Acceptable in the 80s
Encyclopedia
"Acceptable in the 80s" is a 2007 song by electropop musician Calvin Harris
, based on the melody from Siouxsie and the Banshees's 1980 song "Happy House
". Its video is about the style
and culture
of the 1980s
.
's The Paul O'Grady Show
, and extensively on E4 as well as celebratory programmes for the tenth birthday of Five, the London Marathon
on BBC1, showboating on Soccer AM
and also on Match of the Day 2
. The song became Harris' first hit in the United Kingdom
, peaking at the #10 position on the UK Singles Chart
.
The song is also used in the video game Dancing Stage Universe
, an Xbox 360
game which came out in 2007 and the Wii
game Just Dance
from 2009.
The song was featured on KCRW
's Today's Top Tune. podcast
for the Monday 1 October 2007 episode, and also used by Editors
for a cover on Radio 1
's Live Lounge
.
"Acceptable in the 80s" was used as the opening theme for Germany's Next Topmodel, Cycle 3
. It is also used in a Norwegian commercial for Miami Vice
on Viasat4. In addition, the Canadian telecommunications company Telus
has used the song to advertise smartphones. The track is also featured prominently in Top Spin 3
, on the Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
, Shake It TV minigame from Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party
on the Wii
and Music Monstars on the Nintendo DS
, and on the soundtrack of Shaun White Snowboarding
. It is also featured in the game Just Dance
for the Wii.
, directed by Woof Wan-Bau, features many references of the time; the stereotypical
large hairstyles
, bright dayglo colours and bizarrely, scientists dissecting
what appears to be an otter
, products of which are used by a hair stylist, TV chef
, and to heal a grazed knee: this may be a reference to the fact that testing cosmetic products on animals
was still legal in the UK in the 1980s.
Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls"...
, based on the melody from Siouxsie and the Banshees's 1980 song "Happy House
Happy House
"Happy House" is a song recorded by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. The song was written by Banshees members Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin and it was released as the first single from the band's third album Kaleidoscope....
". Its video is about the style
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
and culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
of the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
.
History
The song has been used to advertise the third series of Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
, and extensively on E4 as well as celebratory programmes for the tenth birthday of Five, the London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
on BBC1, showboating on Soccer AM
Soccer AM
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
and also on Match of the Day 2
Match of the Day 2
Match of the Day 2 is a football highlights programme shown on BBC Two in the United Kingdom...
. The song became Harris' first hit in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, peaking at the #10 position on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
The song is also used in the video game Dancing Stage Universe
Dance Dance Revolution Universe
Dance Dance Revolution Universe is the thirteenth home version of Dance Dance Revolution released in the United States. It was released by Konami on February 27, 2007, for the Microsoft Xbox 360 video game console - the first DDR game on a seventh generation console. About 65 songs are available...
, an Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
game which came out in 2007 and the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
game Just Dance
Just Dance (video game)
Just Dance is a music video game developed and published by Ubisoft for the Wii. It was released on November 17, 2009 in North America, November 26 in Australia, and November 27 in Europe. It is similar to the Dance Dance Revolution games in that dancers match moves on screen in order to earn...
from 2009.
The song was featured on KCRW
KCRW
KCRW is a public radio station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, carrying a mix of National Public Radio news, talk radio and freeform music format. The general manager of KCRW is Jennifer Ferro...
's Today's Top Tune. podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
for the Monday 1 October 2007 episode, and also used by Editors
Editors
Editors are a British indie rock band based in Birmingham, who formed in 2002. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band consists of Tom Smith , Chris Urbanowicz , Russell Leetch and Ed Lay .Editors have so far released two platinum studio...
for a cover on Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
.
"Acceptable in the 80s" was used as the opening theme for Germany's Next Topmodel, Cycle 3
Germany's Next Topmodel, Cycle 3
Germany's Next Topmodel, Cycle 3 is the third season of the show that was aired on the German television network ProSieben. The show started airing on February 28, 2008 with 120 semi-finalists in the competition, and finished on June 5, 2008....
. It is also used in a Norwegian commercial for Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
on Viasat4. In addition, the Canadian telecommunications company Telus
TELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
has used the song to advertise smartphones. The track is also featured prominently in Top Spin 3
Top Spin 3
Top Spin 3 is the third title in the Top Spin series of video games. The game was developed by PAM Development and published by 2K Sports. New game elements include real-time weather effects, more options of professional tennis players, an in-depth character creation tool and new unparalleled...
, on the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Shake It TV minigame from Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party, known in French as Rayman Prod' présente : The Lapins Crétins Show and during development as Rayman Raving Rabbids 3, is a video game developed by Ubisoft and is the third installment in the Rayman Raving Rabbids series. A teaser trailer was released on April 29, 2008...
on the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and Music Monstars on the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, and on the soundtrack of Shaun White Snowboarding
Shaun White Snowboarding
Shaun White Snowboarding is a sports video game for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Nintendo DS, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Xbox 360 systems. It was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released on November 14, 2008...
. It is also featured in the game Just Dance
Just Dance (video game)
Just Dance is a music video game developed and published by Ubisoft for the Wii. It was released on November 17, 2009 in North America, November 26 in Australia, and November 27 in Europe. It is similar to the Dance Dance Revolution games in that dancers match moves on screen in order to earn...
for the Wii.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, directed by Woof Wan-Bau, features many references of the time; the stereotypical
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
large hairstyles
Hairstyles
Hairstyles is a title used for international editions of a professional hairdressing magazine originally published in Barcelona, Spain under the name Peluquerias. The founder of the magazine is Spanish hairdresser Lluis Llongueras....
, bright dayglo colours and bizarrely, scientists dissecting
Dissection
Dissection is usually the process of disassembling and observing something to determine its internal structure and as an aid to discerning the functions and relationships of its components....
what appears to be an otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
, products of which are used by a hair stylist, TV chef
Celebrity chef
A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become famous and well known. Today celebrity chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations via mass media, especially television. Historically, celebrity chefs have included Antoine Carême and Martino da Como.-External...
, and to heal a grazed knee: this may be a reference to the fact that testing cosmetic products on animals
Testing cosmetics on animals
Testing cosmetics on animals is a form of animal testing, intended to ensure the safety and hypoallergenic properties of the products for use by humans...
was still legal in the UK in the 1980s.
Track listing
Charts
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
97 |
| Australian ARIA Hitseekers Chart Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
2 |
| South African Chart- 5FM 5FM 5FM is a South African FM radio station that follows a Top 40 music format and is owned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation , South Africa's public broadcaster... |
9 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 14 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
30 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
10 |
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
| German Singles Chart | 30 |