80s Nostalgia: Strange and Iconic

Kids today just don’t get it -the 80s felt like a completely different world.

I wanted to share my top 10 memories from the 1980s (my 80s nostalgia). It was a strange time to be alive, hard to imagine just how much things have changed…

1. The Boom Box – Better than Vinyl (80s Nostalgia)

Ah, the Classic Boom-Box. In the 1980s, FULL STEREO blaring directly into your ear hole was the only way a true connoisseur would listen to music. Unlike the miniature iPods of today, you didn’t need space in your pocket or bag because a Boom-Box sat quite comfortably on top of your shoulder.

2. 1980s Style Pizza Hut (Retro 80s Nostalgia)

The Pizza Hut franchise was a very different thing in the mid-1980s. It was like a proper family restaurant. The whole family would go and get served deep-panned pizzas in real, pipping hot skillets. It was tasty stuff and smelled awesome, too. When we were lucky enough to go ourselves, we even had to dress up. Because it was an event. -Not Church dress-up, mind you, but still, not MacDonald’s causals either.

3. Healthy Options… Smoking Indoors (Nostalgic Smells)

All I wanna say on this is, in the ’80s, smoking indoors was a normal, everyday occurrence. It was normal to walk into a shop or venue and to be greeted by a wall of smoke. After a delicious meal, you could light up your favourite brand of cigarette right there and then in the restaurant and smoke away to your heart’s content! As a result, everything was covered in a layer of soot and cigarette butts were littered all over the place. On the plus side, Singles were available to purchase from all good corner stores.

4. Phones attached to the Wall

Yes, phones used to be attached to wires, and the wires had to be plugged into a socket. ~That was the entire logic of the world in the 1980s. How else would you send the voice noises? TV remote controls were kids sitting on the floor in front of their parents. And don’t ask me how the TV signal actually worked because I don’t know! Didn’t matter anyway… wasn’t reliable in the slightest, all we watched was flickering all day, but I digress. If you wanted to talk to somebody while not in their presence, you needed to tell them to be near a phone, which was always attached to a wall, somewhere.

5. Markets & High Streets (Top 10 80s Nostalgia)

I know you can get everything online nowadays, but in the 80s, the Market was the place to go to get stuff from all over the world. None tested to local standards, mind you, but that’s what made it so affordable. Markets were a weekly activity for most families; we always bought fresh fruit and vegetables. It was also the reason behind Velcro wallets and wearing bum bags/fanny packs: to keep your money safe when literally stuck in the crowd. We also wore comfy walking shoes for all the miles we’d rack up. The stall keepers were vibrant, passionate, and cared -even if only trying to “flog” you something. Nowadays, many Sales Assistants get paid a wage and really couldn’t care less about what they sell (I, too, was once a Sales Assistant and speak with some authority on the matter).

6. Video VHS Stores (Blockbuster)

Renting a video and picking up some popcorn was one of the best things to do in the 1980s and 90s. It was wonderful. We would walk around the Video Store, musing over some random VHS tape we knew nothing about, just because we liked the photo on the cover or because we liked the Star. Of course, there were always big action films like Star Wars, Top Gun, and E.T., but most rentals were just potluck (without internet reviews). Either way, three things were guaranteed: 1. Somebody would have to work the video tracker to reduce flickering, 2. We’d have to endure the sound of the tape being stretched in the machine, and 3. We’d have to rewind the tape or risk being fined.

Blockbuster was our local Video Store, and it’s still strange to see the building reconditioned all these years later. 

Related: Remembering WCW Sting (90s nostalgia)

7. Flares & Hand-Me-downs (Throwback Fashion and Nostalgia)

I know every generation wears hand-me-downs, but when the decade before your birth is the 1970s, hand-me-downs take on a whole new meaning. I wore 70s Flares for most of my Primary School life (or way too much of it!), and it wasn’t fun or cool. Their glory days had long ended. Denim Jeans were trendy, sure. But the Flare Peaks were not.

8. Cassettes, Tapes, and Players (1980 Pop Culture)

I used to record my favourite songs on the radio on Cassette Tape to enjoy later at my leisure. But recording a song from the radio in the 1980s meant: 1. Having a tape ready to record in the Cassette Player 2. Listening to the radio station until your song was played 3. Holding your fingers over the RECORD/PLAY buttons near the end of each song, -because the next song could be yours. And lastly, 4. Hoping that the DJ didn’t mess it all up by chatting over the beginning or end of your track… It took a lot of patience!

9. The Nintendo NES (80s Kids Gaming Nostalgia)

I didn’t have a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) because we couldn’t afford one. However, some of my friends did… or, I should say, some kids who I befriended once I discovered that they had one did! I remember playing video games like Mario and Double Dragon at a friend’s house. -No longer did I have to imagine my Toy Soldiers fighting; now a computer could do all that for me. It’s a trend that continued for the rest of my life.

Gaming in the 1980s was pretty cool stuff. Later that decade, I would get to co-own (with my brother) my (our) very own (spit between us) Super NES. Awesome!

10. Your Mum… (80s Kids and School Days)

Nowadays, it seems that people can say whatever they like. And being the grumpy old cynic I am, I’m not a fan. Back in my day, one simple phrase could start something:

“Y-O-U-R
M-U-M”

I remember you could push sooo far, and everything would still be cool, right up until somebody got carried away and said, “Your Mum”.

The inevitable response was, “My mum? MY MUM? Don’t talk about MY MUM!” as eyes turned red and headwear came off.

“Your Mum” was the final diss/cuss and the greatest response to nearly anything.

And it didn’t matter how good or bad a mother actually was because her honour needed to be defended at all costs!

My Top 10 1980s Nostalgia

I was born in the early 1980s and can remember the cartoons, music, and big events from the mid-1980s on.

What strange or iconic things do you remember from those days? 

Let me know in the comments below.

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