16 Epic Things From the '80s That We Desperately Miss Today

This post is going to hit you right in the feels. Yes, we're ancient.

Lakeisha

• Published in Nostalgia
• July 8, 2022

The '80s made quite a mark in history. It is widely known as the decade where exaggeration and brilliance hit an all-time high. Often referred to as the "greed decade," the '80s was a strange time, to say the least.

There was a knack for neon colors, regardless of what people were wearing. You were doing something wrong if your outfit was not so bright and vibrant until it became a light source.

When it came to hair, bigger was always better. Only an alien would show up for a U2 concert with flat hair, or can humans do you that too?

If you grew up in the '80s, you know what a magnificent time it was, and chances are you loved every minute of its wackiness.

The nostalgia for that decade remains so rampant today that even people who were not alive still want to celebrate it as if they were. However, for those of us who experienced it firsthand, the cultural cliches are in our DNA.

You can take us out of the '80s, but you can't take the '80s out of us. In this article, we are taking a walk down memory lane as we share some of the things we miss the most about the '80s.

1. Squeezit, Come Back.

What's sweeter than classic Ghostbusters movies? Tasty '80 drinks like Hubba Bubbasoda, Squeezit, and Hi-C Ecto Cooler.

2. Who doesn't love a muscle-bound blonde?

3. Freezy Freakies made being out in the cold cool.

4. Remember, Teddy Ruxpin? Did it hold a candle to cabbage patch kids?

It's unclear whether the '80s toymakers were trying to make kids happy or scare them.

5. Phones had cords and were modelled after popular characters like Mickey Mouse.

6. Waterbeds were a thing, man. It was the '80s that spoiled us.

7. The '80s had so many catchy jingles with memorable taglines.

8. They knew how to protect privacy!

You could clap your hands to turn your lights or television on or off without worrying that Google or Amazon might be listening.

9. Men with giant hair was a thing...

What better way to get pumped up than driving down the highway with the windows open and your stereo blasting your favorite music?

Today loud music makes people cringe, but back then it was a thing... it was acceptable.

10. With boomboxes you could start a dance party with your friends anywhere...

Children today don't even know what a boombox is.

11. Renting movies was a thing.

Before Netflix and chill became a thing, we used to rent movies at the local video store.

12. Saturday mornings are for cartoons!

No one has any plans for Saturday because those days are reserved for Cartoon Network!

13. Arcade may be dark and noisy, but to an '80s kid, it's the closest place to heaven on earth.

14. Mixtapes! Who's guilty?

Before Spotify and Apple Music, we sat by the radio and eagerly waited for our favorite song to come on so we could record it and create a mixtape.

15. The Golden Girls

Good sitcoms were the only pandemic that forced people to sit at home in the '80s.

16. Unless you've slid across the dance floor in perfect Moonwalkformation or breakdance, you can't dance.

You just can't.

In Summary...

The '80s had some of the best movies, TV shows, and music. Star Wars, for instance, was released in 1977, but in the '80s, it became a huge hit with the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Don't even get us started on Steven Spielberg classics like ET, The Goonies, and the Indiana Jones movies. Are you feeling nostalgic already?

Take a deep breath and take some time off the "cool young people movies" to relish the '80s classics. It is impossible to cover the contributions the '80s made to music in a few paragraphs.

Some of the fashion cliches of that era can be seen manifesting today.

If you wonder why people walk around in yoga pants today like they are actual clothes, it might be the fault of the '80s when people rocked insanely tight spandex as everyday wear.

There is so much to love about the 80s.

Lakeisha