Books About 80s Entertainment and Culture

There are a few books one should know about when involved in '80s music.

The first is the Totally Awesome 80s: A Lexicon of the Music, Videos, Movies, TV Shows, Stars, and Trends of That Decadent Decade by Matthew Rettenmund. We all need to bow down to Matthew Rettenmund. Even in his non-'80s books, he throws in '80s references to enjoy.

This book chronicles everything '80s, not just the music. It also includes, fads, fashions, toys (remember the Cabbage Patch Dolls? Rubik Cube? Leg warmers? Beta machines?) . All cultural references can be found in this book from Valley Girl lingo to the start of MTV. It contains 300 photos.

Matthew Rettenmund also has Encyclopedia Madonnica: Madonna--the Woman and the ICON--from A to Z .  According to the publisher, Encyclopedia Madonnica appraises all aspects of Madonna's infamous career plus fabulous photos. Rettenmund has compiled information on Madonna from her childhood to her early years in New York to heady international success and her present status as pop culture goddess.

If you read this book, you will learn about Madonna's friends, enemies, favorite restaurants, hometown, music videos, sex life, and much, much more. Matthew also seems to be the editor for Popstar! and Shout Out magazines.

The next on the list is The Totally Awesome 80s Pop Music Trivia Book by Michael D. Craig. It is a relatively new book, just published in March 2001. It will test your knowledge of band members, song lyrics (or lip-syncing as the case may be, remember Milli Vanilli?) and dance moves of the early music video craze. According to the publisher, everything in the wild and wacky '80s from a-ha to ZZ Top.

Third book is Who Can It Be Now?: The Lyrics Game That Takes You Back to the '80s by Peter Fornatale and Frank Scatoni. This title is completely self-explanatory. It's like a cool version of "Name that Tune" for the MTV/Generation X peeps. It has more than 500 lyrics to test your skills. How did you fare?

The library includes Retro Hell by the staffers of  Ben Is Dead, an alternative culture magazine. This book is about the '70s and the '80s but it also has contributions by some pretty cool industry people and journalists alike leading to a personal touch. The '80s section includes the grand era of breakdancing, Miami Vice, Pop Rocks, Quaaludes, Valley Girls, and Velcro shoe wallets (the Kangaroos?). This isn't your normal book, but it is cross-referenced for easier and more captive reading.

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