Do you think '80s nostalgia is peaking right now? I personally think it's starting to, partially because when decades are at their nadir around the '6 and '7 years they usually go to nostalgia, as happened in the '90s. For example, there was Rihanna's "S.O.S", the emo trend (which goes off of new wave and '80s nostalgia alot) is peaking, the whole materialism thing is currently very high, as is preppieness, primetime soaps are really popular, alot of '80s artists like Prince and Madonna are making comebacks, they're using '80s songs in commercials...I think it started in 2001 or 2002 and will probably extend to 2012, but the stuff c. 2010 will be more 1989ish nostalgia for stuff like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, old school hip-hop and alt rock, etc.

Do you think '80s nostalgia is peaking right now? I personally think it's starting to, partially because when decades are at their nadir around the '6 and '7 years they usually go to nostalgia, as happened in the '90s. For example, there was Rihanna's "S.O.S", the emo trend (which goes off of new wave and '80s nostalgia alot) is peaking, the whole materialism thing is currently very high, as is preppieness, primetime soaps are really popular, alot of '80s artists like Prince and Madonna are making comebacks, they're using '80s songs in commercials...I think it started in 2001 or 2002 and will probably extend to 2012, but the stuff c. 2010 will be more 1989ish nostalgia for stuff like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, old school hip-hop and alt rock, etc.


Yeah, I see what you mean. I reckon atm the main years we're nostalgic about are the mid 80s from about 1984-1986, with Duran Duran/XTC inspired Prog Rock, the preppiness of that era, and as you said the return of Prince and Madonna (which is probably just coincidental). Late 80s nostalgic - with a renewed interest in stuff like T.M.N.T (there is a new series, actually), and old school hip hop is just germinating.

Bump.

Do you think '80s nostalgia is peaking right now? I personally think it's starting to, partially because when decades are at their nadir around the '6 and '7 years they usually go to nostalgia, as happened in the '90s. For example, there was Rihanna's "S.O.S", the emo trend (which goes off of new wave and '80s nostalgia alot) is peaking, the whole materialism thing is currently very high, as is preppieness, primetime soaps are really popular, alot of '80s artists like Prince and Madonna are making comebacks, they're using '80s songs in commercials...I think it started in 2001 or 2002 and will probably extend to 2012, but the stuff c. 2010 will be more 1989ish nostalgia for stuff like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, old school hip-hop and alt rock, etc.


Do you think nostalgia usually occurs because there's sort of a "lull" around the "6" year of a decade? Sort of a collective "Well, it's getting a little boring now, let's see what else we've got laying around here" attitude? I think that happened with '60s nostalgia taking off circa 1986/87 once the '50s retro cool had maxed out.

Do you think nostalgia usually occurs because there's sort of a "lull" around the "6" year of a decade? Sort of a collective "Well, it's getting a little boring now, let's see what else we've got laying around here" attitude? I think that happened with '60s nostalgia taking off circa 1986/87 once the '50s retro cool had maxed out.


Yeah, that definitely happens with the '6 and '7 years. Like how it happened in the '6 and '7 period of the '90s...around 1997 and early 1998, there was such an unbelievable concentration of '70s nostalgia in movies, fashion, TV, music, etc. All this nostalgia for blaxploitation and disco. Before in the '00s, there was '80s nostalgia and this decade could get pretty blatantly early-mid '80s inspired...like around 2001-2003 was the first rush of it, with I Love the '80s, all the blatantly '80s-influenced music and fashion, and tons of movies like Donnie Darko and American Psycho getting made. But now, I think it's coming back again, since the glow of 2004 and 2005 is fading.

Yeah, that definitely happens with the '6 and '7 years. Like how it happened in the '6 and '7 period of the '90s...around 1997 and early 1998, there was such an unbelievable concentration of '70s nostalgia in movies, fashion, TV, music, etc. All this nostalgia for blaxploitation and disco. Before in the '00s, there was '80s nostalgia and this decade could get pretty blatantly early-mid '80s inspired...like around 2001-2003 was the first rush of it, with I Love the '80s, all the blatantly '80s-influenced music and fashion, and tons of movies like Donnie Darko and American Psycho getting made. But now, I think it's coming back again, since the glow of 2004 and 2005 is fading.


70s nostalgia peaked about 96-97 with movies like 'Jackie Brown', a revival in Kung-Fu flicks, even Pulp Fiction-inspired movies (though Pulp Fiction was of course not set in the 70s, in terms of cinematic style it was very 70s). 80s revivalism probably peaked in late 2005 when British 80s-revivalist bands had their strongest grip on the psyche.

Nah, the '80s have not even hit their stride yet.  I see a return to the popularity of big shoulder pads for women, and greed on Wall Street in our future.

70s nostalgia peaked about 96-97 with movies like 'Jackie Brown', a revival in Kung-Fu flicks, even Pulp Fiction-inspired movies (though Pulp Fiction was of course not set in the 70s, in terms of cinematic style it was very 70s). 80s revivalism probably peaked in late 2005 when British 80s-revivalist bands had their strongest grip on the psyche.


There was also a glut of movies and books inspired by the earlier '70s, like The Ice Storm in late 1997, and the return of bellbottoms.

I think the '80s nostalgia is beginning to peak right now, but it'll go on for awhile longer. For example, the clothes shown for spring 2006 were so '80s-looking, and I only think they're going to get more that way, so the fashions of fall 2006 and spring 2007 will be very, very '80s.

There was also a glut of movies and books inspired by the earlier '70s, like The Ice Storm in late 1997, and the return of bellbottoms.

I think the '80s nostalgia is beginning to peak right now, but it'll go on for awhile longer. For example, the clothes shown for spring 2006 were so '80s-looking, and I only think they're going to get more that way, so the fashions of fall 2006 and spring 2007 will be very, very '80s.


Do you think the fashions of 2006 are more like the 80s than those of 1996, despite the fact they are more recent? Cos in the 90s alot of girls wore tights/leggings with skirts, those 80s hair-scrunchy things, bandanas.etc

Do you think the fashions of 2006 are more like the 80s than those of 1996, despite the fact they are more recent? Cos in the 90s alot of girls wore tights/leggings with skirts, those 80s hair-scrunchy things, bandanas.etc


Lol, hair-scrunchies are very much a '90s and NOT an '80s thing. I think the tights/leggings with skirt thing seemed to have died from about 1994 to 2004, and has lately been experiencing a revival as part of the '80s revival.

i don't ever want the 80's nostalgia to end. i love the 80's. i miss the 80's. i'll never get over the 80's.

i don't ever want the 80's nostalgia to end. i love the 80's. i miss the 80's. i'll never get over the 80's.


I personally think the sooner it ends, the better.

I personally think the sooner it ends, the better.


I love new wave, but I'm a little bit sick of the nostalgia for it and want to move onto nostalgia for late '80s stuff such as old school alt rock, including say Husker Du and the Replacements.

I love new wave, but I'm a little bit sick of the nostalgia for it and want to move onto nostalgia for late '80s stuff such as old school alt rock, including say Husker Du and the Replacements.


Would you welcome 90s nostalgia when it hits (hopefully in the late 00s)?

Would you welcome 90s nostalgia when it hits (hopefully in the late 00s)?


I think it'll hit in the early '10s, c. 2011, and I'll welcome it.

I think it'll hit in the early '10s, c. 2011, and I'll welcome it.


I can't wait to see people walking around wearing 'Beavis and Butthead' T-shirts - though 11 years seems a bit premature for 'real' nostalgia. Perhaps the first wave will be nostalgia for the very early 90s/grunge style, with the late 90s nostalgia around 2014 or so.

I hope it's past it's peak with those superficial "I Love The '80s" series on VH1.

I like history and analysis, not nostalgia. As I always say, nostalgia is goodstalgia!

I hope it's past it's peak with those superficial "I Love The '80s" series on VH1.

I like history and analysis, not nostalgia. As I always say, nostalgia is goodstalgia!


I do think the critical reappraisal of '80s artists and their promotion to being widely recognized as important has been a good part of '80s nostalgia.

I love new wave, but I'm a little bit sick of the nostalgia for it and want to move onto nostalgia for late '80s stuff such as old school alt rock, including say Husker Du and the Replacements.


As much as I love new wave as well, I agree the '80s nostalgia seems so firmly rooted in that. If I had my wish for one kind of c. 1984/MTV era '80s music to really come back, it'd be arena rock (Journey, Foreigner, Eddie Money) or pop/AC rock (Phil Collins, etc).

P.S. Do you think "Modern 80s new wave revival" bands like Franz Ferdinand and The Killers are slightly past their peak, and will be looked at in the future as "so 2004/5" (I hope not)? ;)

I can't wait to see people walking around wearing 'Beavis and Butthead' T-shirts - though 11 years seems a bit premature for 'real' nostalgia. Perhaps the first wave will be nostalgia for the very early 90s/grunge style, with the late 90s nostalgia around 2014 or so.


I seriously saw someone wear a Beavis and Butthead T shirt, today.  ;D

I seriously saw someone wear a Beavis and Butthead T shirt, today.  ;D


lol...Good on em!

Actually, nostalgia tends to run in cycles, around 20 years after the fact.

In the early 1960's, there was a lot of retro-40's.  Jazz music and the "Beat Generation" was influenced by adopting a counterculture movement of a generation before.

The 1970's saw a large resurgence of 1950's nostalgia.  Elvis was planning a tour when he died.  We had Happy Days, The Buddy Holly Story, American Grafiti, Sha-Na-Na, and Grease.  Leather jackets and white t-shirts made a resurgence, along with hair creams (briefly).

The 1990's saw very little retro-70's.  However, some things can be traced back to that decade.  Grunge and early alternative music groups can trace their style back to the 1970's era punk movement.  Line Dancing was almost identical to Disco, other then the music used.  Bell bottoms and platform shoes were in style, but thankfully only for women.  Finally towards the end of the decade we had such TV shows and movies as That 70's Show, Boogie Nights, and The Summer Of Sam.

In the next decade, expect a resurgence of 1990's culture.  Expect the grunge look to be popular, as well as nostalgia groups (can you imagine Nirvanamania?)

Actually, nostalgia tends to run in cycles, around 20 years after the fact.

In the early 1960's, there was a lot of retro-40's.  Jazz music and the "Beat Generation" was influenced by adopting a counterculture movement of a generation before.

The 1970's saw a large resurgence of 1950's nostalgia.  Elvis was planning a tour when he died.  We had Happy Days, The Buddy Holly Story, American Grafiti, Sha-Na-Na, and Grease.  Leather jackets and white t-shirts made a resurgence, along with hair creams (briefly).

The 1990's saw very little retro-70's.  However, some things can be traced back to that decade.  Grunge and early alternative music groups can trace their style back to the 1970's era punk movement.  Line Dancing was almost identical to Disco, other then the music used.  Bell bottoms and platform shoes were in style, but thankfully only for women.  Finally towards the end of the decade we had such TV shows and movies as That 70's Show, Boogie Nights, and The Summer Of Sam.

In the next decade, expect a resurgence of 1990's culture.  Expect the grunge look to be popular, as well as nostalgia groups (can you imagine Nirvanamania?)


Good points, although I'd probably extend the timeframes a bit. Overall, I think anywhere from 15-30 years is when things become retro cool. It probably tends to start as early as the following decade, but it's closer to 25 years to become fully "there".

I'd say roughly:

50s revival: 1974-1986
60s revival: 1987-1992 (although the '50slike early '60s had some influence on the early '80s too)
70s revival: 1993-2002
80s revival: 2003-2013-15ish?

Good points, although I'd probably extend the timeframes a bit. Overall, I think anywhere from 15-30 years is when things become retro cool. It probably tends to start as early as the following decade, but it's closer to 25 years to become fully "there".

I'd say roughly:

50s revival: 1974-1986
60s revival: 1987-1992 (although the '50slike early '60s had some influence on the early '80s too)
70s revival: 1993-2002
80s revival: 2003-2013-15ish?


I think it can definitely overlap, though. I agree about the '50s revival, but I think that the '60s revival overlapped with the '50s revival in the early mid-'80s in terms of music (early-mid '60s, not late, if not styles.) The '70s revival to me ended after 9/11, with the debut of I Love the '80s and That '80s Show, and all these bands like Interpol, though '70s nostalgia didn't totally die until late 2002, maybe. I think the '80s revival is peaking about 2006-2008 and will end in 2012.

I think it can definitely overlap, though. I agree about the '50s revival, but I think that the '60s revival overlapped with the '50s revival in the early mid-'80s in terms of music (early-mid '60s, not late, if not styles.) The '70s revival to me ended after 9/11, with the debut of I Love the '80s and That '80s Show, and all these bands like Interpol, though '70s nostalgia didn't totally die until late 2002, maybe. I think the '80s revival is peaking about 2006-2008 and will end in 2012.


That's true. The pre-1967 60s seemed to have an influence on the early-mid '80s too (i.e. Bruce Springsteen's whole Born In the USA album sounds like a 1984 interpretation of a circa 1965 rock spirit, if you know what I mean).

I wonder if VH1's series had anything to do with the masses picking up on '80s nostalgia? I do remember a special that aired back in 1999 about the '80s, talking about how it was starting to come back (i.e. radio stations playing all 80s hours) and how good the music/early MTV era really was.

That's true. The pre-1967 60s seemed to have an influence on the early-mid '80s too (i.e. Bruce Springsteen's whole Born In the USA album sounds like a 1984 interpretation of a circa 1965 rock spirit, if you know what I mean).

I wonder if VH1's series had anything to do with the masses picking up on '80s nostalgia? I do remember a special that aired back in 1999 about the '80s, talking about how it was starting to come back (i.e. radio stations playing all 80s hours) and how good the music/early MTV era really was.


VH1 definitely had alot to do with '80s nostalgia coming in. But it was also movies like Donnie Darko, and a general revival among teenagers of movies like The Breakfast Club following the VH1 series, '80s music hours, etc. Which is why my teen generation is the "'80s nostalgia" generation, with early-mid '80s music and teen culture being immensely popular among my classmates.

'70s nostalgia was definitely waning by 2001, though it was still there. It didn't fully die until 2002, but when I Love the '80s came in and all these early '80s darkwave bands came back in fashion, and the ultramodern '80s style came back in fashion, you knew '80s nostalgia was starting. Around 2002, I was very into bands like Echo and the Bunnymen and Joy Division and '80s style.

VH1 definitely had alot to do with '80s nostalgia coming in. But it was also movies like Donnie Darko, and a general revival among teenagers of movies like The Breakfast Club following the VH1 series, '80s music hours, etc. Which is why my teen generation is the "'80s nostalgia" generation, with early-mid '80s music and teen culture being immensely popular among my classmates.

'70s nostalgia was definitely waning by 2001, though it was still there. It didn't fully die until 2002, but when I Love the '80s came in and all these early '80s darkwave bands came back in fashion, and the ultramodern '80s style came back in fashion, you knew '80s nostalgia was starting. Around 2002, I was very into bands like Echo and the Bunnymen and Joy Division and '80s style.


Agreed. :)

BTW, what would you say is the "80s Nostalgia" age range? From what I've observed, both online, in real life and on TV shows, I'd say 1988-92 born. I know actually a couple 1990ers like yourself, who really dig anything '80s (my friend's little sister, a 1991er, does too and even says she wishes this was 1983 ;) ).

I say this because I noticed there seems to be a weird "lulling/in between" period of roughly 1983/84-87 born people who were a little too young to remember the '80s as they actually occured (or just didn't care at the time, etc) but a little too old to be 80s nostalgists, so they tend to see it as "before their time" or lame/silly, etc. Of course that's not true of everyone, but have you noticed this to an extent?

Agreed. :)

BTW, what would you say is the "80s Nostalgia" age range? From what I've observed, both online, in real life and on TV shows, I'd say 1988-92 born. I know actually a couple 1990ers like yourself, who really dig anything '80s (my friend's little sister, a 1991er, does too and even says she wishes this was 1983 ;) ).

I say this because I noticed there seems to be a weird "lulling/in between" period of roughly 1983/84-87 born people who were a little too young to remember the '80s as they actually occured (or just didn't care at the time, etc) but a little too old to be 80s nostalgists, so they tend to see it as "before their time" or lame/silly, etc. Of course that's not true of everyone, but have you noticed this to an extent?


I've noticed this to an extent. I'd say that there's a smaller, more select group of people born about 1978-1985 who remembered the '80s, but not the early '80s very well, and so have some nostalgia over it. 1986 and 1987 are a transition, but the heavily '80s nostalgic group is the classes of '06-'10, people born from about late 1987 to mid 1992 or so, and definitely peaking around people my age. Though I'd say people born around 1986 and 1987 are more '80s than '70s nostalgic...the whole range seems to be 86-92 and primarily 88-92. I also consider the classes of '06-'10 the prime (and singular) emo age, which says alot about the '80sness of emo.

i don't ever want the 80's nostalgia to end. i love the 80's. i miss the 80's. i'll never get over the 80's.


I agree with you Bill.

The 80's kicked butt, big time.  :)

Agreed. :)

BTW, what would you say is the "80s Nostalgia" age range? From what I've observed, both online, in real life and on TV shows, I'd say 1988-92 born. I know actually a couple 1990ers like yourself, who really dig anything '80s (my friend's little sister, a 1991er, does too and even says she wishes this was 1983 ;) ).

I say this because I noticed there seems to be a weird "lulling/in between" period of roughly 1983/84-87 born people who were a little too young to remember the '80s as they actually occured (or just didn't care at the time, etc) but a little too old to be 80s nostalgists, so they tend to see it as "before their time" or lame/silly, etc. Of course that's not true of everyone, but have you noticed this to an extent?


Yeah I'm in that group, lol. I don't "hate" the '80s, I'm just not "into" them like some people are. I care about the '90s much more than the '80s.

I've noticed this to an extent. I'd say that there's a smaller, more select group of people born about 1978-1985 who remembered the '80s, but not the early '80s very well, and so have some nostalgia over it. 1986 and 1987 are a transition, but the heavily '80s nostalgic group is the classes of '06-'10, people born from about late 1987 to mid 1992 or so, and definitely peaking around people my age. Though I'd say people born around 1986 and 1987 are more '80s than '70s nostalgic...the whole range seems to be 86-92 and primarily 88-92. I also consider the classes of '06-'10 the prime (and singular) emo age, which says alot about the '80sness of emo.


Yeah, I'd say in a way the '70s/80s fandom kind of united for early '90s born people (i.e. I see 10-12 year old kids wearing classic rock Tshirts from Led Zeppelin or AC/DC alot), but the 80s fandom in all could stretch from 1986-93 probably.

I hate to generalize, but I actually would say the typical 1983-85er is the biggest "man, the 80s are nothing to me, they're kinda lame and before my time" group. Sure, I have met people in this group who don't feel that way, but I remember the 1985ers (who tended -- especially the chicks -- to be HUGE boy band fans around 1998 when I was in Sophomore year) making me feel really irrelevant/old when I was 16 and they were 12, or when I was 21 and they were 17, just because of the huge shift in overall experiences sometimes.

Yeah, I'd say in a way the '70s/80s fandom kind of united for early '90s born people (i.e. I see 10-12 year old kids wearing classic rock Tshirts from Led Zeppelin or AC/DC alot), but the 80s fandom in all could stretch from 1986-93 probably.

I hate to generalize, but I actually would say the typical 1983-85er is the biggest "man, the 80s are nothing to me, they're kinda lame and before my time" group. Sure, I have met people in this group who don't feel that way, but I remember the 1985ers (who tended -- especially the chicks -- to be HUGE boy band fans around 1998 when I was in Sophomore year) making me feel really irrelevant/old when I was 16 and they were 12, or when I was 21 and they were 17, just because of the huge shift in overall experiences sometimes.


Yeah, overall they probably are the biggest group like that. Contradicting this, I think that the 93-95ers are more into the '90s at the moment than people born in even 91, from what I observe, in terms of t-shirts and such (Nirvana t-shirts are such a fashion don't for people in my specific age group.) Though I'm sure somebody born in 1994 would make me feel "old and lame" because I still remember when nobody had heard of DVDs, women wore scrunchies into the daylight for the first time, the Macarena was a big dance craze, and flannel was cool.

BTW, what do you think is the reason for all the '80s nostalgia among people born late 1987-mid 1992? The emo music definitely reflects this. There was definitely a smaller group of people graduating in '04 and '05 who emulated the '80s, as I remember, but it's alot heavier with people around my age, whereas it was exclusively a teen hipster thing for somebody graduating in '04 or '05. Emo brought '80s nostalgia to the masses, arguably.

Yeah, overall they probably are the biggest group like that. Contradicting this, I think that the 93-95ers are more into the '90s at the moment than people born in even 91, from what I observe, in terms of t-shirts and such (Nirvana t-shirts are such a fashion don't for people in my specific age group.) Though I'm sure somebody born in 1994 would make me feel "old and lame" because I still remember when nobody had heard of DVDs, women wore scrunchies into the daylight for the first time, the Macarena was a big dance craze, and flannel was cool.


I wonder if not remembering something at all is the thing that actually jumpstarts fandom or fondness for a time period? The 1994ers wouldn't remember the '90s with substance, except for the semi '00s-like 1998 and '99 anyway, so they wouldn't feel a need to "rebel" against the more Grunge era '90s. Whereas even a 1991er would slightly remember them and perhaps feel embarrsed by them, and thus want to be "cool" by hating on them (same way, my experience with 1985ers can be with the '80s/early '90s).

You know, I think 16 is actually around the age one can truly say someone can make them feel "old". When you brought up the hypothetical 1994er example, it makes sense, because it's around 4 years for it to be a notably different experience with most people, and around 12 is when people start really getting a teenage mindset and hitting puberty. So yeah, around 16 is the time those "notably younger" than you are no longer just little kids.

I wonder if not remembering something at all is the thing that actually jumpstarts fandom or fondness for a time period? The 1994ers wouldn't remember the '90s with substance, except for the semi '00s-like 1998 and '99 anyway, so they wouldn't feel a need to "rebel" against the more Grunge era '90s. Whereas even a 1991er would slightly remember them and perhaps feel embarrsed by them, and thus want to be "cool" by hating on them (same way, my experience with 1985ers can be with the '80s/early '90s).

You know, I think 16 is actually around the age one can truly say someone can make them feel "old". When you brought up the hypothetical 1994er example, it makes sense, because it's around 4 years for it to be a notably different experience with most people, and around 12 is when people start really getting a teenage mindset and hitting puberty. So yeah, around 16 is the time those "notably younger" than you are no longer just little kids.


Yeah, you're right about that. Until this year, I wasn't thinking that there were people around who made me feel old, but some hypothetical 1994er definitely would. I agree that not remembering something at all or barely remembering it is what starts the fondness for it...I think it'll be around the 1996ers that start '90s nostalgia bigtime in 2011-2012, though.

Yeah, you're right about that. Until this year, I wasn't thinking that there were people around who made me feel old, but some hypothetical 1994er definitely would. I agree that not remembering something at all or barely remembering it is what starts the fondness for it...I think it'll be around the 1996ers that start '90s nostalgia bigtime in 2011-2012, though.


Yeah, even the 2000ers or so probably will dig the '90s too.

It's odd how I never looked at it too much as it was going on, but my thinking of "feeling old" changed alot in just a few years.

There was a little incident back over the Summer in 1994, when I was almost 13 and living with my mom and her then-boyfriend (long story short, my parents were casually separated from 1993-96 and have since gotten back together). The boyfriend's daughter, then 8, came to stay with us for awhile. I got along with her pretty well and all, but I was listening to music and said something about Men At Work, when she was like "Who's that?"

I was kinda confused but it didn't make me feel "old" or anything (I thought, Oh big deal, she's just a little kid), but when similar scenarios started happening with 13 year old boyband loving 1985er girls when I was 16 or 17 in 1998, that's when I started to think: Whoa, what's happening to reality here? ;)

Yeah, even the 2000ers or so probably will dig the '90s too.

It's odd how I never looked at it too much as it was going on, but my thinking of "feeling old" changed alot in just a few years.

There was a little incident back over the Summer in 1994, when I was almost 13 and living with my mom and her then-boyfriend (long story short, my parents were casually separated from 1993-96 and have since gotten back together). The boyfriend's daughter, then 8, came to stay with us for awhile. I got along with her pretty well and all, but I was listening to music and said something about Men At Work, when she was like "Who's that?"

I was kinda confused but it didn't make me feel "old" or anything (I thought, Oh big deal, she's just a little kid), but when similar scenarios started happening with 13 year old boyband loving 1985er girls when I was 16 or 17 in 1998, that's when I started to think: Whoa, what's happening to reality here? ;)


I think the '90s nostalgia thing will be about a 1996-2003 sort of thing, for whatever the 2010s teens brat pack is.

I wonder when that'll start happening to me, with people born in the mid '90s over the '90s.