Does anyone think the '50s have become almost a totally dead decade in terms of mainstream interest?

They had their revival on pop culture from about the early 1970s to the mid 1980s. Movies like American Graffiti and the first Back to the Future as period pieces were common. Styles like leather jackets, a Conservative suburban feeling and music like the Stray Cats, Billy Joel, Hall and Oates and David Lee Roth also exemplified this (alot of early MTV songs were VERY '50s influenced, while still bringing something new to the table).

They even survived into the atmosphere in a reduced extent during the '90s. Like, I'd sometimes hear Elvis or doo wop songs on oldies stations, and they were still generally perceived as the uppermost "parents' time". Yet now it's like they're too old even for that, and are pretty much irrelevant and off the radar totally. With current little kids, or people who were parents earlier on, they're probably the grandparents' era. This makes me sad, just because they had such a footing over the culture for so long. Personally I always saw them as being stuck in that midperiod. Different enough to be interesting in a historical sense, but current enough to relate to them and want to hang out there (just like the real Marty McFly did!). ;)

Even if music didn't really start getting its true variety until the 1964+ time, it was the beginning of the modern era in many ways. Especially the image of real teenagers and basic forms of youth culture. There are limited places in which it's still alive. There's some old-fashioned diners with jukeboxes and stuff over here, but it's more niche as opposed to mainstream.

I think everyone is much more interested in the 80's now. Like there were alot of elements of 50's/60's fashion in late 70's/80's fashion, there's alot of 80's elements in fashion now. Plus there were/are movies made in the late 90's/2000's like "The Wedding Singer", "Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion", "Never Been Kissed", and others that are nostalgic for the 80's. So I think the world has just moved on.


In the 90's, 70's nostalgia was big. Bell bottoms came back, along with long, straight hair for girls and peace symbols and smiley face stickers and badges were everywhere. In the 70's and 80's, 50's/60's nostalgia was big. And I think people in the 50's were a little nostalgic for the 20's, with movies like "Singing In The Rain" and "Some Like It Hot".

There is nostalgia for it, but the people who really remember what is was like, who were in their late teens and twenties are aging out.

^Memory starts at 3 or 4, not 17. ;)

What I'm saying overall is that even in the early-mid '90s you could hear pre-British Invasion songs on oldies stations. Even if they were viewed pretty much as no less ancient than now, they seemed to be on the tail end of the pop culture radar. This doesn't really exist anymore. Like they probably wouldn't make movies that were set back there on a regular basis the way they used to. Cher was in a '50s-set movie called Mermaids, which came out in 1990.

I guess when something gets to be Fifty years ago, it crosses from just being old to actually being historic in a sense, as sad as that is. I mean, imagine how old the Wild West must've seemed to someone in World War II.

I myself am a huge fan of Marilyn Monroe (who was popular in the 50's) and have met some very young people (14-21 years old) that are "into" her as well.
So I think people just identify with certain eras and the people in them.
I love all vintage things but that's just me!
I agree though, the 50's are not so popular but I still love that time in history.

As everyone here already knows...I am an extreme aficionado of the 50's, and earlier.  I try to keep the memory alive in my everyday life. I know that it may not be as popular of a decade among the trends of today...but there are still a vast amount of people who are true followers of that era. :)

And I think people in the 50's were a little nostalgic for the 20's, with movies like "Singing In The Rain" and "Some Like It Hot".


Changing the subject a little, but you might actually be right with that, now that I think about it.

I used to think nostalgia in general didn't start until the early 1970s, when the mid '50s Elvis era became far enough away and seemed pretty innocent compared to the Vietnam War and just generally more counterculture and scarier, darker things that had happened since (i.e. the gas shortage). I can see how people would've said "This ain't what it was like fifteen years ago, huh?"

Yet, someone in the '50s could've said the same thing about a time before World War II and the Depression. The 1920s seemed more prosperous and innocent compared to that, plus it also was after the hardships of WWI and after "modern" conveinences had erased the old west lifestyle. The nostalgia for it might've not been as mainstream, but now that you mention it, I'm sure it existed. For instance, Gene Kelly was in his 40s when he made Singing in the Rain, so I wouldn't be surprised if it appealed to him for that reason.

P.S. Speaking of that - something cool I heard once in an interview. Paula Abdul was actually inspired to go into performing in general from seeing Kelly in Singing in the Rain when she was around 4 years old. He became one of her idols for that reason (and, that movie was already a classic/semi oldie in the late 1960s when she must've seen it for the first time!). Stuff does transcend time in alot of ways.

But, back to the original point...maybe I'm thinking too much about songs on the radio to determine this.

The Telecommunications Act was passed in 1996, and that slowly sapped more of the variety out of radio stations over time. If it weren't for that, I bet some of the oldies stations would still play at least the more popular '50s songs. Just like alot of popular early '90s songs have vanished, it's probably largely for the same reason.

Memory starts at 3 or 4, not 17. ;)



Memory may start at 3 or 4, but being a part of the era begins somewhere is high school.  I was born in 1951, and, although I have memories of the 50s pop culture, my individual conciseness and participation in popular culture began in the early 60s.  My friends and I looked back on the pop culture of the 30s and 40s much as I see some of you looking back at the 70s and 80s. 

But, back to the original point...maybe I'm thinking too much about songs on the radio to determine this.

The Telecommunications Act was passed in 1996, and that slowly sapped more of the variety out of radio stations over time. If it weren't for that, I bet some of the oldies stations would still play at least the more popular '50s songs. Just like alot of popular early '90s songs have vanished, it's probably largely for the same reason.


Yeah, I have noticed whenever I listen to the oldies station where I live that they mostly play 60's and 70's songs these days.

If you go to your local blues bar, chances are you can find a good rockabilly band playing there from time to time.

If you go to your local blues bar, chances are you can find a good rockabilly band playing there from time to time.


Yeah, but you don't see too many throwing their panties on stage, and if they are they sure aren't thongs    ;D

Memory may start at 3 or 4, but being a part of the era begins somewhere is high school.  I was born in 1951, and, although I have memories of the 50s pop culture, my individual conciseness and participation in popular culture began in the early 60s.  My friends and I looked back on the pop culture of the 30s and 40s much as I see some of you looking back at the 70s and 80s. 


Memory starting at 3 or 4? That's rather young. My memories don't begin till the age of 6 and there are even people that I know whose earliest memories happen from the age of 10. I learned through school that childhood memories happen around from the age of 6 to 10 on average.

As for being part of the era beginning in highschool, I think it starts earlier like around 11 or even 10. In '86 when I was 10 (yep I'm a retro), I remember starting to  become really interested in the radio and music videos. I think I got my first non-kiddie cassette for Christmas that year, which was Glass Tiger's Thin Red Line. Being born in the the latter half of the 70s and having almost no recollection or participation of the culture, except for my parents who keep on mentioning that "Dancing Queen" is my song since I would wiggle around to it in my highchair, I find myself looking back on that decade along with the 60s.

Memory starting at 3 or 4? That's rather young. My memories don't begin till the age of 6 and there are even people that I know whose earliest memories happen from the age of 10. I learned through school that childhood memories happen around from the age of 6 to 10 on average.

As for being part of the era beginning in highschool, I think it starts earlier like around 11 or even 10. In '86 when I was 10 (yep I'm a retro), I remember starting to  become really interested in the radio and music videos. I think I got my first non-kiddie cassette for Christmas that year, which was Glass Tiger's Thin Red Line. Being born in the the latter half of the 70s and having almost no recollection or participation of the culture, except for my parents who keep on mentioning that "Dancing Queen" is my song since I would wiggle around to it in my highchair, I find myself looking back on that decade along with the 60s.

Forgot to respond to this, but I more or less agree. I think one reason people can never totally agree on this stuff is because it goes in incriments. Vague recollections start around 3, but I would probably agree that you'd have to be 6 or 7 to have a totally crystal clear recollection of things, and probably an adult level understanding by 11-13.


Well I disagree personally on the age old argument that you need to be high school age to participate in the culture. I think that's ridiculous, but I'll just leave it at that. :) I think everyone's life is different, but the common thing is that we all tend to use our own past as an example, because that's what seems normal to us. So on that level I can grasp why someone might say that. Keep in mind though, that I was born in 1981 and some of my alltime, absolute favorite music is from 1984 and '85. Yes, I did hear quite a bit of it when it was first popular on the radio (some I didn't know until later though). My parents and alot of our friends, as well as my babysitters were all music lovers thankfully, lol.

I remember the basic feel of the time too, even if my memories are foggy and not that detailed. Kinda like when you first wake up in the morning and are in that groggy, in limbo state between sleep and consciousness where you can't quite recall the dream you just had, lol.

Memory starting at 3 or 4? That's rather young. My memories don't begin till the age of 6 and there are even people that I know whose earliest memories happen from the age of 10. I learned through school that childhood memories happen around from the age of 6 to 10 on average.

As for being part of the era beginning in highschool, I think it starts earlier like around 11 or even 10. In '86 when I was 10 (yep I'm a retro), I remember starting to  become really interested in the radio and music videos. I think I got my first non-kiddie cassette for Christmas that year, which was Glass Tiger's Thin Red Line. Being born in the the latter half of the 70s and having almost no recollection or participation of the culture, except for my parents who keep on mentioning that "Dancing Queen" is my song since I would wiggle around to it in my highchair, I find myself looking back on that decade along with the 60s.


He's talking first possible thing that you remember, some people seem to think to say 'remembering' something means you when you have a total clear memory of it and that's not necessarily the case. I think a persons solid memory begins around 6 or 7, and barring medical reasons there's no way someone can't remember anything at all from when they were 6 years old. I think also most people remember a few things from when they were maybe 4 or 5 or maybe for some even earlier, and this is the type of memory that Marty was likely referring to. Being "part of the era", that differs with everybody, some people are into everything while very young, and other are totally out of the loop with the world even at an older age, though 11 or 10 is a decent average estimate.

There is nostalgia for it, but the people who really remember what is was like, who were in their late teens and twenties are aging out.

My parents had no nostalgia for it.  They hated the '50s.  The remember it as totally repressive, conformist, and paranoid.
I've mentioned it before--and I swear on a stack of bibles this is true--when I started wearing the flat-top crewcut style, my mother would nag me to let my hair grow out!  It reminded her of the '50s!
:D

My parents had no nostalgia for it.  They hated the '50s.  The remember it as totally repressive, conformist, and paranoid.
I've mentioned it before--and I swear on a stack of bibles this is true--when I started wearing the flat-top crewcut style, my mother would nag me to let my hair grow out!  It reminded her of the '50s!
:D


Not a big fan myself.  I remember watching the news and seeing the firehoses on on African Americans trying to vote.  First political conversation I had was with my mother, her trying to explain what was going on to a 6 year old. I have been interested, involved, and sceptical ever since.  Something good did come out of it. 

Yeah, I have noticed whenever I listen to the oldies station where I live that they mostly play 60's and 70's songs these days.
and i don't even consider that real oldies! :(

I think the 50's must have been glamousous. They come second in my favorite decades list, after the 90's. As for the age and memories question - I remember a lot of things since the kindergarten (4-5). Untill the age of 13 music meant only the school subject to me, then, from 13 to 18 I get in too deep with music, cars, trends and popular culture as a whole. However, at the age of 19 I got fed up with so much stuff and went back to basics. Now I've given up many trends because I got a trend overload.  :) As for the future, I plan following only few trends.