Just on the basis of the thread itself, this could go in the 80's or the 90's forum, but since it concerns people born in the 80's I decided to put it here.

I was born in 1981 and turned 8 at the end of 1989, so I guess I'm one of the younger "80s kids". People my age are old enough to remember and like the decade - though probably centering more on the late 80's for most of 'em. Yet there seems to be a huge generalization or perception that people my age don't like the 80's and always get lumped in with the Grunge/90210/angst-ish 90's, and at times even the Britney Spears-ish late 90s (yuck!). ::)

^ I pretty much spent my whole late elementary-high school years (and even now to a lesser degree) convincing people I wasn't like that! That's one reason I sometimes flat out detest the 90s, even with things I like.

Of my immediate peers I've talked with, I've observed over the years that about half of them are into 80s and older things like I am, while others are kinda oblivious and/or don't like it that much since they connected more with the 90s. I don't mind being called a "90s kid/teen" too bad - there's definitely things I love about the decade (mostly pre-1997) despite its overall negative/slacker/anti 80s nature at times.

But I noticed that people born in 1971 like some 70s stuff, and of the born in 1991 or '92 kids I've talked with, many still dig certain 90's TV shows, video games or music. So why do the poor early 80s folks like me get the shaft on the 80's? ;)

I was born in 1974 and don't remember anything about it. That's the reason why I don't like the 1970's. This could be the reason why to answer your question.

^ True, but sometimes even a couple years makes a difference. I'm guessing you have a decent memory of at least 1979, but yeah you wouldn't remember too much from the 70's in all.

It's funny how these things work overall though. I have a 26, soon to be 27 year old buddy born in 1978 and he thinks the 80's are totally cheesy - preferring the darker 90's/today stuff. When we hang out I feel like the old geezer even though I'm younger than him. ;D

Yet I've talked with like 13 year old kids who love 80's movies (I work at Blockbuster) so you just never know what one person is gonna like.

I really don't think it has so much to do with when we were born as opposed to what was popular at the time... I think it has to do with the fact that we (70's born) are older and past the age of trying to be cool, trying to fit in... we are already at the point that we like what we like and we don't care what others may say...

The younger (80's born) probably just aren't there yet... give it another 10 years and they will probably like the 80's and hate whatever is current in the 2010's.

I really don't think it has so much to do with when we were born as opposed to what was popular at the time... I think it has to do with the fact that we (70's born) are older and past the age of trying to be cool, trying to fit in... we are already at the point that we like what we like and we don't care what others may say...

The younger (80's born) probably just aren't there yet... give it another 10 years and they will probably like the 80's and hate whatever is current in the 2010's.


Yeah good point. :)

I admit even I have that "please everyone/fit in"-persona at times, although not probably as much as a 12 year old would (I can't compare it to myself since as I said, I was never that trendy). I wonder if someone born in 1971 today would freely admit to liking the 70s, but they wouldn't have been caught dead in 1985 saying that out of fear of embarassment at the hands of their peers?

"Like oh-mi-goooood. The 70s? That is so-ooooh lame."
"Oh I kn-oow. Those gnarly polyesther suits and Disco! Like, gag me with a sp-oon!" ;D

Yeah good point. :)

I admit even I have that "please everyone/fit in"-persona at times, although not probably as much as a 12 year old would. I wonder if someone born in 1971 today would freely admit to liking the 70s, but they wouldn't have been caught dead in 1985 saying that out of fear of embarassment at the hands of their peers?

^ "Like oh-mi-goooood. The 70s? That is so-ooooh lame with those gnarly polyesther suits and Disco! Like, gag me with a sp-oon!" ;D


hahaha yep! exactly! :)  But then again, there was good music in 1985 so there was no reason to listen to 70's... although I admit sometimes I did.  Nowadays, is a different story.

^ Yeah music sure peaked around the mid 80's. :) Just wondering, was ALL 70s considered lame and uncool by, say 1985?

I was in my childhood obviously, so maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but in like 1986 even, they still seemed to play songs from 1978 or 79 on hit radio, so I often couldn't tell a difference. Maybe that's why the two decades blended together more for me? ;)

^ Yeah music sure peaked around the mid 80's. :) Just wondering, was ALL 70s considered lame and uncool by, say 1985?

I was in my childhood obviously, so maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but in like 1986 even, they still seemed to play songs from 1978 or 79 on hit radio, so I often couldn't tell a difference. Maybe that's why the two decades blended together more for me? ;)


Well it depends.... I would say the people who listened to 'classic rock' in the 70's stayed true to it during the 80's more than those who were into disco.  Disco took a major beating for almost the whole 80's decade... and the mellow stuff too, but not so bad..  But I don't think anyone capped on Skynyrd, Grateful Dead, ACDC, etc...  at least, not those who had been fans of it in the 70's.

Well it depends.... I would say the people who listened to 'classic rock' in the 70's stayed true to it during the 80's more than those who were into disco. Disco took a major beating for almost the whole 80's decade... and the mellow stuff too, but not so bad.. But I don't think anyone capped on Skynyrd, Grateful Dead, ACDC, etc... at least, not those who had been fans of it in the 70's.


Funniest thing about Disco to me? Alot of the 80s dance songs were clearly influenced by it, but people then would probably NEVER admit it (eg: Thriller, Madonna's first album, "Gloria" from Laura Branigan). ;)

Yeah most of the late 70s songs I recall were, stuff like Jackson Browne, Rod Stewart, early Tom Petty or Van Halen. They all were pretty successful with 80s sounding hits, so maybe it was still cooler to like their older material.

Just on the basis of the thread itself, this could go in the 80's or the 90's forum, but since it concerns people born in the 80's I decided to put it here.

I was born in 1981 and turned 8 at the end of 1989, so I guess I'm one of the younger "80s kids".  8)

People my age are old enough to remember and like the decade - though probably centering more on the late 80's for most of 'em. Yet there seems to be a huge generalization or perception that people my age don't like the 80's and always get lumped in with the Grunge/90210/angst-ish 90's, and at times even the Britney Spears-ish late 90s (yuck!). ::)

^ I pretty much spent my whole late elementary-high school years (and even now to a lesser degree) convincing people I wasn't like that! That's one reason I sometimes flat out detest the 90s, even with things I like.

Of my immediate peers I've talked with, I've observed over the years that about half of them are into 80s and older things like I am, while others are kinda oblivious and/or don't like it that much since they connected more with the 90s. I don't mind being called a "90s kid/teen" too bad - there's definitely things I love about the decade (mostly pre-1997) despite its overall negative/slacker/anti 80s nature at times.

But I noticed that people born in 1971 like some 70s stuff, and of the born in 1991 or '92 kids I've talked with, many still dig certain 90's TV shows, video games or music. So why do the poor early 80s folks like me get the hate the 80's label over my head all the time? :\'(
I was only born two years earlier than you were in 1979. I love the 80's Tv shows because I grew up on them. I did not however listen to 80's music as I do today back in my High School years(1994-1998.) The radio stations back then that I listened too did not play ALOT OF 80's music. I mostly listened to alternative rock, and club music in the mid 90's because that was what was hot in 1995-1997. I went back however a couple of months after I graduated High School and started to listen to alot of 80's music. I still listen to 80's music and early to mid 90's music as well. I do not like Britney Spears and the whole teen-pop thing in 1999-2000. To me it was music that lacked alot of substance 5-6 years back.

Funniest thing about Disco to me? Alot of the 80s dance songs were clearly influenced by it, but people then would probably NEVER admit it (eg: Thriller, Madonna's first album, "Gloria" from Laura Branigan). ;)

Yeah but stuff like Laura Branigan and early Madonna was more 80's pop/R&B style than 70's Disco style.

I was only born two years earlier than you were in 1979. I love the 80's Tv shows because I grew up on them. I did not however listen to 80's music as I do today back in my High School years(1994-1998.) The radio stations back then that I listened too did not play ALOT OF 80's music. I mostly listened to alternative rock, and club music in the mid 90's because that was what was hot in 1995-1997. I went back however a couple of months after I graduated High School and started to listen to alot of 80's music. I still listen to 80's music and early to mid 90's music as well. I do not like Britney Spears and the whole teen-pop thing in 1999-2000. To me it was music that lacked alot of substance 5-6 years back.


Pretty much agreed. :)

Yeah, when Britney and the whole teenpop thing literally exploded in 1999, I already felt like I was starting to get too old for it (and I was only 17-18!). That's when I realized that, even if the earlier 90's had their faults, I started missing them over what was then-hot.

I was more a fan of 90s TV shows - casually funny sitcoms like Seinfeld and Home Improvement, and cop shows/reality stuff like Unsolved Mysteries and Rescue 911. The dumb but silly comedies from guys like Chris Farley were cool too.

Music wasn't as much a favorite, but I more preferred the innocent-type pop songs like "The Sign" or mushy ballads like "I Swear" from All 4 One. The alternative stuff I liked was more on the catchy side, such as Candlebox or Collective Soul as opposed to flat out angry bands like Nirvana.

I was born in 1972 and I mostly identify with 1977-1983 music. 

Pretty much agreed. :)

Yeah, when Britney and the whole teenpop thing literally exploded in 1999, I already felt like I was starting to get too old for it (and I was only 17-18!). That's when I realized that, even if the earlier 90's had their faults, I started missing them over what was then-hot.

I was more a fan of 90s TV shows - casually funny sitcoms like Seinfeld and Home Improvement, and cop shows/reality stuff like Unsolved Mysteries and Rescue 911. The dumb but silly comedies from guys like Chris Farley were cool too.

Music wasn't as much a favorite, but I more preferred the innocent-type pop songs like "The Sign" or mushy ballads like "I Swear" from All 4 One. The alternative stuff I liked was more on the catchy side, such as Candlebox or Collective Soul as opposed to flat out angry bands like Nirvana.
Exactly! Like You I felt really old in 1999 when that whole teen-pop thing exploded. I just wasn;t what the type of music I grew up on. TRhere was teen-pop in the late 80's like Debbie Gibson and Tiffany but it wasn't as mainstreamed in my opinion like the teen-pop of 1999-2000 was. MTV when the teen-pop exlpoded just overexposed N'Sync and Britney n my opinion and people got tired of that real quick.

I watched Seinfeld and Home Improvement too growing up. I liked Collective Soul and Candlebox back then too. I didn't care for Ace of Base until a few years ago but when I look back I;m like yeah I remember when a song like "The Sign" was hot. "Beautiful Life" was their best song in my opinion.

Exactly! Like You I felt really old in 1999 when that whole teen-pop thing exploded. I just wasn;t what the type of music I grew up on. TRhere was teen-pop in the late 80's like Debbie Gibson and Tiffany but it wasn't as mainstreamed in my opinion like the teen-pop of 1999-2000 was. MTV when the teen-pop exlpoded just overexposed N'Sync and Britney n my opinion and people got tired of that real quick.

I watched Seinfeld and Home Improvement too growing up. I liked Collective Soul and Candlebox back then too. I didn't care for Ace of Base until a few years ago but when I look back I;m like yeah I remember when a song like "The Sign" was hot. "Beautiful Life" was their best song in my opinion.


Haven't heard "Beautiful Life" that I recall, but I completely agree. Some things from the mid 90s that, at the time I thought was just okay, now has nostalgic value, since I'm like, "Oh yeah I remember watching that show after school" or "I heard that song on 8th grade summer break!" etc.

Oh, as for the TRL/Britney/Nsync stuff, I clearly recall saying to many people in 1999 that "Man, by 2003 people are gonna be laughing at this stuff like nobody's business. It's not going to last before something else overtakes it". Well I was actually wrong unfortunately. ;)

It only made me feel ancient when I'd talk to a then 14 year old freshman at age 17 and they were all into that, and responded with "Huh?" when I'd bring up something from the 80's that I crystal clearly remembered.

Of course that's not the case with everyone (and many of those "kids" are more mature/knowledgeable now) but at the time I thought there was a MAJOR difference between someone born in 1981/82 and someone born in 1985.

Haven't heard "Beautiful Life" that I recall, but I completely agree. Some things from the mid 90s that, at the time I thought was just okay, now has nostalgic value, since I'm like, "Oh yeah I remember watching that show after school" or "I heard that song on 8th grade summer break!" etc.

Oh, as for the TRL/Britney/Nsync stuff, I clearly recall saying to many people in 1999 that "Man, by 2003 people are gonna be laughing at this stuff like nobody's business. It's not going to last before something else overtakes it". Well I was actually wrong unfortunately. ;)

It only made me feel ancient when I'd talk to a then 14 year old freshman at age 17 and they were all into that, and responded with "Huh?" when I'd bring up something from the 80's that I crystal clearly remembered.

Of course that's not the case with everyone (and many of those "kids" are more mature/knowledgeable now) but at the time I thought there was a MAJOR difference between someone born in 1981/82 and someone born in 1985.
Well, with the teen-pop thing its has been out of style since basically 2002.

On your high school thing I;m actually grateful I graduated High School(June 1998)7 months before the teen-pop thing got hot. When I graduated R&B and rap music were hot. I listened to R&B artists like Total, Next,  Usher, Monica, R. Kelly, Brian McKinight, 112, and Montell Jordan in 1998. Musically 1998 was ok.

Exactly! Like You I felt really old in 1999 when that whole teen-pop thing exploded. I just wasn;t what the type of music I grew up on. TRhere was teen-pop in the late 80's like Debbie Gibson and Tiffany but it wasn't as mainstreamed in my opinion like the teen-pop of 1999-2000 was. MTV when the teen-pop exlpoded just overexposed N'Sync and Britney n my opinion and people got tired of that real quick.



That is the same way I felt/feel about grunge.

Just on the basis of the thread itself, this could go in the 80's or the 90's forum, but since it concerns people born in the 80's I decided to put it here.

I was born in 1981 and turned 8 at the end of 1989, so I guess I'm one of the younger "80s kids".  8)

People my age are old enough to remember and like the decade - though probably centering more on the late 80's for most of 'em. Yet there seems to be a huge generalization or perception that people my age don't like the 80's and always get lumped in with the Grunge/90210/angst-ish 90's, and at times even the Britney Spears-ish late 90s (yuck!). ::)

^ I pretty much spent my whole late elementary-high school years (and even now to a lesser degree) convincing people I wasn't like that! That's one reason I sometimes flat out detest the 90s, even with things I like.

Of my immediate peers I've talked with, I've observed over the years that about half of them are into 80s and older things like I am, while others are kinda oblivious and/or don't like it that much since they connected more with the 90s. I don't mind being called a "90s kid/teen" too bad - there's definitely things I love about the decade (mostly pre-1997) despite its overall negative/slacker/anti 80s nature at times.

But I noticed that people born in 1971 like some 70s stuff, and of the born in 1991 or '92 kids I've talked with, many still dig certain 90's TV shows, video games or music. So why do the poor early 80s folks like me get the hate the 80's label over my head all the time? :\'(


Great to see your posts Marty, I haven't been around much but I like having dicussions like this with you.  I don't have much time but I'll offer my quick thoughts.  First just a couple of weeks ago I was talking to some younger people born in 1983 and 1984, and they were talking about how they missed the TV shows and movies from their childhood.  Man I was totally floored when they started busting out with nothing but 80s TV shows like He-Man, Thundercats, Transformers, Punky Brewster, etc, etc.  They sounded like they were born in the 70s and around my age.  They didn't sound at all like 21 and 22 year olds, but more like 26-33 year olds.  They could have only watched most these shows in reruns in the very late 80s or probably the early 90s.  I would have LOVED to have heard more of what they knew about the 80s, or if it was simply limited to kids stuff. 

Then I thought about it some more and realized that I did grow up on reruns of some 70s cartoons and 70s kid shows.  I don't remember watching them in their original airdates, but they influenced me in their reruns in the early 80s.  I did watch plenty of reruns of ChiPs, Starsky & Hutch, and The Love Boat in the early 80s as well.  This has to be what has been going on with these kids.  But anyway, I fully believe that people like you that were born in the early 80s have more of an "80s experience" then someone born in 1984 or 1985.  I was born in 1975, I have some vague and cloudy memories of 1978 and 1979, but nothing more.  There are many things I love about the 80s since I grew up back then, and there are many things I detest about the decade too.  I think the 80s can be cheesy too, but I was actually there.  By the way, I consider people born in 1980 and 1981 to be VERY similar to people born in the 1970s, with some minor differences.  The real change in tastes seems to occur with people born in the second half of 1982 and onwards.  Though there are always exceptions.  It's one thing to have watched reruns of Punky Brewster in 1990, it's quite another to be old enough to remember 80s cheese acts like Twisted Sister, and to remember that Andrew Ridgely was the second half of Wham! back in 1985.  The 21 year old kids that I talked to born in 1984 obviously know a lot about 80s kids shows, but I seriously doubt they can remember the decade with true substance.   

Exactly! Like You I felt really old in 1999 when that whole teen-pop thing exploded. I just wasn;t what the type of music I grew up on. TRhere was teen-pop in the late 80's like Debbie Gibson and Tiffany but it wasn't as mainstreamed in my opinion like the teen-pop of 1999-2000 was. MTV when the teen-pop exlpoded just overexposed N'Sync and Britney n my opinion and people got tired of that real quick.

I watched Seinfeld and Home Improvement too growing up. I liked Collective Soul and Candlebox back then too. I didn't care for Ace of Base until a few years ago but when I look back I;m like yeah I remember when a song like "The Sign" was hot. "Beautiful Life" was their best song in my opinion.


I started to feel VERY OLD in 1999, when I was only 23 1/2 years old.  I graduated high school in 1993, but I still digged the 90s up until around 1998.  I guess for 5 years I was walking around as some sort of extended teenager.  When 1999-2000 came, I knew I was no longer a part of "the youth culture", especially since I was moving into my mid 20s.  1999 and 2000 was a very difficult time for me, and I kept thinking about how a mere 6 years earlier in 1993, a lot of people born around 1968 were having a tough time with the grunge of the time and their own lost youth....and at that time I couldn't understand what they were going through because I was only 17 and 18.  I wasn't a big fan of grunge and everything that replaced the 80s, but I still felt like a kid because hell I was still in high school.  The 90s weren't the 80s, but I remember thinking that most of it up till 1998 still felt familiar to me and very similar to the early 90s stuff from my high school days.  1999 was what changed it all.  

As someone mentioned, I think the early 80's born are still living in the moment. I lived in the moment until I was around 26 (2002), that's when the nostalgia bug hits you! Give them time to party and then settle down.

I'm around your age group Chris Megatron & i was born in the late 70s. Personally though i thought everything that i'd become used to about the 90s that had defined that decade was over by late 95 & 96 onwards. I also had trouble adjusting to the 90s being an 80s child & all, but by 92 & 93 i really didn't mind grunge all that much, unlike how i detest everything from 96 onwards. I still prefered all my 80s metal & even the 80s cheese bands & i remember coping a lot of flak from some buttheads at school for even having Twisted Sister & Motley Crue logos on my school diary (this is in the early 90s mind you). I too grew up with all the 70s reruns of TV shows & cartoons & my earliest memory of any cartoon was probably Challenge Of The Super Friends. My earliest memories of TV shows were Chips, Dukes Of Hazard, The Incedible Hulk, The Six Million Dollar Man, Wonder Woman, The Littlest Hobo, Lassie & The Muppet Show. Yeah some of it had an element of cheese to it, but that was the appeal of it & it also had something that tv lacks now, an element of "fun". I know it was all simple & predictably repetetive plots but it sure beats the overly serious & boring politically correct shows like 24, Lost & 4400 etc etc. At least back then i was entertained & not bored to death & irritated. Also is it just me or do all those cops shows now really suck major a**. My little cousins are reaching their 20s now & they just can't understand anything i show them that i grew up with & frankly their attitude horrifies me. I showed them the old Star Wars just after they'd seen the latest one in the theatre & their reaction to the old light saber fights were "wohhh that's gay man, that's totally pox". The fact that they hadn't seen the originals yet was scary enough in itself. When i showed them the old Transformers movie it really got to me because that's a purely brilliant animated film with top Marvel style animation(not that Manga stuff like the new series thank f***), an awesome story line & top voice acting, but all the way through all they did was take the p*** & poke fun at it. They also love skateboarding  but yet they have no idea about of the history & origins of the sport, have no idea who the Z-boys were (who practically created the sport) & only know Tony Hawk like every other kid becuse of his recent popular video game. Anyhow i have this skateboarding documentary movie from the 80s called Radical Moves. It actually has competition footage of a very young Tony Hawke & Rodney Mullen as kids. My cousins weren't even intrigued or fasinated by this or the flatland freestyle that's not really being done anymore, all they did the whole way through was make fun of the clothes & hairstyles & shape of the skateboards. I think you're right Marty, a majority of kids born in the mid & late 80s just can't appreciate anything a bit older & generally have the opinion that if it's old it's crap. I saw a car sticker once & my attitude reflects this statement about the cars i like & everything in general. The sticker said "Classic not plastic".

Interesting topic and here's my take on it. Every decade that I can remember generally shows a disliking and backlash to the decade right before it. A prime example was in the 1980's we used to beat up the 1970's and in the 1990's they beat up the 1980's. So, in a way, the kids get "conditioned" to hate the previous decade and styles. I mean, if you were a "hippie" looking 70s child in the 1980's you were looked upon as being weird. The same if you were a 1980's "hair metaler" in the 1990's. So I really think it all boils down to just following the bandwagon of what the current trend dictates for being cool. Such as 1980's bashing in the 90s. But the weird thing is, we are in the middle of the 00s and no one seems to be backlashing the 90s yet. In fact, they are still embracing the 90s. Which is another reason I hate the styles and music of this decade also. Give us something new for goodness sake. Then, at least, I might try and get into it. But recycling the same crap over and over again is getting old. Or at least progress. The idea of what the trends would be like in the 00s as we saw it back in the 80s is much much different than the way they ended up. We knew styles would evolve and eventually change, but we just thought they'd progress and not regress as shown in all the 1970's regurgitated styles that came and are back. Anyway, I was born in 1970 so I remember the 1970's pretty well. But I grew up in the 1980's (coming of age) so that would more than likely explain why I hate the 70s so much and love the 80s. And I mostly identify with music from 1983-1991, FYI

Great to see your posts Marty, I haven't been around much but I like having dicussions like this with you.

Thanks man, same here. :)

I don't have much time but I'll offer my quick thoughts.  First just a couple of weeks ago I was talking to some younger people born in 1983 and 1984, and they were talking about how they missed the TV shows and movies from their childhood.  Man I was totally floored when they started busting out with nothing but 80s TV shows like He-Man, Thundercats, Transformers, Punky Brewster, etc, etc.  They sounded like they were born in the 70s and around my age.  They didn't sound at all like 21 and 22 year olds, but more like 26-33 year olds.  They could have only watched most these shows in reruns in the very late 80s or probably the early 90s.  I would have LOVED to have heard more of what they knew about the 80s, or if it was simply limited to kids stuff. 

Then I thought about it some more and realized that I did grow up on reruns of some 70s cartoons and 70s kid shows.  I don't remember watching them in their original airdates, but they influenced me in their reruns in the early 80s.  I did watch plenty of reruns of ChiPs, Starsky & Hutch, and The Love Boat in the early 80s as well.  This has to be what has been going on with these kids. But anyway, I fully believe that people like you that were born in the early 80s have more of an "80s experience" then someone born in 1984 or 1985.  I was born in 1975, I have some vague and cloudy memories of 1978 and 1979, but nothing more. There are many things I love about the 80s since I grew up back then, and there are many things I detest about the decade too.  I think the 80s can be cheesy too, but I was actually there.  By the way, I consider people born in 1980 and 1981 to be VERY similar to people born in the 1970s, with some minor differences.  The real change in tastes seems to occur with people born in the second half of 1982 and onwards.  Though there are always exceptions.  It's one thing to have watched reruns of Punky Brewster in 1990, it's quite another to be old enough to remember 80s cheese acts like Twisted Sister, and to remember that Andrew Ridgely was the second half of Wham! back in 1985.  The 21 year old kids that I talked to born in 1984 obviously know a lot about 80s kids shows, but I seriously doubt they can remember the decade with true substance.

Yeah. Maybe you have to have been at least 7 when the decade ended to have a decent memory of it. Most 6 and under kids would've almost exclusively remembered kid stuff and not too much "teen/young adult-oriented" pop culture (well in my case it didn't hurt that I had cooler than average parents though!).

Everything you say about being 23-24 in 1999 and suddenly feeling old I can very much relate to. It's ironic that we both felt the same way at the same time, yet in my case I was only 17-18 at the time.

I always got more "weirded out" when people my immediate age (say, within a year) didn't know who John Candy was or had never watched Full House. I mean, in 1999 when I'd talk to the 1985-born 14 year old freshmen and they (especially the girls it seemed) were either total white rapper chicks or Britney Spears fans, sure it made me feel a world apart from them, but in a sense I almost expected it.

When I got my born in 1982 buddy asking me what a "hair metal band" was, I was saying What!!? to myself, LOL!

But I think you're right - I've noticed BY FAR the most "split" in 1982 born people. Some are very into the 80s and remember their childhood quite a bit, while some act like the world of pop culture began in 1995. I was born in '81, but I didn't start first grade until I was 7 - most of my classmates were 82-ers so I have the most experience with them. Some are a world apart from each other. Total Twilight Zone-ish experience at times. ;D

Typing this up, I wonder if how we're personally raised has anything to do with our experiences. Like you, I watched alot of reruns of primarily 80's TV shows like Growing Pains, Empty Nest and Charles in Charge in the first half of the 90s. When I got into movies, many were from the 80s. I also watched a ton of VH1 and MTV programming, so it wasn't uncommon to see alot of "Flashback to 1984" things airing in 1993 for instance.

I guess that's why I always felt like I was "a part" of the 80s, even though I only have the faintest memories of 1984 and 85.

Aw, does it have to cut off at '82? That's generalizing a little too much! I was born in '83 and even I feel like I remember the 80s, although obviously the later parts. I'm only 2 years younger than you, Marty!

I was very much into rock during the 90s and could not identify when Britney Spears came out in 1999 when I was 16, although some of my classmates seemed enthralled by her. I certainly do not identify with the Britney Spears, prefab pop generation.

I think perhaps also it's worth it to take into consideration that as a girl, my speech abilities developed earlier and therefore I probably have earlier memories. I honestly think '83 is the cut off, where some people remember the decade and others don't -- if childhood ends at 12, that would mean half my childhood was spent in the 80s. It was the decade I started elementary school, and I have clear memories of watching Inspector Gadget when it was actually on the air, as well as educational programs like Square One TV and 3-2-1 Contact, and I remember Mr. Hooper being alive on Sesame Street. I also remember that talking doll named Cricket being advertised on TV, watching ALF, and I had the standard collection of My Little Ponies, Pound Puppies, an original Cabbage Patch newborn, and a Little Miss Makeup. This was all in the 80s.

;D  I agree Retro..I was born in 67 so I was a teen as well in the 80s...I relate to the same things as you..Hangin with friends at the Hot Spots..Becoming LEGAL..so I could drink beer..but I am VERY fond of the 70s as well..I was the kid whose parents were HIPPIES..but I thought it was cool..I remember the BellBottoms and when DISCO came about..John Travolta ruled..Then the music went to mostly pop..I listened to both..Tho I am a true Rocker..I have strong feelings for both..70s and 80s..The 90s for me were terrible..The big leap from teens to the workforce..and kids..responsabilities..Dont get me wrong..I love my family..but its hard to forget the BEST..as far as youth and freedom>>years of your life..Mine were the 70s ..but mostly the carefree years of the 80s!!

My little cousins are reaching their 20s now & they just can't understand anything i show them that i grew up with & frankly their attitude horrifies me. I showed them the old Star Wars just after they'd seen the latest one in the theatre & their reaction to the old light saber fights were "wohhh that's gay man, that's totally pox".

Maybe you need to catch them when they're younger... I bought the entire series of Automan from Ebay and my 9 yr old nephew took it upon himself to watch an episode. He then (without any coercion) watched the entire series in 3 days!

I def think the kids now can be tuned in to the stuff we loved..When my son..who is now about to be 19 and going into the NAVY..was younger..I turned him onto KUNG-FU..( Snatch the pebble from my hand..Grasshopper!!..).. But they still dont grasp the idea of what it was like...My kids cant imagine life without a remote control...I WAS the remote control..lol...

Two of my memories of the 80's were the drive-in theaters and those 3D movies. The 2 closest drive in theater in my area are now, one, a 7 days a week swap meet (screen is still there, but no longer using). There other was torn down and the land was used to build a gated community with single family homes. The 3D movies, they would give you those cheeze paper 3D glasses. The left side i believe was red and right side was blue. You don't see these 2 things anymore.

rip..yea drive ins were big back then,,,The one here is called Summer Twin drive in...when we didnt have enough money some of us would get in the trunk and sneak in..lol...My little girl doesnt even kno what a drive in is...

Aw, does it have to cut off at '82? That's generalizing a little too much! I was born in '83 and even I feel like I remember the 80s, although obviously the later parts. I'm only 2 years younger than you, Marty!

Yeah you're probably right - I didn't mean it to be exact. ;)

I guess it's just I've seen alot of 82'ers who view it way differently than the next one, but I've talked with people born as late as 87 who are familar with the 80's.

For instance, I'm usually in plays at my Jr College (they put one on every semester). Anyway, last year I had a couple friends in it who were born in 1985 - they were moderate fans of the era, but they totally were knowledgeable on pop culture references and everyting. It was astonishing to believe they were the same age as the girls I knew in HS who were Britney fans. ;D

I was very much into rock during the 90s and could not identify when Britney Spears came out in 1999 when I was 16, although some of my classmates seemed enthralled by her. I certainly do not identify with the Britney Spears, prefab pop generation.

I think perhaps also it's worth it to take into consideration that as a girl, my speech abilities developed earlier and therefore I probably have earlier memories. I honestly think '83 is the cut off, where some people remember the decade and others don't -- if childhood ends at 12, that would mean half my childhood was spent in the 80s. It was the decade I started elementary school, and I have clear memories of watching Inspector Gadget when it was actually on the air, as well as educational programs like Square One TV and 3-2-1 Contact, and I remember Mr. Hooper being alive on Sesame Street. I also remember that talking doll named Cricket being advertised on TV, watching ALF, and I had the standard collection of My Little Ponies, Pound Puppies, an original Cabbage Patch newborn, and a Little Miss Makeup. This was all in the 80s.


Good points too. I've always heard that girls mature alot quicker than boys (although I don't think I'm too far behind, LOL!). Many guys say they don't have a good memory before age 3 or 4, but I've known girls that remember being 1 or 2, which is pretty amazing to me.

This is gonna sound a bit far out, but it's occured to me that we are really talking past each other here, us born in the 70s and you born in the 80s, I think we mean two different things when we use the term "Child of the 80s", if you were born in the 80s then you truely were a Child, but I was born in 1971 and my memories of the 80s are those of a teenager, not a child's.
My memories includes hanging out outside Burger King and Cinema 1-8 on Vesterbrogade, our Strip, and of parties in the old battlements, with beers, girls and music around the bonfire, and those are the times I miss, so I guess I'm a "Teen of the 80s" and I can live with that.


Yeah I agree with that.

I figured this out once before, but to be an "main" 80s teenager I think you would've had to been in high school the whole decade - or ages 14-18. So someone who was 14 in 1980 stretching up to someone who was 18 in 1989 or 1990 would cover it. That's roughly people born 1966-72.

An 80's child would have to be under 12 for, let's say half the decade - someone who was 12 in 1985 up to someone who was 5 in 1989-90, So generally people born 1973-85 are 80's children.

Welll, hey Marty,
I guess you knew I had to pipe in on this one - this is a topic I can REALLY talk about! I am so glad you included 1982 in your bracket (whew, just made it.. I was born in the spring of 1982 so therefore concieved in 1981 - so there, lol  ;D ) Anyway, I can relate to a lot of what everyone is saying. I have had some odd experiences since maybe I started driving and using credit cards. Because I am short (only about 5'1'') I tend to get carded for a lot of crap. What gets my goat are these kids who are carding me who are about 3-7 years younger than me!! Not that that's something bad, but they give me the oddest look because for one, they think I'm within their age and two, they just can't believe I'm older than them. I just have been finding this to be a novelty because it's kinda neat to think that these teeny boppers today think I am one of them and I really am not. I find that I am such a totally different breed from their culture and childhood. I am worlds apart, in some ways *unless they had very enlightened parents who showed them all the cool stuff from the pre-1990's* compared to what they've experienced and what I've experienced.

I think what sets us "early 1980's" kids and the "late 1980's/early 1990's" kids are a few factors -

- the 1980's was still an extenstion of 1970's culture - or an accumulation of everything before that time. We still had relatively the same sort of things that people had in the mid-late 1970's.

- we were in the middle of a time that was focused on technology, yet a good portion of the world couldn't afford these new items - such as cell phones, computers (and most did not have the internet at least until 1990 or 1991), even high end CD players were way off most people's budget, cable TV - although the most you'd get was up to 28 channels, etc. 

- Such things that were left over from the previous eras before 1980 still reigned supreme in most households throughout the 1980's. Any remnants of them between the 1990's and now have all but disappeared (unless they're now on Ebay :0)

                  Anyway, to answer the question about us disliking the 1980s. I guess most who've responded here have given a good portion of my own answer - so,  I will try to give it a different spin on it. I remember around 1991 and 1992 how much I started hating the 1980's. All I could do was think about things I didn't like about it. I didn't like all the robotic stuff we had back then, the techno stuff (I always think of Mike Myers "Sprockets"  skit on SNL when I think of the part of the 80's I didn't like - lol), I hated the big hair, the big poofy dresses, some bad school moments I had, a lot of the music turned me off as crass and rudimentary, etc., I hated all the clashing colors - think intro to "Saved By The Bell" etc. I literally had a campaign running through my mind of all the things I disliked about that time. Yet, I couldn't help but refer to that time whenever I recalled many of my childhood memories. I would say up until 1999 I kept at this "hating the 80's" attitude. Then, all of the sudden it hit me, I was graduating and my childhood days were truly over. I had to grow up now. That's when it hit me that I was beginning to lose certain memories from that time and I started worrying that if I didn't try to remember them and stop blocking them out, I could appreciate that era more. And, well, that's what I have begun to do.

Welll, hey Marty,
I guess you knew I had to pipe in on this one - this is a topic I can REALLY talk about! I am so glad you included 1982 in your bracket (whew, just made it.. I was born in the spring of 1982 so therefore concieved in 1981 - so there, lol  ;D ) Anyway, I can relate to a lot of what everyone is saying. I have had some odd experiences since maybe I started driving and using credit cards. Because I am short (only about 5'1'') I tend to get carded for a lot of crap. What gets my goat are these kids who are carding me who are about 3-7 years younger than me!! Not that that's something bad, but they give me the oddest look because for one, they think I'm within their age and two, they just can't believe I'm older than them. I just have been finding this to be a novelty because it's kinda neat to think that these teeny boppers today think I am one of them and I really am not. I find that I am such a totally different breed from their culture and childhood. I am worlds apart, in some ways *unless they had very enlightened parents who showed them all the cool stuff from the pre-1990's* compared to what they've experienced and what I've experienced.

I think what sets us "early 1980's" kids and the "late 1980's/early 1990's" kids are a few factors -

- the 1980's was still an extenstion of 1970's culture - or an accumulation of everything before that time. We still had relatively the same sort of things that people had in the mid-late 1970's.

- we were in the middle of a time that was focused on technology, yet a good portion of the world couldn't afford these new items - such as cell phones, computers (and most did not have the internet at least until 1990 or 1991), even high end CD players were way off most people's budget, cable TV - although the most you'd get was up to 28 channels, etc. 

- Such things that were left over from the previous eras before 1980 still reigned supreme in most households throughout the 1980's. Any remnants of them between the 1990's and now have all but disappeared (unless they're now on Ebay :0)

                  Anyway, to answer the question about us disliking the 1980s. I guess most who've responded here have given a good portion of my own answer - so,  I will try to give it a different spin on it. I remember around 1991 and 1992 how much I started hating the 1980's. All I could do was think about things I didn't like about it. I didn't like all the robotic stuff we had back then, the techno stuff (I always think of Mike Myers "Sprockets"  skit on SNL when I think of the part of the 80's I didn't like - lol), I hated the big hair, the big poofy dresses, some bad school moments I had, a lot of the music turned me off as crass and rudementary, etc., I hated all the clashing colors - think intro to "Saved By The Bell" etc. I literally had a campaign running through my mind of all the things I disliked about that time. Yet, I couldn't help but refer to that time whenever I recalled many of my childhood memories. I would say up until 1999 I kept at this "hating the 80's" attitude. Then, all of the sudden it hit me, I was not graduating and my childhood days were truly over. I had to grow up now. That's when it hit me that I was beginning to lose certain memories from that time and I started worrying that if I didn't try to remember them and stop blocking them out, I could appreciate that era more. And, well, that's what I have begun to do.


ultraviolet52,
I am also short at 5'4, but I love it when people card me. This means I can still pass for under 21.  ;D  I'll be 31 in september.

ultraviolet52,
I am also short at 5'4, but I love it when people card me. This means I can still pass for under 21.   ;D   I'll be 31 in september.


Yeah, I don't mind it most the time - I guess one that actually made me feel a little insulted was when I purchased something at JCPenney's and was using my OWN JCPenney's card, and the lady asked if it was my mother's while giving me a really suspicious look - as if I stole it from my mom or something. That's when getting carded for me starts to wear a little thin... like when people look at you as not trustworthy or something. But, oh well. I hope when I'm 31, I will appreciate it more.. :0)

Welll, hey Marty,
I guess you knew I had to pipe in on this one - this is a topic I can REALLY talk about! I am so glad you included 1982 in your bracket (whew, just made it.. I was born in the spring of 1982 so therefore concieved in 1981 - so there, lol  ;D )

;D

That reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George says something about "my generation" and Jerry says, "We're 4 months apart!" (I was born in September 81, so that could work here too, LOL!)

Seriously though, I think many things factor into this stuff. It just depends on the person.

Anyway, to answer the question about us disliking the 1980s. I guess most who've responded here have given a good portion of my own answer - so,  I will try to give it a different spin on it. I remember around 1991 and 1992 how much I started hating the 1980's. All I could do was think about things I didn't like about it. I didn't like all the robotic stuff we had back then, the techno stuff (I always think of Mike Myers "Sprockets"  skit on SNL when I think of the part of the 80's I didn't like - lol), I hated the big hair, the big poofy dresses, some bad school moments I had, a lot of the music turned me off as crass and rudimentary, etc., I hated all the clashing colors - think intro to "Saved By The Bell" etc. I literally had a campaign running through my mind of all the things I disliked about that time. Yet, I couldn't help but refer to that time whenever I recalled many of my childhood memories. I would say up until 1999 I kept at this "hating the 80's" attitude. Then, all of the sudden it hit me, I was graduating and my childhood days were truly over. I had to grow up now. That's when it hit me that I was beginning to lose certain memories from that time and I started worrying that if I didn't try to remember them and stop blocking them out, I could appreciate that era more. And, well, that's what I have begun to do.

I'm starting to drift off to sleep, otherwise I'd do a long post, but I agree with all this.

I sometimes say my favorite time is my first 10 years (up to 1991/92), but since I actually like quite a few things from 1992-96 as well -- it wasn't ALL about grunge, angst and "homies", and I tended to stay away from that anyhow -- I didn't start to get nostalgic for my childhood itself until I was around 17.

^ I was nostalgic for 80's stuff long before then, but it didn't go into overdrive until then because I was still "comfortable" with much of the 90's. So maybe it took until I completely stopped identifying with the bulk of pop culture for me to truly want to relive the past?

The 90s and 00s are more similar than the 80s and 90s were, so just the overall life of the 90's was to be "anti-80's" and everything from then sorta naturally looked garish and outlandish (as much as I like the decade, I admit some of the styles fit the "cheesy" bill!). ;)

Being a "Child Of the 80s" or "80s Child" doesn't necessarily mean that you were a little kid (or child) in the 80s. It means the that the 80s were the decade you came of age or grew up in. Teenagers most certainly are "children" so if you were a "Teen of the 80s", then you were considered a "Child of the 80s". I understand young children in the 80s wanting to identify with a terrific decade like the 1980s (although being a little child of the 70s doesn't make me want to call myself a "Child Of The 70s" since I don't identify with that decade and I was still too young to really be a part of it even being born in 1970). but trying to redefine the term "Child Of The ...." is a bit of a stretch, wouldn't you all agree? To be considered a "Child Of 80s" than you more than likely had to be born from around 1966 to around 1976. Otherwise you probably identify with other decades more. If someone was born in the 1980s than they spent their teen years in the 1990s and I would be willing to wager a bunch that they didn't have "big hair", wear parachute pants, dress in bright neon colors, wear bright loud colors of makeup (females), wear tight acid washed or holes-in-the-knees jeans, wear "half shirts", or skinny ties in High School. Maybe when they were little kids they wore some of this attire (like us little kids in the 1970's who got so lucky to wear "Brady Bunch" plaid and bellbottoms) but when they were teens probably wore some of this and more than likely still do: large heel shoes, "earth" tone makeup, bellbottoms or capri pants, low rise jeans, "hippie" or baby doll shirts, flanel shirts (for you grunge era children), long hair with no bangs and very little hairspray, etc. (which BTW, are all styles that had some of their roots in the 1970s. Talk about being original).

nicely put. I definitely agree with you.

A lot of it has to do with people not being involved with the youth.  They see stuff on TV and think that all kids, teens and young adults are into that sort of thing, when they don't even know enough about most of them to know it's not true.  I started watching MTV when I was 6, even though I was more into video games, action figures and cartoons at the time.

I was born in 1980, and I love the 80s, but it doesn't mean I hate the 90s though.  I also like earlier years before I was born too, and some of today I enjoy too.
The younger (80's born) probably just aren't there yet... give it another 10 years and they will probably like the 80's and hate whatever is current in the 2010's.

Case in point.

yeah, i hear ya, i was born in 1972,  i was 7 years old in 1979, so i do rememeber hearing some 70s songs for a short time growing up, i remember soul train and people dancing with weird clothes, and im sure ive worn the bell jeans in elementry school myself, but that i do remeber some i had, and  in the  early 1980s i remember the leg warmers, frienship pins on our shoe strings, the brown zip up boots, those were popular back then. but  when when  i turned 13 in 1985, thats when i came out of my shell, you know hair make-up thats when it changed for me, boyfriends  everything that came to being  teenager for the first time,1985 was a cool  and biggest year for the pop songs new comers, its just one big shabang .a nd thats when everything started that year, ill never forget it, ive seen punk rockers, to country . everyone had theri own style back then. you could be anything you wanted.but i was in to george micheal, belinda carlisle, jody watley, janet jackson, hewy lewis and the news, i was just a causual normal person i wasnt into anything hard rock, i wore the jorach jeans with sweaters, flats, shoes colored socks, the debbie gibson look. its weird to say ,quote''  thats was back in time, here i am 33 years old. we look at the time we live in and say, man where did it all go, i miss it, but things do change , and we change and its just part of life, and the kids nowdays they will be saying that too her in the net 20 years as well,  but i guess we all get old and life seems so short. thats why we need to enjoy the things in life and appreciate the things we love an the people that we love as well.  nothing stays the same.  but the memeries always stay with us.  :) :)

I always liked where I was born,...1975.  Young enough to live the children's aspect of the 80s, but old enough to remember and appreciate the cooler, teenage/young adult side of the 80s, admist all the cheesy memories, I can remember when and why it was all so cool back then.  In 1985 and 1986 I watched Punky Brewster, G.I. Joe, and Transformers, and I listened to the music of the time.  Hence why people my age would remember Twisted Sister and Wham!, whereas someone born in 1983 is very unlikely to remember them when they were actually popular.  They'd only likely know about Punky Brewster.  (but it's probably best you don't remember that Wake me Up, Before you go-go music video...uhhhhh) 

But once again I was still young enough to not get totally tied down to the 80s like those born around 1970 tend to be.  I'll always love the 80s, the 80s are magic and the 80s are home,...but man for every cool thing in the 80s, there was always something really campy and stupid (like Flock of Seagulls) going on that countered all the cool stuff.  I know for me, around 1989 and 1990, as much as I loved the decade, I was also happy to say goodbye to the 80s.  Nothing lasts forever, and all good things must come to an end.

We still have a drive-in theatre just outside my suburb, but they only show pretty recent movies. Also in 1994 on Friday January 13th i got the pleasure of seeing Friday The 13th Part 3 in 3D at an old movie theatre that showed classic old movies. I think they were having a 3D movie festival kind of thing. They showed heaps of 3D films for about half a year i think. The odd thing was the lenses on the glasses for Fri 13th 3 were tinted like sunglasses & not red & blue. Best 3D effects i've ever seen, 1000 times better then those lame Freddy's Dead supposed 3D effects which weren't even 3D, but just a total scam & a rip off. My point though is i know it's not the same but if you look around hard enough there's always some place keeping the spirit alive & these wonderful things going. I'd love to open one of those sort of places. Retro only though, no recent stuff.

Being a "Child Of the 80s" or "80s Child" doesn't necessarily mean that you were a little kid (or child) in the 80s. It means the that the 80s were the decade you came of age or grew up in. Teenagers most certainly are "children" so if you were a "Teen of the 80s", then you were considered a "Child of the 80s". I understand young children in the 80s wanting to identify with a terrific decade like the 1980s (although being a little child of the 70s doesn't make me want to call myself a "Child Of The 70s" since I don't identify with that decade and I was still too young to really be a part of it even being born in 1970). but trying to redefine the term "Child Of The ...." is a bit of a stretch, wouldn't you all agree? To be considered a "Child Of 80s" than you more than likely had to be born from around 1966 to around 1976. Otherwise you probably identify with other decades more. If someone was born in the 1980s than they spent their teen years in the 1990s and I would be willing to wager a bunch that they didn't have "big hair", wear parachute pants, dress in bright neon colors, wear bright loud colors of makeup (females), wear tight acid washed or holes-in-the-knees jeans, wear "half shirts", or skinny ties in High School. Maybe when they were little kids they wore some of this attire (like us little kids in the 1970's who got so lucky to wear "Brady Bunch" plaid and bellbottoms) but when they were teens probably wore some of this and more than likely still do: large heel shoes, "earth" tone makeup, bellbottoms or capri pants, low rise jeans, "hippie" or baby doll shirts, flanel shirts (for you grunge era children), long hair with no bangs and very little hairspray, etc. (which BTW, are all styles that had some of their roots in the 1970s. Talk about being original).
You were born in 1970 and you don't consider yourself a child of the 70's? Thats interesting.

Great to see your posts Marty, I haven't been around much but I like having dicussions like this with you.  I don't have much time but I'll offer my quick thoughts.  First just a couple of weeks ago I was talking to some younger people born in 1983 and 1984, and they were talking about how they missed the TV shows and movies from their childhood.  Man I was totally floored when they started busting out with nothing but 80s TV shows like He-Man, Thundercats, Transformers, Punky Brewster, etc, etc.  They sounded like they were born in the 70s and around my age.  They didn't sound at all like 21 and 22 year olds, but more like 26-33 year olds.  They could have only watched most these shows in reruns in the very late 80s or probably the early 90s.  I would have LOVED to have heard more of what they knew about the 80s, or if it was simply limited to kids stuff. 

Then I thought about it some more and realized that I did grow up on reruns of some 70s cartoons and 70s kid shows.  I don't remember watching them in their original airdates, but they influenced me in their reruns in the early 80s.  I did watch plenty of reruns of ChiPs, Starsky & Hutch, and The Love Boat in the early 80s as well.  This has to be what has been going on with these kids.  But anyway, I fully believe that people like you that were born in the early 80s have more of an "80s experience" then someone born in 1984 or 1985.  I was born in 1975, I have some vague and cloudy memories of 1978 and 1979, but nothing more.  There are many things I love about the 80s since I grew up back then, and there are many things I detest about the decade too.  I think the 80s can be cheesy too, but I was actually there.  By the way, I consider people born in 1980 and 1981 to be VERY similar to people born in the 1970s, with some minor differences.  The real change in tastes seems to occur with people born in the second half of 1982 and onwards.  Though there are always exceptions.  It's one thing to have watched reruns of Punky Brewster in 1990, it's quite another to be old enough to remember 80s cheese acts like Twisted Sister, and to remember that Andrew Ridgely was the second half of Wham! back in 1985.  The 21 year old kids that I talked to born in 1984 obviously know a lot about 80s kids shows, but I seriously doubt they can remember the decade with true substance.   
Hey I remember watching re-runs of CHipS when I was like 4 or 5 years old I think(that would be back in 1983 or 1984) that I was that age. I also remember when I came home from pre-school sometimes this(I guess that wouk be from the (1982-1984) period I used to come home and watch re-runs of "Sanford & Sun" and "What's Happenin". I was talking to a girl(she has to be her in her 30's) a few days ago about "What's Happenin". She asked me about the show "Good Times" but I just didn't recall watching it.

Yeah I agree with that.


An 80's child would have to be under 12 for, let's say half the decade - someone who was 12 in 1985 up to someone who was 5 in 1989-90, So generally people born 1973-85 are 80's children.
I agree with you there.

Typing this up, I wonder if how we're personally raised has anything to do with our experiences. Like you, I watched alot of reruns of primarily 80's TV shows like Growing Pains, Empty Nest and Charles in Charge in the first half of the 90s. When I got into movies, many were from the 80s. I also watched a ton of VH1 and MTV programming, so it wasn't uncommon to see alot of "Flashback to 1984" things airing in 1993 for instance.

I guess that's why I always felt like I was "a part" of the 80s, even though I only have the faintest memories of 1984 and 85.
.I also remember watching re-runs of Charles "N' Charge and Growing Pains in the early to mid 90's period. The weirdest thing I also remember the exact location I was when I heard a few Milli Vanilli songs back in 89. Its nothing to be proud of but I thought I would throw it in. To define myself I think I was a child of the 80's and a teenager of the 90's. I mean one poster is saying 1976 was the cutoff and other posters say 1982 was the cutoff if you were a child of the 80's or not. I was born in 1979 so I am like in the smack middle of that 1976-1982 cutoff. I was born in November 79 2 which was 2 months before the 80's decade even started. Its interesting though 6 months after I graduated High School I felt old. Even my parents in the 80's listened to 80's music. I could not tolerate some music for a couple years there after I graduated High School. My Dad however did not like the Disco era at all. He does say the 80's is the best decade of music. I found that interesting. Myself I even like some late 70's with Donna Summer, and The Commodores. Sorry for the rambling.

You were born in 1970 and you don't consider yourself a child of the 70's? Thats interesting.


I understand why people born in 1970 don't consider themselves "a child of the 70s". 

You were born in 1979, so you should remember this, but then again you might not. 

In the 80s there was a TREMONDOUS backlash against the 70s.  The 80s backlash in the 90s was a spring shower compared to the 70s hate that was going on in the 1980s.  Kids were just mortified with nearly everything 70s during the 80s, it just wasn't cool.  So someone born in 1970 would have been in middle and high school during the time of 1981 to 1988, in their prime years of trying to fit in and be cool, and the last thing they wanted to do was be associated with the 70s.  Plus often it seemed like the 60s and the 70s sorta ran in together with each other, like they were the same animal....very similar to the 90s and the 00s....since the 60s were the period of "the adults" to 80s kids, it made the 70s even more uncool.  Long haired hippies still talking about Woodstock, Nixon and Watergate, platform shoes and leisure suits, bell bottoms, and ofcourse DISCO....it was all seen as so old, ugly, and uncool back in the 80s.     

Then in 1992 the 70s started to be cool again and was like the weirdest thing...there still is a bit of 70s backlash with us, the 70s will always be something of an automatic laughtrack, but in the 80s it was just over the top 70s hate.  This is why you almost NEVER see people born in the early 70s try to claim the 1970s as part of their heritage.  Even me, I was influenced by that too, I still am of the opinion that the worst crap from the 80s still is not as bad as the worst of the 70s. 

I understand why people born in 1970 don't consider themselves "a child of the 70s". 

You were born in 1979, so you should remember this, but then again you might not. 

In the 80s there was a TREMONDOUS backlash against the 70s.  The 80s backlash in the 90s was a spring shower compared to the 70s hate that was going on in the 1980s.  Kids were just mortified with nearly everything 70s during the 80s, it just wasn't cool.  So someone born in 1970 would have been in middle and high school during the time of 1981 to 1988, in their prime years of trying to fit in and be cool, and the last thing they wanted to do was be associated with the 70s.  Plus often it seemed like the 60s and the 70s sorta ran in together with each other, like they were the same animal....very similar to the 90s and the 00s....since the 60s were the period of "the adults" to 80s kids, it made the 70s even more uncool.  Long haired hippies still talking about Woodstock, Nixon and Watergate, platform shoes and leisure suits, bell bottoms, and ofcourse DISCO....it was all seen as so old and uncool back in the 80s.     

Then in 1992 the 70s started to be cool again and was like the weirdest thing...there still is a bit of 70s backlash with us, the 70s will always be something of an automatic laughtrack, but in the 80s it was just over the top 70s hate.  This is why you almost NEVER see people born in the early 70s try to claim the 1970s as part of their heritage.
I am aware of some of the backlash the 70's had in the 80's. I think by 1989 when the decade of the 80's being wrapped up musically the 80's with the big synthizers made 70's music look like yesterdays news probably. I also agree with you the 70's really didn't have the culture shock years the 80's and 90's had in 1983 and 1992 respectively. The 70's did have disco but that was like 90's teen-pop it lasted for a few minutes and it left. I sort of agree with you with the 90's and 00's running together but I sort of don't. I agree with you the 00's has not seen rhe culture shock years that were 1983 and 1992. I don;t agree with you however music sounds way diifferent from what it was in 1996. The last big changeover as you Marty, and I have said is 1999 but 1999 is a 90's year.

I should also note I have seen tapes of the baseball game at Comiskey Park in 1979 or 1980 where they blew up disco tapes.

well, we were just kids back in the 80s. we were not teenagers at that time thats why we cant appreciate the decade that much.  ::)

but i like the portrayal of the 80s though. like movies set in the 80s and stuff.

I understand why people born in 1970 don't consider themselves "a child of the 70s". 

You were born in 1979, so you should remember this, but then again you might not. 

In the 80s there was a TREMONDOUS backlash against the 70s.  The 80s backlash in the 90s was a spring shower compared to the 70s hate that was going on in the 1980s.  Kids were just mortified with nearly everything 70s during the 80s, it just wasn't cool.  So someone born in 1970 would have been in middle and high school during the time of 1981 to 1988, in their prime years of trying to fit in and be cool, and the last thing they wanted to do was be associated with the 70s.  Plus often it seemed like the 60s and the 70s sorta ran in together with each other, like they were the same animal....very similar to the 90s and the 00s....since the 60s were the period of "the adults" to 80s kids, it made the 70s even more uncool.  Long haired hippies still talking about Woodstock, Nixon and Watergate, platform shoes and leisure suits, bell bottoms, and ofcourse DISCO....it was all seen as so old, ugly, and uncool back in the 80s.   

Then in 1992 the 70s started to be cool again and was like the weirdest thing...there still is a bit of 70s backlash with us, the 70s will always be something of an automatic laughtrack, but in the 80s it was just over the top 70s hate.  This is why you almost NEVER see people born in the early 70s try to claim the 1970s as part of their heritage.  Even me, I was influenced by that too, I still am of the opinion that the worst crap from the 80s still is not as bad as the worst of the 70s. 


Finally some words of wisdom on this thread! Great post. My thoughts exactly and I couldn't of worded it better myself. Big thumbs up!

  I was born in 1986.  I barely remember it but I just LOVE the pop-culture stuff that is associated with it.  I like the music, the movies, TV shows, video games, and just the general feel of it.  I barely lived through it but somehow it just appeals to me.  I'm also starting to appeal to some of the 90's stuff as well (Except for the grunge and cheesy pop stuff).

  My cousin who was born in '87 seems to be obsessed with the 50's and 60's though.  Maybe it could be about when you were born, or maybe it could also deal with what type of person you are.

When I was little, my dad used to play all kinds of 80's music in the living room like Pet Shop Boys, Billy Idol, Depeche Mode, etc.  Since he introduced it to me at such a young age, I began to like it as well and this may be part of the reason why I like it so much.

the only reason i can give is that over the past forty-five
years,the ' 80s had to be the most boring decade.
the '60s had summer of love,moon walk
and woodstock.the '70s had viet nam,watergate and the
energy crisis.the '90s spent ten years trying to undo an
MTv generation of bad music.the '80s seemed to ruin
music. a good reason not to like it.

the only reason i can give is that over the past forty-five
years,the ' 80s had to be the most boring decade.
the '60s had summer of love,moon walk
and woodstock.the '70s had viet nam,watergate and the
energy crisis.the '90s spent ten years trying to undo an
MTv generation of bad music.the '80s seemed to ruin
music. a good reason not to like it.

Sorry, but no. It was the 90s that ruined music by stripping it down to no solos & making it something any teen who just bought an electric guitar could do. Is everyone's memory that short. The 90s spawned grunge which eventually brought on all those god awful nu-metal bands of the late 90s that are still around. It turned mainstream music into something that was no longer being done by talented musicians or guitar wizards, but rather pubesent teens & 20 somethings who still need to learn their scales.  Although i agree that the 60s was one of the most interesting decades of the 20th century, i can't agree that the 80s were the most boring. It was definitly the 90s that was absolutly the most vile, hideous & boring decade of the 20th century. It just took a bits & peices of  lots of stuff from the late 20th century & recycled it into a disgusting distorted mish mass. I'd expect a comment like that from someone who knows nothing of rock history though. Rock evolved from black man's blues which then got accepted by whites, which then got the tag Rock N Roll (a youthfomism for Fu*king) Which then eventually started getting labeled as pop music etc etc etc. Their were still what i'd consider rock bands in the 80s that "ACTUALLY ROCKED" despite what one's opinion is about their dress sense & image, which has NOTHING to do with the music or musical ability. Whereas the 90s had nothing that even remotly sounded like rock or even remotly used a similar musical formula. It was the 90s when rock n roll was truly dead & left us with this watered down mediocre boring version of it. 

BTW, in terms of politics there was plenty of contraversy & drama because remember we had those 2 psychotic monsters Reagan & Bush Senior. Also how could you forget that soccer mom from hell with sand in her vagina Tipper Gore & Her husband Al & the PMRC in their crusade to de-punk & de-metal all those supposed weak willed kids. That was also the birth of explicit content warning stickers. The 80s were anything but boring. 

who in the '80s actually "rocked"? with the exception of
iron maiden,queensryche,kings x and metallica all the other
so called rock bands were horrible.i will take system of a down
and puddle of mudd over ratt and poison.the best "rock" music
was recorded between 1965 and 1979. new bands in the 80s
recorded bubble gum garbage for mtv and bands from the 70s
forgot how to write good music.the 80s are known for culture
club,men without hats and simply red.is that how you want to
be remembered.

LMFAO System Of A Down & especially Puddle Of Mud suck total sh!t. It's all that down tuned crap. Crap crap crap. what more can i say. They don't rock LOL, they're lame half as*ed mainstream trend bands. If you wanna get into recent bands that are somewhat heavy in nature & that can actually play, do some homework. There's a lot more overlooked & under rated bands out there than just mainstream crap.
BTW i'm not really into hair bands either, but at least some of them knew how to play their instruments & they didn't dress like a crackerjack. You also left out Motorhead, Megadeth (1000 times better than Metallica), Anthrax, Slayer (maybe a bit heavy to be a rock band) Guns N Roses, AC/DC, & a fair few other bands i can't think of right now, plus a the few that you named. Which is more than i could possibly name off the top of my head in from this era.
My girlfriend likes a recent band called The Donnas. I'm not really into em, i'm into heavier stuff, but i don't mind them & can at least stomach them because they are one of the very few mainstream bands out there that are still doing "actual" rock n roll. The only other recent rock band that i can think of right now is an Aussie band called The Casanovas which i'm also not really into. Still beats all this emo nu-metal try hard crap though. 

Black metal is the stuff with black dudes in it "aight foo' LOL.
Living Color is black metal LOL. Mr. T should start his own rap-rock band LOL. So called rap-metal, nu-metal, emo & screamo bands are all a big joke & crack me up LOL. They make me laugh even more than Odin jumping around in bumless chaps on Decline Of Western Civilazation II-The Metal Years LMAO.

LMFAO System Of A Down & especially Puddle Of Mud suck total sh!t. It's all that down tuned crap. Crap crap crap. what more can i say. They don't rock LOL, they're lame half as*ed mainstream trend bands. If you wanna get into recent bands that are somewhat heavy in nature & that can actually play, do some homework. There's a lot more overlooked & under rated bands out there than just mainstream crap.
BTW i'm not really into hair bands either, but at least some of them knew how to play their instruments & they didn't dress like a crackerjack. You also left out Motorhead, Megadeth (1000 times better than Metallica), Anthrax, Slayer (maybe a bit heavy to be a rock band) Guns N Roses, AC/DC, & a fair few other bands i can't think of right now, plus a the few that you named. Which is more than i could possibly name off the top of my head in from this era.
My girlfriend likes a recent band called The Donnas. I'm not really into em, i'm into heavier stuff, but i don't mind them & can at least stomach them because they are one of the very few mainstream bands out there that are still doing "actual" rock n roll. The only other recent rock band that i can think of right now is an Aussie band called The Casanovas which i'm also not really into. Still beats all this emo nu-metal try hard crap though. 



Even though I'm not heavily into metal bands, I am standing behind you Cafe80's, only because hearing the statement that "puddle of mudd and system of a down" could be better is just a waste of anyone's time. Yet, I can agree with Loki about some of the best music being recorded between 1965-1979 as being an accurate statement. Now for me, in terms of "rock n' roll" I think of it as being part pop, part mainstream and part-rebellious. The 1980's did have it's share of pop, but so did the 1960's and 1970's. So, none of those decades are going to be exempt.

To Loki
But, I find it really hard to listen to today's music because a lot of it is recycled or involves too much glossy production rather than true musicianship. Music from the 80's brought about some great artists - a lot of the music, believe it or not, was still much more inspiring than most of todays stuff. Simply Red may have not been a revolutionary group, they still are much better than anything the Backstreet Boys would put out. Men without Hats I would agree are merely a one hit wonder kind of group, but hey, they had a pretty memorable hit, didn't they!? And Culture Club, I have mixed feelings about them - To me, they're a bit better than your standard 1990's groups, but not a group that I would be crazy about for 20 years onward. These are somewhat poor examples, as again, like any decade, the 80's did have it's share of cheesy songs - but who's to say the 60's, 70's, & 90's didn't either?  

To Loki
But, I find it really hard to listen to today's music because a lot of it is recycled or involves too much glossy production rather than true musicianship. Music from the 80's brought about some great artists - a lot of the music, believe it or not, was still much more inspiring than most of todays stuff. Simply Red may have not been a revolutionary group, they still are much better than anything the Backstreet Boys would put out. Men without Hats I would agree are merely a one hit wonder kind of group, but hey, they had a pretty memorable hit, didn't they!? And Culture Club, I have mixed feelings about them - To me, they're a bit better than your standard 1990's groups, but not a group that I would be crazy about for 20 years onward. These are somewhat poor examples, as again, like any decade, the 80's did have it's share of cheesy songs - but who's to say the 60's, 70's, & 90's didn't either?  


The weird thing about Culture Club is that I never thought Boy George was the best of singers, but he looked the part and IMO his group did define a decade, lol.

No one can forget 'The Safety Dance' once they have heard it - the music video is more hilarious than the song!  ;D

Now I can barely tell one band from another . . . so sad . . . and I'm only 26. :-\\

Even though I'm not heavily into metal bands, I am standing behind you Cafe80's, only because hearing the statement that "puddle of mudd and system of a down" could be better is just a waste of anyone's time. Yet, I can agree with Loki about some of the best music being recorded between 1965-1979 as being an accurate statement. Now for me, in terms of "rock n' roll" I think of it as being part pop, part mainstream and part-rebellious. The 1980's did have it's share of pop, but so did the 1960's and 1970's. So, none of those decades are going to be exempt.

Cheers! At last someome with a bit of wisdom.
Totally agree, 60s & 70s had some great rock n roll & even the 50s. People/bands like Link Wray, Jimi Hendrix, Cream & Iron Butterfly revolutionnised the way guitar was being played & were pretty much the forerunners to how the guitar would be played in future & played a big part in the birth of hard rock & metal. It seems now we've just taken a huge step backwards.

i didn't actually say i liked system of a down or puddle of mudd
i said i would take them over ratt and poison.let me clarify,
i don't dislike all 80s music,missing persons,XTC and the dead
milkmen are ok it is just the MTV pump out garbage music
i dislike.i left out ac/dc,megadeath,anthrax and motorhead
because they were known before 1980.
it seems music today is like hollywood,they are completely
out of ideas.everything now is a remake of what was done
in the 60s and 70s.and not a very good one.

i have to say ,i was proressive rock fan in the 70s.
ELP,triumvirat,yes,tull and such. the metal bands
i liked was sabbath,alice cooper,ac/dc and nugent.
so for me the 80s was a real let down musically.
even the above mentioned band music was lacking
in the 80s.

Oh now i see. The Dead Milkman. I knew there had to be a political motive behind that opinion, the politics of music pffffft. ::)  I know their music & i'm aware of the intro to Bitchin Camero where they take the pis* out of Motley Crue & such bands. In fact they take the pis* out of everything. It's somewhat amusing but once the novelty of that wears of the music leaves a lot to be desired. To me they come across as smart a** little collage graduates. I'm so over smart a** & cynical alternative bands. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with cynicism if it's applied in the right circumstance, but i'd take Ratt or Poison over the depressing, boring  or sombre likes of System Of A Down, Puddle Of Mud  & all those new bands because at least the hair bands made party anthems free from political motive, cynicism & sarcasm & were more about one simple factor in life, HAVING FUN. Yeah i know they looked silly & a lot of the lyrics were silly & crass about fast livin & easy woman, but some of them weren't half bad at playing their instruments aswell. I don't know but for some reason these bands are the underdogs nowadays & don't stand a chance against the cynicism & seriousness of todays post grunge & alternative generation & for some reason i feel the need to defend them. Look don't get me wrong though i totally hear what your saying in respect to hollywood & all that etc, but super cheesy shows with predictable plots like A-team for example, a product of hollywood, are so much fun to watch especially now when TV is crappier & more boring than ever & i apply that analogy in a similar context to music in this circumstance. In simple terms i'll take something fun over something boring anyday.

MTV of the 1980's may have played a lot of the 80's music, but all they were doing were reflecting the changing times and the music that was going with it. MTV probably had very little to do with how music evolved in the 1980's. It may have aided in some of the changes, but probably not by much.. And who could argue with MTV in the 1980's - at least they were actually playing music videos - now all you get are reality shows with whiny 20-somethings, Jessica Simpson, teen obsessed TRL (that at once seemed like a promising music program), oh, and did I mention the other Simpson sister, lol.. It's not music at all anymore. It's very, very depressing. I use to watch MTV about 10 years ago, probably as late as 1997 or 1999 - since then, I have had no desire to watch anything MTV puts out - that means one less brain cell for me.. lol

MTV of the 1980's may have played a lot of the 80's music, but all they were doing were reflecting the changing times and the music that was going with it. MTV probably had very little to do with how music evolved in the 1980's. It may have aided in some of the changes, but probably not by much.. And who could argue with MTV in the 1980's - at least they were actually playing music videos - now all you get are reality shows with whiny 20-somethings, Jessica Simpson, teen obsessed TRL (that at once seemed like a promising music program), oh, and did I mention the other Simpson sister, lol.. It's not music at all anymore. It's very, very depressing. I use to watch MTV about 10 years ago, probably as late as 1997 or 1999 - since then, I have had no desire to watch anything MTV puts out - that means one less brain cell for me.. lol



i agree to an extent,during the mid 80s making videos was big business
bands were created just to make videos.a majority of these bands
would never tour because the band couldn't fill a venue.as for the
simpson girls,i would rather hear lisa simpson than either 
simpson sister.

Oh now i see. The Dead Milkman. I knew there had to be a political motive behind that opinion, the politics of music pffffft. ::)  I know their music & i'm aware of the intro to Bitchin Camero where they take the pis* out of Motley Crue & such bands. In fact they take the pis* out of everything. It's somewhat amusing but once the novelty of that wears of the music leaves a lot to be desired. To me they come across as smart a** little collage graduates. I'm so over smart a** & cynical alternative bands. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with cynicism if it's applied in the right circumstance, but i'd take Ratt or Poison over the depressing, boring  or sombre likes of System Of A Down, Puddle Of Mud  & all those new bands because at least the hair bands made party anthems free from political motive, cynicism & sarcasm & were more about one simple factor in life, HAVING FUN. Yeah i know they looked silly & a lot of the lyrics were silly & crass about fast livin & easy woman, but some of them weren't half bad at playing their instruments aswell. I don't know but for some reason these bands are the underdogs nowadays & don't stand a chance against the cynicism & seriousness of todays post grunge & alternative generation & for some reason i feel the need to defend them. Look don't get me wrong though i totally hear what your saying in respect to hollywood & all that etc, but super cheesy shows with predictable plots like A-team for example, a product of hollywood, are so much fun to watch especially now when TV is crappier & more boring than ever & i apply that analogy in a similar context to music in this circumstance. In simple terms i'll take something fun over something boring anyday.


i like dead milkmen because they were silly not political
or cynical.punk rock girl is just plain funny.as far as politics
in music,that is one of the reasons i don't listen to U2 anymore
they went to the extreme on their political views.
i understand what your saying about hair bands,but they all sound the same.
i used to watch cinderella play in the local bars,they sounded
better there than they did after MTV them big.

No, for most of what i was saying i meant the politics of music. Not politics in music. I just think it's all a bit of a wank. Although i do think the Dead Milkmen are being cynical if they're taking the pis*. What about this comment? "All the donations go to get their lead singer out of jail" , it seems humourous at first, but if you think about it, it also displays & cynical & negative stereotype & opinion of those sort of bands they're takin a stab at.  And what about "oh that's a place that lets 16 year old kids drink". If that's not cynical & smartas*y then i don't know. Besides anyone can sit back & poke fun at everything & everyone but it actually takes a little more effort & confinence to actually do something, especially as outragous as those sorta bands & also many of those new wave bands that every one likes to take a dig at every now & then for the way they dressed. If anyone should be critisized, it's all those bands from this era that all look like they walked out of some overly trendy fashion boutique store with all their brand name clothing etc. It almost looks like an advert for those products, actually that's what it is. Carefully placed subliminal marketing. Korn is one big advert for ADIDAS LOL. Anyway this discussion is getting to technical & getting off the topic.

No, for most of what i was saying i meant the politics of music. Not politics in music. I just think it's all a bit of a wank. Although i do think the Dead Milkmen are being cynical if they're taking the pis*. What about this comment? "All the donations go to get their lead singer out of jail" , it seems humourous at first, but if you think about it, it also displays & cynical & negative stereotype & opinion of those sort of bands they're takin a stab at.  And what about "oh that's a place that lets 16 year old kids drink". If that's not cynical & smartas*y then i don't know. Besides anyone can sit back & poke fun at everything & everyone but it actually takes a little more effort & confinence to actually do something, especially as outragous as those sorta bands & also many of those new wave bands that every one likes to take a dig at every now & then for the way they dressed. If anyone should be critisized, it's all those bands from this era that all look like they walked out of some overly trendy fashion boutique store with all their brand name clothing etc. It almost looks like an advert for those products, actually that's what it is. Carefully placed subliminal marketing. Korn is one big advert for ADIDAS LOL. Anyway this discussion is getting to technical & getting off the topic.


your right,enough said.you got me thinking though,not enough
to change my mind but thinking.

your right,enough said.you got me thinking though,not enough
to change my mind but thinking.

Don't get me wrong i think Dead Milkmen are pretty cool, i'm just being objective about the whole thing. I think hair bands & new wave bands cop a lot of flak from almost everyone these days, so it gets interesting when trying to defend thier case. If i've made someone think though, then that's excellent.
The main reason i think early 80s people are seen as generally not liking the 80s comes down to conditioning though. Obviously a lot were only old enough to start devoloping musical taste & a sense of their own style (or not) by the early 90s. By that time music & attidudes had sifted dramatically & there was that before mentioned 80s backlash. Cynical & meloncoly alternative bands were the go & bands that still did songs about partying down, good times & easy women (not that there were many) were seen as really dorky by this generation. Being messed up & feeling sh!t was where it was at ::). I think that carried over into the 00s with sh!tty nu-metal bands like Linkin Park, Korn etc & so did the absence of solos & lack of musical ability LOL. The only people that liked the left over 80s culture were older people who were still hanging on to what they liked rather than changing with the obvious trend so that they didn't become outcasts & i can totally respect someone sticking with something after it's no longer the trend & going against the grain. I have a friend who's only one year younger than me, but who constantly changes his preference depending on the times, who he's around or what chick he's trying to pick up & he listens to some of the music teenagers would listen to now. I personally think he's the dork & don't let him live it down. I give him so much sh!t about it LOL. I call him The Camellion. Attitudes about whats cool & what's not is fu*kin lame anyway. Trends are bullsh!t & i don't give a fu*k what everyone else thinks. They can blow me  :-*.

MTV of the 1980's may have played a lot of the 80's music, but all they were doing were reflecting the changing times and the music that was going with it. MTV probably had very little to do with how music evolved in the 1980's. It may have aided in some of the changes, but probably not by much..

Great points (again). :)

I'm kinda split on the issue, but this reminded me about a special on the 80's and music videos from VH1 that I recorded back in early 1999 (so it's a teeny bit dated in reference points now, but the old information is obviously the same).

One thing I found interesting - which made sense to me instantly, though I maybe wouldn't have picked up myself - was they were saying how, more or less, in the very early 80's the radio pretty much played "safe" and established bands (corporate rock, like Journey and Foreigner, or soft pop/rock like Christopher Cross), so there wasn't really an outlet for new material or upcoming bands.

New wave was around in about 1979, but in more limited popularity for its first couple years. It broke through in about 82.

But in any case, MTV helped the more underground/cutting edge (well for its time anyway!) stuff attain mass popularity and it re-energized the music business in general.

Thinking of it that way, I wonder if MTV had never existed, what would've become of Culture Club, the Police, Duran Duran etc. Maybe without it, it would've taken them a few more years to break through (say 1985) or they would've been less popular in general.

And who could argue with MTV in the 1980's - at least they were actually playing music videos - now all you get are reality shows with whiny 20-somethings, Jessica Simpson, teen obsessed TRL (that at once seemed like a promising music program), oh, and did I mention the other Simpson sister, lol.. It's not music at all anymore. It's very, very depressing. I use to watch MTV about 10 years ago, probably as late as 1997 or 1999 - since then, I have had no desire to watch anything MTV puts out - that means one less brain cell for me.. lol


Totally agree. Though it obviously wasn't as good as the 80's, I still watched a bit of MTV in the first two thirds of the 90's (largely for Beavis & Butthead, LOL). I was able to enjoy a chunk of the pop culture and new music until about late 1998 or early 1999. When Britney, Christina and NSync came out, that was when I felt like I couldn't really connect with it anymore.

MTV of the 1980's may have played a lot of the 80's music, but all they were doing were reflecting the changing times and the music that was going with it. MTV probably had very little to do with how music evolved in the 1980's. It may have aided in some of the changes, but probably not by much.. And who could argue with MTV in the 1980's - at least they were actually playing music videos - now all you get are reality shows with whiny 20-somethings, Jessica Simpson, teen obsessed TRL (that at once seemed like a promising music program), oh, and did I mention the other Simpson sister, lol.. It's not music at all anymore. It's very, very depressing. I use to watch MTV about 10 years ago, probably as late as 1997 or 1999 - since then, I have had no desire to watch anything MTV puts out - that means one less brain cell for me.. lol
I totally see your view I used to watch MTV in 1998 and 1999. Then I just stop watching it. They don't play any video's anymore. Everytime you turn it on there's shows like "Made" on which I don't like. "pimp My Ride" is alright I guess(i love cars.) "Room Raiders" I watch very very rarely(once in a blue moon.) I used to watch "Muchmusic" too in 1997-1998. "Muchmusic" was a video channel in Canada. I have sattilite TV and live in the US so I was able to get the "Much Music Channel". Then they started playing the same stuff as MTV: Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears.

Great points (again). :)

I'm kinda split on the issue, but this reminded me about a special on the 80's and music videos from VH1 that I recorded back in early 1999 (so it's a teeny bit dated in reference points now, but the old information is obviously the same).

One thing I found interesting - which made sense to me instantly, though I maybe wouldn't have picked up myself - was they were saying how, more or less, in the very early 80's the radio pretty much played "safe" and established bands (corporate rock, like Journey and Foreigner, or soft pop/rock like Christopher Cross), so there wasn't really an outlet for new material or upcoming bands.

New wave was around in about 1979, but in more limited popularity for its first couple years. It broke through in about 82.

But in any case, MTV helped the more underground/cutting edge (well for its time anyway!) stuff attain mass popularity and it re-energized the music business in general.

Thinking of it that way, I wonder if MTV had never existed, what would've become of Culture Club, the Police, Duran Duran etc. Maybe without it, it would've taken them a few more years to break through (say 1985) or they would've been less popular in general.


I agree on those points.  :) I guess what I really meant was that 80's music didn't "rely" on MTV, although a good portion of it could be because of MTV's exposure for raw and unheard of acts.



Totally agree. Though it obviously wasn't as good as the 80's, I still watched a bit of MTV in the first two thirds of the 90's (largely for Beavis & Butthead, LOL). I was able to enjoy a chunk of the pop culture and new music until about late 1998 or early 1999. When Britney, Christina and NSync came out, that was when I felt like I couldn't really connect with it anymore.


          I use to like watching MTV through the mid-90's (also for Beavis/Butthead, Speedracer, etc), but things changed dramatically somewhere between 1996-2000. I think I was changing my tastes around that time and MTV was just looking more and more absurd rather than cool. So, yeah, somewhere between 1998 or 1999 I also gave up hope on MTV ever becoming better.

I totally see your view I used to watch MTV in 1998 and 1999. Then I just stop watching it. They don't play any video's anymore. Everytime you turn it on there's shows like "Made" on which I don't like. "pimp My Ride" is alright I guess(i love cars.) "Room Raiders" I watch very very rarely(once in a blue moon.) I used to watch "Muchmusic" too in 1997-1998. "Muchmusic" was a video channel in Canada. I have sattilite TV and live in the US so I was able to get the "Much Music Channel". Then they started playing the same stuff as MTV: Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears.


You know what's sad, I don't know half the shows you mentioned. I feel like such an old fogey saying that.. Much Music sounds like it use to be a good channel in it's hey day, but must've went down the same slippery slope as MTV. I would say the only one that's really kept it's integrity as a music channel is VH1 - although it has swayed over into Realty shows, those are a heapload better than the MTV reality shows, or even compared to most network reality shows.

When I lived through the 80's I really didn't think much about the decade itself, though I did enjoy my childhood a lot at that time. When the 80's ended, around 1990 I already had some sort of nostalgia, it wasn't easy to grapple with though as to why I felt that way and as time passed I missed the 80's more and more. So it seems to me that I am liking the 80's more, not less.

i had some time to think about this topic and with
the past musical debate aside i think it's because
the 80s got lost in a technological transition.in the
80s cell phones were as big as walkie-talkies,vcr's
were expensive and computers were out of reach
for average people.when early the 80s born were teens
these things were readily available so why reflect on
a time when they were unattainable.

i had some time to think about this topic and with
the past musical debate aside i think it's because
the 80s got lost in a technological transition.in the
80s cell phones were as big as walkie-talkies,vcr's
were expensive and computers were out of reach
for average people.when early the 80s born were teens
these things were readily available so why reflect on
a time when they were unattainable.

Because all those material possesions mean very little or nothing & we managed without some of them just fine & so can the next generation. If these material possesions are from that era they have value to me though. Nostalgic value is worth more to me than fancy functions, a slicker look, portablity, monetry value or any of that other superflious bullsh!t.
Besides VCRs weren't that expensive. We got a pretty good one in 85 or 86 & we were pretty poor compared the families of most people i went to school with. I hate all that techno crap nowadays. Classic not plastic, i apply that analogy to most aspects in life.

Because all those material possesions mean very little or nothing & we managed without some of them just fine & so can the next generation. If these material possesions are from that era they have value to me though. Nostalgic value is worth more to me than fancy functions, a slicker look, portablity, monetry value or any of that other superflious bullsh!t.
Besides VCRs weren't that expensive. We got a pretty good one in 85 or 86 & we were pretty poor compared the families of most people i went to school with. I hate all that techno crap nowadays. Classic not plastic, i apply that analogy to most aspects in life.


you are a rare breed my friend,in a world of quicker,better,faster
you can still hold whats dear to you.i have to agree with you on
nostalic value,my turn table and 8-track player gets more use
than my cd-player.

you are a rare breed my friend,in a world of quicker,better,faster
you can still hold whats dear to you.i have to agree with you on
nostalic value,my turn table and 8-track player gets more use
than my cd-player.


I agree with both of you on this. I think back on the days where we didn't have cell phones, CD players (although, I am SO glad CD players are around now), and all these other gadgets and think that we really did experience the last of the last - before movie theatres turned into 16-plexes; before malls became infested with teeny bop stores; before big chain places like Starbucks took over just goin' down to your local diner for a cup o' joe; Just the simple things in life have sort of been taken away because the worlds getting increasingly bigger and in demand of more goods at an ever quicker pace. It's sort of frightening in some respect, to see all of this unravel. Yet, I feel priveledged to have witnessed almost the end of an era that kids born past 1991-1992 may never realise ever existed except from anecdotes from people who lived it.

you are a rare breed my friend,in a world of quicker,better,faster
you can still hold whats dear to you.i have to agree with you on
nostalic value,my turn table and 8-track player gets more use
than my cd-player.

Most of my stuff is on vinyl, i have about 3 or 4 times more records than CDs. So my turntable still gets quite a bit more usage than my CD player.

Yeah I agree with that.

An 80's child would have to be under 12 for, let's say half the decade - someone who was 12 in 1985 up to someone who was 5 in 1989-90, So generally people born 1973-85 are 80's children.


I disagree with a portion of this statement. My youngest brother was born in 1983, his heyday was in the 90s! He would barely, if anything, remember the late 80s without someone reminding him. He graduated from high school in 2000. Therefore, I can not include him as a child of the 80s solely because 1983 appears on his birth certificate.

As do i.
I just had a discussion with my cousin who was born in the early 80s & he has trouble remembering a lot of stuff unless he is reminded of it. I on the other hand was born in the 70s, but even i don't remember everything with 100% total clarity & if it wasn't for this site there's some things i might have totally forgotten about. Thanks to this site & the help of others posting answers to my questions on here i've been able to put a name to long forgotten & lost TV shows & toys that weren't as popular as say He-man or Transormers & that i wouldn't remember the names to otherwise. A person born in the mid 80s is more a part of the 90s generation as far as i see it because the brain doesn't start developing very tangible memories untill about the age 3 or 4. So if someone were born in 85, they wouldn't have remebered anthing segnificant or tangible up untill 88 or 89, which was the very end of the 80s & doen't count for much. If you are old enough to remember 80 to 86 pretty well then & you were actually there then you are truly an 80s child. I was born in the 70s but i don't claim to be a 70s child since my only memories from the 70s were re-runs of 70s TV shows in the 80s & hearing some 70s songs still on the radio. I think a lot of people on here that were born in the mid & late 80s claim to be 80s children only because they were born in the decade & they really like 80s culture, 80s TV & 80s music through re-runs & music flashbacks on the radio or TV & they wish they were old enough to have been there &/or lived it properly. It is quite rare though, mid & late 80s born people that actually like the 80s i mean, but they obviously do if they are on this site, but do a poll at a random public place with people in that age group & you'll probably get most saying something like "the 80s are gay & tacky", which is really sad & ignorant considering they weren't really even there or old enough to really remember anything except for what's been present to them post 80s through TV & radio or possibly much older siblings or relatives. So the main reason that early 80s born people are often seen as not liking the 80's is because like my cousin they are too young to remember much with total clarity so their feelings about the decade are obviously bound to be a different to someone like myself born in the 70s.

^ Good points.

I tend to round myself down as well since I'd rather be a "part" of the 80's than a part of the 90's.

Also, I find that I like the 90's alot more when I'm not comparing it to the 80's. When I hear another born in 1981 person (a 1983'er is close enough) claiming how "90s" they are or that it was "their" generation, that's usually when I get a sour taste for it. I automatically feel really old AND uncool/different 'cause I think back on how I was imprinted by the 80's.

Well, then again most people don't listen to music when they're 3, or play video games at 5 and rent movies when they're 9. ;)

The simple answer I suppose, is that people tend to like what they first experience. I have a born in '81 friend who's a fan of gangsta rap and stuff like that. He's probably alot more "typical" than me - from what he's told me, his parents were strict with him growing up so he didn't really get "into" anything until he was 12-13, and by then it was the mid 1990s.

My parents (and other adults I knew) being liberal in that regard - not to mention being into it themselves - I'm sure sped the process up for me. If someone (like my buddy I mentioned) isn't exposed to something, that explains why they're not as knowledgeable or fond of it later on.

I consider childhood to be under 11-12 (about when puberty starts) but for argument's sake, we'll say a child is a pre-teen. That would extend to September 1994 for me which makes sense - even though the 80's were dead for a couple years by then, I was still into a decent amount of pop culture. I don't mind being associated with 1990-94 too much, but I sure as h*ll would never say 1997 or 98 culture had a lasting impact on me -- I still like it, but my tastes were too set in stone by then to be "imprinted" by it if that makes sense.

That's what I have trouble relating with - when someone my age calls something from 1997 "classic" or "old school" - I HATE THAT! Makes me feel so freakin' old since that's still fairly new/recent to me. ;D

I consider childhood to be under 11-12 (about when puberty starts) but for argument's sake, we'll say a child is a pre-teen. That would extend to September 1994 for me which makes sense - even though the 80's were dead for a couple years by then, I was still into a decent amount of pop culture. I don't mind being associated with 1990-94 too much, but I sure as h*ll would never say 1997 or 98 culture had a lasting impact on me -- I still like it, but my tastes were too set in stone by then to be "imprinted" by it if that makes sense.

That's what I have trouble relating with - when someone my age calls something from 1997 "classic" or "old school" - I HATE THAT! Makes me feel so freakin' old since that's still fairly new/recent to me. ;D

Yep for sure, i definatly don't consider 97 onwards to really be part of the 90s, i tend to associate everything in that time frame to be part of this decade. I hate that aswell when i hear teens talking about something from 97 & they say something like "woaaah that's oldschool", i just roll my eyes. But anyway that's a topic for the 90s forum.

There's nothing more annoying than a Gen X'er who's totally immersed in current stuff... and I'm almost certain it's the majority.

Right on  :)

You know what's sad, I don't know half the shows you mentioned. I feel like such an old fogey saying that.. Much Music sounds like it use to be a good channel in it's hey day, but must've went down the same slippery slope as MTV. I would say the only one that's really kept it's integrity as a music channel is VH1 - although it has swayed over into Realty shows, those are a heapload better than the MTV reality shows, or even compared to most network reality shows.
VH1 I used to watch when MTV turned into the teeny bopper channel. I felt like at the time(2000-2001) that VH1 was the more adult station than MTV and I was only 20 or 21 at the time. Then MTv bought VH1. Now all VH1 is all about Celebrity's and reality shows. I just don't care for it. As for MUCHMUSIC it did slip in 1999-2000 and now its called "The Fuse". I might give "The Fuse" a try. "MUCH MUSIC" lost me when they went down that teenybopper path though. I wish all these channels would play music.

There's nothing more annoying than a Gen X'er who's totally immersed in current stuff... and I'm almost certain it's the majority.
I do like some current music and TV shows. I just don't feel current music like I did in my High School. I don;t feel the current TV shows like I did in the 80's and 90's. ABC Family Channel is cheesey but I like it nowadays. They just don;t make shows like Cosby and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air anymore. Those shows are classics. I guess what I am trying to say is there is no family shows on Mainstream networks anymore. Crime Solving shows like CSI and Law & Order are good though.

I hate that aswell when i hear teens talking about something from 97 & they say something like "woaaah that's oldschool", i just roll my eyes. But anyway that's a topic for the 90s forum.
I know a dance station was playing "Runaway" by Corona(a song from 1995) last week. And their like after the song was over the guy on the radio said "a little old school for you." I'm thinking 1995 is old school. I guess I'm 25 years old and already "old school".

I suppose it's how our parents must have felt in the 80's.

I do like some current music and TV shows. I just don't feel current music like I did in my High School. I don;t feel the current TV shows like I did in the 80's and 90's. ABC Family Channel is cheesey but I like it nowadays. They just don;t make shows like Cosby and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air anymore. Those shows are classics. I guess what I am trying to say is there is no family shows on Mainstream networks anymore. Crime Solving shows like CSI and Law & Order are good though.

I can't stand all those crime solving shows like CSI and Law & Order  & CSI part 22:The Lost Dog Squad LOL. Ice -T LOL what a joke. They try & make the cops all sexy & slick like they do with the doctors on all those hospital shows & everythink else. Yeah right, i'm sure someone looks hot after a 48 hour shift & has witty things to say LOL. Total Fu*kin trash. Fu*k that man give me the old fashion predictable & politically incorrect cop shows where they case the bad guys down & fu*kin shoot em, you know, shoot first ask questions later Dirty Harry style & good old fashion car chases like Chips & cops on Hill Steet Blues seemed like real cops. I also dispise just about everything current with a passion when it comes to music. Destroy it all, bring it all down. Late 90s & 00s, worst era ever so far for TV, Music & everthing.

I know a dance station was playing "Runaway" by Corona(a song from 1995) last week. And their like after the song was over the guy on the radio said "a little old school for you." I'm thinking 1995 is old school. I guess I'm 25 years old and already "old school".

Yet another reason why i avoid mainstream radio & media & all radio come to think of it & all the absolutly sh!t music that's played on it. That DJ like all the DJs on those sh!tty radio stations is a total c@ck knocker. 1995 is oldschool LOL, what a joke. Fu*k those radio DJs are such dorks, tryin to be all hip while playing the gayest sadest tunes ever. I avoid avoid everything these days like AIDS. Not that 99.9% of peoples definitions of what's hip as actually anything worth noticing anyway. It's the hip people that are the total dorks & the people that don't give a fu*k are cool in my opinion.

Yet another reason why i avoid mainstream radio & media & all radio come to think of it & all the absolutly sh!t music that's played on it. That DJ like all the DJs on those sh!tty radio stations is a total c@ck knocker. 1995 is oldschool LOL, what a joke. Fu*k those radio DJs are such dorks, tryin to be all hip while playing the gayest sadest tunes ever. I avoid avoid everything these days like AIDS. Not that 99.9% of peoples definitions of what's hip as actually anything worth noticing anyway. It's the hip people that are the total dorks & the people that don't give a fu*k are cool in my opinion.


i couldn't agree with you more on this one.i listen to
a classic rock station in work(no choice) and i can tell
what time of day it is by what song they are playing.
because i have to listen i e-mailed them to play something
from jethro tull's stormwatch album(never heard on radio)
during their request hour.they e-mailed back saying it's
not what the listeners want to hear,but every day they
play the same four john cougar songs.john cougar,classic rock?

i was born in '80 and i love and remember everything about that decade.the 90s were ok. i hate the 00's the toys the tv and everything else sucks about it. i still watch reruns of roseanne,full house and the likes. i always said i'm glad i'm not a child or teen in the 00's

As do i.
I just had a discussion with my cousin who was born in the early 80s & he has trouble remembering a lot of stuff unless he is reminded of it. I on the other hand was born in the 70s, but even i don't remember everything with 100% total clarity & if it wasn't for this site there's some things i might have totally forgotten about. Thanks to this site & the help of others posting answers to my questions on here i've been able to put a name to long forgotten & lost TV shows & toys that weren't as popular as say He-man or Transormers & that i wouldn't remember the names to otherwise. A person born in the mid 80s is more a part of the 90s generation as far as i see it because the brain doesn't start developing very tangible memories untill about the age 3 or 4. So if someone were born in 85, they wouldn't have remebered anthing segnificant or tangible up untill 88 or 89, which was the very end of the 80s & doen't count for much. If you are old enough to remember 80 to 86 pretty well then & you were actually there then you are truly an 80s child. I was born in the 70s but i don't claim to be a 70s child since my only memories from the 70s were re-runs of 70s TV shows in the 80s & hearing some 70s songs still on the radio. I think a lot of people on here that were born in the mid & late 80s claim to be 80s children only because they were born in the decade & they really like 80s culture, 80s TV & 80s music through re-runs & music flashbacks on the radio or TV & they wish they were old enough to have been there &/or lived it properly. It is quite rare though, mid & late 80s born people that actually like the 80s i mean, but they obviously do if they are on this site, but do a poll at a random public place with people in that age group & you'll probably get most saying something like "the 80s are gay & tacky", which is really sad & ignorant considering they weren't really even there or old enough to really remember anything except for what's been present to them post 80s through TV & radio or possibly much older siblings or relatives. So the main reason that early 80s born people are often seen as not liking the 80's is because like my cousin they are too young to remember much with total clarity so their feelings about the decade are obviously bound to be a different to someone like myself born in the 70s.


You are right, most 80s born people outside this website, especially those born after 1981, do not like the decade at all.  Granted I ran into some exceptions, two people born in 1983 and 1984 respectively that loved 80s stuff.  I once read a DVD review for Season One of Miami Vice, and the 20 year old girl never gave the TV series a fair shake.  All she could talk about was how stupid the 80s were.  She might as well have titled her article "Eaaaau, the 80s" 

You are right, most 80s born people outside this website, especially those born after 1981, do not like the decade at all.  Granted I ran into some exceptions, two people born in 1983 and 1984 respectively that loved 80s stuff.  I once read a DVD review for Season One of Miami Vice, and the 20 year old girl never gave the TV series a fair shake.  All she could talk about was how stupid the 80s were.  She might as well have titled her article "Eaaaau, the 80s" 

Yeah i know what you mean. It's either ewww the 80s the hair was shocking or ewww the 80s, god the clothes were daggy or ewww the 80s, the music was so gay & tacky. Wow how original of them. ::) Yeah right they would know best even though they weren't there & ofcourse their generation invented popular & counter culture, yeah right. ::) They don't realise the 80s had some of the best underground music ever. I listen to a lot of music that was underground in the 80s & i guess is still somewhat underground & pretty misunderstood & hated by most who want just mindless catchy junk. My point though is at least underground was actually underground back then. I've talked to younger teenagers who say they're into metal & my initial reaction at first is "sweet what bands do you listen to?" & i usually get something like "oh Korn um Sytem Of A Down, Fear Factory, Slipknot......." At that point i'm rolling my eyes. I'm usually very blunt though & tell em "dude reality check, that aint metal, it's time for history lesson, go & listen to at least Kreator's Pleasure To Kill & Slayer's Reign In Blood & then come back & talk to me about metal". Usually they don't like it because like most real underground it's too low budget, low fi & raw for them, it lacks that over produced sound & the thick crunchy guitar that's become an annoying clitche' these days, it's not catchy enough for them, it's not hip, image driven & MTV marketed enough for them. My answer to those reactions is, but that's metal dude, get a clue. It was never a fashion statement it was a way of life.

You are right, most 80s born people outside this website, especially those born after 1981, do not like the decade at all.  Granted I ran into some exceptions, two people born in 1983 and 1984 respectively that loved 80s stuff.  I once read a DVD review for Season One of Miami Vice, and the 20 year old girl never gave the TV series a fair shake.  All she could talk about was how stupid the 80s were.  She might as well have titled her article "Eaaaau, the 80s" 


As I've stated on here (probably too many times to mention, lol) I was born in 1982 and I have had a reverse feeling about the 1980's. I did once think of that time as something I really don't want to remember. I remember living that time and experiencing the bad fashion fads (even I was a victim of some of them as a child), but I have also grown to appreciate the music and the diversity because the 1980's compared to now are like how the 1950's were to middle aged people in the 1980's. It's like the 80's are the root for what we have now - unfortunately what we have now is a lot of watered down crap- and there are hardly any songs that really, really stand out. Maybe we'll have some sort of cultral renaissance, but right now I think we're back to the middles ages with music again - maybe another black plague will wipe it off the face of the earth, lol

This is an interesting subject because I was born in '76.  I don't remember any of the 70's and loved the 80's (still do!) I was in High school in the early to mid 90's which was the decade that embraced the 60's and 70's.  Things I remember making fun of from the 70's in the 80's and early 90's came into style and the 70's were cool again.  Now it seems that 80's are starting to be cool but there's definately a split of 20-somethings for those who think the 80's were a joke and those who love the 80's.  I know a lot of people in the early to mid 20's who love the eighties.  Love the music, movies etc. 

The problem with people who hate certain decades is they can't look past the "bad apples" of the decade.  For the eighties the big hair and mullets stick out as well as the girlish looking bands (not just metal guys), the seventies had disco and polyester, sixties had bee hive hairdos etc. But each decade had it's share of 'greatness" so to speak as well. 

I know 19 year olds who love 80's music and HATE current music.  I know a 23 year old who proudly wears her Skid Row and Warrent T-shirts.  But I also know people who can't stand the 80's.  Most of the younger kids who embrace the 80's usually have younger parents that grew up in the 80's and pretty much raised their children on 80's music etc.

On another topic mentioned, I remember in the early 90's being a singer in bands and seeing the hardcore/rapcore scene start to get popular and thinking "This crap ain't gonna last but 5 years and people will make fun of it" Unfortunately I was wrong.  Same thing goes for the Nirvana/Pear Jam wannabe singers out there.  Kirt Cobain has been dead for over a decade and there's still new bands like Seether or Puddle of Mudd etc that have that raspy "I wish I was Kirt" voice.  There's a lot that hasn't changed much since I was in school the 90's.  I remember seeing kids in my school go from talking and dressing like preppy white kids to wearing "phatty" pants and their hats on sideways and talking like they were from "da hood" and I remember thinking "that's so rediculous, I can't wait til that trend is over" but it STILL isn't over.

The problem with people who hate certain decades is they can't look past the "bad apples" of the decade. For the eighties the big hair and mullets stick out as well as the girlish looking bands (not just metal guys), the seventies had disco and polyester, sixties had bee hive hairdos etc. But each decade had it's share of 'greatness" so to speak as well.

Very well said! :)

I know 19 year olds who love 80's music and HATE current music. I know a 23 year old who proudly wears her Skid Row and Warrent T-shirts.

Yeah, I've seen that quite a bit too, sometimes just from reading people's reviews on certain stuff online (eg: movie message boards, Amazon.com) and always think that's pretty awesome. 8)

I've just always noticed that those people aren't recognized enough - in other words, it's the people who are like "Ewww the 80s were so tacky!" that are usually perceived as the norm. Maybe the media intentionally tries to slant it that way in things like sitcoms to appeal to modern teens, I dunno?

Most of the younger kids who embrace the 80's usually have younger parents that grew up in the 80's and pretty much raised their children on 80's music etc.

Yeah, my parents weren't particularly young (my dad was 43 when I was born) but you could say they "raised" me on it too. Not intentionally - I just kinda liked it all on my own, according to everyone (eg, listening or singing along with songs in the car. That's why I didn't like "kiddie" singalong songs since I heard real ones first!).

It does make sense that the "80s hating/teasing" people are those who had older/stricter parents who, say didn't let them watch anything over a G-rated movie or MTV when they were kids. In that respect I guess it's kinda not their fault if they're less knowledgeable on it when they're in their teens - they weren't allowed to experience it. I have a born in 85 female friend where this is the case. I sometimes hate talking with her about it 'cause I feel so old when she says she doesn't remember the Gulf War or New Kids on the Block.

.  I remember seeing kids in my school go from talking and dressing like preppy white kids to wearing "phatty" pants and their hats on sideways and talking like they were from "da hood" and I remember thinking "that's so rediculous, I can't wait til that trend is over" but it STILL isn't over.
That would be the fashion transition from 1996 to 1997 with the baggy pants. I still do notice white kids dressing like that. That fashion comes from rap music and rap music is the mainstream right now in music today. In the 80's girls used to immatate Madonna's fashion. In the early tio mid 90's people dressing with flannel shirts in response to the grunge music trend. The late 90's and up its been hip-hop which reflects a baggy pants trend and caps worn to the side. With the late 90's teen-pop trend girls used to want to look like Britney Spears but they died out quickly.

Yet another reason why i avoid mainstream radio & media & all radio come to think of it & all the absolutly sh!t music that's played on it. That DJ like all the DJs on those sh!tty radio stations is a total c@ck knocker. 1995 is oldschool LOL, what a joke. Fu*k those radio DJs are such dorks, tryin to be all hip while playing the gayest sadest tunes ever. I avoid avoid everything these days like AIDS. Not that 99.9% of peoples definitions of what's hip as actually anything worth noticing anyway. It's the hip people that are the total dorks & the people that don't give a fu*k are cool in my opinion.
I agree 1995 is not old school. The DJ's are given a playlist that they have to play on their given shift. The DJ's have no control. They have to act like they lare enthusiastic about a certain song weither they like it or not. Thry cannot let their bias get in the middle of their job. Foir example, you are working at your 9-5 job you may not agree with your bosson something  but you have to do it his or her way. You don't lose your job. I;m sure DJ's at radio stations don't want lose their job if they say a particular atist they are playing sucks then he will lose his job.

I can't stand all those crime solving shows like CSI and Law & Order  & CSI part 22:The Lost Dog Squad LOL. Ice -T LOL what a joke. They try & make the cops all sexy & slick like they do with the doctors on all those hospital shows & everythink else. Yeah right, i'm sure someone looks hot after a 48 hour shift & has witty things to say LOL. Total Fu*kin trash. Fu*k that man give me the old fashion predictable & politically incorrect cop shows where they case the bad guys down & fu*kin shoot em, you know, shoot first ask questions later Dirty Harry style & good old fashion car chases like Chips & cops on Hill Steet Blues seemed like real cops. I also dispise just about everything current with a passion when it comes to music. Destroy it all, bring it all down. Late 90s & 00s, worst era ever so far for TV, Music & everthing.
I think its interesting on Law & Order and CSI how they do the DNA stuff and find the person that did the crime.

That would be the fashion transition from 1996 to 1997 with the baggy pants. I still do notice white kids dressing like that. That fashion comes from rap music and rap music is the mainstream right now in music today. In the 80's girls used to immatate Madonna's fashion. In the early tio mid 90's people dressing with flannel shirts in response to the grunge music trend. The late 90's and up its been hip-hop which reflects a baggy pants trend and caps worn to the side. With the late 90's teen-pop trend girls used to want to look like Britney Spears but they died out quickly.

I simply can't stand the baggy look on guys (or girls, although girls are dressing much more feminine nowadays - even though the skirts can be a bit too high, lol). I guess the baggy look on guys to me, makes them look real short (or shorter than they already are). I don't see why some of them can't get a clue and dress in style, because baggy is REALLY out of style - Come on, it's the 2000's - no the 90's anymore. It's like people wearing tons of polyester in the late 1980's... (which I am sure there were lots of 70's leftovers - lol)

It's like people wearing tons of polyester in the late 1980's... (which I am sure there were lots of 70's leftovers - lol)


Huh?  ???

Polyester was a "cardinal sin", if you will, in 1980's fashion.

Huh? ???

Polyester was a "cardinal sin", if you will, in 1980's fashion.


Yeah, I agree that any 70s fashions seem to have been completely dead by 1981. But I think she was just saying how dressing in baggy pants and stuff like that (a "90s" style) in 2005 is comparable to if people wore polyesther (a "70s" style) in 1985.

In other words, ridiculous. ;D

I myself am guilty of doing it from time to time (although not horrendously so), but I stopped by about 2002 or 03.

Very well said! :)

I've just always noticed that those people aren't recognized enough - in other words, it's the people who are like "Ewww the 80s were so tacky!" that are usually perceived as the norm. Maybe the media intentionally tries to slant it that way in things like sitcoms to appeal to modern teens, I dunno?


That was so well put, i couldn't have said it better myself. Well done

Yeah, I agree that any 70s fashions seem to have been completely dead by 1981. But I think she was just saying how dressing in baggy pants and stuff like that (a "90s" style) in 2005 is comparable to if people wore polyesther (a "70s" style) in 1985.


Actualy i remember baggy homey style pants were already popular by 92 & 93. Over here you could buy 2 brands one called Cross Colors or X Colors & another called Rasta Colors & "almost" everyone wore them i emphasise almost because i wouldn't have been caught dead in that sh!t. Anyhow both those brands came in as many colors as you could think of like purple & bright green, they were like a denim material. Gawd they were hidious & i couldn't wait for that fashion to disappear, but unfortunatly it hasn't totally dissappeared yet.

Yeah, I agree that any 70s fashions seem to have been completely dead by 1981. But I think she was just saying how dressing in baggy pants and stuff like that (a "90s" style) in 2005 is comparable to if people wore polyesther (a "70s" style) in 1985.

In other words, ridiculous. ;D

I myself am guilty of doing it from time to time (although not horrendously so), but I stopped by about 2002 or 03.


Thanks Marty - That's what I meant (about certain styles being outdated in certain decades.)

Excluding people born in 1980 and 1981, I think it depends on people to people.  I've met some people born in 1985 that love the 80s, and then I've met some people born in 1982 that don't know anything about the 80s and hate it.


Though I HAVE wondered about ONE thing.  It has always seemed to me that the typical born in 1985 or 1986 person is far, far more ignorant about the 80s then the typical born in 1975 person was of the 70s.  I mean sure we didn't know everything about the 70s, but most people knew what The Six Million Dollar Man, Starsky & Hutch, and Welcome Back Kotter was.  Most of us AT LEAST knew something about The Bee Gees or ABBA, and had some kind of knowledge of disco, or at least *what* disco was.  We weren't complete morons on the 70s.  

I just ran into a 19 year old chick yesterday who had NO IDEA what The A-Team was.  Again, it mystifies me why some kids don't know what a "record" was/is.  Most of us born in the 70s knew what an 8-track was, even though we may not have really remembered 8-tracks.  When a kid born in 1986 asks, "hair metal, what's that?", I just can't understand how they can be that freakin' stupid.  This is something that just puzzles me. 

^ Very well said - I agree on both points!

I have a born in 1979 friend who, aside from some exceptions, doesn't care for the 80's and makes fun of me in a friendly sense because I do. When we hang out I feel like the old man, even though I'm almost three years younger than him, LOL! Yet I've talked with born in 1989 "kids" who love the 80's.

Yeah, I've wondered about the second point too. From what I know, people in the 80's were really anxious to get rid of 70's styles by 1982, but the media seemed to still focus on some 70s-based technology or other things, including TV shows or artists that started out in the 70's.

That could be why someone born in 1975 would've been exposed to enough of that in the 80's to get a good feel for it. Whereas a typical born in 1985 or 87 person just wouldn't have been exposed to 80s-like TV shows in the 90's. The climate was just so different, so much more "urban". Even as a kid in 1994 I sensed that.

For instance, records and tapes were the main thing in the 80s, so 8tracks weren't THAT distant of a memory. But to a 12 year old born in 85-er who got into pop culture in 1997 and only knows of CD burning and all, 80's technology would seem a total distant world away - like something their parents may mention, but they'd have no concrete knowledge or interest in it.

PS: I once had a born in 1982 buddy ask me what hair metal was. I was totally shocked too! ;D

Though I HAVE wondered about ONE thing.  It has always seemed to me that the typical born in 1985 or 1986 person is far, far more ignorant about the 80s then the typical born in 1975 person was of the 70s.  I mean sure we didn't know everything about the 70s, but most people knew what The Six Million Dollar Man, Starsky & Hutch, and Welcome Back Kotter was.  Most of us AT LEAST knew something about The Bee Gees or ABBA, and had some kind of knowledge of disco, or at least *what* disco was.  We weren't complete morons on the 70s. 


One reason is because we have been oversaturated with a 1970's pop culture revival for close to 10 years now. Just look at all of the 1970's TV shows being remade into movies, etc. And all of the styles being regurgitated. So, unless you have been living on the moon for the last decade, even if you weren't born in the 70s, you sure as heck will get exposed to that decade. And if you were coming of age during the last 10 years (such as people born in 1985-86, as a perfect example) then you are going to sort of grow up in the new 1970s. Also, the backlash for the last 10 or so years of the 80s has caused that culture to basically vanish (as the 70s did for the most part in the 80s) and while they can't remove the decade entirely, it did kind of go underground for a while. But, of course, some of the children born in the 80s either had older brothers or sisters or even parents who had 80s pop culture or music around so some of those 80s born kids still got somewhat exposed to the 80s while some did not. Which is why there is such a diverese 80s knowledge between people born in the 80s around the same time period.

The 00s are a virtual melting pot of different decades concerning pop culture and music. It's about time that juvenille media backlash of the 80s stops and we mix in some 80s styles and music into the recipe. We can all co-exist.

On a side note, I am surprised this thread has lasted as long as it has. It is cool to see everyone's viewpoint and to share thoughts about this.

Let me make another point here: I will say this about anyone born in 1982 or even 1981 or 1980. If they can't remmeber certain things about the 80's that clearly happened right before their eyes, then they just weren't very perceptive children or just were not really understanding the scope of things, or just weren't exposed to it, or chose not to get into it. I once dated someone born in early 1981 who didn't know a lot of 1980's culture only because he was into only one kind of music, and he chose to not watch anything different from what he was already familiar with and I don't think he was really exposed to much as a child. It was like I was talking to someone from another planet at times. It was really weird. Sometimes I wonder if it has to do where you're living, too. Since I grew up in California, we're a lot less rural and we have a lot of the fads that begin or take off here.. or at least where it's a big deal. Some states that are more conservative may not embrace a lot of fads or changing ways. This could be why some early 80's kids (or even late 70's) can't see the big deal behind what we're talking about because in their atmosphere, these things wern't a big deal...

Excluding people born in 1980 and 1981, I think it depends on people to people.  I've met some people born in 1985 that love the 80s, and then I've met some people born in 1982 that don't know anything about the 80s and hate it.


Though I HAVE wondered about ONE thing.  It has always seemed to me that the typical born in 1985 or 1986 person is far, far more ignorant about the 80s then the typical born in 1975 person was of the 70s.  I mean sure we didn't know everything about the 70s, but most people knew what The Six Million Dollar Man, Starsky & Hutch, and Welcome Back Kotter was.  Most of us AT LEAST knew something about The Bee Gees or ABBA, and had some kind of knowledge of disco, or at least *what* disco was.  We weren't complete morons on the 70s.  

I just ran into a 19 year old chick yesterday who had NO IDEA what The A-Team was.  Again, it mystifies me why some kids don't know what a "record" was/is.  Most of us born in the 70s knew what an 8-track was, even though we may not have really remembered 8-tracks.  When a kid born in 1986 asks, "hair metal, what's that?", I just can't understand how they can be that freakin' stupid.  This is something that just puzzles me. 



One interesting thing i've noticed though is as more generations go by the less the current generations know about past decades. I'm quite informed & fond of the 70s & 60s & even know a quite a bit about the 50s & the early beginnings of rock n roll & how it evolved from blues, TV shows etc etc. but if you ask the current generation of teens "most" of them don't even have the faintest idea about the 80s & are totally oblivious. My brother was talking to the young apprentice at his work & my brother started talking about Mr T. & my brother asked him "do you remember Mr. T" & he replied "nah who's Mr.T". I was shocked & horrified when i heard this, i thought everyone knew who Mr. T was. I mean he made enough of a name for himself & enough of an impact in the 80s to last a lifetime. This kid's obviosly never seen the Rocky movies either.

One interesting thing i've noticed though is as more generations go by the less the current generations know about past decades. I'm quite informed & fond of the 70s & 60s & even know a quite a bit about the 50s & the early beginnings of rock n roll & how it evolved from blues, TV shows etc etc. but if you ask the current generation of teens "most" of them don't even have the faintest idea about the 80s & are totally oblivious. My brother was talking to the young apprentice at his work & my brother started talking about Mr T. & my brother asked him "do you remember Mr. T" & he replied "nah who's Mr.T". I was shocked & horrified when i heard this, i thought everyone knew who Mr. T was. I mean he made enough of a name for himself & enough of an impact in the 80s to last a lifetime. This kid's obviosly never seen the Rocky movies either.


I understand where you're coming from. I actually haven't talked to kids lately who are between 16-18 years old, but I know there's this big gap and maybe that's why I sort of avoid it from time to time. I have a hard time comprehending that these kids are really out of the loop when it comes to personalities such as Mr. T. I mean the guy even had his own cereal, for goodness sake!

Never thought about the geography equation before, but that makes sense.

Maybe out here in Cal, you're more likely to see certain shows on TV, trends in general, or songs on the radio. So, say an "average" born in 1982 person living in Kansas might have  slightly less exposure to the 80's than if they were living in California?

Interesting, but I think there's some truth in that.

Also, I have to agree that, it's amazing how "variable" it is from one person to the next who were born around the same time. I'd say people born starting in 1978 through about 1986 can be very different in their knowledge of the 80's.

well i dont know why that is but i was born in 83 and even though i was young i remember alot about the 80s.  I love the music, the computers, the tv and films, plus the wwf wrestling from them.  A few people i know like some 80s music but thats about it.  Why they dont like the 80s i dont know!

One interesting thing i've noticed though is as more generations go by the less the current generations know about past decades. I'm quite informed & fond of the 70s & 60s & even know a quite a bit about the 50s & the early beginnings of rock n roll & how it evolved from blues, TV shows etc etc. but if you ask the current generation of teens "most" of them don't even have the faintest idea about the 80s & are totally oblivious. My brother was talking to the young apprentice at his work & my brother started talking about Mr T. & my brother asked him "do you remember Mr. T" & he replied "nah who's Mr.T". I was shocked & horrified when i heard this, i thought everyone knew who Mr. T was. I mean he made enough of a name for himself & enough of an impact in the 80s to last a lifetime. This kid's obviosly never seen the Rocky movies either.


Exactly man.  It's like these kids born in 1986 or 1987 are just super retarded when it comes to the 80s.  NONE of us born in the '70s were like that.  I have never met anyone born in the 70s, whether born in 1972 or born in 1979 who did not know at least something about the 1970s.  Holy freakin' smokes, we all knew what the TV show Starsky & Hutch and The Six Million Dollar Man were, even though most of us were not old enough to have watched them in their original airdates.  I'm nearly certain that even people born in 1979, (the youngest of us born in the 70s) when they were 16 in 1995....THEY knew, they freakin' knew that Farrah Fawcett, Lee Majors, and Burt Reynolds were big stars in the 1970s.  And I'm certian nearly every 16 year old in 1995 could rattle off at least one TV show or movie that they did.  But ask someone born in 1985 or born in 1988 about Mr. T and they act like the dumbest people on Earth.

Sure we didn't know for the obvious reasons all the bands of the 70s and every single fad, fashion, song, or movie, as well as truly detailed information,...and I'm sure people that truly grew up in the 70s thought of us as a bunch of snot nosed young punks who were't around and/or couldn't remember most of the 70s, but at least we had *some* kind of general knoweldge of the '70s.  But a lot of 80s born people don't seem to know ANYTHING.  When you meet kids born in 1987, or good Lord even early 20s born people in 1982 that are so retarded on the 80s, I just don't understand it.  It's just amazing how stupid they are. 

^ Very well said - I agree on both points!

I have a born in 1979 friend who, aside from some exceptions, doesn't care for the 80's and makes fun of me in a friendly sense because I do. When we hang out I feel like the old man, even though I'm almost three years younger than him, LOL! Yet I've talked with born in 1989 "kids" who love the 80's.

Yeah, I've wondered about the second point too. From what I know, people in the 80's were really anxious to get rid of 70's styles by 1982, but the media seemed to still focus on some 70s-based technology or other things, including TV shows or artists that started out in the 70's.

That could be why someone born in 1975 would've been exposed to enough of that in the 80's to get a good feel for it. Whereas a typical born in 1985 or 87 person just wouldn't have been exposed to 80s-like TV shows in the 90's. The climate was just so different, so much more "urban". Even as a kid in 1994 I sensed that.

For instance, records and tapes were the main thing in the 80s, so 8tracks weren't THAT distant of a memory. But to a 12 year old born in 85-er who got into pop culture in 1997 and only knows of CD burning and all, 80's technology would seem a total distant world away - like something their parents may mention, but they'd have no concrete knowledge or interest in it.

PS: I once had a born in 1982 buddy ask me what hair metal was. I was totally shocked too! ;D


The reason probably is, now that I truly think about it....the amount of cable TV that was more readily available in the 90s compared to the 80s.  70s TV was frequently rerun on broadcast TV during the 80s.  Whereas in the 90s, Paid Programming infomercials, trashy talk shows, and reality Court TV ruled broadcast TV during the daytime and late at night during the 12am to 4 am time slots.  There were talk shows in the 80s, but it was more limited to Phil Donahue, Geraldo, and Oprah in her early days.  So in the 80s during the daytime slots of 6 am to 2pm they showed a ton of reruns of TV shows and movies from the 70s, as well as the 50s and 60s.

But in the 1990s more people had cable and satellite dishes compared to the 80s, the premium channels such as HBO and Showtime were a bit cheaper, so there was much more to watch, and I think this is probably why so many 80s born people are dumber on the 1980s, compared to us 70s born people in regards to the 1970s.

But Marty I have to disagree with you on the technology aspect.  80s tech was pretty different from 70s tech.  With a few exceptions in the late 70s, most people didn't have VCRs, camcorders, video games, cordless phones, microwaves, digital watches, and/or home computers in the 70s.  This was all far more common in the 80s.  Some people even had laserdiscs (the precursor to DVDs) in the 80s, again all very different from the 70s technology.  There was a real "newness" to all of this stuff in the 80s, I remember that...there was this feeling that no one before really had this stuff, because it for the most part was true.

Yes it is true that records and cassette tapes were the favorite in the 80s, but by the late 80s a lot of people did have CD players.  The fundamentals of how an 8 track and a cassette tape work are the same, but 8 tracks were actually a distant memory in the 80s.  But kids still knew what an 8 track was, even if we couldn't remember their heyday. 

So what do you consider "born in the early 80s"? Born in '83, I'm not sure where I fit in... I think I'm somewhat borderline.

The reason probably is, now that I truly think about it....the amount of cable TV that was more readily available in the 90s compared to the 80s.  70s TV was frequently rerun on broadcast TV during the 80s.  Whereas in the 90s, Paid Programming infomercials, trashy talk shows, and reality Court TV ruled broadcast TV during the daytime and late at night during the 12am to 4 am time slots.  There were talk shows in the 80s, but it was more limited to Phil Donahue, Geraldo, and Oprah in her early days.  So in the 80s during the daytime slots of 6 am to 2pm they showed a ton of reruns of TV shows and movies from the 70s, as well as the 50s and 60s.
 

Actually i still don't have cable T.V. yet & i think that applys to free to air TV aswell. I mean when was the last time you saw an old Looney Tunes cartoon like The Road Runner Show from the 60s. Last time i saw a looney tunes cartoon on free to air T.V. was sometime in the early 90s on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Here's what i think is the problem. The older T.V.programers that worked in the programing department at T.V. stations & who grew up with all that classic stuff were eventually replaced by younger T.V. programers who's general oppinion is that that stuff is no longer relevant. Also because of the dumbing down factor we spoke of just before polls & ratings would give the T.V. stations that impression. I'd like to know where they that out these polls & get these ratings. Seems like they asked a cpouple of random kids at a single bus stop or something LOL.  See the difference is our generation generally loved the classics whereas kids born in the late 80s are more likely to have the "ewww what is this, this is old & crap. So somewhere in between 70s born & late 80s born there's a huge gap & there was a massive sift. Notice how the cartoons now try to weev in some tend po crap from nowadays & a lot of them have a techno theme song or the or like the Beyblades theme that sounds like that pop punk crap.  ::) Also notice the way they draw the characters & the way they are dressed. In the 70s & early 80s there was very little emphasis on that stuff in kids cartoons. The only old one i can think of that did is Scooby Doo, but that's cool coz it looks so funky & psychedellic & really late 60s & 70s unlike the cartoons now that are representative of the really dull era we're in now. 

Exactly man.  It's like these kids born in 1986 or 1987 are just super retarded when it comes to the 80s.  NONE of us born in the '70s were like that.  I have never met anyone born in the 70s, whether born in 1972 or born in 1979 who did not know at least something about the 1970s.  Holy freakin' smokes, we all knew what the TV show Starsky & Hutch and The Six Million Dollar Man were, even though most of us were not old enough to have watched them in their original airdates.  I'm nearly certain that even people born in 1979, (the youngest of us born in the 70s) when they were 16 in 1995....THEY knew, they freakin' knew that Farrah Fawcett, Lee Majors, and Burt Reynolds were big stars in the 1970s.  And I'm certian nearly every 16 year old in 1995 could rattle off at least one TV show or movie that they did.  But ask someone born in 1985 or born in 1988 about Mr. T and they act like the dumbest people on Earth.

Sure we didn't know for the obvious reasons all the bands of the 70s and every single fad, fashion, song, or movie, as well as truly detailed information,...and I'm sure people that truly grew up in the 70s thought of us as a bunch of snot nosed young punks who were't around and/or couldn't remember most of the 70s, but at least we had *some* kind of general knoweldge of the '70s.  But a lot of 80s born people don't seem to know ANYTHING.  When you meet kids born in 1987, or good Lord even early 20s born people in 1982 that are so retarded on the 80s, I just don't understand it.  It's just amazing how stupid they are. 


Hey... stop it with the 1982's here, lol. I was born in 1982 and believe me, I absorbed everything as a kid. Like I wrote in an earlier post, I think it depends on several factors to how some people are just not going to know certain things compared to us more perceptive and culturally aware beings. Some factors could include:

1. A Rural upbringing - which keeps one from actually getting access to certain things that we call necessities in more metropolitan areas.

2. A parent's prohibition to certain things a child has access to. I knew a boy who didn't have a TV in his house and had to be in bed by 7pm. I thought his family was crazy. I felt bad for him.

3. Sometimes people just choose to not be as observant of certain trends/daily life/current events, or they altogether forget, or they were never introduced to them in the first place.

Sometimes we can't fault people for not knowing certain things, so although for some of us it may be absolutely lunacy for someone of the late 1980's to not at least be familiar of those things - it could be because 1 or more of the factors I just listed.

The reason probably is, now that I truly think about it....the amount of cable TV that was more readily available in the 90s compared to the 80s.  70s TV was frequently rerun on broadcast TV during the 80s.  Whereas in the 90s, Paid Programming infomercials, trashy talk shows, and reality Court TV ruled broadcast TV during the daytime and late at night during the 12am to 4 am time slots.  There were talk shows in the 80s, but it was more limited to Phil Donahue, Geraldo, and Oprah in her early days.  So in the 80s during the daytime slots of 6 am to 2pm they showed a ton of reruns of TV shows and movies from the 70s, as well as the 50s and 60s.

Interesting you mentioned this because, last night I went back and watched an 80's VH1 documentary special I have taped. I'd forgotten until now, but one thing they mentioned was how Reagan de-regulated the airwaves in 1980 or '81 - that's how Cable and ultimately MTV came to be (since people were trying to fill every channel up with programming).

I don't remember too much TV watching I did in the 80's itself, but I clearly recall Showtime, HBO, etc really catching on around 1992 or '93. Although much of the shows and movies that I was into were still from the 80's.

But anyway, it would stand to reason that, without the advent of cable before the 80's (and it didn't become everywhere until the 90's), people growing up would've generally been more exposed to older TV shows and the like.

But Marty I have to disagree with you on the technology aspect.  80s tech was pretty different from 70s tech.  With a few exceptions in the late 70s, most people didn't have VCRs, camcorders, video games, cordless phones, microwaves, digital watches, and/or home computers in the 70s.  This was all far more common in the 80s.  Some people even had laserdiscs (the precursor to DVDs) in the 80s, again all very different from the 70s technology.  There was a real "newness" to all of this stuff in the 80s, I remember that...there was this feeling that no one before really had this stuff, because it for the most part was true.

Yes it is true that records and cassette tapes were the favorite in the 80s, but by the late 80s a lot of people did have CD players.  The fundamentals of how an 8 track and a cassette tape work are the same, but 8 tracks were actually a distant memory in the 80s.  But kids still knew what an 8 track was, even if we couldn't remember their heyday. 


I fully agree that "80s" technology didn't start coming around until the very late 70's (the first VCRs as we know them were, I believe, started around 1978 or 79. The same with arcade video games - even if they didn't explode until closer to 82).

There definitely seemed to be a freshness about everything in pop culture, especially in the early 80's. But tapes were, I think, around since the late 60's, and records of course, even earlier, and since they were still the main thing in the first half of the 80's, the average 12 year old in 1985 wouldn't have been clueless on it the way certain 90's and 2000's kids can be on 80's technology.

Also, would you agree that 60s and 70s artists had a far easier time having hits in the 80's than 80s artists have in the 90s and 2000s? That could be another factor.

A kid or an early teen in 1985 that was into Starship, Journey or Rod Stewart might've not been as fond of their older material, but they would've probably at least been aware of it. In 1995 and 2005, there aren't 80's bands reinventing themselves with that same popularity.

  I was born in 1983 and I love the 80's, being born in the 80's and proud to remember at lease the late 80's. I think some early 80's born don't like the 80s because the media seems to show the extreme side of the 80's as not cool, instead of other 80's things or events.

I was born in 1983 and I love the 80's, being born in the 80's and proud to remember at lease 1987 and up. I think some early 80's born don't like the 80s because the media seems to show the extreme side of the 80's as not cool, instead of other 80's things or events.


Yeah, exactly. For instance, sitcoms and other teen-oriented TV shows do that alot. They'll never have a character liking a song, or wearing a fashion style that isn't "now" - it's like, anything more than 2 or 3 years before the present time is simply unheard of.

But, to a degree, I guess it's not some people's fault they're ignorant about it if they're not shown the "cool" side of a particular era which they may like. They've been misinformed since the media only shows the side that'll make them think "eww the 80's are like, so gay" etc.

I fully agree that "80s" technology didn't start coming around until the very late 70's (the first VCRs as we know them were, I believe, started around 1978 or 79. The same with arcade video games - even if they didn't explode until closer to 82).

There definitely seemed to be a freshness about everything in pop culture, especially in the early 80's. But tapes were, I think, around since the late 60's, and records of course, even earlier, and since they were still the main thing in the first half of the 80's, the average 12 year old in 1985 wouldn't have been clueless on it the way certain 90's and 2000's kids can be on 80's technology.

In some ways that explanation makes sense, in some ways I still think a lot of mid 80s born and after kids are just on the stupid side.  I have never, EVER in my life used a slide ruler, and I don't think I've ever even seen one....but I still know what a slide ruler is.  I have never seen or used a mood ring, but I know what a mood ring was/is.  Their ignorance of of the decade they were born in, or even the early 1990s, makes them seem younger and brattier then people who were the same age back in 1995 (i.e. people around my age).



Also, would you agree that 60s and 70s artists had a far easier time having hits in the 80's than 80s artists have in the 90s and 2000s? That could be another factor.

A kid or an early teen in 1985 that was into Starship, Journey or Rod Stewart might've not been as fond of their older material, but they would've probably at least been aware of it. In 1995 and 2005, there aren't 80's bands reinventing themselves with that same popularity.


Marty, I honestly don't know about this one, you probably know about this more then I do.  Even though you are younger then me and I have more detailed memories of the time compared to you, I get the feeling you are more researched on all things 80s then I am.    I remember a couple of the Beattles, Paul McCartney and George Harrison had some pretty good hits in the 80s.  The Beach Boys and Cher had a big hit in the late 80s.  What I remember about 60s artists in the 80s though was that they updated themselves for what was current and hip at the time.  They didn't stay 60s.  So even if they were middle aged, they still became current in apperance and style of music.  For whatever reason, not enough 80s artists (with a few exceptions) are staying current. 

This is just my theory, I don't know if I'm right but a lot of it may have to do with the fact that music has really shifted towards targeting an even younger demographic then either the 80s or 90s.  Starting in 1999, everything seems very much aimed at teenagers more then ever before.  If you're over 21 you're too old.  It's amazing that there are artists over 25 that are successul, to say nothing of mid 30s grandmas like J-Lo and Gwen Stefani.  I don't remember in either the 80s or 90s having this many musical bands and artists with so many 16-20 year olds in them. 

I honestly don't know about this one, you probably know about this more then I do.   I remember a couple of the Beattles, Paul McCartney and George Harrison had some pretty good hits in the 80s.  The Beach Boys and Cher had a big hit in the late 80s.  What I remember about 60s artists in the 80s though was that they updated themselves for what was current and hip at the time.  They didn't stay 60s.  So even if they were middle aged, they still became current in apperance and style of music.  For whatever reason, not enough 80s artists (with a few exceptions) are staying current. 

This is just my theory, I don't know if I'm right but a lot of it may have to do with the fact that music has really shifted towards targeting an even younger demographic then either the 80s or 90s.  Starting in 1999, everything seems very much aimed at teenagers more then ever before.  If you're over 21 you're too old.  It's amazing that there are artists over 25 that are successul, to say nothing of mid 30s grandmas like J-Lo and Gwen Stefani.  I don't remember in either the 80s or 90s having this many musical bands and artists with so many 16-20 year olds in them. 
Yeah Chris I agree with you on that 1999 thing where music shifted to a younger demographic.  But on a side note  how old are R&b artists like Usher and Alicia Keys? They have to be at least in their mid 20's. I think older people do buy Alicia Key's music though. Rappers like Eminem and 50 Cent have to be at least in their mid 20's as well. Of course rap music is gearted towards younger people though. . I was looking at the #1 song though now and its "Don't Cha" by the Pussycat Dolls. I think they are a pretty young girl group. Also a Top 40 regular like Kelly Clarkson is pretty young too. To conclude, a genre of music like rap is geared towards younger people or the artist themelves age wise is geared towards more younger people. Of course when I was in High School I was listening to current music too. Maybe again its a generational thing where our generation thinks our music is better than the current generations music.

On a side note artsist from the 90's are still making hits in 2005. Look at Green Day, Weezer, and Mariah Carey. Velvet Revolver which has ex members froms Gun's N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots also scored a hit last year with the song "Fall To Pieces". A band like Nine Inch Nails has really not been successful in the 00's the way their in the 90's.

Also, would you agree that 60s and 70s artists had a far easier time having hits in the 80's than 80s artists have in the 90s and 2000s? That could be another factor.

A kid or an early teen in 1985 that was into Starship, Journey or Rod Stewart might've not been as fond of their older material, but they would've probably at least been aware of it. In 1995 and 2005, there aren't 80's bands reinventing themselves with that same popularity.
80's artists that had hits in the 90's:

a band like Depeche Mode had a couple hits in the 90's: "Barrel of A Gun" and "Its No Good" were both hits on rock radio in 1997. If you want to be friendly songs like "Enjoy The Silence", "Personal Jesus", and I think "Policy of Thruth" were all hits in 1990. Remember Depeche Mode was an 80's New wave band.

U2 had hits in the 90's with "Staring At The Sun" in 1997, "The Sweestest Thing" in 1998, Hold Me,  Kill Me, Kiss Me in 1995. "Mysterious Ways" in 1991 or 1992. 

Duran Duran had hits in 1993 with "Ordinary World" and "Come Undone".

I also think "INXS" had a hit in 1997 with "Elegantly Wasted".

Prince had a hit in 1994 with "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World". I also think Prince had a couple hits in 1991 with his band "The New Power Generation".

Rappers like LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys who came out in the 80's were pretty successful in the 90's.

Didn't the band "The Cure" have a hit in between 1995-1997 with that song "Wrong Number" or whatever it was called. They also had a hit in 1992 with "Friday I'm In Love".

An artist like Elton John was pretty successful up until 1998. Of course Elton was pretty successful in the 70's and 80's.

An R&b artist with Keith Sweat who came out in 1987 and hit it big with the single " I Want Her" again hit big in 1996 with hits like "Twisted", and "Ain't Nobody".

Gloris Estefan who came out in 1986 or 1987  had a few hits in the 90's like "Coming Out of The Dark"in 1991 Everlasting Love(a cover of Carl Carlton's 1970's hit) in 1995, and "Reach" in 1996.

R&B group New Edtion had a hit in 1996 with "Hit Me Off".

Freestyle Group "The Cover Girls" had a hit with a Cover of Rose Royce's hit "Wishing On A Star" in 1993.

Lionel Richie had a hit in 1992 with "Do It To Me One More Time", and another hit in 1996(forget the name of the song.)

One interesting thing i've noticed though is as more generations go by the less the current generations know about past decades. I'm quite informed & fond of the 70s & 60s & even know a quite a bit about the 50s & the early beginnings of rock n roll & how it evolved from blues, TV shows etc etc. but if you ask the current generation of teens "most" of them don't even have the faintest idea about the 80s & are totally oblivious. My brother was talking to the young apprentice at his work & my brother started talking about Mr T. & my brother asked him "do you remember Mr. T" & he replied "nah who's Mr.T". I was shocked & horrified when i heard this, i thought everyone knew who Mr. T was. I mean he made enough of a name for himself & enough of an impact in the 80s to last a lifetime. This kid's obviosly never seen the Rocky movies either.
I remember Mr. T from when I was a kid. As a matter of fact a remember a few years ago when he did those 1-800-Collect Commercials it took me back to when I was younger just to seen him again on the Tv screen.

It was really weird. Sometimes I wonder if it has to do where you're living, too. Since I grew up in California, we're a lot less rural and we have a lot of the fads that begin or take off here.. or at least where it's a big deal. Some states that are more conservative may not embrace a lot of fads or changing ways. This could be why some early 80's kids (or even late 70's) can't see the big deal behind what we're talking about because in their atmosphere, these things wern't a big deal...
Thats strange I have thought about that where you grew up at and if you experienced cetain things in pop culture. I live in New Jersey about like an hour and hour and a half at most from New York City. I think being close to New York City you stay pretty up on changing trends. There is so many arists that have come out of New Jersey/New York area throughout the year as well. Here are some examples: Kool and The Gang, PM Dawn, Bruce Springstein, Faith Evans, Lauryn Hill, and Naughty be Nature. On a side note, I have noticed on drving down to Virginia over the past few years they have alot of country radio stations. In new Jersey we have no country stations.

In some ways that explanation makes sense, in some ways I still think a lot of mid 80s born and after kids are just on the stupid side.  I have never, EVER in my life used a slide ruler, and I don't think I've ever even seen one....but I still know what a slide ruler is.  I have never seen or used a mood ring, but I know what a mood ring was/is.  Their ignorance of of the decade they were born in, or even the early 1990s, makes them seem younger and brattier then people who were the same age back in 1995 (i.e. people around my age).

I totally agree on the seeming "bratty" part.

Maybe it's just this TOTAL immersing of hip hop culture in the past 5-10 years - not just in movies, TV and music, but the way people talk and the overall lifestyle people engage in. I almost get the impression that it's cool to act "dumb" sometimes.

Of course each person is different, but on several occasions (just from personal experience), quite a few of the 1990 or 1991-born kids I've talked with about the 80s or whatnot, seem quite a bit smarter and more informed than some of the born in 1984 or 1985-ers. Seriously.

Marty, I honestly don't know about this one, you probably know about this more then I do. Even though you are younger then me and I have more detailed memories of the time compared to you, I get the feeling you are more researched on all things 80s then I am. I remember a couple of the Beattles, Paul McCartney and George Harrison had some pretty good hits in the 80s.  The Beach Boys and Cher had a big hit in the late 80s.  What I remember about 60s artists in the 80s though was that they updated themselves for what was current and hip at the time.  They didn't stay 60s.  So even if they were middle aged, they still became current in apperance and style of music.  For whatever reason, not enough 80s artists (with a few exceptions) are staying current. 

This is just my theory, I don't know if I'm right but a lot of it may have to do with the fact that music has really shifted towards targeting an even younger demographic then either the 80s or 90s.  Starting in 1999, everything seems very much aimed at teenagers more then ever before.  If you're over 21 you're too old.  It's amazing that there are artists over 25 that are successul, to say nothing of mid 30s grandmas like J-Lo and Gwen Stefani.  I don't remember in either the 80s or 90s having this many musical bands and artists with so many 16-20 year olds in them. 


Oh, my mind tends to retain tons of random/useless information sometimes, LOL!

Anyway, I agree there definitely was a "freshness" to those older artists' new songs in the 80's. We Built this City, Say Say Say, You're the Inspiration, Abracadabra, What's Love Got to Do With it, etc -- they all sound like they could've come from brand new artists, which is probably why they were so successful - kids and teens were probably willing to overlook the fact that the singers were all in their 40s.

I've also often wondered if MTV had a big hand in that. I mean, it was a brand new thing back then, so an older artist who made music videos was guaranteed a shot alongside Madonna, etc. Today there's not really a new medium for the now-middle aged 80's artists to have a hot comeback in 2005 the way 60s artists did in 1985.

MTV and VH1 are around and people are still making videos, but it's not really a standout event like it used to be. Also, I think the "2000s" sound (which is basically an updated 1999) is too hard for some of those artists to alter their image to.

Yeah, the 60's and the 80's had musical differences too, but both were more of a rock and pop-oriented culture. Again, the immersing of hip hop today probably doesn't help matters much.

I also agree about the demographic getting tons younger too. I guess rock has always SORT OF been aimed at teenagers, but it wasn't ONLY aimed at them in the 80's. Heck, I would say even 16-20 is pushing it now - the main audience for some of the music I see coming out now (ever since '99) is closer to 11-14.

Although I was raised on the 80's and always preferred it over the 90's, I still liked the 90s to a degree until maybe 1997. Even at only 17, I even felt too old for Britney Spears in early 1999 (I often said, "I like her, just not her music"). ;)

^ Especially when the Freshman, 14 year old born in 1985 chicks I'd talk with acted like music began with the Spice Girls, and gave me weird looks when I mentioned anything pop culture related from before 1997, let alone the 80's. Ah well, I still got along with them, even if I felt like their grandpa in that regard!

Guys, you are starting to overanalyze this now. Rock has always and more than likely will always be marketed towards teenagers. I mean, how many people in their twenties and thirties were into "hair bands" in the 80s? Compared to teenagers, yes there were some, but the majority was probably 13-21 or so. OK, now fast forward to now. There are many many twenty and thirtysomethings who are into todays music. I think the main reason why 80s groups have such a hard time making any hits now is the media simply won't allow it. They have an agenda and are pushing it full bore. And while the record companies and MTV may have always done this, they haven't had the influence they've had until now. Remember when Motley Crue came on the scene and really started the 80s Glam "hair" metal scene, they had to essentially do it themselves? No record companies would look at them so they recorded, pressed, and distrubuted their own records. When they sold so many that the record companies could no longer ignore them as a money maker, they signed them and the rest is history. That was right when MTV was catching on and it's influence wasn't anything like it is now. If MTV was as influencial as it is now and they had broadcast how stupid and terrible the Crue were, then more than likely they would have never caught on like they did. Kids are more of lemmings now and follow whatever is dictated to them as "cool" over whatever they decide is cool for themselves like in the past. Before they didn't have so many "tellling" them what they were supposed to like so they really had to decide for themselves. And let's not forget the fact that they had way more variety to choose from in the 1980s' as far as music genre's then they do now also.

^ Good points, I pretty much see what you're saying.

I saw Motley's Behind the Music episode a few times before and, indeed I thought it was pretty amazing how they pretty much got everything done themselves in the beginning.

BTW - true, I guess popular music is marketed towards teens and early 20's, but I think it was easier for older people to get into it before. My mom was 33 in 1987 and really liked Bon Jovi, and my dad was really into the Beatles, the Doors and other late 60's rock at 30 or so. My uncle on mom's side (born in 1952) also likes alot of underground punk r/garage bands.

How come you think the media won't let 80s (or even some 90s) bands have continued success today? The record companies probably think it won't sell, but if they promote it more and, ya know, show some of the videos on MTV, it could at least have a chance.

Maybe they're just worried about a backlash or losing viewership that way?

I totally agree on the seeming "bratty" part.

They seem very bratty.  I'm sure people older then me thought the same thing of me back when I was 12 in 1987, and when I was 19 in 1994, but they seem even extra bratty today.


Maybe it's just this TOTAL immersing of hip hop culture in the past 5-10 years - not just in movies, TV and music, but the way people talk and the overall lifestyle people engage in. I almost get the impression that it's cool to act "dumb" sometimes.

I have thought along these lines as well.  Hip hop was around in 1984, but it didn't dominate like today.  And people still said "jive turkey!" in the first half of the 80s.


MTV and VH1 are around and people are still making videos, but it's not really a standout event like it used to be. Also, I think the "2000s" sound (which is basically an updated 1999) is too hard for some of those artists to alter their image to.

Yeah, I basically tend to agree with this.


Yeah, the 60's and the 80's had musical differences too, but both were more of a rock and pop-oriented culture. Again, the immersing of hip hop today probably doesn't help matters much.

I agree with this.  I do know that the early and mid 80s were very popular with Baby Boomer people who at the time were in their 30s or 40s.  Stuff like Chicago, Journey and Rick Springfield were right up their alley. 

I'm not sure about the late 80s, but definately that first half of the 1980s had a good following beyond teenagers.  Hip hop does alter things quite a bit.  On that note though, I think 90s artists will be rather succesful in the 2010's though, because hip hop and the love of the ghetto culture seems here to stay forever. 

Guys, you are starting to overanalyze this now.

We probably are!  ;)

Guys, you are starting to overanalyze this now. Rock has always and more than likely will always be marketed towards teenagers. I mean, how many people in their twenties and thirties were into "hair bands" in the 80s? Compared to teenagers, yes there were some, but the majority was probably 13-21 or so. OK, now fast forward to now. There are many many twenty and thirtysomethings who are into todays music. I think the main reason why 80s groups have such a hard time making any hits now is the media simply won't allow it. They have an agenda and are pushing it full bore. And while the record companies and MTV may have always done this, they haven't had the influence they've had until now. Remember when Motley Crue came on the scene and really started the 80s Glam "hair" metal scene, they had to essentially do it themselves? No record companies would look at them so they recorded, pressed, and distrubuted their own records. When they sold so many that the record companies could no longer ignore them as a money maker, they signed them and the rest is history. That was right when MTV was catching on and it's influence wasn't anything like it is now. If MTV was as influencial as it is now and they had broadcast how stupid and terrible the Crue were, then more than likely they would have never caught on like they did. Kids are more of lemmings now and follow whatever is dictated to them as "cool" over whatever they decide is cool for themselves like in the past. Before they didn't have so many "tellling" them what they were supposed to like so they really had to decide for themselves. And let's not forget the fact that they had way more variety to choose from in the 1980s' as far as music genre's then they do now also.

Well said! Although Motley weren't exactly the forerunners of the hair/glam thing, but they did play a huge part in bringing it into the public eye. There were so many other bands trying to do the same thing before & after but they just never got anywhere. You might want to hire a documentary called The Decline Of Western Civilisation II: The Metal Years if you can find it. It documents a lot of that whole era although it looks more like a mockumentary to me & more like the director was trying to take the p*ss & say that all metal heads & rockers are idiotic drunkards which couldn't be further from the truth. A lot of the footage is pretty cringe worthy  like WASP guitarist Chris Holmes drunk & talking sh!t in his mom's pool & Odin jumping around on stage in bumless chaps. Anyhow you are basically right on the money, it's the media, MTV etc & all their commercial sponsors that have very strict control on what gets exposure & what's hot & what's not so to speak. They are basically the pop culture nazis & now more than ever it's mainly about marketing advertising & business & has very very little to do with music. The music industry has nothing to do with music it's all about selling products & selling a perfect time slot for companies to advertise their products to the right demographic, which is "always" the urban youth demographic these days. Also if an album is the biggest piece of crap ever produced & distrubuted & is just another cheap clone of everything else out there but a few million or so morons  buy it & then suddenly it's great work from a fine talent, pffffft yeah right. Say i'm selling apples & i sell more than my competitors does that mean my apples are better, hell no. There are so many other factors that involved in the bigger picture. It's not about making good music it's just about churning out yet another disposapal product to be sold & consumed.  When i was a kid i just decided on my own what i thought was cool & what i like, whereas now more than ever it's absolutly forced down kids thoats. Back then there was a lot more variety & freedom of choice whereas now everyone looks & sounds the same, it's the attack of the clones syndrome. It's like buying ice cream that claims to be neoplitan on the tub but when you open it it only has one flavour in it. Usually chocolate, haha you get it.

I'm not sure about the late 80s, but definately that first half of the 1980s had a good following beyond teenagers.  Hip hop does alter things quite a bit.  On that note though, I think 90s artists will be rather succesful in the 2010's though, because hip hop and the love of the ghetto culture seems here to stay forever. 


Yeah but Chris, Hip-Hop really wasn't mainstreamed like I said before after Biggie and Tupac died. Remember the East/West Coast fued? 1997 was the year hip-hop got mainstreamed with Puff Daddy. Before Britney Spears came out right before Christmas Time in 1998 Puff Daddy was the the most popular musical act of 1998 or maybe even 1997 in the US. Before 1997 the main musical trend was Alternative Rock and even dance music was dominating the radio airwaves from 1992-1996.

Anyhow you are basically right on the money, it's the media, MTV etc & all their commercial sponsors that have very strict control on what gets exposure & what's hot & what's not so to speak. They are basically the pop culture nazis & now more than ever it's mainly about marketing advertising & business & has very very little to do with music. The music industry has nothing to do with music it's all about selling products & selling a perfect time slot for companies to advertise their products to the right demographic, which is "always" the urban youth demographic these days. Also if an album is the biggest piece of crap ever produced & distrubuted & is just another cheap clone of everything else out there but a few million or so morons  buy it & then suddenly it's great work from a fine talent, pffffft yeah right. Say i'm selling apples & i sell more than my competitors does that mean my apples are better, hell no. There are so many other factors that involved in the bigger picture. It's not about making good music it's just about churning out yet another disposapal product to be sold & consumed.  When i was a kid i just decided on my own what i thought was cool & what i like, whereas now more than ever it's absolutly forced down kids thoats. Back then there was a lot more variety & freedom of choice whereas now everyone looks & sounds the same, it's the attack of the clones syndrome. It's like buying ice cream that claims to be neoplitan on the tub but when you open it it only has one flavour in it. Usually chocolate, haha you get it.
I disagree with you on the MTV thing. When do they ever play music anymore? I just think people listen to Top 40 radio whats cool now. I think the radio stations have alot do with whats being played today. Remember Clear Channel and Infinity own most of the radio stations in the Us. Before 1996 big companies like Infinity and Clear Channel couldn't have a stranglehold on every radio station basically. The change was made in 1996 when the Telecomunication Act came out. Congress passed the Telecommunications act where a certain company could own as many radio stations as they want. I think in 1996 and before only one company could own 1 radio station in every city.

I think alot of people haven't been exposed to hip-hop because of where they live or the generational gap. What I mean by generational gap is I don't think a person who was 13-15 years old in 1985 is going to embrace hip-hop. However a person like me who was 14-15 years old in 1994 will likely like some hip-hop because I was exposed to it. Also since I live in Jersey and close to New York City I am more likely to listen to Hip-hop. Alot of the rappers live in Jersey and New York also. I like a rapper like "Nas". I don't think somebody who was 13-15 years in 1985 would understand why I find Nas talented. My Dad doesn't like Hip-Hop and my Mom I don't think can understand a word a rapper is saying.

Well said! Although Motley weren't exactly the forerunners of the hair/glam thing, but they did play a huge part in bringing it into the public eye.

True for Glam. NY Dools, KISS, Alice Cooper, etc. But Motley did primarily invent (by invent, I mean start the genre'. Henry Ford didn't "invent" the automoblie, but has that label from what he did with it) what is now referred to as "hair metal" today in the sense that is was different than the Glam rock of the 70s past. But the one thing that remains is The Cure did it without any real help from the mainstream record companies or media and that simply doesn't seem to be happenning anymore in the "lemming" mentality of the youth today. It's just easier for someone else to tell you what is "cool" and what is not.

tv, what Nas was listening to in 1985 I was listening to. It's not that I don't get Hip Hop now, it's just terrible. There's not much imagination and creativity to it. If you can rhyme some simple lines, then you get a record contract. The downfall of this genre will come from most of the rappers themselves, not anyone else.

True for Glam. NY Dools, KISS, Alice Cooper, etc. But Motley did primarily invent (by invent, I mean start the genre'. Henry Ford didn't "invent" the automoblie, but has that label from what he did with it) what is now referred to as "hair metal" today in the sense that is was different than the Glam rock of the 70s past. But the one thing that remains is The Cure did it without any real help from the mainstream record companies or media and that simply doesn't seem to be happenning anymore in the "lemming" mentality of the youth today. It's just easier for someone else to tell you what is "cool" and what is not.

Yep for sure, couldn't have put it better myself.

tv, what Nas was listening to in 1985 I was listening to. It's not that I don't get Hip Hop now, it's just terrible. There's not much imagination and creativity to it. If you can rhyme some simple lines, then you get a record contract. The downfall of this genre will come from most of the rappers themselves, not anyone else.
I agree with you most of the rappers I don't get either but what I was saying was somebody who was 13-15 years old in 1985 in junior high will probably not even give hip-hop a chance. I'm not sure how old Nas was in 1985. I agree the hip-hop with the hip-hop today and bing-bling with 10 girls in the video is not very creative at all. The late 80's/early 90's was the best for hip-hop I think when you had groups like PM Dawn, Arrested Devolepment, Eric B. and Rakim, Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, and Nice and Smooth.

I agree with you most of the rappers I don't get either but what I was saying was somebody who was 13-15 years old in 1985 in junior high will probably not even give hip-hop a chance. I'm not sure how old Nas was in 1985. I agree the hip-hop with the hip-hop today and bing-bling with 10 girls in the video is not very creative at all. The late 80's/early 90's was the best for hip-hop I think when you had groups like PM Dawn, Arrested Devolepment, Eric B. and Rakim, Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, and Nice and Smooth.




Nas, from what I can recall was probably about 10-12 years old. I know he was really young when he first got big. But, I agree about the fact that Hip-Hiop artists are really going to be the cause of their own demise. I think kids today are slowly letting rock and roll back in and pop music is becoming more favorable because it's just more hip than listening to people who have really grounded something into the floor and don't know what else to do with it.. I think they are seeing that their creativity with rap is running on empty because of all the samplings their doing and infusing rock influences *such as reall instruments, not synthesized* into their style.

Glad everyone here understood my dislexic moment when I wrote "The Cure" above instead of "The Crue", which is what I meant. "The Cure" is a whole different discussion.  ::)

I was born in 1969, and I can't stand the '70s for pop culture.  People older than myself dissed the '80s for being shallow and inane, but the '80s was when the blue spark of adolescent identity and sexuality hit my brain.  The current music and fashions of that time are held dear by most, even if, like me, it's with a combination of of sentiment and repulsion.

I don't know how I would have survived my teens without The Smiths...

I actually had a partially new theory about this stuff.

Recently I asked my parents if they, in their teens, 20s etc ever missed their childhood(s) or the era they really "grew up" in. They pretty much said not really, they always looked more to the future. The same seems to be true of many other people. Not that they didn't have fun as kids, but there wasn't AS MUCH to get into as there is now. Fashions and pop culture also didn't move as fast or as radically it seems.

I think pop culture-wise, things began speeding up in the 70's (really taking off in the 80's, and even moreso in the 90's and 2000's). In other words kids starting having WAY more entertainment while they were growing up. Video games, cool toys, MTV, movies, you name it.

Therefore because of that, maybe it's more common for people born in the 1970's and after to get more attached to their childhood, and thus more "tied down" to those accompanying years.

Just like with me - even though I still dug the 90's with quite a few things (heck, I still like some things today), it wasn't really "magical" the way my first 10 or so years were (1981-91/92).

Does that make sense? ;)

Hmm, I was born in 1984 and I absolutly love the 80s and the 90s half way through at least! Post 97 I think started getting bad, but since 2002 things have started to get better I think. I'm mainly talking music, fashion and popular culture wise.

I've always loved the 80s as an era. The fashion was just way out there but I love it, even if I don't always dress like that myself! I do wear footless tights though, just beacuse I wanna salute my favourite decade :P But the music, I love love LOVE the music. Not just the pop stuff, but artists such as The Clash, The Smiths, The Jam and all the new wave stuff I adore. Not really into all the Hip Hop and rap scene either - it doesn't do anything for me, even though now and again I might like the occassional R&B song.

I think the 90s lacked any real identity though. I think it's the era where nostaligia was the only thing fashionable. I mean look at today, how many retro clothes are there out in the shops, especially from the 70s and 80?. How many artists are encorporating samples from classic tracks, or re-creating the 80s synth vibe, or classic 70s rock guitar riffs? It's all a major cycle. It do think this started to happen in the 80s though - but there was no stopping it in the 90s, or today for that matter!

The decade I was born in just speaks to me (no, not literally!) I could just watch 80s music videos for hours on end (just as long as I got my indie music fix the next day!) and wish I was there. I used to think it would have been cooler to be a teenager during the 80s than now. I'm out of that teenage bracket now, and its sort of clear to me that its probably better to just look back on the 80s and enjoy what we've salvaged, rather than wish I wasn't in this world now.  Now before I start getting all philosophical, I shall stop!

At least in todays world I can get my fix of classic The Cure, Blondie and the Go Go's and still get to listen to all the amazing new bands such as the Editors, The Futureheads, The Killers etc... :)

I was born in 1969, and I can't stand the '70s for pop culture.  People older than myself dissed the '80s for being shallow and inane, but the '80s was when the blue spark of adolescent identity and sexuality hit my brain.  The current music and fashions of that time are held dear by most, even if, like me, it's with a combination of of sentiment and repulsion.

I don't know how I would have survived my teens without The Smiths...


It's kinda funny how everyones perspective is different on this topic. My boyfriend was born 6 years earlier than you (which means 1963) and he has a huge appreciation for 70's music, but he doesn't like the 80's all that much. Actually, let me rephrase that. He does like the 80's, but he just likes some select artists from that time - yet, he is extremely well educated with music from that era - even if it's stuff he may not want to listen to all the time. I don't think he finds the 80's all that shallow but he has expressed to me that he didn't like how the New Wave sound sort of changed things in the 80's.  I tend to agree with him to a point because I think some elements from the 80's were just giving us a slight hint of what was to come. Some of these "bad" elements hung over into the 90's and we're still stuck with them.

I agree that although I may not want to "fully" embrace the 80's as I did while living in that decade, I can now fully reflect (well, at least 8 years of it)and look back at that time with some repulsion (as you said it best) and with some regards.

I tend to agree with him to a point because I think some elements from the 80's were just giving us a slight hint of what was to come. Some of these "bad" elements hung over into the 90's and we're still stuck with them.

Huh?? This seems more appropriate if you would've said "...I think some elements from the 70's were just giving us a slight hint of what was to come." Not much from the 80's lasted through the 90's and this is why so many diehard 80's people (like myself) were waiting so hard for an 80's retro revival. We're still waiting....

Huh?? This seems more appropriate if you would've said "...I think some elements from the 70's were just giving us a slight hint of what was to come." Not much from the 80's lasted through the 90's and this is why so many diehard 80's people (like myself) were waiting so hard for an 80's retro revival. We're still waiting....


I think it's more stuff like rap, which although exploded in the early 90's (and leaks into everything in pop culture now) began in the 80's.

I think it's more stuff like rap, which although exploded in the early 90's (and leaks into everything in pop culture now) began in the 80's.


Well, it came of age in the 80s. It actually started in the 70s and the breakthrough song was Sugar Hill Gang, "Rapper's Delight" (1979). But Run DMC really were the group who put rap into the mainstream in the 80s, so yes you are right to a point.

It's funny I've noticed an interesting trend: People seem to hate the last pop-culture trend before them, eg:
2000s teens (born late 80s-early 90s) don't like the 90s
1990s teens (born late 70s-early 80s) don't like the 80s
1980s teens (born late 60s-early 70s) don't like the 70s
etc..

Of course there are exceptions and this is only based on people I know/have met.  ;)

^ That sort of works for me. I was born in late 1985 (which makes me a 2000s teen) and don't care much for the 90s, but am into the 80s quite a bit (not as much as most of you of course  ::)) as well as 70s.

The younger (80's born) probably just aren't there yet... give it another 10 years and they will probably like the 80's and hate whatever is current in the 2010's.

Amen...that's so true.  I was born in 69.  Hated 60's music, barely noticed 70's music, totall dug the 80's.  Now I still like the 80's, but I love the 60's and 70's music and culture.  Music progressed so much during that time and paved the way for the 80's and later.  I would love to have "gone down to Yasger's Farm", but then again...I am not ready to be that old. :P

I agree with you most of the rappers I don't get either but what I was saying was somebody who was 13-15 years old in 1985 in junior high will probably not even give hip-hop a chance. I'm not sure how old Nas was in 1985. I agree the hip-hop with the hip-hop today and bing-bling with 10 girls in the video is not very creative at all. The late 80's/early 90's was the best for hip-hop I think when you had groups like PM Dawn, Arrested Devolepment, Eric B. and Rakim, Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, and Nice and Smooth.


I'm not sure if that's totally accurate.  I'm slightly younger then the ages you listed, I was 10 in 1985 and I've always given hip hop a chance.  I love a lot of hip hop.  But I also detest a lot of hip hop.  Does that make sense?

You are partially right though.  A lot of early 70s born, raised soley on 80s pop rock White people probably won't give hip hop a chance.  But it's not true of all 70s born people.  Mid 70s born people aren't that way, and you know late 70s born people certainly aren't that way.   

Huh?? This seems more appropriate if you would've said "...I think some elements from the 70's were just giving us a slight hint of what was to come." Not much from the 80's lasted through the 90's and this is why so many diehard 80's people (like myself) were waiting so hard for an 80's retro revival. We're still waiting....


Maybe I should reword it - but I think Marty caught my drift. I meant the 80's not the 70's.

An example, such as Marty's, explains that rap music was beginning to take hold in the 80's but it reallyyyy didn't get going full blast until the 90's. Now rap is as mainstream as anything else. To me, this is one of the worst after effects from the 80's. Had 80's rap stayed as it was, it would have been fine. But now it's all this crappy gangsta stuff. So, this evolution of rap that rooted in the 80's (and yes, 1/10 of the 70's) has been one of those "bad" leftovers that got into full swing in the 90's.

In the 80s though, most of the rap was light fluffy, pop rap.  That's why it was so mainstream and easy for suburban White America to get into.  Run DMC, LL Cool J and definately Will Smith were generally easy stuff.  It was not the gangsta stuff that came about in the late 80s and exploded in the 90s.

In the 80s though, most of the rap was light fluffy, pop rap. That's why it was so mainstream and easy for suburban White America to get into. Run DMC, LL Cool J and definately Will Smith were generally easy stuff. It was not the gangsta stuff that came about in the late 80s and exploded in the 90s.


Very true. Even though I'd never really even heard of rap before, I remember in 1990 or so, kinda liking MC Hammer. Still do.

I think gangsta was around as early as the late 80's, it just didn't get mainstream until roughly 1992 and exploded in 1993.

On an off note, I always thought it was fascinating in a strange way, that two of the biggest musical revolutions--grunge and gangsta rap--happened at pretty much the same time. Makes even 1989 and 1993 look a world apart on the pop charts, and explains how 80's nostalgia set in so quickily (with myself as well).

In the 80s though, most of the rap was light fluffy, pop rap.  That's why it was so mainstream and easy for suburban White America to get into.  Run DMC, LL Cool J and definately Will Smith were generally easy stuff.  It was not the gangsta stuff that came about in the late 80s and exploded in the 90s.


Okay - maybe I could it this way:

1980s rap:Mostly light, fluffy, & lighthearted
1991-1992 rap - novelty acts, not quite "gangsta" but not quite syrupy either. There was an emergence of female rappers (shall we not forget), who may have turned rap into more of a social concern such as Queen Latifah, Salt n' Pepa, MC Lyte, etc.
1993-1997 - Rap becomes a lot harder with artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, Tupac, etc. There are still "light" rap songs, but they are not quite like they were in the 80's. They all have a slight edge to them.
1997-Current - Rap soon became the top charting singles between these years. Rap has dominated the charts almost on a weeklt basis. A few artists since about 2000 have been able to bring Rock & Roll back to the forefront.

Okay - maybe I could it this way:

1980s rap:Mostly light, fluffy, & lighthearted
1991-1992 rap - novelty acts, not quite "gangsta" but not quite syrupy either. There was an emergence of female rappers (shall we not forget), who may have turned rap into more of a social concern such as Queen Latifah, Salt n' Pepa, MC Lyte, etc.
1993-1997 - Rap becomes a lot harder with artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, Tupac, etc. There are still "light" rap songs, but they are not quite like they were in the 80's. They all have a slight edge to them.
1997-Current - Rap soon became the top charting singles between these years. Rap has dominated the charts almost on a weeklt basis. A few artists since about 2000 have been able to bring Rock & Roll back to the forefront.


Rap now is all gangsta, it's SO annoying. I can't stand it, yet that's all that other kids listen to now...

I'm glad I was steered in the right direction. 

I'm 1990 born, can remember back to 1993 and here's what I think of the matter:

1.  The 80s were the last decade that was truly part of the 20th century.  The 1990s were all about anticipation of the 21st and for that reason are part of the 21st Century and not the 20th (in terms of history not date).  20th century is 1914-1990/91, 21st started circa 1992/93.

2. It's pretty obvious that 1990 was part of the eighties culturally, and 1991 could squeeze in too. Sure Mariah Carey and The Simpsons were around, sure, but MC Hammer, New Kids on the Block, Linear, Nelson, etc. are all very eightieslike, and the movies from 1990-91 have an eighties vibe to them. Even see the Ninja Turtles movie?  VERY eighties (of course it could of been filmed in 1989 though) The Cold War was still making headlines too.  1992 does too a bit, but anything after 1994/95 can take place yesterday as far as I'm concerned.  Pre-97 90s were okay and still had an old school feel to them, and are great compared to times after, but don't light a candle to the true 80s.  1992-1996 was kinda cool, but I don't like all the violence and stuff that got on TV at that time (which is largely gone now) and gangsta rap wasn't that good (although I love Snoop and Dre).  Pre-1999 was as close, if not closer to 1980s tech than it is to now; I don't Internet was ever ESSENTIAL in the 90s except for the tail end of the decade.

3. The 2000s suck, but not as badly as the late 90s.  I disagree that the 2000's aren't cheesy.  Of course they are!  Numetal, pop-punk, boy/girl, etc, is all very cheesy!  Reality shows, Bush, the fact that original movies don't exist any more?  Cheesy.  The 90s was the decade where people couldn't be goofy, I even see mushroom hair in the 2000s.  But the holdover of 90s icons in the MID 2000s is disgusting!  Let it go, it's not that great!  I want a generation of my own, not a share in the crappy slacker culture of late Gen X.

4. Early 80s kids can remember plenty of the 80s.  I can remember the latter half of the 90s quite well and a few things from 93/94 (although I was born pratically on the 80s/90s cusp).  It's ridiculous to assume they can't.


There's my rant.

^ Very well said - I basically agree with all that. ;)

The "main" 90's (late 1991-1996), although dated now, have aged slower since anything before it. Someone wearing 1995 style clothes would look outdated now, but things changed so slowly in the last 8 or 10 years that people haven't noticed it.

Whereas 1989 and 1993 were a world apart, in only the time it takes to go through high school.

As for why we've still got a late 90's afterglow in 2005 - I sometimes wonder if we've taken pop culture as far as it can go. I mean, it's been around since the 50s. How many more rock and pop bands can there be before everything's already been done? How much more shocking can any of them be? Movies are probably even further stuck in the mud, so to speak. Sequels and remakes galore since 2002.

Heck, maybe Reality TV caught on so much because the 80's and 90's were a very popular time for sitcoms, so people wanted "real life". Plus, it's hard to top shows like Seinfeld, Home Improvement and Full House anyway. ;)

Okay - maybe I could it this way:

1980s rap:Mostly light, fluffy, & lighthearted
1991-1992 rap - novelty acts, not quite "gangsta" but not quite syrupy either. There was an emergence of female rappers (shall we not forget), who may have turned rap into more of a social concern such as Queen Latifah, Salt n' Pepa, MC Lyte, etc.
1993-1997 - Rap becomes a lot harder with artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, Tupac, etc. There are still "light" rap songs, but they are not quite like they were in the 80's. They all have a slight edge to them.
1997-Current - Rap soon became the top charting singles between these years. Rap has dominated the charts almost on a weeklt basis. A few artists since about 2000 have been able to bring Rock & Roll back to the forefront.

Totally agree. :)

I would say since 2001, rap has been 100% mainstream and dominates the pop charts more than pop, rock or other genres. 1997-2000 it was really close, but it seems like 2000 was the year things like soft ballads and other pop completely disappeared from the charts and hip hop was everywhere.

^ Very well said - I basically agree with all that. ;)

The "main" 90's (late 1991-1996), although dated now, have aged slower since anything before it. Someone wearing 1995 style clothes would look outdated now, but things changed so slowly in the last 8 or 10 years that people haven't noticed it.

Whereas 1989 and 1993 were a world apart, in only the time it takes to go through high school.

As for why we've still got a late 90's afterglow in 2005 - I sometimes wonder if we've taken pop culture as far as it can go. I mean, it's been around since the 50s. How many more rock and pop bands can there be before everything's already been done? How much more shocking can any of them be? Movies are probably even further stuck in the mud, so to speak. Sequels and remakes galore since 2002.

Heck, maybe Reality TV caught on so much because the 80's and 90's were a very popular time for sitcoms, so people wanted "real life". Plus, it's hard to top shows like Seinfeld, Home Improvement and Full House anyway. ;)

Totally agree. :)

I would say since 2001, rap has been 100% mainstream and dominates the pop charts more than pop, rock or other genres. 1997-2000 it was really close, but it seems like 2000 was the year things like soft ballads and other pop completely disappeared from the charts and hip hop was everywhere.


Agreed. :)  Prior to 2000, the Internet, hip-hop, "South Park culture", and the like was something that was emerging but not completely there.  Late 1997-1999 was when I think things got worse, the 2000's are slightly mellower and cheesier.  I mean Linkin Park is much better than Limp Bizkit and numetal's in its decline despite it still receiving radio play (I was hoping "Neo-Wave" would take its place but it seems like more crappy pop-punk is on the way  >:(  )

Actually, I take back the part about the 1990s not truly being the 20th century after some thought.  They are 20th century; oddly enough during the 1990s I saw the 20s, 30s, etc as being more or less the same period as the 1990s in a broad historical sense. We still had 20th century icons such as VHS tapes, cassettes, family sitcoms (lots of those in 90s and 80s), gasoline cars (unfortunately still today), and the like, and 2000 seemed like the future even though it turned out not to be (didn't you think of 2000 as futuristic as late as 90s?  I did). 

But, the 1990s killed off a lot of 20th century things too, like vinyl and typewriters, and by then people began to look back instead of ahead when the 20th century was spoken of because the 1990s was the end of the road.  The 90s were pre-9/11, but around 1991-93 is when history truly focused away from Europe and towards the Middle East.  Global warming, recycling, etc. were hardly talked about before the late 80s/early 90s too, and 2000 really didn't change.

I'll pitch in a theory: the reason the 90s haven't quite left us is because this decade DOESN'T HAVE A NAME.  Really, if it did maybe people would stop feeling like it was the 90s.  It's so tempted to say 90s and 2000s, but maybe it wouldn't be as tempting to lump like that if this decade had an official name.  Hmmm.

I think this decade we'll be clearly defined as the Age of 9/11. Since 9/11 happened so early in the 2000's, it's going to be a source for a lot of talk for at least until the end of this decade and/or the end of the Bush presidency. Kids born around or after 9/11 will have no idea what the world was like before it. We really were living much differently before that.

Very true. Even though I'd never really even heard of rap before, I remember in 1990 or so, kinda liking MC Hammer. Still do.

I think gangsta was around as early as the late 80's, it just didn't get mainstream until roughly 1992 and exploded in 1993.

On an off note, I always thought it was fascinating in a strange way, that two of the biggest musical revolutions--grunge and gangsta rap--happened at pretty much the same time. Makes even 1989 and 1993 look a world apart on the pop charts, and explains how 80's nostalgia set in so quickily (with myself as well).
Yeah I thought white people really get into rap when MC Hammer came out in 1990. Even myself(I am white) even liked MC Hammer. Gangsta Pap really didn't make its presence onto the Music scene until 1989 when rap group NWA came out. NWA was a group that featured rappers like Eazy-E and Dr. Dre. I agree with you on the 1992 thing when Dr. Dre's album The Chronic" came out it wiped away all the 80's/early 90's pop-rap basically.

Agreed. :)  I'll pitch in a theory: the reason the 90s haven't quite left us is because this decade DOESN'T HAVE A NAME.  Really, if it did maybe people would stop feeling like it was the 90s.  It's so tempted to say 90s and 2000s, but maybe it wouldn't be as tempting to lump like that if this decade had an official name.  Hmmm.
The 90's and 00's is even alike. Are grunge bands topping the charts right now? Heck no. I don't see Ace of Base or Amy Grant on the charts. The only 90's musicians that are on the charts right now are Green Day, Weezer, and Mariah Carey and thats it. A rapper like 50 Cent came out in 2003. Alicia keys came out in 2001. A rapper like Kanye West like in 2003. You compare 1995 to now its like night and day.

Rap now is all gangsta, it's SO annoying. I can't stand it, yet that's all that other kids listen to now...

I'm glad I was steered in the right direction. 
What makes me upset is I see all the young people with the speakers up in their cars listening to hip-hop. I think some people listen to hip-hop because its cool. How can anybody even relate to a song where they are talking about getting 10 girls in a club. Its not realistic. I think some of these people don't even know what hip-hop is about. As I said some some older people don't even listen to hip-hop and think its a person that is talking fast and is saying absolutely nothing. I like 2 Pac(some people may think he was a bad guy) but he did talk about real things. Notrious BIG was talking about how he went from being poor to having alot. Winess his song 1994 hit "Juicy". Nas has always been socially concious.

But, the 1990s killed off a lot of 20th century things too, like vinyl and typewriters,

Actually vinyl is still quite popular with a lot of people like myself & was so in the 90s even. In fact there's a lot of stuff i have on vinyl that is out of print & can't be bought on CD. DJs also still use vinyl these days & "one of" the reasons is because vinyl has a broader range of frequencies even though CDs might sound more crisp & clean.  Besides vinyl is way more collectable & you get a nice big cover & heaps of extra stuff inside that you don't get with CD releases of the same albums.

We still had 20th century icons such as VHS tapes, cassettes, family sitcoms (lots of those in 90s and 80s), gasoline cars (unfortunately still today)

Hey man i love those gassoline powered classic cars. Fu*k these femenin hybrid bubble cars that we're going to be forced into driving soon. Just another classic example of the constant pussification of our society & it's a total joke. Anyway i wont settle for any of this bullsh!t, i'm gonna buy a classic 70s car cheap off some bozo wanting to get rid of theirs because of petrol prices (now's the best time) & then i'll just convert it to LPG. Classic not plastic.
I'm sick of all these supposedly environmentally concerned pretentious do gooder types & rockstar hypocrites like Bono for example, telling us how we should be living, who if you took away their hot water they'd have a rockstar hissy fit. Someone should remind them that all the everyday comforts they demand & take for granted including hotwater require resources.
And what was with that Live 8 joke of a concert. We're gonna save starving children by putting on a rock concert, pfffft LOL. And then afterwards they get a plater of caviar & all that other crap. Why not sacrifice some of their own luxuries & donate money from their own pockets. "Yeah man we know what it's like & we wanna help" while they sip champagne in their penthouses.
No offense, but before people your age start wanting to clean up the world maybe you should start with your own bedrooms first. I hate to break it to you but life's unfair & it's not a perfect world & no matter what changes future generations make it never will be. Just be thankfull you live in a lucky country. I prefere to be a realist instead if living in a fantasy world & believing we can all get along & make things right.
BTW i was a punk when you were still in your dad's sack & you'll find out just like i did how the world really runs & that trying to live up to the ideals is like p*ssing in the wind.

^ I actually pretty much agree with the second half of your post, but even if someone disagrees, let's keep this thread friendly.

I just created it in the first place 'cause "Girls, they wanna have fun" -- well, guys in my case, but you get the idea, LOL. I have enjoyed the various discussions in here so far. ;)

Hey man i love those gassoline powered classic cars. Fu*k these femenin hybrid bubble cars that we're going to be forced into driving soon. Just another classic example of the constant pussification of our society & it's a total joke. Anyway i wont settle for any of this bullsh!t, i'm gonna buy a classic 70s car cheap off some bozo wanting to get rid of theirs because of petrol prices (now's the best time) & then i'll just convert it to LPG. Classic not plastic.
I'm sick of all these supposedly environmentally concerned pretentious do gooder types & rockstar hypocrites like Bono for example, telling us how we should be living, who if you took away their hot water they'd have a rockstar hissy fit. Someone should remind them that all the everyday comforts they demand & take for granted including hotwater require resources.
And what was with that Live 8 joke of a concert. We're gonna save starving children by putting on a rock concert, pfffft LOL. And then afterwards they get a plater of caviar & all that other crap. Why not sacrifice some of their own luxuries & donate money from their own pockets. "Yeah man we know what it's like & we wanna help" while they sip champagne in their penthouses.
No offense, but before people your age start wanting to clean up the world maybe you should start with your own bedrooms first. I hate to break it to you but life's unfair & it's not a perfect world & no matter what changes future generations make it never will be. Just be thankfull you live in a lucky country. I prefere to be a realist instead if living in a fantasy world & believing we can all get along & make things right.
BTW i was a punk when you were still in your dad's sack & you'll find out just like i did how the world really runs & that trying to live up to the ideals is like p*ssing in the wind.


Hey, Cafe80's - Environmentalism is not a bad thing, it just has to be in the hands of the right people.  :) And don't worry, my room is clean :0)  ;D

Agreed. :)  Prior to 2000, the Internet, hip-hop, "South Park culture", and the like was something that was emerging but not completely there.  Late 1997-1999 was when I think things got worse, the 2000's are slightly mellower and cheesier.  I mean Linkin Park is much better than Limp Bizkit and numetal's in its decline despite it still receiving radio play (I was hoping "Neo-Wave" would take its place but it seems like more crappy pop-punk is on the way  >:(   )

Actually, I take back the part about the 1990s not truly being the 20th century after some thought.  They are 20th century; oddly enough during the 1990s I saw the 20s, 30s, etc as being more or less the same period as the 1990s in a broad historical sense. We still had 20th century icons such as VHS tapes, cassettes, family sitcoms (lots of those in 90s and 80s), gasoline cars (unfortunately still today), and the like, and 2000 seemed like the future even though it turned out not to be (didn't you think of 2000 as futuristic as late as 90s?  I did). 

But, the 1990s killed off a lot of 20th century things too, like vinyl and typewriters, and by then people began to look back instead of ahead when the 20th century was spoken of because the 1990s was the end of the road.  The 90s were pre-9/11, but around 1991-93 is when history truly focused away from Europe and towards the Middle East.  Global warming, recycling, etc. were hardly talked about before the late 80s/early 90s too, and 2000 really didn't change.

I'll pitch in a theory: the reason the 90s haven't quite left us is because this decade DOESN'T HAVE A NAME.  Really, if it did maybe people would stop feeling like it was the 90s.  It's so tempted to say 90s and 2000s, but maybe it wouldn't be as tempting to lump like that if this decade had an official name.  Hmmm.


People later in this century like around 2060 or 2070, and you will be an old man at that time, (as will I or perhaps I will be dead) will lump the early 21st century with the 20th century.  They will not see much of a difference b/w the early 21st century and the late 20th century.  Hell, they will probably see little difference between the 1950s and the early 21st century.  "hey people in the 1950s watched TV, listened to the radio and had automobiles...so did people in 2005!"

It will be like that.      

I PROMISE YOU.

So you can tell all the kids of 2060 what a bad mother------ you thought were in 2005 because you had the internet and DVDs, and how you had some super cool 21st century life style.....they will laugh you out of your nursing home.

The real 21st century is a good 20 or 30 years away.

People later in this century like around 2060 or 2070, and you will be an old man at that time, (as will I or perhaps I will be dead) will lump the early 21st century with the 20 century.  They will not see much of a difference b/w the early 21st century and the late 20th century.   

I PROMISE YOU.

You can tell all the kids of 2060 what a bad mother--- you thought were in 2005 because you had the internet and DVDs, and how you had some super cool 21st century life style.....they will laugh you out of your nursing home.


Good points (as usual!).

True, everything will always advance. With the rate we've gone, I sometimes think even 2030 or so will begin being unrecognizeable to someone from today (although the future changes slower and less radically than people predict, so who knows).

However, I also wonder if we've kinda hit a brick wall in a sense. Look at 1900 and 2000. If that much were to change from 2000 to 2100 what's left to invent before it becomes a completely sci-fi world?

Even in pop culture terms, if every generation of metal or rap bands' goal is to be more shocking and more extreme than the generation before. What's next, killing people onstage? If the movie industry gets more lenient, will they start having p*rno movies rated G?

I'm being a little ridiculous with those examples, LOL - but there's always a limit.

All that into consideration, I've often wondered if somewhere down the road, it slows down to the point people will realize their parents' stuff ain't so bad after all! ;D

Hey, Cafe80's - Environmentalism is not a bad thing, it just has to be in the hands of the right people.  :) And don't worry, my room is clean :0)  ;D


Sorry i just get a little irritated by all those phonies that pretend to care. I don't think environmentalism is a bad thing, i just think forcing others into a position of having to go along with certain things & having to give up certain things like their freedom to choose what sort of car they want to drive is the bad part of our supposedly evolving society. That's practically Communism man. We can't all be equal & the same & do everything just for the good of the hive so to speak. Anyway i got a little off the topic there.

Sorry i just get a little irritated by all those phonies that pretend to care. I don't think environmentalism is a bad thing, i just think forcing others into a position of having to go along with certain things & having to give up certain things like their freedom to choose what sort of car they want to drive is the bad part of our supposedly evolving society. That's practically Communism man. We can't all be equal & the same & do everything just for the good of the hive so to speak. Anyway i got a little off the topic there.


Yeah, I understand. Someday things will change when it comes to vehicles running on petro fuel, but hopefully the changes will be little and we can drive just as fast in a car that's fuelled differently. They'll work out the kinks and who knows, the world may be a lot better off without using dead dinosaurs for our fuel burning.