Contracted dates

Question

I'm comfortable with the '80s as a contraction of the eighties, as in the years from 1980-89.

How do I correctly use this when it is in a position where it looks like it is either an adjective or needs a possessive apostrophe?

An example sentence with the options I've identified this far:

• '80s' music (music of the '80s), or
• '80s music ('80s being an adjective describing the music).

What do you think?

Answer 1

After having a quick browse around Google Books:

• "80's music" has about 4,290 results and the first page has 20 x '80s music but only 4 x 80s music.

• "80s music" has about 509 results and the first page has 21 x 80's music but only 1 x '80's music.

Roughly speaking then, from most common to least common:

• '80s music
• 80s music
• 80's music
• '80's music

Neither page had any examples of '80s' music or 80s' music.

Answer 2

Most use I've heard of that type varies based on whether or not the speaker is referring to a single decade.

I definitely say use '80s' music to refer to music from 1980-1989. Music of the '80s is not common usage.

However, when referring to multiple decades, one would usually say something like music of the '60s, '70s, and '80s.

Answer 3

You raise a special case of a general question. The same choice arises elsewhere. Is it, to take an illustrative example, parents evening or parents’ evening? The first sees parents as an adjective modifying evening. The second sees parents as in some way being the ‘possessors’ of the evening. There seems to be a trend towards omitting the apostrophe in such cases and it’s one which I applaud. So, although '80’s music and '80s music will both no doubt be found, I’d put my money on the latter outliving the former. (I’d also be happy to omit the initial apostrophe and write simply 80s.)