Singer and guitarist Boyer and bassist Resende formed the pop combo as students at the University of Rouen.

Taking their name from a souvenir t-shirt given to Boyer's father in 1980, the duo recruited guitarist Mederic Gontier, and with the addition of drummer Sylvain Marchand a year later, the lineup was complete.

The foursome released a self-produced and self-financed EP, "20 Minutes" which resulted in them signing a deal with French label Atmospheriques.

[2] Tahiti 80's U.S. label, Minty Fresh, released a mini LP called Extra Pieces, which included B-sides, remixes and other rarities.

[4] In 2012, Barbagallo left Tahiti 80 to join Tame Impala, with multi-instrumentalist Hadrien Grange of Parisian pop group Dorian Pimpernel replacing him.