Why Are You An Eighties Fan?

This is one page of many, check out the intro at Why I Love The 80s where you can add your own memories as well.

This page currently edited by: stingr22. Past editor: Junior


In 1980, I was 24 and at the height of my young life. All the songs were great, the music was wonderfully funky and the clothes were punk for the time and there were fabulously wild hair styles. There has never been music like 80s music since and I still listen. Michael Jackson became an Icon and other groups such as Guns n Roses rocked us into oblivion. My kids were born in the 80s and I set up housekeeping. The sexual revolution has never been so prominent and with TV shows like Married with Children and Roseanne, we got to see how the truly dysfuntional family really lives -er, a lot like our own. We were all at the height of our financial peaks, I made more money than ever in my life and I hated to see the 80's end. I want to go back to the 80s, where is that dang time machine?
From: Susan

The 80s were phenomenal! The fashion was all around awesome, better TV shows, Ronald Reagen was president, but my favorite part of the 80s was the music. It wasn't like the corporate sell-out crap we have today. I loved it all. All the way from gloomy Gothic Rock bands like Bauhaus & The Cure, to hardcore Glam Metal bands like Europe & Twisted Sister. Even the Pop music was better! The 80s was the golden age of 20th century America. To this day it remains only a dream, but a dream that I enjoy reliving in my head over and over and over again.
From: Shade

I love the 80s because music was the best then. I lived in LA and music was everywhere. We had KROQ. We didn't have to have MTV because we had video shows on TV after school every day and every Friday with Friday Night Videos. I think we even had another show on another channel Saturday nights. There was such amazing music coming over from the UK. Finally now that period in music is getting the attention it deserved by people writing books about it. Some of the bands I loved: Echo and the Bunnymen, The Alarm, The Smiths, Haircut 100, The Housemartins, The Beautiful South, Gang of Four, New Order, Joy Division, Cabaret Voltaire, Adam and the Ants, The Thompson Twins, OMD, Orange Juice, the B-52s, Art of Noise, ABC, Spandau Ballet and though I'm embarrassed, Duran Duran. I really liked U2 in the 80s but not much after. I still love Echo and the Bunnymen. Plus, my whole life was ahead of me and there was every reason to be full of hope.
From: Diana

Born in 1975.I was obsessed with 1987 & 1988 (during those years).That's right,I did not become obsessed with the 80's after they were gone but while it was still alive. To get an idea of the way I experienced most days back then...I'll have to quote El DeBarge, Who's Johnny "My hearts in overdrive,great to be alive"
From: S.M

Two words: Molly Ringwald. Excellent in those Brat Pack movies: 16 Candles, Pretty In Pink and of course, the Breakfast Club !!! The Back To The Future series with Michael J. Fox from Family Ties and Christopher "Taxi" Lloyd as Doc Brown. "Hello, McFly !!!" Rocky III and IV, in which Sly Stallone gets to beat up Hulk Hogan and movie wife Brigette Nielsen's Russian husband ("I must break you." Cold War President Reagan era.) First, we get cowboys as presidents (Reagan and the two Bushes), a wrestler as governor of Minnesota (Jesse "the Body" Ventura WWE legend - I loved those Saturday Night Main Events on NBC with Chairman Vincent Kennedy McMahon) and now a Terminator/bodybuilder as governor of California, Ahhnold "I'll be back" Schwarzenegger.
From: Kevin

I was born in 77. I remember of having a Kuwahara BMX, Game&Watch, Transformers toys, MASK toys. I remember that in the eighties there were these playing cards that use things like supercars/tanks/battleships/superbikes specs. John Hughes films were great like Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink. In the 80's there were few fast foods restaurants (now longer operates in my country)like Popeye & Grandys. Gosh I really miss Grandy's Fried Chicken. Casio watches were cool back then. Atari for rich kids. Wearing your socks rolled down to school was cool. It was like a trend that everybody in my school has an autograph album so that when the school ended in Dec we would get everyone signature.
From: shai

I was born in 77. I was a kid in the 80s and it was totally fun compared to my teenage days in the 90's. I remember of having a pencil case that have buttons on it. When you press the buttons a magnifying glass will pop up, or the sharpener will come out or a secret compartment will open (very popular almost every other kid had one). It was a time when color pencils in beautiful aluminum cases was popular. We would brag in school on who has the coolest collection of color pencils (the selection could go up to 48 colors in one case). I remember watching Kasey Kasem on American Top Ten, McGyver, The Facts of Life, Airwolf, MASK, Transformers and 21 Jump Street. Back then Kuwahara bmx were cool and I had this cheap full face bmx full face helmet. Went racing on the street of my mother suburban house. Having a water pistol filled with water & chillies and go shooting stray dogs..That time AIDS was some kind of sickness from MARS. Every girl in school wants to be something like Madonna, Kim Wilde,Tiffany or The Bangles. Boys want to be cool like Micheal Jackson, Metallica, Megadeath, Van Halen, Cinderella or Twisted Sisters. Casio and Swatch watches were cool back then. Jansports and Eastpaks were the choice of luggage to school. Girls at school would wear colorful freindship bands and boys will bring cotton handkerchief to school because its cool. Nike, Reebok, L.A gear and New Balance were in neon colors. It was ok to wear thick long socks to school. Girls will roll down their socks and sleeves. Thinkin about it back, it was a decade when people at young age were more conscious about fashion than now.
From: izzie

The music, the hair, Ronald Reagan, Indiana Jones, Back to the future, Rambo, the cool televsion shows. The 80s were the only decade I can remember when I was truly happy, life seemed good,and we didn't run around scared, stressed out, and without hope like soo many are today. I would return there in a heartbeat. I was just thinking of this today before I found this site, how much more fun life was. I was a teenager and a young adult during the 80s and I can't think of a time before or since that bring back so many good memories. Sometimes I daydream about a return to that almost divine decade. Oh how I loved it.
From: John

I was born in 1970 and grew up in Australia loving and admiring all the 80's music and movies. It all started off with Duran Duran, the Cars, Nik Kershaw, Simple Minds etc. and all the splendid movies of that time, incl. Breakfast Club, St.Elmo's Fire and the rest of the brat pack movies......I just wish we had a time machine to propel us back to those glorious 80s.....cause there will never be an era again that we experienced such originality. Tear.
From: Stephen

The 80s was a breaking away from the 70s and all the seemingly troubled times that came from the Vietnam War and Political scandal. The music became fun again with the British Invasion and the styles were colorful, hair was big (I had medium hair, but big by today's standards!)Earrings were big, bangles and neon colors. Video was huge then. A friend of mine used to tease me about how Michael Jackson won and Donny Osmond lost. A few good memories from then are seeing U2 and STYX in concert, and who could forget Duran Duran? (Styx is still the best concert I ever attended.) There's more, much more, but don't think I ever appreciated it when I was there...I was into sixties music then. Beatles, Doors, Led Zepplin...I think we tend to appreciate the decades when they are long gone. My 2 cents!
From: Steph

Well, unfortunately, I didn't see any of the 80s because I was born in 1992. But, my parents raised me on lots of 80s music and movies and now I'm a fan and wish I was born in the 70s or 80s. Now here I am in high school, 17 years old and walking around in funky 80s outfits and having others staring at my retroness and wishing they were as cool as me! I used to have a boombox, but it started to eat tapes and I sadly had to trash it. But for now, I have a Walkman, brand new, newer then I would like to fit my style. But yeah, every chance I get, I go to thrift stores and such looking for a new,old boombox so I can blast some 80s mixed tapes, Journey, Michael Jackson and so fourth and to annoy my teachers! Ha ha! Anywho, yep, I wish I could have seen the 80s! I love everything about it! I love tapes, legwarmers, poofy hair (which I need to get done soon) and ohhh Steve Perry! He was a beast!
From: Melanie savage (or Foxen B. Perry)

Ahh those wonderful 80s! I can see myself in my mind walking near Columbia University with Steve & James listening to "Allentown", "Long Time Jerk", and "Under Pressure". Yeah, being a kid back then sure was fun. I remember afternoons would also be spent scrounging for quarters heading down to the nearest pizza parlor arcade, and spending it all on video games. Some other evenings would be spent simply looking cool, and admiring neighborhood girls. Chillin with T-bone, and Dexter was the best part. I think in general childhood memories tend to be fun remembering, so a toast to all those who can relate to what I remember.
From: SpaceFirebird

I was little and that was my favorite era of growing up...MTV just got started; it was the best era of MTV. I love the TV shows better than the ones today (especially the cartoons & sitcoms, like the Smurfs, ALF, Punky Brewster, Alvin & the Chipmunks, and the '80s Care Bears,) and I had no worries back then! The best thing? EVERYTHING WAS CHEAPER!!!
From: Sandy Gurley

I was born in 66 and graduated HS in 84; the 80's were a time when policemen knew what you were doing wrong, but found humor in it. The people you knew were not your friends because of where they lived, what they wore or who they knew... They were your friends because they we like you!
From: KK

I honestly do not like the 2000's at all!I love the 80's.The music and the colors and everything were exciting.There was more diversity in attire back then//One could wear blue jeans and a t-shirt have short hair or wear parachute pants with puffy sleeves and have waist length hair and both 'looks' were acceptable.Music was as diverse as anything!!Debbie Gibson,Heart,Metallica,The Psychedelic Furs,Missing Persons,Elton John,Gary Numan,Nelson,Olivia Newton John,Fleetwood Mac,Stryper,Jefferson Starship and omg i can go on forever and ever.Some of those bands I mentioned crossed from late 70's into 80's but it wasn't til MTV they really took off like rockets!!When music and the current style of dress are both so diverse and bright colors run rampant,life is exciting./It seems as though everything about the 80's involved colors..Pastel and neon.Everything from album artwork to ads on tv to background settings in movies..Remember Pretty In Pink starring Molly Ringwald? That movie was so 80's and full of color,not to mention the theme song. I've been collecting music videos(80's and early 90's)for years and it's amazing to spread these vhs tapes and dvd's out on the floor and browse through them cause one realises immediately how diverse the 80's were and it's almost overwhelming.Literally,overwhelming.People who have no use for the 80's are generally people who turned against the 80's once their precious 70's disappeared.I'm 54 years old and personally the 70's weren't real bad or anything,but the 80's were totally excellent! Once MTV hit the scene in 1981,millions of people's worlds rocked all 80's long..until somewhere in the mid 90's rap and hip hop formed what is now left of MTV.I really wish that people today that are in their 20's could live the 80's for just a week.They'd understand what 80's finatics are all about and they'd no doubt join the rest of us who love the 80's so much/.People can laugh at big hair all they want!! It's the fact that big hair and little hair or no hair was all acceptable back then-One wasn't judged on having too little,to much or none at all.The way one dressed was totally acceptable whether it be punk,mohawk,stripes,flat top,bald or beehive. And what's wrong with the mullet anyway?? Another thing is patterns and shapes.Pyramid,squares,circles,i remember weird shapes of all colors used on record LP's and signs and tv ads and stuff. In the 80's it was common to see movies where the credits might be presented in blue neon or pastel text. Besides Pretty In Pink, another movie that stands out as being typical 80's regarding colors and fashion in general(among many of course)is Secret Admirer starring Lori Laughlin(of "Full House"). remember "The New Kids" starring Lori Laughlin? Also "Can't Buy Me Love" starring Patrick Dempsey. All 3 films are just a few of many 80's movies that exemplify the exciting,musically diverse ,fashion (non)sensed 80's. By typing this post, I remind myself just how much I really do hate the 2000s and how I miss the 80's. Rock on!!
From: Dennis Teel

I was born in the 80s and my most vivid memories come from that decade:). The pony tails, my big brother being obsessed with Michael Jackson, me being a Madonna and Tina Turner fan, eating cubes rooster soup and that greasy butter you don;t find today any longer. I have even put up a Facebook group entitled "Proud to be born in the '80s" and then i found this website here, made me smile a lot when reading it. You can also join the group and post your memories, photos, music and everything else, here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=259106452853
From: Anne

I was born in the 80s and my most vivid memories come from that decade:). The pony tails, my big brother being obsessed with Michael Jackson, me being a Madonna and Tina Turner fan, eating cubes rooster soup and that greasy butter you don;t find today any longer. I have even put up a Facebook group entitled "Proud to be born in the 80s" and then I found this website here, made me smile a lot when reading it. You can also join the group and post your memories, photos, music and everything else, here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=259106452853
From: Anne

Born early 70s, 80s teenage myself, I will not go in length how much I loved the era here, but I wanna say this. AIDS killed the 80s, not just that decade but a whole mindset. For those of you who remember we danced like no tomorrow and just shook it and went nuts, boys and girls. But btwn 85 and 89 the fear became extremely real and gays and junkies became the target. Guys started losing that free spirited way for fear of looking 'gay' and things fell apart from there, dance died, real fun died, and with it music died. I am not gay by the way but it's besides the point. Freedom of sexuality was the basis of it all. It became weird for guy to 'let go', and feeling of repression ensued. Innocence and romance also died. I won't comment on the disaster of an era we live in now either but some understanding is good I believe. If we can just stop judging each other so much maybe there is a chance for good stuff again. Love. Nico
From: Nico

The 1980s era was about passion, love, peace, and having fun. It was an era of amazing feeling , undescribable feeling. I just look at movies from that decade and listen to music from that decade and know this right away. You cant describe the feeling its too good. There was sooo much passion and heart that everyone had in their lives back than, I was born in 1990 and I will tell the truth, right now everything is just plain boring, once I listen to some 80s songs or watch an 80s movie I get a smile on my face. It's indescribable, words cant describe the 80s, its beyond amazing, beyond fun, I guess its the closest thing to heaven, I dont know, what an era!!!!
From: Ted

What??? The 80's was the best time ever!!! I was born in 1971 and get a warm feeling every time I think about that era. Hop Hop was just starting to really bloom. I remember UTFO's "Roxanne" and Roxanne Shante' coming back at them, putting the females on the map with a "diss" reply. Salt & Pepa, Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh, Run DMC!! The sounds of the Rappin' Duke and "Double Dutch Bus" playing while we played. We used to play outside all day long and have FUN!!! Kick the can, hot piece of butter, tag, freeze tag, red devil, etc. Where girls actually jumped double dutch and boys played skellzy. We had roller SKATES and skateborads (not rollerblades and motorized skateboards). We had to be upstairs before the street light came on. Girls wore jelly jackets and sandals with Toostie pops in the ponytail and the boys wore karate shoes. Saturday morning cartoons while you ate your cereal. Just cartoons period was fun to watch back then... The Smurfs, My Little Pony, He- Man, She-Ra, The Hulk, Ghostbusters, Ninja Turtles, Rainbow Brite, Punky Brewster, Richie Rich, etc. Remember The Great Space Coaster, Schoolhouse Rock and The Electric Company??!! You did your chores to the sound of Soul Train and hurried to make sure they were done before the afternoon karate flicks came on!!! I remember when my mother brought home my first copy of "Right On" magazine and New Edition was on the cover!! OMG!!! I fell in love with Bobby Brown right then and there!!! Menudo's "If Your Not Here" !!! Michael Jackson's world PREMIER of his "Thriller" video. My friends and I cramped in my girlfriend room to watch it and was scared out of our witts!!! Boy George, Madonna, George Michaels and Simply Red. I remember when my mother had to kick my younger brothers and their friends out the house from playing Callico Vision and ATARI all day long!! Monopoly, Trouble and Connect Four were the board games of choice. Lee jeans, Nike Cortez sneakers, footsie socks, Bomber jackets, flouresant clothing, JouJou's, bubblegum jeans, Pinstripped Lee jeans, LeTigre shirts, Triple fat goose, 8 ball jackets etc... Let's not forget penny candies, sunflower seeds, quarter waters, real 25 cent bag of chips, now & laters, tiny tarts, fun dip, gingerbread cookies, charleston chews etc. OMG!!! Remember when you were able to go out as a group to go Trick or treating on Halloween and your parents made you a costume?!! Block Parties!!! The teachers actually cared and the children actually had respect and parents actually beat ass!!! Basketball players wore "short shorts". Diana Ross gave her free concert in Central Park and my parents came home soaked because Ms. Ross still performed in the RAIN and sang I'm Coming Out!!! Those were the days!!!!
From: Chaun

This is one page of many, check out the intro at Why I Love The 80s where you can add your own memories as well.