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If you lived through the 80s, these images will make you smile

If you lived through the ’80s then you, my friend, LIVED.

In hindsight the ’80s were a glorious if not occasionally, repulsive decade. They had moved on from the laid back ’70s yet still weren’t quite ready to converge upon the power suits and much more serious time of the ’90s. One thing the ’80s did do though, was stamp their very unique mark upon this era.

And it didn’t seem to matter where in the world we grew up, we all pretty much had the same experiences. It’s almost guaranteed that you at some point during this decade, would have been seen listening to a double tape deck blasting Holiday by Madonna whilst simultaneously applying electric blue mascara and teasing the bejesus out of your hair. And there’s a Polaroid picture somewhere to prove it.

 

 

I am an unashamed '80s tragic. The entire decade wasn't just unique, it was bloody awesome and if you weren't lucky enough to be around during this time, let me show you what you missed out on:

 

1. The Rubik's Cube

You spent hours trying to work out how to solve this sucker. (Or like me, you just changed the stickers around)

 

2. Bauble Socks

These were a necessity for all self-respecting '80s girls. For reasons that were never determined.

 

3. Gremlins

So cute. So evil.

 

4. Jelly shoes

These things were dangerous! Plastic and sweat, you do the maths.

5. Pac Man

 

Pac Man of the '80s was played on a sweet sit down arcade game table and an endless supply of twenty cent pieces. And to this day cannot be surpassed.

 

 

6. Sweet Valley High Books

So many SVH books, so little time.

 

 

 7. Scratch and Sniff Stickers

I can still smell that grape one today. Unsure what Easter smells like though. Carrots or chocolate?

 

 

8. Banana Clips

 

The ultimate in hair fashion.

 

 

 

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9. The Barbie Camper Van

 

Barbie was a serious camper okay.

 

 

10. Punky Brewster

We all wanted to be this kid.

 

11. Poochie

Pretty sure my friends and I would have given away a kidney to secure one of these.

 

 12. The Swatch Watch

Yes. Yes that is a rubber watch protector. No, I'm not proud of this.

 

 

13. Rainbow Bright

See her shining bright.

 

 

14. Elastics in the playground at school.

England, Ireland, Scotland Wales.

 

15 . National Lampoons Vacation

Holiday Roaaaaddd.

 

 

16. Plastic basket handbags

I'm not going to try and defend this.

 

 

17. The Glo Worm

 

18. E.T.

 

 

19. Stick on Earrings

For all those girls who weren't allowed to pierce their ears, these were the poor substitutes. We all knew we were frauds.

 

 

 20. Barbie Townhouse

Do you see the lift? This townhouse had a motherflipping lift and was one of the greatest things to happen to tween girls in the '80s.

 

 

 21. Blue mascara

So good, so bad.

 

22. The 'Life. Be in it' campaign.

The one time our government instigated a campaign for Australians to get off their arses.

 

23. Flasks

 

 

24. Rara Skirts

A lot of us graduated year 7 in one of these. Tragically.

 

 

25. Peaches 'n' Cream Barbie

Still the most coveted Barbie doll ever.

 

26. Shrinky Dinkys

 

Cut, bake in the oven and they shrink. What sorcery is THIS?!

 

 

 

 27. Avon Nail tint

 

Nail polish for when your Mum thought you couldn't handle real nail polish. I think I can still smell this.

 

 

28. Slush Puppy

Raspberry all the way.

 

 

29. Knight Rider

David Hasselhoff circa not getting blind and eating hamburgers off the ground.

 

 

 30. Rubber Collections

 

Remember when collecting rubbers (erasers) was a massive deal?

 

 

31. Teddy Ruxpin

THIS creepy as all get out teddy bear read you stories (and then haunted your dreams)

 

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32. Atari

I'm still yet to find another video game I kick arse better in than Atari tennis.

 

 

33. The Polaroid Camera

Instant pictures. In our hands. Why did we ever think we could supersede this?

 

 

34. Hair that defied gravity

 

35. The Cabbage Patch Kid.

 

Kaylene May. That was the name on my Cabbage Patch Kid's birth certificate signed by the one and only Xavier Rudd. Accept no substitutes.

 

36. Lace, fingerless gloves

You needed the trifecta or you can't consider yourself a woman of the '80s

 

 

37. Fuzzy Felts

 

38. The BeDazzler

And not nobody can take that away from you honey.

 

 

39. Roller skating

 

Backwards skate. Oh yeah.

 

 

 

40. The Commodore 64

 

Anyway else remember being told not to touch the middle of that floppy disk? And they did anyway.

 

41. Mr Squiggle

Huuurrry UP

 

 

42. Game & Watch

If you were REALLY lucky, you had the double screen Donkey Kong version.

 

43. Crimped Hair.

Jodi Foster should look way happier than she is right now with that  amazing crimped do.

 44. Pink tape deck.

The double tape deck was obviously the bomb, but this still was quite something.

 

 

45. The Walkman.

46. Rods

 

This is how we learned to count in the '80s.

 

 

47. Sunny-boy iceblocks

Only fools drank these instead of froze them.

 

 

 48. Humphrey B-Bear

 

So WHAT if he didn't wear pants. He was still the coolest guy going weekday mornings.

 

49. You had a local milkbar that looked like this:

Peter Jackson's were $1.28 and you could still buy Polly Waffles. Amazing times.

 

 

50. You had a hills hoist out the back and you did this:

 

51. Fido Dido

52. Duran Duran

These guys. Nuff said.

 

 

53. Fags (Fads today)

 

Politically incorrect in ALL the ways, most kids of he 80s spent their days pretending to suck these down JUST like Dad. Class.

 

 

54. Sons and Daughters the TV show

Pat the Rat!!

 

 

55. Paper Dolls

 

I don't care who you are, you dug these.

 

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56. Shoulder Pads

Presented without comment.

 

 

57. Garfield

Garfield and Odie. There's a reason why we still relate to this so much.

 

58. Australian Women's Weekly Birthday Cookbook

The cakes that broke and brought the nation together.

 

 

59. World Expo 88.

Anyone else remember lining up for the New Zealand pavilion for 6 hours just for an ice-cream?

 

 

60. Shoe laces that looked like this

 

61. Puffy Stickers

 

Smurfs and Puffy Stickers. The '80s summed up in one picture.

 

62. Scrunchies

 

Don't even be seen dead in the '80s without a scrunchie in your hair alright. Preferably in a side-pony.

 

 

63. Care Bears

Staple of the '80s

 

64. Pound Puppies

 

Most of us were obsessed with these.

 

65. Taffeta

Taffeta. So much taffeta

 

66. Spokey Dokeys

 

You were THE SHIT if you had these on your bike and you know it.

 

 

67. Wham

Wake me up before you break my gaydar.

 

68. Fraggle Rock

 

69. Impulse deodorant

So much Impulse sprayed upon our bodies to impress the boys

 

 

70. Degrassi Junior High

Spike. That's all I should need to say.

 

 71. Johnny Depp in 21 Jump Street

Johnny be good. Or bad. Whatever we really didn't care, just be there.

 

 

72. Giorgio - the scent of the '80s

 

Who else automatically smells this just looking at it?

 

 

73. The Breakfast Club

Don't You. Forget about me.

 

74. Overhead Projector

This futuristic contraption was every teacher's friend and every student's nightmare.

75. Dirty Dancing

Nobody puts baby in the corner.

 

76. The Love Boat

Wait, is that the Chief of Staff from Scandal?

 

77. Sound systems like THIS

SWEEETTT

 

78. Diff'rent Stokes

WhatchootalkinboutWillis

79. The Coreys

 

Corey Haim and Corey Feldman. These boys defined the '80s.

 

 

80. Madonna

Madonna WAS the '80s. End of.

 

 

I'll be honest, when I first thought about putting together 80 things from the '80s that made it awesome, it seemed quite the lofty task. Now I'm at the end, I feel like I've left out far too much. You kids can have your '90s and beyond, the '80s were a decade that shaped and moulded the best adults that you see in front of you right now. In that glorious era, we learned how to care, share and not take ourselves not too seriously.

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Want more iconic '80s moments? Click through the gallery below.

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