I think it's probably like 2002-2003 that the revival of interest in synthpop and new wave started, with a new wave of indie rock inspired by it coming to the fore and design inspired by it, and just general revival of interest. I think we're just now moving into 1984 era nostalgia, though...most '80s nostalgia so far has been focused on new wave/post-punk like the Talking Heads, Blondie, Echo and the Bunnymen, Squeeze, Joy Division, The Smiths, Gary Numan, Soft Cell, The Cure, etc. The '80s revival will probably peak 2006-2007, though it started bigtime last fall with Madonna, Kate Bush coming back and Prince's recent comeback. Also, lately (slowly increasing since 2004), I think there's been more interest among young people in mainstream synthpop and '80s styles and movies.

I'd say like 2002, but the very earliest traces go back to 1997. '02 is when That '80s Show came out (which soon after flopped).

I would also say around 1997 as well.

I would also saw aroun 1997 as well.



Yeah, that's about the time I first heard the phrase "Child of the 80's" or "80's freak". What surprised me at first was people older than me calling themselves Children of the 80's because I was an actual child during that period. 

Musically, it really got into swing about mid 2004 with Interpol, the Killers, Morrowood, the New Pornographers, Audio Bullies, Kaiser Chiefs, the Darkness, Franz Ferdinand.etc.

I think we've yet to see a true 80s fashion revival. It exists, but its influence is still quite subtle.

I think it's just starting now, if you look at the runways and "street fashion." Like lately I've been seeing more big hair, miniskirts with big bows on them, hair ribbons, droopy collars and off-the-shoulder sweatshirts, ballet slippers with leggings, super-skinny pants, feathered hair, angular jewelry, etc. Also, the "preppie" look and all the layers you see now is an extension of '80s fashion. And if you look at the runways, there's increasing big shoulders and angular poofiness, skinny pants, super-dramatic angularity and tailoredness, bows, sweaters with pearls, high collars and cowl necks,  etc.

I think it's just starting now, if you look at the runways and "street fashion." Like lately I've been seeing more big hair, miniskirts with big bows on them, hair ribbons, droopy collars and off-the-shoulder sweatshirts, ballet slippers with leggings, super-skinny pants, feathered hair, angular jewelry, etc. Also, the "preppie" look and all the layers you see now is an extension of '80s fashion. And if you look at the runways, there's increasing big shoulders and angular poofiness, skinny pants, super-dramatic angularity and tailoredness, bows, sweaters with pearls, high collars and cowl necks,  etc.


I don't have quite the eye for fashion as you, but I do notice some of what you are referring to. I don't think it's enough for the ordinary person on the street to say, 'hey, that looks sooo 80s!'

1997 sounds right for the very beginnings with things like "school disco's" at nightclubs and 80s artist amking minor comebacks. By 1999 I was already going to 80s revival concerts nationwide in the UK (called Here & Now).

I think there's at least one retro club around here...not sure if it's still around.

I remember, maybe starting in the summer of 2002, there were alot of articles in the New York Times about the growing interest in all things from the early '80s. I also think the whole "hardcore" scene, represented by Black Flag and the Germs for example, had a big revival right then, and that's very early '80s, American-style. I think we're at the point now where people are saying "anything '80s is hot" and on the runway alot of designers are actually looking to the '80s.

It started in about 2002 and is peaking now.

It started in about 2002 and is peaking now.


I think it'll probably peak like later this year and early next year, though we're pretty close to peak now, certainly.

It started in about 2002 and is peaking now.


It's sad to think that in little time the '80s will be too old even to nostalgize about  :\'(

Eh, I think '80s nostalgia will finally cool off in the early '10s...and remember, we haven't even tapped the LATE '80s!

Eh, I think '80s nostalgia will finally cool off in the early '10s...and remember, we haven't even tapped the LATE '80s!


That's true ... I think late '80s nostalgia is really too late to nostalgize for.  In some ways, it's the same era as now.

Though the late '80s aren't quite as cool as the early-mid '80s. At least, the mainstream wasn't. The alternative scene was awesome, though.

Eh, I think '80s nostalgia will finally cool off in the early '10s...and remember, we haven't even tapped the LATE '80s!



80's nostalga will cool off in about 2011 and some early 90's nosalgia will start in about 2012.

I'd say it started in 2001...that's when I first noticed it and consequently wrote an article about it - which was then published by the BBC :D My article was mainly about the music and the fashion - as far as I'm concerned, that's when the 80s cover songs were coming back and a few trends were starting up again. I think we've hit the 80s peak at the moment, 2003 and 2004 saw loads of synthy and 80s influenced bands - for eample, The Killers, Bloc Party, Scissor Sisters, The Bravery and there have also been hundreds of 80s samples in current hit songs ( Call on Me, Out Of Touch, Somebody's watching Me, Waiting for a star to fall etc...).

Fashion wise there are so many trends that are pretty 'cool' and 'in' at the moment - but not to the extent that they were in the 80s - things are just a little bit more subtle nowadays. However, I do disagree with the comment that people would not say, 'That's so 80s' to items of clothing.  I do, and I know a lot of people who would also say that. I think my generation has an eye for 80s items beacuse we saw them in out childhood - personally I love wearing my footless tights and mini ra-ra skirt and I love saluting the 80s!

I'd say it started in 2001...that's when I first noticed it and consequently wrote an article about it - which was then published by the BBC :D My article was mainly about the music and the fashion - as far as I'm concerned, that's when the 80s cover songs were coming back and a few trends were starting up again. I think we've hit the 80s peak at the moment, 2003 and 2004 saw loads of synthy and 80s influenced bands - for eample, The Killers, Bloc Party, Scissor Sisters, The Bravery and there have also been hundreds of 80s samples in current hit songs ( Call on Me, Out Of Touch, Somebody's watching Me, Waiting for a star to fall etc...).

Fashion wise there are so many trends that are pretty 'cool' and 'in' at the moment - but not to the extent that they were in the 80s - things are just a little bit more subtle nowadays. However, I do disagree with the comment that people would not say, 'That's so 80s' to items of clothing.  I do, and I know a lot of people who would also say that. I think my generation has an eye for 80s items beacuse we saw them in out childhood - personally I love wearing my footless tights and mini ra-ra skirt and I love saluting the 80s!


I think we'll probably start seeing nostalgia for things that are 1988ish, underground rock and hip-hop particularly, in like 2009, and real heavy-duty early '90s nostalgia will start getting big sometime between 2010 and 2012.

I agree that early '80s nostalgia probably started in trace amounts around 1997...but the '80s were still pretty widely-ridiculed until 2002, though this started breaking down in 2001, and the late '80s still don't have alot of fans in some ways.

I'm thinking the earliest signs of 1987-1991ish nostalgia will start around 2007 and continue through the early 2010s, with revivals of "noise rock" (Pixies, Jane's Addiction, RHCP)/college rock and old school hip-hop, and maybe stuff like freestyle and club music a la Dee Lite.

I think we'll probably start seeing nostalgia for things that are 1988ish, underground rock and hip-hop particularly, in like 2009, and real heavy-duty early '90s nostalgia will start getting big sometime between 2010 and 2012.

I agree that early '80s nostalgia probably started in trace amounts around 1997...but the '80s were still pretty widely-ridiculed until 2002, though this started breaking down in 2001, and the late '80s still don't have alot of fans in some ways.

I'm thinking the earliest signs of 1987-1991ish nostalgia will start around 2007 and continue through the early 2010s, with revivals of "noise rock" (Pixies, Jane's Addiction, RHCP)/college rock and old school hip-hop, and maybe stuff like freestyle and club music a la Dee Lite.


I'm really not looking forward to early '90s nostalgia.  Because so much of the flavor, if not atmosphere/thought system of the early '90s is present now.  A '90s nostalgia wave would simply made the '10s another new nineties decade.

I'm really not looking forward to early '90s nostalgia.  Because so much of the flavor, if not atmosphere/thought system of the early '90s is present now.  A '90s nostalgia wave would simply made the '10s another new nineties decade.


I agree - I just don't see what would be so special about an early 90s revival to be honest? The 90s weren't an entirely 'new' decade beacuse they had re-hased popular culture from other eras. Then again, the 80s did that too, to some extent - but I like the 80s more :P

I agree - I just don't see what would be so special about an early 90s revival to be honest? The 90s weren't an entirely 'new' decade beacuse they had re-hased popular culture from other eras. Then again, the 80s did that too, to some extent - but I like the 80s more :P


I agree.  I don't hate the '90s so much for themselves (although I like the '80s better); I hate how everything '90s is still around and cool today.  Why couldn't there be a '90s backlash?

I'd so much rather have a '90s rehash than an '80s rehash in some ways, just because our '80s rehash has amounted to materialism. Not EVERYTHING '90s is still around and cool today, that's a massive misperception. There was a grunge backlash, maybe not in the PNW so much, but alot of East Coast people wouldn't be caught dead in a Pearl Jam t-shirt or a Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt. There really was a '90s backlash, more subtly. People got sick of how dress-down the '90s were, for one. People got sick of the Backstreet Boys and N*Sync and teen pop and tried to make out Vanessa Carlton and Jessica Simpson to be their exact opposites. People started to hate grunge and long for something '80s. People got sick of happy songs like "Steal My Sunshine" and started falling in love with emo. People got sick of the super-violent, dress-down rap of the '90s and wanted "glamour" out of hip-hop. Etc. I'm sure people were saying the same thing at the time about the '70s, but the '90s and '00s are as different as the '60s and '70s. The backlash was just more subtle and reflexive.

I'd so much rather have a '90s rehash than an '80s rehash in some ways, just because our '80s rehash has amounted to materialism. Not EVERYTHING '90s is still around and cool today, that's a massive misperception. There was a grunge backlash, maybe not in the PNW so much, but alot of East Coast people wouldn't be caught dead in a Pearl Jam t-shirt or a Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt. There really was a '90s backlash, more subtly. People got sick of how dress-down the '90s were, for one. People got sick of the Backstreet Boys and N*Sync and teen pop and tried to make out Vanessa Carlton and Jessica Simpson to be their exact opposites. People started to hate grunge and long for something '80s. People got sick of happy songs like "Steal My Sunshine" and started falling in love with emo. People got sick of the super-violent, dress-down rap of the '90s and wanted "glamour" out of hip-hop. Etc. I'm sure people were saying the same thing at the time about the '70s, but the '90s and '00s are as different as the '60s and '70s. The backlash was just more subtle and reflexive.



I agree 100%. Alot of things from the 90's(esp. the early 90's) is out of style today and the general atmosphere of the 2000's is much different from the 90's. There's alot of 90's stuff still around but I'd say that's more late 90's.

I agree 100%. Alot of things from the 90's(esp. the early 90's) is out of style today and the general atmosphere of the 2000's is much different from the 90's. There's alot of 90's stuff still around but I'd say that's more late 90's.


Yeah, 1987-1994 had alot of things (old school, squiggle and triangle design hip-hop, great alt rock) that are ripe for revival.

Yeah, 1987-1994 had alot of things (old school, squiggle and triangle design hip-hop, great alt rock) that are ripe for revival.



Yeah, Im actually pretty excited about a possible late 80's revival. There were alot of cool things from that time period that I'd like to see come back.

I'd so much rather have a '90s rehash than an '80s rehash in some ways, just because our '80s rehash has amounted to materialism. Not EVERYTHING '90s is still around and cool today, that's a massive misperception. There was a grunge backlash, maybe not in the PNW so much, but alot of East Coast people wouldn't be caught dead in a Pearl Jam t-shirt or a Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt. There really was a '90s backlash, more subtly. People got sick of how dress-down the '90s were, for one. People got sick of the Backstreet Boys and N*Sync and teen pop and tried to make out Vanessa Carlton and Jessica Simpson to be their exact opposites. People started to hate grunge and long for something '80s. People got sick of happy songs like "Steal My Sunshine" and started falling in love with emo. People got sick of the super-violent, dress-down rap of the '90s and wanted "glamour" out of hip-hop. Etc. I'm sure people were saying the same thing at the time about the '70s, but the '90s and '00s are as different as the '60s and '70s. The backlash was just more subtle and reflexive.


I agree. Actually you'd be surprised at how many '90s haters there are.

I agree. Actually you'd be surprised at how many '90s haters there are.


I think the very "laid back", subtle feel to the '90s was part of what made it special. Alot of people do hate the '90s, though, particularly hipsters.

I hate the 90s. Early 90s okay... late 90s okay... but from 93-96 the music and fashion was bad... really bad, worse than some 80s fashions... I'm talking huge shiny satin shirts and things like that.

I hate the 90s. Early 90s okay... late 90s okay... but from 93-96 the music and fashion was bad... really bad, worse than some 80s fashions... I'm talking huge shiny satin shirts and things like that.


I think 1997 was the low-point of the '80s. 1990-1992 is good culturally, 1993-1996 is okay, 1998 and 1999 are okay.

I think 1997 was the low-point of the '80s. 1990-1992 is good culturally, 1993-1996 is okay, 1998 and 1999 are okay.


I actually liked some 1997ish stuff...like what was on the first NOW compilation. Radio rock was pretty good then.

i don't know when or why it started but i'm glad it did! i love the 80's and always will.  it's my childhood.  i will always miss it  :\'(