One could argue that 1982 was the true start of the 80s. 1980 and 1981 still had a lot of leftover 70s culture. In 1982, MTV premiered and really defined the decade, the recession of 1981 ended, and around this time, the FCC allowed cartoons based on toylines to be made. Eras don't begin and end just because decades do. Also, if you look at my lists of Best Hit Songs of Various Years, 1982 is the first year of the 80s in which the playlist goes over two hours. This would continue every year until 1987.