the 80's

[Silk]

I was 17 in 1970,and 27 in 1980 - after the excitement of the 70's,the 80's were marriage,kids and mortgage,I thought the '80's were really boring,and the music was even worse.

But looking back at that decade - I had 10 jobs,so can't have been that boring,and in retrospect the music was pretty good.

I still prefer the '70's for music and culture.

 

[Barkleymut]

Originally Posted By: rpn453
BMX racing, skateboarding, indoor rollerskating, high speed dubbing, Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant, Countaches and Testarossas, and yes, definitely some Skid Row. I saw them open for Aerosmith in 1990 at age eleven. Appetite for Destruction is my favorite album from that period.


Ha ha, I saw Dokken open for Aerosmith in 88, my first concert. Also one of my favorites of all time. I remember spending almost a year listening to Appetite for Destruction. I still get pumped when one of those songs comes up on my ipod, heck my kids even know Welcome to the Jungle.

My first purchased music was a 33 record of MJ's Thriller.

Chrysler New Yorkers from the mid 80s must have weighed 9 tons.

My first 2 cars were from the 80s. An 82 Plymouth Sapporo and a 88 Pulsar NX, I loved both of those cars. The Sappy was awesome to drive and way too fast for a stupid 16 year old. Once the flywheel destroyed 3 starters we scrapped it and got the Pulsar with Ttops while I was in college.

I remember when the 86 (I think that was the year for the new body style) 300ZX came out, that was sweet. One of my friends dads had a 83 Porsche 911 convertible, that car was beyond awesome.

Our computers consisted of a Texas Instruments TI 99A and then we upgraded to an Apple 2 GS.

I tried to breakdance but couldn't even do the backspin on my friends piece of cardboard.

I will admit to owning one pair of fat neon orange shoelaces, but I destroyed all photographic evidence.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I was in high school from 83-87. Good times indeed!

 

[Shannow]

80s ?

Ratt
Iron Maiden
WASP
Icehouse
Spy Vs Spy
My late 60s/early 70s Toranas.

 

[Pablo]

The 80's were a good time for me to drop the whole hippie theme.

 

[Smokescreen]

When I am not listening to classical, 80's music dominates the selections. There are a few hits from later years that get played, but they are not nearly as numerous. I found grunge and the like music of the mid-late 90's to be blah and of no originality. All my kids listen to 80's as the majority of it you can understand the words, sing along and dance to it. Can't say that about a lot of todays music unless you have your angry on.

I still have my boom box from my teen years, it plays 24/7 in my garage tuned to the local 60-80's radio station. I still have my Transformers, and my kids play with those some are worth a pretty penny these days. Back to the Future still is one of the greats for movies....Delorean...Wrath of Kahn....IROC Z Camaro, all memorable.

Weird Al Yankovic in 3D was my first cassette. Aha, Men Without Hats, Divo, OMD, Depeche Mode, Billy Idol, Yello, Bryan Adams, Honeymoon Suite, Huey Lewis & the News...different groups experimenting with sound and instruments.

It was simpler times IMO. People talked to each other back then too...unlike todays texting hermits.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I still love the 80's.

 

[opus1]

Well put, Smokescreen.

I graduated HS in 81 and college in 85. I miss the 80's.

 

[PandaBear]

I was growing up in Hong Kong at the time (born in 78), so it was the era of my childhood.

During that time, factories were running full capacities and both parents worked 6 days a week. Money was not easy to make but jobs were plentiful. We lived in the "roof house" I mentioned in the photo forums 3 years ago, a tin foil box that has little to no insulation.

People had more physical and financial stress but in general seems happier as they know the better time is coming. Kids weren't expecting to all go to college just to barely make a living, they either graduate 9th grade and go work in the factories or in service industries, or they go to college and expect to work in office and be a manager some days.

Culturally it was a time when all fashion statement were influenced by American pop culture than Japanese pop culture. Car ownerships were scarce and parking were plentiful. Many people lived in illegally build housing called "wooden house", shacks build on the hill side, so lives weren't all good to all people just like today.

 

[HM12460]

The 80's flat out frigging rocked! 1986 was my favorite year. Bought a new 1988 Ranger in the fall of '87 for around 10 bills.

 

[AdRock]

I was born in 1972. I remember sitting in front of the TV when MTV came to life and played "Video Killed The Radio Star".

 

[mechanicx]

Well put Smokescreen. I think the 80's is to the '10's as the 50's were to the 80's if that makes sense. That's how much I see it has changed in less than 30 years since the 80's and the 80's was about the last "normal" time that I can remember.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: Smokescreen


Weird Al Yankovic in 3D was my first cassette. Aha, Men Without Hats, Divo, OMD, Depeche Mode, Billy Idol, Yello, Bryan Adams, Honeymoon Suite, Huey Lewis & the News...different groups experimenting with sound and instruments.

I forgot about Huey Lewis & The News.
I saw them perform at Six Flags. Also saw Duran Duran, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts...etc...there.

If a girl you liked had a season pass, you could take her to a big name concert for the cost of a couple of overpriced soft drinks.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Well put Smokescreen. I think the 80's is to the '10's as the 50's were to the 80's if that makes sense. That's how much I see it has changed in less than 30 years since the 80's and the 80's was about the last "normal" time that I can remember.


The fundamental law of coolness: Things that you have not seen since you were born, that has been uncool and out of style for so long, that it is no longer uncool and out of style, will be extremely cool.

So, whatever was cool when your parents were kids, but turns uncool when they were teenager, and have never been seen since they became adults and give birth to you, will be super cool to you.

Make sense?

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: Patman
I was big into this in the 80s too! I did a ton of BMX racing between 1983 and 1986, then retired for a few years and got back into it again for 1989 and 1990 before retiring for good. I raced a lot of NBL national events in 84 and 85, in fact I was NBL National Number 22 for the 15 expert class in 1985.


I got into it a little later. I think '88, which was probably about the peak. It seemed to be in decline right after. Freestyle was taking over in popularity. I raced for three years, but lost a lot of interest when they moved the track across town into a bad area, and it probably took an hour to ride there instead of five minutes. That track didn't last long. Too much assault and vandalism. I did another two years in the late nineties after the local club built a track near the original location and hosted the world championships. It folded shortly after though. Some people are trying to get it going again, and even managed to build a crude track which I used to bruise my ribs and scrape a bunch of skin off my arm. I concluded I am now far too old for it.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: Barkleymut
I will admit to owning one pair of fat neon orange shoelaces, but I destroyed all photographic evidence.


Ah yes, neon. How could I forget. I even had some neon components on my skateboard, though I remember being introduced to neon well before that, through toys.

My sister had the Thriller record, so I've heard that many times. Permanent Vacation was the first real album I can remember owning. I received the cassette as a birthday gift from a friend. I had never heard of them, but it got the ball rolling. My first purchased album was either Appetite for Destruction or Hysteria. I bought both cassettes shortly after.

Now I'm remembering clothes. Chip and Pepper, Airwalk, Vans, and Vision Street Wear.

How about radio controlled cars? They were fairly big in the '80s. I was too young for a serious one, but I had a Tyco Turbo Hopper that saw a lot of use.

 

[PandaBear]

How I remembered the 80s

One thing I really missed from the 80s were arcades. The 80s have a lot of simple games that are affordable, then when it gets into 90s it becomes more and more expensive, to the point of unaffordable. Now it is almost completely gone.

Oh, Fanta (the orange soda) was big in the 80s. McDonalds were starting to become affordable (they used to be expensive), but not yet reaching the point to be considered poor man's food.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Well put Smokescreen. I think the 80's is to the '10's as the 50's were to the 80's if that makes sense. That's how much I see it has changed in less than 30 years since the 80's and the 80's was about the last "normal" time that I can remember.


The fundamental law of coolness: Things that you have not seen since you were born, that has been uncool and out of style for so long, that it is no longer uncool and out of style, will be extremely cool.

So, whatever was cool when your parents were kids, but turns uncool when they were teenager, and have never been seen since they became adults and give birth to you, will be super cool to you.

Make sense?


I know fashion and what's considered cool is cyclic, but I'm old enough to remember the 80's well. Besides I'm not talking about just fads and trends but a lot of bigger things and society overall.

 

[r_w]

Hah, I used to drive an '83 S-10 listening to Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Heart, and Van Halen.

Been through the 80's. Had a blast, lived in a college town.

I remember when Madonna and Cindy Lauper first got started. I just knew that Cindy Lauper would long outlast Madonna on the charts - oh well, can't win 'em all.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

The Outfield. Saw them open for Night Ranger. Great show!
The 80s'...Kathy Ireland, Ronald Reagan, Bruce Hornsby, Queensryche, Rush, lingerie as regular clothing (thank you Madonna!), and parachute pants. I miss the 80s.


I really wanted an '89 Acura Integra LS, for about $14K but couldn't afford it on small wages.

 

[Diesel_Clatter]

Graduated from High School in 1985 and College in 1991.

Remember when nobody ate at Taco Bell because it was too expensive.

Turned up collars and izod shirts (I had to settle for some other creature beside the alligator).

damp, dark, Mother Fletchers at OSU on a Thursday night with a $4 bucket of beer. New Order Temptation playing

Tropical print shorts.

For me, Modern English melt with you will always be the quintessential 80's song.