When we were young, we would cringe if our parents put on certain music form say the 50s or 60s,and they would even do certain dances from that era! LOL!! Then as we got older we grew to appreciate the music.

Imagine us playing 80s music in front of our kids and they would be like 'Mom/Dad you listened to THAT when you were young?' or 'What kind of dance is that' They would think 80s music sounds dorky!!

LOL!!  ;D

Well it is 2006, and there are a lot of kids around that do see us as "the adults".  So you could ask your typical 12 year old today what they think of the 80s.  I do know that in 1986 I thought of 1966 as ancient history, but I was in 5th grade at the time. 

Though I don't think that will become full blown with the 80s until the 2010s.  Gen Xers have not yet replaced the Baby Boomers as "the establishment", but it's getting there.  The very oldest Gen Xers born in 1965 turned 40 last year.

i'm wondering about that, though, generations becoming the establishment and so forth, because from where i sit music for teenagers these days actually seems much less rebellious and challenging of authority than it used to be. much of it really seems, in fact, dare i say -- harmless? like this happy punk stuff that's just all about how great the singer's girlfriend is. if anything kids these days might be shocked and offended by OUR music.

;)Well,it's when the Everly brothers reunited!

What we "will be"? You mean what I do tell them about the 80s. ;)

i'm wondering about that, though, generations becoming the establishment and so forth, because from where i sit music for teenagers these days actually seems much less rebellious and challenging of authority than it used to be. much of it really seems, in fact, dare i say -- harmless? like this happy punk stuff that's just all about how great the singer's girlfriend is. if anything kids these days might be shocked and offended by OUR music.


Good point. Probably not the "mainstream" music (that seems tame today in many respects. Hell, when I hear an upbeat Journey song on "adult contemporary" radio, that solidifies it!), but, for instance, some of the edgy heavy metal - yeah I could see that.

I don't mean hair metal, but the underground stuff like Slayer or even some Megadeth, etc.

In fact, if you go back another half generation, I guess the 60's was probably the most rebellious of any generation in recent history (condusive to their time period at least). ;)

That's where the "anti establishment" came from. Politics played a key part in everyone's lives - especially in protest of the Vietnam War, and changing the ways of "old guard" things like racism (which was a good thing, of course). It also introduced us to rock, early heavy metal, social drug use, etc. The parent of a teenager in the late 60's (we'll say born in 1920) probably thought of the new generation as totally wild and out of control.

But back to the 80's -- I think things have changed slower, so the 80's isn't as "old" or "mysterious" in 2006 as the 60's were in 1986. Much from then is still relevant today, just in updated form, of course.

It'll probably be closer to 2020 before they're considered ancient or "the establishment". Also, keep in mind, with people staying in the workforce longer, that age will kinda go up with time too. The rough age right now of those "in charge" of the world ranges from about 30-60. In another decade or two, it may well extend to 70 or 75 on a regular basis.

But back to the 80's -- I think things have changed slower, so the 80's isn't as "old" or "mysterious" in 2006 as the 60's were in 1986. Much from then is still relevant today, just in updated form, of course.

I thought the 60s were soooo old back in the 80s.  I'm not saying I hated it or that it was bad, I just thought it was very old.  The politics and events of the time were vastly different from what was going on in the 80s.  The Vietnam War, 3 controversial presidents, very blatant racisim and segregation.  The technology seemed pretty different as well.  Aside from NASA going to the moon, the tech seemed rather primitive with the giant transistor radios and every TV show boasting that it was "Now in Color!".  I look back and realize that the 1960s were not that long ago AT ALL during the 80s, but it sure felt like ages ago.


It'll probably be closer to 2020 before they're considered ancient or "the establishment". Also, keep in mind, with people staying in the workforce longer, that age will kinda go up with time too. The rough age right now of those "in charge" of the world ranges from about 30-60. In another decade or two, it may well extend to 70 or 75 on a regular basis.


I guess I was thinking along the lines that the Baby Boomers still control most of the media, and they run most of the governments and politics.  In the world of politics dominated by men in their 50s and 60s, and Supreme Court Justices in their 70s, or even 80s....the oldest Gen Xer that clocks in at 40 years of age would be seen as a young man, (even a bit of a kid) rather then the middle aged fool that a 19 or 20 year old likely seem him as.   

I thought the 60s were soooo old back in the 80s.  I'm not saying I hated it or that it was bad, I just thought it was very old.  The politics and events of the time were vastly different from what was going on in the 80s.  The Vietnam War, 3 controversial presidents, very blatant racisim and segregation.  The technology seemed pretty different as well.  Aside from NASA going to the moon, the tech seemed rather primitive with every TV show boasting that it was "Now in Color!".  I look back and realize that the 1960s were not that long ago AT ALL during the 80s, but sure felt like ages ago.

I guess I was thinking along the lines that the Baby Boomers still control most of the media, and they run most of the governments and politics.  In the world of politics dominated by men in their 50s and 60s, and Supreme Court Justices in their 70s, or even 80s....the oldest Gen Xer that clocks in at 40 years of age would be seen as a young man, (even a bit of a kid) rather then the middle aged fool that a 19 or 20 year old likely seem him as. 


You have a firm grasp on things. It was and is very much like you stated now and then.

The technology seemed pretty different as well.  Aside from NASA going to the moon, the tech seemed rather primitive with the giant transistor radios and every TV show boasting that it was "Now in Color!".  I look back and realize that the 1960s were not that long ago AT ALL during the 80s, but it sure felt like ages ago.


I've always thought this about the '60s as well.  NASA clearly had a lot of fantastic technology back in the '60s, but the rest of the regular folk in America seemed to have very little access to this watching their fuzzy black & white TVs and big bulky radios.  A computer that can fit into a room! 

I'll just tell them what I remember. I don't want to be like, "Back in my day..." or "You should have been around..." I just want them to maybe realise that I did live in a different time where things just weren't quite the same. But, hey, we're all human and we've all gone through different generations, so we're all going to experiences different things in different lifetimes.