politics abutting the liberal and sometimes controversial popular culture of All in the Family and Saturday Night Live.

Cullen begins with an examination of the American landscape preceding the 1980 election; the administration of Jimmy Carter, the failing economy and the hostages in Iran. This helps set the stage for the rise of Ronald Reagan onto the national scene and a clear path for what will be a very conflicting but innovative decade.

Although a number of books have been written on any one of the major themes of this non-fiction work (i.e., Ronald Reagan, the popularity of TV series drama such as Dallas and disco music), the chapters are packed with information that helps tie 1980 into a kind of threshold for change and another lens into Americana at its most incongruent.

The author provides extensive notes for further reading on whatever points the reader wishes to further examine.

The latest look at this specific year comes out on October 14, 2022. Rutgers University Press provided an early galley for review.

For me, personally, 1980 marked a transition year. I had just entered high school the Fall before. I was broadening my musical tastes from Top 40 and disco into the sounds of new-wave and alternative as played on the local college radio station. While I was not yet driving, I was finding more personal freedom in exploring the world of my hometown and the village neighboring it. I'm certainly open to Cullen's argument about 1980's importance in the greater American history.

While I was aware of the changing political structure at the time, as a teenager who couldn't yet vote I really did not focus on that aspect of current events. Having the recap here was great refresher. And the focus on bestsellers was over my radar at the time (I read mostly sci-fi and fantasy for fun then). I did appreciate the evolution and marketing techniques of the big booksellers at the time though.

Now, the other areas covered were right in my wheelhouse. 1980 indeed had a number of cinematic highpoints with films that did change the direction of movies. I saw quite a few of those mentioned in the book either in theater or on HBO. The music industry also did go through a big shift in 1980. Many of the albums noted were part of or have since been added to my growing collection of music. And the TV shows discussed were very much part of the cultural framework (thanks to the not-yet exploded cable landscape).

So, the question is this: was 1980 the pivotal year for America? I would say it was "a pivotal year" - absolutely. Whether or not it was "the (most) pivotal year" is something I'll leave to the historians or other scholars to determine. Cullen certainly makes a good case for his candidate though.

This book is covers many of the events including political and cultural that made 1980 a pivotal year in American history. Each chapter is devoted to specific topics: politics, books, movies, etc. The authors lays the groundwork by covering events that occurred in the 1970’s that culminated in 1980. This is a quick and interesting read.

I received a free ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog

I had trouble getting into the groove of this book, as I kept waiting for that light-bulb moment when I would be convinced that 1980 was a pivotal year. Sadly, it felt like the author was rummaging around for information to make his case, and that illuminating moment never arrived.

However - I found the book to be mildly and pleasantly nostalgic, since in 1980 I was nearing a turning point of my own. I would soon commit to marriage after a wild ride of hedonistic freedom that carried me through most of the 1970s. I enjoyed being reminded of various events, personalities and forms of entertainment that were a big deal at the time.

My thanks to the author, Rutgers University Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I enjoyed reading and remembering some of the things the author brought up in this book. While the author chose selective parts of the 80’s it was well written and insightful. The biggest challenge I had reading this book was all of the random numbers that were in the sentences. I have read my share of ARC’s and the layout of this book make it difficult to get thru.

1980 by Jim Cullen is a highlight reel of that year. From movies, books, politics and popular culture and it’s all in this book with the section for each. I enjoyed reading about what led up to 1980 and all that happened in it it was like a walk down memory lane from the little yuppie handbook to the Iran hostage negotiations Jim: covered at all. I highly recommend this book to anything of the past. I received this book from net galley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

Jim Cullen's look back at the year 1980 in his book "1980" is a recap of a pivotal year in our history. It's a pleasant blend of pop culture and politics that makes you consider the impact that year had on our culture and where we are today as a result. It's not written academically, nor like a slick magazine article. Rather it's a timeline format that allows you to recall where you were at that time and what the things he calls out meant to you. A good read for anyone who grew up in the 80s. Thanks to Rutgers University Press and NetGalley for the preview read. #1980 #rutgersuniversitypress #netgalley

As a lover of history and a researcher of the media industries, I looked forward to reading this book. In 1980 I was a young married man, we were expecting our first child and building our home and careers. Having lived through the decade I was interested in looking back.

Regretfully I did not like this book. It is daunting to look at an entire decade and do it justice, even if the focus is somewhat limited as this examination is with an emphasis on media and culture, broadly defined. An author can't cover everything that happens as this book shows it is extremely difficult to attempt to synthesize all of the important events and milestones.

To me the chapters started to read like lists of events--whether discussing movies, television shows, books, etc. I think the author wanted to discuss more politics, as a lot of time is spent on the election of 1980. There are numerous criticisms of Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump is even discussed in this work--why I have no idea other than to provide a platform for criticism. Trump was not a pivotal player in the media or in culture or in politics in the 1980s. The Apprentice didn't hit the air until 2004.

Ignoring the politics, the book suffers from an understanding of many factors that determined what we read, saw and experienced during the 1980s with our media habits. Media is all about storytelling and engaging audiences. And in the 1980s, as today, it is done in the USA with a profit-driven motive. Yet the economics of the media/cultural industries are never presented. Nor is the many regulatory barriers that existed across the media industries during the 1980s that prevented competition. Instead, we get a lot of "lists" (not in a numerical sense) of movies, albums, TV shows, etc the author uses for examples and illustration. Because there is no "system" shared with the reader then the content is at best, arbitrary.. A framework for analysis would have helped.

It's not a bad read, and there are parts of the book that are entertaining. There are other parts that just didn't make a lot of sense to me, with the book on publishing being the best example. The chapter opens with a rambling discourse about economics and Milton Friedman's book Free to Choose, which was actually published on January 1, 1979. I was expecting some discussion on the consolidation of the book industry and also some consideration given to newspapers and magazine publishing, but there are few mentions of the former and none of the latter. .

Still, 1980 is a nostalgic look at a transformative decade, and if you are interested in what was happening in the major media entertainment industries during the time the book may be of interest

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I reviewed an advance PDF copy that was full of numbers in the text and a distraction to read.. A better version for advance reviewers would have made the reading less distracting.