Totally Retro: 80s Edition

There was nothing quite like Miami Vice. The moment that iconic Jan Hammer synthesizer theme kicked in, you were transported to a world where pastel suits, fast cars, and sun-drenched danger defined the neon-lit streets of Miami. From 1984 to 1989, Miami Vice wasn’t just a television show—it was a revolution. It took crime dramas and infused them with high fashion, MTV aesthetics, and a pulse that beat in sync with the era’s biggest pop hits.

If you were around in the ’80s, you remember the feeling of settling in on a Friday night, the glow of the television bathing the room in flickering blues and purples. Crockett and Tubbs, played with effortless cool by Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas, weren’t just cops—they were rockstars in their own right. They drove Ferraris, wore Armani, and took on Miami’s seedy underbelly with a swagger that no other TV detectives could match. Johnson’s Sonny Crockett, with his five o’clock shadow, linen suits, and sockless loafers, redefined what it meant to be stylish.

The show had mood, unlike anything else on television. Episodes often felt like music videos, blending cutting-edge fashion, moody lighting, and some of the most memorable needle drops of the decade. Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” wasn’t just a song—it was an experience when played during a silent, tension-filled night drive down the highway. Glenn Frey’s “Smuggler’s Blues” was more than just background music; it was a full-blown storyline. When Peter Gabriel’s “Biko” played, you felt something deeper than just another crime procedural—it was political, it was raw, it was different.

And the guest stars! Before they were Hollywood megastars, actors like Bruce Willis, Liam Neeson, and Julia Roberts made appearances. Even musicians like Gene Simmons and Frank Zappa turned up in gritty, sometimes downright bizarre roles. Every episode had the potential to surprise, whether it was a high-stakes drug bust or a stylish exploration of the moral gray areas of law enforcement.

But Miami Vice wasn’t just about its characters—it was about the city. The Miami of the 1980s was a place of contradictions: a paradise on the surface with an undercurrent of crime and corruption. The show captured it perfectly, making the city feel like a living, breathing character. The Art Deco buildings, the sun-kissed beaches, the smoky nightclubs—it was all part of the magic.

Even decades later, Miami Vice endures. Its influence can be seen in everything from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to the resurgence of retro ‘80s aesthetics in music and film. The pastel pink and electric blue hues, the sleek synthwave soundscapes—they all owe something to the show that made cool cooler.

For those who lived through it, Miami Vice isn’t just a TV show—it’s a memory, a feeling, a moment in time that will forever define what it meant to be cool in the 1980s.