Ah, the awesome ’80s. There hasn’t been a decade like the 1980s since and there might not be another decade like it again. If you’re an ’80s child, here are 19 things your kids will miss out on experiencing.
- “The Dukes of Hazzard”
Friday nights were spent in front of the TV watching Bo and Luke Duke drive all over Hazzard County foiling bad guys’ plots while evading the crooked schemes of Boss Hogg and his incompetent sheriff, Rosco P. Coltrane. They were just good ol’ boys, indeed.
- Hulkamania
One of the true forces behind wrestling’s ’80s eruption was Hulk Hogan. The Hulkster had a generation of children believing that anything was possible through the power of training, prayers and vitamins. So what are you going to do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?
- Velcro Sneakers
Sneakers with laces were just so time consuming!
- Boom Boxes
Imagine a device that not only played AM and FM radio, but also cassette tapes! And, you could actually record songs off the radio onto your cassette tapes. It was mind-blowing.
- Hair Bands
If you had a boom box, there was no doubt you were listening to some classic 1980s hair bands. Poison, Mtley Cre, Twisted Sister and Whitesnake all had long hair, make-up and the ability to crush a power ballad.
- Atari 2600
Before there was a game app for smartphones, there was the Atari 2600. Space Invaders, Pitfall, River Raid — yes, please!
- Commodore 64
Looking for more than just video games on the Atari? Those ahead of their time no doubt were computing on the Commodore 64.
- Rotary Telephone
Way back when, dialing a phone meant putting your finger into a round slot for each number. None of this touch-tone stuff was required.
- Pay Phones
Out in public and needed to make a call? Hope you had a few quarters to stuff into one of these babies.
- Encyclopedias
Having to write a report in elementary school meant asking Mom to drive you to this building called a library so you could thumb through a set of encyclopedias.
- Caldor
Long before Wal-Mart dominated discount retail, there was a store chain known as Caldor. They sold boom boxes and rotary phones.
- The Church Lady
Back when “Saturday Night Live” mattered, very few bits were as funny as Dana Carvey’s Church Lady character. Well, wasn’t that special?
- Baseball Cards
One of the true joys of youth was walking into your local convenience store to buy packs of baseball cards. You can find them online today.
- NBA Short Shorts
Back when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were at the height of their hoops powers, NBA uniform shorts used to be, well, short. Maybe they should be called longs now?
- Who Shot J.R.?
The TV show “Dallas” was one of the most popular of its time and the question that gripped the nation back in 1980 was; “Who shot J.R.?”
- Record Player
Before technology gave you the boom box, music was made on circular vinyl discs that you played on a record player.
- The A-Team
Did you have a problem that needed solving but you couldn’t involve the authorities? Hannibal, Faceman, B. A. Baracus and Murdock were the guys for the job. You pitied the fool who didn’t call the A-Team!
- Miami Vice Fashion
Remember when undercover cops wore white suits with colored T-shirts and shoes with no socks, drove Ferraris and lived on boats? Don Johnson does. Don’t pretend you didn’t wish you could be like Sonny Crockett.
- MTV
Once upon a time the M in MTV actually stood for music. And that’s what they did — they played music!
If you’re an ’80s child, take a trip back in time and tell us in the comments what your favorite fad from the 1980s was. Just make sure the flux capacitor is still fluxing before you try to come back to this decade. Also, read about everyone’s favorite 1980s nanny from “Charles in Charge” with 10 Famous Nannies.
Steve Auger is a freelance writer residing just north of Boston, Massachusetts. As relatively new parents, he and his wife Lauren quickly learned that parenthood is short on sleep (and sometimes patience) but diapers, toothless smiles and lots of love are plentiful.
