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This community is dedicated to the music, movies, television, games, and pop culture that defined the 1980s. Guests are welcome to browse selected discussions, while full participation requires registration. You can create a standard forum account, or sign in using your Facebook or Google account for quicker access. Join the conversation and relive the decade that never stopped being fun.
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Latest articles
The Golden Age of 80s Radio: When DJs Ruled the Airwaves
There was a time when radio was not background noise. In the 1980s, radio was an event. It was something you planned around, something you waited for, and something that shaped how entire generations discovered music. Before playlists, before streaming, before algorithms decided what you might like next radio was guided by human voices, instinct and passion. The 1980s represented the peak of that experience.
Turn the dial back to that era and the memories come rushing in. Sitting by a stereo with a cassette ready to record. Late night listening with the lights low. Waiting through a DJ break just hoping your favorite song was coming next. Radio was personal, unpredictable and deeply human. That is what made it powerful. Today the sound of 80s radio still resonates because it was never just about the songs. It was about the connection.
When Radio Was the Center of Music Discovery
In the 1980s radio was the primary gateway...
A New Generation Takes the Stage
The 1980s belonged to the young. It was a decade when teenagers stopped being background characters in the culture and became its heartbeat. Everything from music to movies to fashion carried their mark. The postwar calm of their parents’ world was gone, replaced by bright lights, loud music, and a hunger for freedom. Teenagers in the 80s wanted to be heard, seen, and remembered, and they would stop at nothing to make it happen. It was rebellion, but not in the angry way of the 60s or the cynical way of the 70s. The 80s teen rebellion came with style, color, and confidence. It was not about destroying the past but about reshaping it into something uniquely their own.
Visit the Rewind Lounge to share your favorite memories of growing up during the decade that changed everything.
The Soundtrack of Defiance
Music became the first weapon of expression. MTV was the pulse of a new era, blasting through television screens with a force that felt...
The Rise of VHS and How It Transformed 1980s Entertainment
There are few innovations that shaped the 1980s as profoundly as the videocassette recorder and the humble VHS tape. Together, they changed not just how people watched movies but how they connected with entertainment itself. Before the arrival of home video, movies belonged to theaters and television schedules. By the end of the decade, they belonged to everyone. The living room became a cinema, and the world of entertainment was never the same again.
The Beginning of a Revolution
In the late 1970s, the concept of watching a movie at home was still considered futuristic. Film studios controlled their releases tightly, and television stations aired films on fixed schedules. Families had to plan their evenings around broadcast times. But everything began to change as the videocassette recorder entered the consumer market. What started as a luxury item soon became as common as a toaster.
The first time someone slipped a...
When September Meant TV: The 1980s Fall Premiere Tradition
Television in the 1980s carried a rhythm that feels almost foreign today. In the era before streaming platforms and year round content drops, September was more than just a month. It was the heartbeat of television. For families across America, September marked the return of old favorites and the arrival of new shows that would go on to define the decade. The shared experience of September premieres made television a unifying force that shaped conversations at school, in the workplace, and around the dinner table.
Why September Became Television’s Stage
NBC, CBS, and ABC all organized their calendars around September. Families had finished vacations, schools were back in session, and evenings at home once again became predictable. Advertisers understood this seasonal rhythm and spent heavily to be part of it. By concentrating their premieres in September, networks guaranteed the largest possible audiences. The return...
The 1980s brought with it an explosion of color, music, and style, but one of the most important cultural movements of the decade came through film. Teen movies rose from being a small corner of Hollywood to becoming one of the most influential genres of the time. These films defined a generation by capturing the joys and frustrations of adolescence, creating timeless characters, and offering a window into the lives of young people during a decade of rapid cultural change. The teen movie of the 1980s was not just a box office trend. It was a statement of identity and a touchstone of memory for millions who grew up during that era.
The Changing Landscape of Hollywood
The entertainment industry in the early 1980s was shifting to meet a new audience. For decades, teenagers had been loyal moviegoers, but rarely had films been made specifically for them. The seventies offered occasional youth-centered movies, but the tone was often darker, more experimental, and less focused on...
Before digital downloads, streaming apps, or even compact discs, the cassette tape ruled the airwaves, bedrooms, and glove compartments of the 1980s. It was more than just a music format. The cassette became a cultural phenomenon that changed how we listened, shared, and interacted with music. Whether it was the mixtape you gave your crush, the tape you wore out from repeated play, or the Walkman that went everywhere with you, cassettes were personal, portable, and powerful. This article takes a deep look at how the cassette tape defined the 1980s and permanently altered the music experience. From boom boxes to blank tapes, recording off the radio to bootleg concert copies, it was a decade where analog ruled with style.
The Rise of the Compact Cassette
Although cassette tapes were introduced in the 1960s by Philips, they did not become a household staple until the late 1970s and early 1980s. By then, tape technology had matured. Audio quality had improved, high bias tapes were...
In 1984, Alphaville released Big in Japan, a dark synth pop track that helped define the moodier side of the decade. With its steady electronic beat, haunting melody, and cryptic lyrics, the song became an instant hit across Europe and later caught on with audiences in the United States. It captured the cold elegance of 1980s new wave and stood out with its polished sound and thought provoking title.
The music video embraced the stylized surrealism common in the early days of music television. Shot in stark black and white, it featured shadowy industrial settings, abstract camera work, and a sense of isolation that matched the tone of the song. It was not about flashy performance or storytelling, but about creating a visual atmosphere that deepened the song’s emotional weight.
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Big in Japan marked Alphaville’s breakthrough and set the stage for their future hits. The song remains a staple of 1980s retrospectives and continues to resonate with fans of...
In 1983, Michael Jackson released Thriller, a groundbreaking single that redefined what a music video could be. More than just a song, it was a short film packed with horror themes, dance choreography, and cinematic style. With its eerie intro and unforgettable bassline, Thriller captured the imagination of a generation and helped elevate Jackson to global superstardom.
The music video was directed by John Landis and played like a mini movie. It opened with a vintage horror setting and quickly turned into a zombie filled dance sequence that has become one of the most recognized visuals in pop culture history. From the red leather jacket to the legendary group choreography, every frame of the Thriller video set a new standard for ambition and creativity in the music world.
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Thriller became a worldwide phenomenon and helped drive sales of the album to record breaking heights. The video was a cultural event, airing regularly on MTV and quickly becoming a must...
In 1985, Bryan Adams released Summer of 69, a rock anthem that captured the feeling of youth, freedom, and memories that last a lifetime. With its punchy guitar riffs and nostalgic lyrics, the song quickly became one of the standout tracks of the decade. While it looks back on a past summer, everything about the energy and sound of the song belonged to the heart of the 80s.
The music video featured Adams performing with his band, cut together with scenes of small town streets, live stage lights, and flashes of personal moments. It was not loaded with special effects or complex visuals. Instead, it focused on the power of performance and the emotion behind the music. The Summer of 69 video connected with anyone who ever looked back on a time when everything felt new and exciting.
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Summer of 69 became a breakthrough moment for Bryan Adams. The video supported his down to earth image and helped the song earn major success on both radio and MTV. Whether fans are...
In 1983, Eurythmics released Sweet Dreams Are Made of This, a synth driven anthem that became one of the most iconic songs of the decade. The haunting beat and hypnotic melody helped define the sound of early 80s music, but it was the surreal and stylish music video that truly made the song unforgettable. Annie Lennox appeared in a sharp suit with bright orange hair, instantly creating one of the most memorable visuals of the early MTV era.
If you want to explore the full album, check out our thread on Sweet Dreams Are Made of This (1983).
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The video featured dreamlike imagery including boardrooms, farm animals, and symbolic props that created an eerie yet captivating atmosphere. It was strange and bold, perfectly matching the tone of the Sweet Dreams song and setting a new standard for artistic direction in music videos. People searching for the song Sweet Dreams, or wondering who sings the song Sweet Dreams Are Made of These, were introduced to something...
