Thursday, June 26, 2008

I'm having a contest

This one may be entirely subjective, but it's m contest and I want to hear from people, especially about experiences in ny favorite decade. So, tell me about your favorite things in the 1980's. What was your favorite TV show, movie, sporting moment, concert, song, etc. What fads did you participate in, which ones did you love or hate? Take me back! I'll pick a random winner from the submissions received between now and Friday and that person will win something cool I picked up in the Caribbean last month. If you recruit people to come and leave a story, tell them to mention you sent them, and I'll do a second prize for the person who refers the most commenters.

Here's a little start you off....

For me it was a number of things. I enjoyed my senior year of high school more than any year I remember. That was the Fall of 1988 through Spring of 1989.

I remember 1987 very well because I went to almost every major concert that came through Atlanta that year. I saw Genesis, the Cars, Bryan Adams, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Whitesnake, Level 42, Great White, Boston, Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, and U2. It was also the year that Debbie Gibson hit the charts, actually singing, writing songs, playing the keyboards and producing songs (three things Tiffany never did).

I remember major cultural events like Reagan being shot (I was in 4th grade and I remember them telling us over the PA),

I remember Lionel Richie bringing down the house at the closing ceremony of the 1984 Summer Games in L.A.

I remember everybody wondering who shot J.R. Ewing and I did not care.

I remember the Philadelphia Phillies beating the Kansas City Royals in the 1980 World Series and then losing to the Baltimore Orioles badly in the 1983 World Series.

I remember that George Brett (3B for the Royals) had bad hemheroid issues.

I remember the Space Shuttle exploding on takeoff and watching at school a few years later when we successfully returned to space.

I remember wanting to be on Student Council so badly and finally making it in my Senior Year.

I remember playing offensive right tackle in 8th grade football, switching to marching band in Spring of my 9th grade year in order to go to festival in Panama City Beach, FL, and earning a Varsity letter as manager for the baseball team my senior year.

I remember the Miss RHS Pageant my senior year because I suggested the theme "Pure Energy" based on the Information Society song that repeated it constantly, AND that friend Cathy sang from Oklahoma, Julie danced to Indian music, Carrie sang and signed Amy Grant, and Heather danced to A-Ha.

I remember Cosby, Night Court, Cheers, the A-team, Magnum P.I., Riptide, Misfits of Science, M*A*S*H, Knight Rider, Airwolf, L.A. Law, Facts of Life.

I remember where I saw (actually what theater) Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid, Return of the Jedi.

I remember that Stone Mountain Park used to have some water slides and when White Water opened in Marietta, and rafting on the Chattahoochee River years before most people decided they won't go in that water.

I remember my first job, at Kroger, and moonlighting as a driver at the Hungry Howie's next to it and hanging out helping the guy who owned the video store also in that plaza.

I remember scratch and sniff stickers (collecting and trading), Teddy Ruxpin, Cabbage Patch Dolls, Rubix Cube, Simon, Richie Bear's at Christmas (Rich's Dept. Store), parachute pants, Ocean Pacific, Izod, selling Krispy Kremem donuts as a fund-raiser, Swatch, the British Flag (Union Jack) as a t-shirt, Spencer's Gifts as THE place to buy posters, B. Dalton and Waldenbooks being the only bookstore chains and there was one of each in every mall, Chick-fil-a only being in malls and serving the value meal in a box with a tent-style top, going to the Varsity if you went on a field trip that took you to downtown Atlanta, the Junior/Senior egg fight each Spring,

I remember a lot of the music, and you can too by visiting "Taking You Back" at http://www.rockingthe80s.blogspot.com/

And to get you in the mood...

33 comments:

Jose said...

The 80's truly a great time for me, I was a bonafied Disco Kid and I met mi chica at the disco. 1981 we got married. At work I used to have a TV on my desk and I remember hearing about a devastating earthquake in Mexico that killed thousands. Same TV showed me a shuttle explode just a few minutes after take off. But it also gave us great music. A British invation of sorts, K-Rock music was born. Disco finally died... but did it? I loved to go to the liquor store not to buy anything but to play Pac-Man, Galaga, and Frogger. I remember hearing that John Lennon was killed. Shortly after I bought his last cassette. The computers became popular, and Rubiks cube was the rage. During the 80's I bought my first VCR a Sony Betamax that I still have to this day. My son collected Garbage Pail Kids cards and thought they were the greatest. Sony and Phillips together brought us the CD, and I believe it was during the 80's when Rambo came to life. Yeap, I did enjoy the 80s a lot.

Jeff said...

I am and will always be a proud Child Of The 80s. So many awesome memories, so little space!

Just a few things off the top of my head ...

I remember the Sox losing in '86 and knowing to just stay out of Dad's way.

I remember Dad letting me stay up late when U. of Memphis was the last game of the night on CBS in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, and he'd let me stay home from school the next day and sleep in.

I remember going to see Def Leppard in concert at the Mid-south Coliseum, and going to see Poison there a few years later, wearing my jeans pinch-rolled.

I remember going to the water park off the Whitten Road exit here in Memphis, which closed several years ago. I wouldn't go down the "suicide" steep slide, but the wave pool and "riding on the river" was neat.

I remember spending my fall and winter Saturday mornings playing soccer, my summer afternoons playing baseball, and Sunday mornings teeing off with Dad and his friends at the crack of dawn.

I remember being home from school on an administrative day, laying on the carpet watching the shuttle explode with the teacher aboard.

I remember Reagan on TV announcing that we just bombed Libya for being punks.

I remember watching MTV for hours at a time when they played music videos, especially the daily top ten at 5 p.m. I have a memory of laying on the couch as "Pour Some Sugar On Me" is on, smelling Mom's cooking wafting in from the kitchen.

I remember my Madonna cassettes, my Debbie Gibson tapes and posters, a Poison poster next to a Kathy Ireland poster, flipping through the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

I remember going to see Wrath of Khan, my big brother having to go throw up when the creatures are put in the ears, and being nauseous myself during Temple of Doom and all the bugs and snakes and heart-ripping.

No more time, but obviously we could on for days.

Dannye said...

well let's see, I remember the Garbage Pail Kids stickers (and trading them with all the kids in the neighborhood)...

I remember playing with HeMan figures with my younger brother (and all the other guys in the neighborhood), my brother had all the "doll" figures and the HeMan castle, so everyone came over to our house to "play".

I remember on the weekends waiting to hear the "Top 40 countdown" on the radio, and getting so very excited when Wham made it to the top and then recording it on the cassette (even though the radio announcer was still talking at the beginning of the song).

I remember putting my hair up in "banana clips" or having just the one pony-tail on one side of my head cuz the other girls made it look too cool.

I'm sure I remember loads more, but unfortunately this trip down memory lane has got to end as I gotta go to work...thanks, it was fun!!

-Dannye

Anonymous said...

Child of the 80's as well! I remember My Little Pony, they were just too cool, but the best was Jem!!!

She Became a Butterfly said...

i've been to punta cana in the caribbean twice!! yea!

my fave 80s memories, in random order:

breakfast club, 16 candles, long duck dong, goonies never die, weird science, jelly shoes (which are now selling for $20 at target), bananarama, the go gos, long shirts with belts (they're back), side ponytails (heh), layered socks, cabbage patch kids, shirt tales, mohawks, etc.

sadly, i also remember watching the challenger explode in my 3rd grade class. sad. sad. sad. i named my space cabbage patch doll, christa mccullough.

she
http://www.shebecameabutterfly.net

Di said...

I LOVE AHA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the video!!!

The 80's...mmmmm, I was in my late teens/early 20's. I remember Ronald Reagan getting shot. I remember they delayed the Academy Awards because of it.

All the wonderful music!! The hair bands! The great sitcoms that were on and the nightime soaps.

Tricia said...

My memories of the 80's include highschool musicals including "Godspell" and "Pippin".
Skipping my chemistry midterm junior year and so I was the only one in the school who saw the space shuttle explode. Getting kicked out of the all girls Catholic high school for skipping my midterm and finally getting to go to public school.
I remeber hating girls who could do the big hair thing because my baby fine hair wouldn't.
The 80's was when I fell in love with U2, made $750 babysitting 2 kids the summer between my sophomore and junior years, got my first "real" job as a grocery store cashier, and dropped out of college for the first time.

Special K said...

Hmm.... that takes me back....

I was kinda a nerd back then. I remember learning to solve the Rubik's cube sitting in study hall working it over and over. I remember being the only girl on the Math team and feeling like such a geek. I remember programming on a TRS-80 computer before upgrading to a Mac with a Meg of memory!!!!!!! I remember drama club and performing in various plays.

I remember Flashdance and Fame and wearing punk exercise wear. I remember wanting Nike sneakers to match every outfit. Lee overalls and painter pants were my favorite outfits.

I remember skating at Rocky's Roller rink to disco music every Saturday night.

I remember when MTV actually played music videos. I remember seeing the Go-Gos in concert. Michael Jackson was famous for his music and not his lifestyle.

I remember Reganomics and young republicans. I remember watching the Berlin Wall fall and knowing that I was watching a huge moment in history.

I remember profound sadness watching the Challenger explode.

I remember that no one could call me on Sunday nights whe Murder She Wrote was on.

I remember being young and thinking that I could do just about anything.

Thanks for taking me back!

Anonymous said...

Well I was born in 1983, but I loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and I remember that jeans leg roll. You rolled it up once folded part over, rolled it up again. Maybe there is a technical name for it?

wfbdoglover said...

Big hair (the bigger the better), shoulder pads, knee high boots and being a "rebel". Wearing Army clothes, KISS, Rolling Stones and The Hardy Boys Shawn and David Cassidy.

Telling my mom to stop coming in our room and talking because we were trying to record songs off the radio with our "tape recorders". Skateboarding, baseball games and Pop Rocks, Plastic Bubble Material, Pogo Sticks and Hippy Hop Balls!

For your referral, check out my blog for the story.

wfbdoglover said...

OOH, I forgot about the movie Grease. It was rated "R" (now G) and all the mom's were on the phone discussing whether we should go or not. In the end, we all went with our mom's to the movie.

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

When I think 80's I think music.....I am posting my top 10 love songs from my teenage years-back in the 80's. That was when loving someone or having someone to love was of utmost importance. You were nobody unless you had somebody, right? And so, with you sitting anxiously on the edge of your set....my top 10 love songs....

1. Livin of a Prayer by Bon Jovi. It's true. I never knew anyone in the union, or that worked on the docks, so I couldn't really comprehend the intense situation of it being on strike. And poor Gina, working all day stuck at the Diner with all that grease. NO wonder she cried all the time. But they had eachother and that's alot-it was enough. I got that part. I mean, those things are tough, man! They were livin' on a prayer. "Take my hand and we'll make it, I sware.." Now that was sexy. I knew that the song was probably in code to me. But for all the other screaming and swooning fans at the concert, Jon never did see my hand. (I'd Die For you, Bon Jovi was a close second, hand motions accompanied this song, wonderfully.)

2. Every Breath You Take-Police I hated the Police. I thought they were a joke. I mean, come on. Grow some hair and man up to a tattoo parlor like the other hair metal guys I adored (BTW-BAMA, if you or Sledge or Smooth EVER come home with a TATOO I will personally remove the embedded ink from your skin with my creme broula torch). But my (X)"fran" that did me soooo wrong. Kelly, was their "Number 1 fan". My mother must have been drinking heavily (not really mom. I know she just spit out coffeee on that one. She doesnt drink anything stronger than coffee, but to drive the point) to allow such, but she allowed me and my friend Heather and Kelly to spend the night in front of Boutwell Auditorium with 500 other of police fans tosecure tickets. I was a good freind. I saw a rat as big as I was. And being in downtown, he was packing heat. But no, this is not why I listed this song. It was because Brett Butler of THE Atlanta Braves was being traded. At his last game with them they played this song and had a little video montoge to him. Me and my cousin Gina were CRAZY for Brett Butler. Our hearts were broken into a million pieces. How would we go on? Would we follow Brett to his new home team, or stay true to the Braves. Ahhh ,Torn between two lovers (that song sucked, BTW)....we chose the Braves.

3. Leather and Lace by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley-this was such a sweet song. I rode around in my car just wishing I looked or could at least sing like my idol Stevie Nicks. In fact, I still do that. Listen Listen

4. Almost Paradise - Mike Reno/Anne Wilson -Hello! Footloose. Every young girl was "Almost in Paradise" when we saw Kavin Bacon dance in Footloose. Unlike every other girl, who thought he was "fine", I was more impressed with his dance moves. That man could D-A-N-C-E! But, I was more of a Willard type girl. How sweet to have no groove and yet try so hard to impress a girl. That was love, man.

5. Is This Love - Whitesnake -If I couldn't be Stveie Nicks and I couldn't be Lita Ford, then I wanted to look like and be Tawny Kittean. What 16 year old girl didn't. If I was her, I know I would have the power to swoon Big Daddy to give me a second look or at least one of my backup hotties. I mean, I spent hours to make my hair look like Tawny's, frizzy and full. If I only had that white jag. I wore white. Was it enough? In my mind, That helped a little. That indeed would secure a deal. In any case, I spent the next 6 weeks practising my rolls across the hood of my moms cutlass sepreme. Didn't work out for me. In more ways than one. Parents don't appreciate stuff like that.

6. I want you to want me! by Cheap Trick. Actually I hated this song but I had to include it because Big Daddy played the guitar in the Air Band and this was the song they "played". Oh, Big Daddy (was little dude, aka slim then-but weren't we all...) with his flannel shirt unbuttoned, not a single hair on that 112 lb chest (I knew that because he wrested) Couldn't he see by now, that I did want him? I looovvvveeeddddd him. (Still do). He just couldn't see it past the bangs in his eyes. He was his own person. He didn't need the mullet like the rest of those inteh air band did. "I'm here! I'm Here!" I shouted over the crowd of hormonal 16 year old girls and boys trying to find someone who wanted them too. For me though, it was always Big Daddy. I hate this song. It gets on my nerves. I know mixed messages. But I am woman!
If it wasnt this it would've been "Photograph" by Def Lepord. Being that I was a stalker of Big Daddy's for 12 years before he finally relented and gave in, this song allowed me to be cool. I think Def Lepord and I were one of the orginal stalkers. We made it cool. NOw it's just a bunch of losers, certainly not like me.....

7. Close My Eyes by Ozzy Osborne and Lita Ford-What a sexy song. But today I hear it and it almost sounds like death. Imagine that the Prince of darkness singing about such grim subjects? I still don't know what they are singing about. I loved this song though. It was sad, it was deep, it was beyond my understanding. But Lita Ford rocked and in my book anything Lita did was a-ok.

8. Don't Know What You Got Til It's Gone - Cinderella -Ain't it the truth, man? I mean, how can you fully appreciate someone until they have broken up with you, sent your heat breaking into a million shards and then stomping on it? And then you pined and cried becasue "HE" was the one....How can you appreciate them until that happens?

9. More Than Words - Extreme. I can still recall seeing this black and white video for the first time on MTV. The nice little melody, no screaming, just a bunch of guys sitting around talking about love...because that is what guys do with other guys...they talk about and sing about love. I thought this song was ingenious and like nothing I had ever heard before.

10. Angel by Aerosmith-Oh, takes me back...riding in the backseat of my best friend, Greg Stozier's, little corola with by other BFF Jenny riding shotgun. Why oh why? Why can't he (special someone) see that I care for him. Why can't he feel the emotion and intensity there? "Play it again, Greg" (music cues and my hands pound the back of Greg's seat like a drum) Dun!-- Dun! Dun!---....Don't know what I'm gonna doooooo....about this feeeeeee-ling inside...." I think I made him play that song about 8 times back to back that night. As I moped and pouted in the backseat about unrequited love Jenny and Greg bickered back and forth about who made better milkshakes. McDonalds or DQ. We ended up at DQ downing and drowing my misery in a Mr. Misty cherry float. I didn't like milkshakes. Looking back now, I dont think that feeling inside was love, it was the 3 cherry Mr Misty's I downed......


While these are my top 10, I wouldn't feel right to not include :
Faithfully by Journey. "Circus life (singing to me here) under the big top, woah...." Steve Perry sure had some pipes on him. This was a given song.
And finally,
There I was at Skate World with my friend Debby. It was here we were meeting our little bud's, Chris Cross and Chris Hatfield. Ah, but they dumped us to hang out with some other girls. We were furious, while "just friends", it sucked to be chosen last. I mean they had come to our schools skate day as our guest (they were from a different school). I learned alot about men that day. So, this song, brings back alot for me... the roller rink, the Chris's, the chosing of love over friendships......and then came couples skate. Now we had noone to skate with. "Lost in Love" by Air Supply. Enough said.

Janet said...

lol my experiences in the 80s are quite different from yours!

I remember getting married in 1981.

I remember getting at job at Hanscom AFB, and stayed there until 1991.

I remember totally getting into rap; Run-DMC, Doug E Fresh, Big Daddy Kane, Heavy D just to name a few

I remember the Bears winning the superbowl and the corny rap they did, The Superbowl Shuffle.

I remember getting divorced in 1986.

I remember falling in love with Michael and moving in with him that same year.

I remember driving to VA and NC with him every Easter and Christmas to visit his family...

I remember our cats, Toy & Cameo.

Denise Patrick said...

Although I remember most of what you listed, I'm a 70s kid through and through. By the 80s, I'd already graduated from college and was a member of the job market. If she blogged, I'd send my sister over - now she's a product of the 80s - and proud of it!

Happy TT!

Chelle Y. said...

My teenage years were in the 80's. Great times!

Susan Demeter said...

My best moment in the 1980's was March 87 when "little Sue" (my daughter) was born :) Nothing for me can top that :) BTW Amy sent me!

Great give-away idea!

Michelle said...

The 80's were a great times. I graduated in 1988. I'm actually going to my high school reunion in October. I loved wearing those skin tight Jordache jeans, rock t-shirts and of course you had to have a great pair of Niki high tops to complete the outfit. Oh ya, and the best part ever. I had the huge feathered hair. I was in love with Metallica and went to every concert you can think of. (Deep Purple, Ozzy, Motely Crue, Ted Nuggent and many more. It's so funny to look back at old photo's of myself. Thanks for the walk down memory lane. That was fun!

Anonymous said...

Cutting out of high school early almost every day to hang with friends in NYC.

Working at the Caldors snack bar .

The Grateful Dead.

Backpacking through Europe.

Overnight in jail (gaol?) near Gatwick Airport

Physics at Rutgers, then changing to Economics

Meeting my wife

Growing up

Anonymous said...

Freakin LOVE the 80's! Oh it was good times. I tried to get the videos to work here and on the blogspot but they just hang.

I remember all the neon colors! The more you glowed the better! LOL - The fat laces in our Adidas and oh break dancing of course. MTV was really cool during this time it was just mind blowing to put music and videos together. School wasn't too bad. I loved to play Q-bert. I have no idea why! Cable was pretty mind blowing too and parents didn't really know what we were watching and there was no blocking of things we shouldn't have been watching. Things seemed so much easier then.

Jenny McB said...

I remember going to a Kansas concert at the Boston Garden where Molly Hatchet was just plain awful.

Going to a Springsteen concert in Rhode Island.

Watching MTV when they played just music videos.

Got my first credit card at Jordan Marsh.

My first job after college where I made 6.75/hour as a medical technologist.

Watching Dallas and Dynasty at work.

Crying, while watching the Challenger explode.

Driving my 1974 Oldsmobile station wagon, I was truly styling.

Perms--are there any women who escaped the perm????

Betty said...

My favorite TV show was Dallas, and I did care who shot J.R., lol.

Then in 1988, my husband and I flew to California with another couple who had been there before. It was my first long airplane flight from Nashville, Tn. to LAX Airport. We went all over California as our friend knew all the neat places to visit. I think San Francisco was my favorite place to visit in California. Being in California for the first time as like being in another world. I loved riding the Pacific Highway. I couldn't believe how green the ocean was. I could go on and on about what we saw while there, but I won't.

In 1982 my husband I bought the home we are now living in, and we love living here. It's like living in the country and yet we are about one to three miles from almost anything you would need.

That's all, folks!!

Laura Paxton said...

I graduated from high school in 1987. Leaving for college that fall was probably the absolute best part of the 80's. I didn't listen to the music. We didn't have a TV, or go to movies, and the only date I had was with a loser, and I got in trouble for it. I'm really not fond of the 80s at all.

Bubba said...

My 80's memory that came to mind was...Cabbage Patch Kids.

NO, not for me. Bubba was NEVER into dolls. However, my half-sister was 5 when they came out, so she just had to have one. Living in a remote part of northern NY state, though, meant that they were many times tougher to get than people living in cities.

Wore out with the search for a real Cabbage Patch Kid, they got sis a knock-off for Christmas. And she was perfectly happy with it...until she brought it to her kindergarten class at school. Since it was an "imitation", the other kids picked on her so much that mom and dad had to pick her up and bring her home.

Oh, and within a day or two she got a real one.

Been a LONG time since I've visited your blog. Looks great!

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm...

Well, I graduated from High School in 1990, so the 80s was most of my childhood.

I saw the Monkees in concert (my first concert by the way. Weird Al opened for them.) in 1987.

I remember Starman, Silver Spoons, Knight Rider, The Tomorrow People, Nickelodeon, You Can't Do That On Television... I could reminise for days.

Jillie Bean (AKA Bubba's Sis) said...

I was a child of the 70's, but a teen of the 80's! I remember all this stuff, but here are my biggies:

First, the serious one. The Challenger tragedy. This one really hit home for me because I live in NASA's community - my dad worked at NASA for 40 years and I knew two kids whose dads were killed on that flight. We know many other astronauts. I was a junior in high school when this happened, and I was on my way to lunch when I heard people talking in the halls saying, "The shuttle exploded!" I thought that was a ridiculous rumor, but at lunch the principal came over the p.a. system and confirmed the tragic truth, and you could have heard a pin drop in that cafeteria, for a full 5-10 minutes easily. We were all in shock. Dumbfounded.

Now the fun one:

The big movie hit my senior year was Top Gun. At our homecoming, when the Homecoming Queen was crowned, the band played "Take My Breath Away". For years and years it had always been a cheerleader that was Homecoming Queen, but my senior year it was a fellow drillteam member. The whole drillteam was thrilled for her! Then it went to her head. Big time. So every time she walked into the room, my friends and I would sing, "Take my breath awaaaaaaay...." I don't think she ever got it.

Forgetfulone said...

Wow, what a post! Let's see, I graduated high school in 1983 and went off to college.

TV shows I enjoyed during the 80's: Cosby, The Love Boat, Family Ties, Growing Pains, Who's the Boss, and WKRP in Cincinnati, Night Court, and St. Elsewhere. Also, on daytime soaps, Jeanne Cooper allowed Days of our Lives to film her actual facelift surgery, and Luke and Laura got married on General Hospital. Mash ended its long run during the 80's. Alf came along in the 80's, though it wasn't a favorite show of mine.

Video Games - Asteroids, Frogger, PacMan, and my favorite, Ms. PacMan. I think I was the champ at college.

Hair and Fasion are not my fondest memories. Big Poofy Hair! Lots of hairspray. Leg warmers, short skirts. The stonewashed jeans were okay. Hoop earrings and hair bows were okay. But I hated "jellies." (shoes)

I loved the game Trivial Pursuit, but I never could break dance.

Movies I enjoyed were Airplane, The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, 9 to 5, ET, Officer and a Gentleman, The Karate Kid, The Color Purple, and Driving Miss Daisy.

I was into the music of Styx, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Van Halen, John Cougar, Steve Miller Band, The Police, Duran Duran, Madonna, Foreigner, Tears for Fears, A Ha, REO Speedwagon, Simple Minds, Def Lepperd, Paula Abdul

Favorite Songs: The Reflex, Let's Hear it for the Boy, I Love Rock and Roll, Take on Me, We Built this City, Thriller, St. Elmo's Fire (from the movie), Don't You Forget about Me, Alive and Kicking, C'est La Vie, Everybody Have Fun Tonight, Straight Up, 99 Luft Balloons, 1999.

I hated the song "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Still do.

I remember voting for Reagan in my first election, and I remember his attempted assasination.

We lost some famous faces in the 80's.Grace Kelly, Henry Fonda, and Marty Robbins died. Karen Carpenter died due to complications from Anorexia. Marvin Gaye and Ethel Merman died. Orson Welles, Yul Bryner, Ricky Nelson, and Rock Hudson died. Cary Grant, Desi Arnaz, Ted Knight, and Donna Reed passed away. Fred Astaire and Jackie Gleason died. Bette Davis, Lucille Ball (one of my favorites), Lawrence Olivier, and Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny, pass away.

LA hosted the Olympics in 84.

The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded upon takeoff.

Bill Gates becomes a billionaire.

Moscow gets a McDonald's.

The Berlin wall comes down.

I remember the 80's as a carefree time in my life, with more and more careers and opportunities available for women. A time when music was big, there was a lot of variety, and dance clubs were popular. I remember getting married for the first time (big mistake), doing a lot of growing up, getting my degree, and the freedom that I had during that era.

Great topic! Thanks for letting me share some of my memories.

Unknown said...

I love the 80's! My sister and I used to collect stickers too. We were all over the Lisa Frank ones. Most were ruined over the years, but I may actually still have some. Hmmm. pictures for later :)

The music was fabulous! Love those one hit wonder!

MTV played videos. Try to tell that to a fifteen year-old.
"Really! For hours and hours and hours!"

Love the 80's! Just love them!

Anonymous said...

Here are my favorite 80's memories:

-Big bangs
-The two Coreys (Haim and Feldman)
-Grease 2 (I think I'm the only person on the planet who likes this one more than the original)
-The O's winning the World Series in '83 (they haven't been back since)
-Jelly Bracelets and shoes
-Sticker Collections (esp Lisa Frank)
-Unicorns (they seemed to be everywhere in the 80's)

Cindy Swanson said...

Wow, nothing like Aha to get you in the mood for the 80's! :)

My favorite thing in the 80's was the fact that patriotism was popular. Thanks to Ronald Reagan, it was cool to love your country and celebrate it! Movies like "Top Gun" helped fan the flames.

My next favorite thing was BIG HAIR. Yeah, I know looking at the pictures from back then is pretty funny now, but I have naturally curly hair that can be as big as Dallas if I want it to be--and I never had to pay to have a perm, so the 80's was the perfect decade for me! (Now, I live and die by my straightening iron.:()

Great contest!

Anonymous said...

"I remember going to see Wrath of Khan, my big brother having to go throw up when the creatures are put in the ears, and being nauseous myself during Temple of Doom and all the bugs and snakes and heart-ripping."

ROFL!! I got an ear infection after seeing that movie and was convinced I had one of Khan's bugs in my ear!

As for my memories... I cringe whenever I hear "The 80s". I have this whole love/hate thing with those 10 years. My dad died in 1980 and I lost my virginity to the wrong guy in 1989 so there ya go! ;)

Okay, so there were some good times as well...

Nancy Drew and Anne of Green Gables
Cherry Coke and Reeses Pieces
The Outsiders
Dukes of Hazzard, The Love Boat, and Fantasy Island
My own roller skates
Leg warmers, parachute pants, french hook earrings, panama jack shirts, keds.
Oh and the BEST thing to come out of the 80s --- MENUDO! ;)

wfbdoglover said...

Does anyone remember pepsi light with lemon?

Patti said...

Great video!! Loved the 80's! I graduated from high school in 1985! The music was the best! I remember roller skating on Friday and Saturday nights ... wearing my sunglasses at night ;) ... big hair ... shoulder pads ... leg warmers ... so cool!!! Thanks for the trip down memory lane! :)

Lucy said...

This is a great post, I love all the memories you shared and enjoyed each and every comment as well! My comment will definitely Not win any prize, but I wanted to comment because of how much this made me smile!
I was so busy raising babies in the amazing 80's that I'm afraid what I remember most Is dirty diapers!
BUT a few things that really stand out... Sitting down with my son to watch and explain the significance of the challenger launch. Then trying to hide my horror and distract him away from the devastating catastrophe.
On a happier note.. I remember setting up two vcrs and taping and editing Ghost busters and Batman so my kids could watch them without the few scary scenes.Also,
Michael Jacksons Thriller just screams the 80's for me!
This was such a fun journey back, thanks!