Back to the 80s: When Life Was Rad, and We Had the Best Soundtrack

Remember when life was as simple as a neon headband, and the hardest decision was choosing between a pack of Pop Rocks or a Slushie at 7-Eleven? Ah, the 80s – the decade where we had it all. We had cassette tapes, leg warmers, and enough hairspray to keep a tornado in check. We were free, we were fierce, and most importantly, we were living our best lives, all while trying to dodge the shadow of the real world.

And speaking of 7-Eleven, I’ll never forget the boy who broke my arm after school. We were at the corner store, I, living my best life in a pair of jelly shoes, and he, being a total ass clown, decided to trip me for no reason. BAM, my arm’s broken, and I’m left with the glorious reminder every time I look down. Every time it rains, that ache comes right back. So, I hope he learned to keep his foot to himself and stop tripping girls. But knowing my luck, he's probably still out there causing chaos. Thanks for the memories, buddy. Now back to my memories....

The Music: It's Like We Were Born With a Playlist

Let’s be honest, our musical taste was everything. Whether you were skating to Footloose or blasting Billie Jean on your Walkman, it was all about feeling the beat of that cassette tape in your pocket (which was probably chewed up in the machine at least once). And the love songs? Pfft, forget about it. We had the ultimate playlist for romance. How many times did you scream “I wanna know what love is” to the Foreigner track, while pretending to understand what “forever” meant?

Who needed a therapist when you had Journey and Pat Benatar to guide you through the angsty teenage years? If you didn’t know the lyrics to “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” you weren’t part of the club. It was all about rocking out with your Walkman in the middle of a mall, pretending you were in a Fast Times at Ridgemont High scene. (The funny thing? We were way cooler than we thought.)

The Fashion: “Let’s Make It Neon and Maybe Add Some Mullets”

Oh, the fashion. I’m talking about EVERYTHING. Neon pink, green, and yellow. If it wasn’t glowing under a blacklight, you weren’t dressed for success. It wasn’t just about being stylish;  it was about being seen from space. I mean, who could forget the ultimate trend: Jordache jeans, with that perfect, very tight fit? No one could resist the sight of that tag! And let’s not forget about Converse sneakers, which were worn with literally everything.

But then there were the accessories. The scrunchies, the scrunchies! You could tie your hair into a high ponytail with a neon pink scrunchie, wear it proudly all day long, then flip your hair around like you were starring in a music video. The more volume, the better, because when it came to hair, bigger was better. Also, can we talk about jelly shoes for a second? They were essentially torture devices made of plastic that looked cute but would leave you with blisters for weeks. We wore them anyway because it was all about the look.

The Movies: Gremlins, Goonies, and Of Course...Pretty in Pink

The 80s gave birth to some of the most iconic films we still quote today. The Breakfast Club? “Don’t you forget about me.” You wouldn’t dare. The mall wasn’t complete without a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off run-through or a good old Goonies marathon. You could be driving around in your mom’s station wagon, cranking “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and just feel like life was one big adventure.

And, of course, Pretty in Pink. We all thought we were Andie, dreaming about wearing pink prom dresses while taking down the rich snobs in the process. But who were we kidding? We were all secretly just hoping for a romantic teen movie moment where everything would come together just right,  the kind that only happened in movies.

The Technology: Those Walkman Struggles Were Real

Let’s talk about technology. In the 80s, we didn’t have smartphones, but we did have these nifty devices called Walkmans, and they were everything. Forget Spotify, if you wanted to hear your favorite song, you had to rewind it (yes, rewind) on your cassette tape and pray it didn’t get stuck in the machine. It was a game of chance: would you get your favorite song uninterrupted, or would your tape snap in half halfway through “Like a Virgin”?

There was also the glorious moment when you actually got through a whole song without the tape jamming; it was like winning the lottery. But hey, we loved it. No Wi-Fi, no texting, and no internet, but somehow, we made it work and still had some of the best memories ever.

The Real 80s Struggles: Leggings as Pants, and No TikTok Dances

Sure, life in the 80s had its struggles. Remember when leggings were NOT pants? Yeah, we had to wear real pants to school, and not those stretchy, comfy leggings. Oh, and speaking of struggles, let's talk about the “No Cell Phones = No Instant Communication” rule. If you weren’t at home, you weren’t reachable, and that was a concept we had to understand. If you wanted to hang out, you had to call the house, pray they picked up, and then have your mom shout out loud, “LAURA, PHONE CALL!!!” while you were secretly hiding behind the couch, hoping no one would ruin your “I’m too cool for this” moment.

And there were no TikTok dances! None of those synchronized moves or viral trends. You had to improvise in your living room while watching Soul Train on TV, doing your version of "The Dance" to impress your friends. Honestly? It was a lot more fun when the internet wasn't involved.

The 80s: Where Everything Was So Extra and So Simple

The 80s taught us a lot. First, it taught us how to live. We could be both carefree and dramatic, because why not? You never knew when the next big thing would come around. And you could always count on one thing: music, fashion, and movies that never stopped influencing us, no matter how far we’ve come since then.

So here’s to the '80s kids who had it all: the perms, the cool neon colors, the perfectly crafted mall hair, and most importantly, that simple, beautiful feeling of knowing that everything was going to be okay, because at least we had the best soundtrack to get us through it all or the mixed tape you made.

It was truly the best of times, the most radical of times. And hey, if we get a chance, maybe we’ll even find that red triangle purse again.