Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

General Discussion

MichMan

(16,981 posts)

107. Loved the 80's

Reply to orangecrush (Original post)

Sun Jan 4, 2026, 11:22 PM

Jan 4

While I loved the 70's and came of age so to speak in that decade, it was the 80's that I felt really defined me.

I entered the 80's as a 22 year old college drop out with few job skills and working for close to minimum wage at entry level jobs. Struggling to pay rent and lonely, in need of female companionship. When the 80's ended, I was married, a college graduate with an Engineering degree, and in the midst of establishing a successful career. My income had quadrupled and we will be celebrating our 40th anniversary this year.

I thought the music and culture was great. Loved the rock and soul music of the times. Sammy Hagar, Def Leppard, Asia, Stevie Nicks, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Whispers, Evelyn King, Patrice Rushen, and so many more. IMO, Lonesome Jubilee by John Mellancamp is one of the finest albums ever recorded. Iconic comedy films like Caddyshack (love Rodney), Vacation, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Blues Brothers, Stripes, Trading Places, Revenge of the Nerds.

As a big car enthusiast, the malaise of the 70's, was replaced by some great new models and performance was back, with the dreaded 55 mph speed limit going away. Finally, one could go to the beach and women with unsightly tattoos were few and far between.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

4 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

rictofen Chin music orangecrush LoveTheDU

152 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

I hated the fucking 80's [View all] orangecrush Jan 4 OP

I never made that connection, but he IS like the ghost of "the me generation on steriods" past, isn't he. Scrivener7 Jan 4 #1

He is stuck in the 80s orangecrush Jan 4 #2

In defense of 500 miles (I'm Gonna Be) Tasmanian Devil Jan 4 #84

So fun - thank you! Pinback Jan 4 #87

You're welcome & lucky you! Tasmanian Devil Jan 4 #89

Don't you wish you could party with David Tennant? Scrivener7 Jan 4 #100

Yep, Trump is the distillation of the Reagan era misanthrope Jan 4 #52

Great analysis orangecrush Jan 4 #70

Same same, orange -- hated it all till Leghorn21 Jan 4 #3

Stevie can do that orangecrush Jan 4 #4

The 80s were the complete collapse of the 60s DBoon Jan 4 #5

Intentionally orangecrush Jan 4 #9

In fact, Reagan threatened the peace movement, SidneyR Jan 4 #29

Edwin Meese orangecrush Jan 4 #38

Yeah that's when all the peace and love generation folks morphed into Yuppies and elected Reagan. Twice. BannonsLiver Jan 5 #124

Everything you list is true bucolic_frolic Jan 4 #6

I had a Chevette orangecrush Jan 4 #10

lol I rode in one of those once. bucolic_frolic Jan 4 #13

Much rather would have orangecrush Jan 4 #15

I had a Mercury Bobcat, same as a Pinto with nicer trim...it never exploded but the stick shift did come loose and wcmagumba Jan 4 #20

Timing belts were not on my radar back then bucolic_frolic Jan 4 #22

Bad car orangecrush Jan 4 #28

As bad as it was, that car got me around for a few years...traded it for a new Saturn, better but not much... wcmagumba Jan 4 #36

Corolla is a great car orangecrush Jan 4 #72

I had a Mercury Bobcat, and I have only very good things to say about. NBachers Jan 4 #58

My sister's Mercury Bobcat was stolen! Diamond_Dog Jan 4 #79

My family had a Pinto that drew many comments. Tetrachloride Jan 4 #45

I had one too! BonnieJW Jan 4 #56

HA! So did I! Worst car I ever owned. By far. paleotn Jan 4 #71

They were awful orangecrush Jan 4 #74

I had one too! bamagal62 Jan 4 #93

This message was self-deleted by its author KLK1972 Jan 4 #44

Acting was acting, before computer graphics grabbed the budgets bucolic_frolic Jan 4 #53

This message was self-deleted by its author KLK1972 Jan 4 #60

Woody is a pedo NotHardly Jan 5 #115

I loved the 80's, loved the music, had a great union job, it's my "good ol days" but yeah, Ronnie Raygun sucked. nt yaesu Jan 4 #7

Aaaaaaaaack!!!! orangecrush Jan 4 #11

Just for you orangecrush Jan 4 #14

OMG, no!! Ishoutandscream2 Jan 5 #143

... orangecrush Jan 5 #144

I also loved the 80s, mostly the music Coventina Jan 4 #19

And MTV was great adding to my music enjoyment. nt yaesu Jan 4 #24

To each their own. orangecrush Jan 4 #31

I doubt the OP knows many of those bands at all. I LOVE 1980s punk, post punk, new wave, industrial, two-tone, etc etc. Celerity Jan 4 #49

I know. I'm solid GenX, but this place makes me feel young! Haha! Coventina Jan 4 #94

You forgot Siouxsie, New Order, Kate Bush, REM, lol. AStern Jan 4 #54

Oh yes, love all the acts you listed, plus: Madness, the Specials, B-52's, the Cramps, Devo Coventina Jan 4 #96

LL Cool J, Springsteen, Oingo Boingo. Chipper Chat Jan 4 #103

Oingo Boingo YES! The other two, meh. Coventina Jan 4 #104

The Sisterhood - Giving Ground (1986) (Sisters of Mercy spin-off) Celerity Jan 5 #109

Liked to loved most of these! electric_blue68 Jan 5 #146

Liked all of them! electric_blue68 Jan 5 #145

DEVO! NT Happy Hoosier Jan 5 #118

NOOOOOOO!!! orangecrush Jan 5 #142

Those guys are brilliant, and the work is very meaningful. Happy Hoosier Jan 5 #149

Nice choices! BannonsLiver Jan 5 #125

That neolib garbage never went away. valleyrogue Jan 4 #8

They apparently got pissed orangecrush Jan 4 #12

Well I turned 21 in the early 80s sdfernando Jan 4 #16

I liked the music but hated all the rest IbogaProject Jan 4 #17

I don't really "hate" a time period, I always had and made choices and did my own thing... wcmagumba Jan 4 #18

Zeitgeist orangecrush Jan 4 #76

Reagan Era, Yes ProfessorGAC Jan 4 #21

I grok that. ananda Jan 4 #23

To think, we thought NIXON was the absolute worst, then RAYGUN, then W-Shrub - KRASNOV leaves them in the dust. UTUSN Jan 4 #25

You must be living in my head, oc UpInArms Jan 4 #26

Most welcome orangecrush Jan 4 #33

I'm right there with Faux pas Jan 4 #27

Thanks orangecrush Jan 4 #35

80's music sucked. Thank god for alternative music underpants Jan 4 #30

80s music was incredible- KLK1972 Jan 4 #39

I forgot the dB's underpants Jan 4 #64

and I need to mention The Minutemen DBoon Jan 4 #101

Absolutely 👍 underpants Jan 4 #102

Worst. Decade. Ever. Ishoutandscream2 Jan 4 #32

Yeah, I hated the '80s PatSeg Jan 4 #37

I agree orangecrush Jan 4 #77

Best. Decade. Ever. BannonsLiver Jan 5 #127

You didn't listen to KROQ Sequoia Jan 5 #139

Late 60's to the mid 70's BeneteauBum Jan 4 #34

The whole "coming of age" thing makes sense KLK1972 Jan 4 #43

Oddly enough, that doesn't exactly apply in my case misanthrope Jan 4 #67

Peace orangecrush Jan 4 #78

And to you BeneteauBum Jan 4 #106

The story of Owsley Stanley's life and times, from his wife & companion. NBachers Jan 4 #88

Killing Joke - Eighties (1984) Celerity Jan 4 #40

One of the best songs that I still listen to regularly. chowder66 Jan 4 #65

Alien Sex Fiend - Ignore the Machine (1983) (4K 60fps) Celerity Jan 4 #80

Well, yes, but personally, for me, meeting and falling in love with my future wife, living with her... NNadir Jan 4 #41

I loved the 80s, and still think it was my best era. KLK1972 Jan 4 #42

Reagan was a bad actor (in more ways than one) and far too many people believed him as president Martin Eden Jan 4 #46

I was a hippie in Boulder, CO in the 80's... BluesRunTheGame Jan 4 #47

I loved the 80's. flvegan Jan 4 #48

Now is far worse iemanja Jan 4 #50

So did I hannah Jan 4 #51

I'm too young to remember it... biocube Jan 4 #55

Right there with ya. Straight out of high school into 12 years of repuke hell. I was screwed until my early 30's Cheezoholic Jan 4 #57

I feel ya orangecrush Jan 4 #81

he's actually a generation older rampartd Jan 4 #59

Sinatra wasn't nearly the bigot that Trump is misanthrope Jan 4 #68

It did have its faults mvd Jan 4 #61

Reaganism created Trump. LisaM Jan 4 #62

Nailed it orangecrush Jan 4 #82

I'm with you 100%. The decade the music died. The president that put us solidly on the path that led to the mess we're Martin68 Jan 4 #63

New Wave didn't rule the 80's, there was a lot of other great music to choose from! nt Shermann Jan 4 #66

I like how hard rock (aka "hair metal") became popular in the 80s. CaptainTruth Jan 4 #69

I'm a tail end Silent Generation but identify soldierant Jan 4 #73

Reagan, not unlike others, would scream that the government sucked and then made it much worse. twodogsbarking Jan 4 #75

hmmm, you may have a point Kali Jan 4 #83

... orangecrush Jan 4 #85

2026 stinks already! Kali Jan 4 #86

Orange Caligula orangecrush Jan 4 #95

Yeah... The 80's did it. progressoid Jan 4 #90

I do have some nostalgia for the 80's, but just because it was the classic Aristus Jan 4 #91

Me too! ABC123Easy Jan 4 #92

Thanks orangecrush Jan 4 #97

Give me a break kwolf68 Jan 4 #98

Ahhh the good old days .,,, comparatively ,,, live love laugh Jan 4 #99

I had some magnificent adventures and misadventures in the 'eighties. hunter Jan 4 #105

Loved the 80's MichMan Jan 4 #107

I was very busy Mossfern Jan 4 #108

It was quite a shift, a change of direction GreatGazoo Jan 5 #110

The AIDS Crisis Lem1951 Jan 5 #111

In the 1980's I had a guitar playing friend drmeow Jan 5 #112

Yes 80's music sucked! Be The Light Jan 5 #114

Not proud of this Mme. Defarge Jan 5 #113

Not Rebl2 Jan 5 #116

I'm with you on most of that... but 80's music rocks. I'll die on that hill. NT Happy Hoosier Jan 5 #117

Someone should write a song about "the decade the music died" Ranting Randy Jan 5 #119

LOVED the 80s! Best times of my life. If I only made my current income back THEN Callie1979 Jan 5 #120

To each their own. orangecrush Jan 5 #121

This thread is a reflection of core DU demographics BannonsLiver Jan 5 #128

Late 60's here orangecrush Jan 5 #133

I was thinking the same thing; I thought someone averaged that once Callie1979 Jan 6 #150

I loved the '80's... Hugin Jan 5 #122

Aww that's too bad. BannonsLiver Jan 5 #123

I don't think that's in the realm orangecrush Jan 5 #132

If you saw my record and vintage Swatch collections you might think again. BannonsLiver Jan 5 #134

I wear a Members Only jacket orangecrush Jan 5 #138

I have memories going back to the mid 70's MustLoveBeagles Jan 5 #126

I hated how overplayed Boston was in the '80s Pluvious Jan 5 #129

Overplayed is a serious understatement orangecrush Jan 5 #130

I was a traveling folkie in the 70's bagimin Jan 5 #131

Voodoo Economics Forever! Kid Berwyn Jan 5 #135

I had never heard of trump until he started showing up on 80's tv....usually some talk show. dameatball Jan 5 #136

Today's inequality was predictable. moondust Jan 5 #137

I loved the 80s 🥰 Raine Jan 5 #140

If I had Trashman272 Jan 5 #141

I LOVED the 80s. Best decade EVER!! Both high school and college graduation. First love. First real job! beaglelover Jan 5 #147

The '80's was a mixed bag for me... electric_blue68 Jan 5 #148

Had a lot of fun in that decade. Dave Bowman Jan 6 #151

Even worse, the 80's were responsible for the end of disco.. Permanut Jan 6 #152

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»I hated the fucking 80's»Reply #107