re: Biggest 80s Entertainment Icons

I think late 80s doesn't have the same nostalgia as say 81-86...that's really the heyday that everyone thinks of now with probably 84 and 85 being the peak. 88 and 89 kind of had that weird early 90s feel to it and hair bands had taken over music. Pop singers were also getting that really shitty late 80s sound and getting away from the fun, earlier sound. The fashion had changed, the Reagan era was basically over, and the gigantic pop music icons were all on their followup or beyond albums that obviously weren't as good or as big.

It's obvious that the first half of the decade had so much more impact on how we think of it...just look at all the stuff that hit pre-1986.

Thriller
Purple Rain
Like a Virgin
Beverly Hills Cop
Goonies
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Both Star Wars
85 Bears
Born in the USA
E.T.
Karate Kid
Ghostbusters
Cosby Show premiere
Back to the Future
Etc, etc, etc,

Hell, half of those events probably happened in 1984 alone. For my money, it's the peak of pop culture and maybe American society. The world had yet to go off the deep end as it did once the internet and cell phones became widespread. You had just enough technology to feel super advanced, but not enough to take over your life.