The year 1988 marked a time of societal transition in American culture, a period that gave rise to a wide array of records, movies and world-changing events.

A shifting political landscape saw the Cold War beginning to thaw, while Ronald Reagan left the White House following eight years as president. Technological advancements continued at a frantic pace, with new achievements drastically altering everything from business to film to how music was made.

The below list of the 88 Most '80s Things About 1988 assembles some of the most important and memorable events from the year - including daring rock experiments, the release of one of the biggest action films in cinematic history and some of professional sports’ most iconic moments.

The year saw Guns N’ Roses capitalizing on their stratospheric fame with the hastily released G N’ R Lies. Other musical moments included Iron Maiden’s adoption of synthesizers, while hip-hop found its way into the mainstream.

The big screen welcomed budding stars Kevin Costner, Bruce Willis and the equally-as-macho Roger Rabbit. The year also featured Eddie Murphy in one of the most popular comedies of his career: Coming to America.

On television, Saturday Night Live continued to push the bounds of censorship with one of the most controversial skits of its era. Meanwhile, younger audiences were engrossed with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - unless, of course, they were filling their time with the newly unveiled Sega Genesis.

Yes, there were plenty of classic '80s tropes going strong in 1988. We’ve rounded up the biggest ones below.

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