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Here’s a reality check nobody asked for: the beginning of the ‘80s is as far away in time as is the year 2068. Yeah, time flies when we’re doom-scrolling cat memes.

So, why not celebrate it with a trip down memory lane with the help of Totally Awesome 80s, an Instagram page that shares all things ‘80s (with a little bit of ‘70s and ‘90s sprinkled in between).

So, Totally Awesome 80s is an Instagram page (Facebook as well) dedicated to celebrating one of the most iconic decades of the last century—the awesome '80s, mixed in with a little bit of the '70s and the '90s.

The page was created back in mid 2018 and has since then posted nearly 8,000 bits of content and amassed a following of 325,000 people.

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James016
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I went for Ulysses 31 and Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors when I was a kid.

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It’s hard to explain what made the '80s such an iconic time period.

On an objective level, it was the decade that gave the world MTV and CNN, some of the first instances of personal home computing with IBM and Apple, and the first mobile phone, Motorola DynaTAC 8000X.

It was also a decade of great tragedy with the NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and the explosion of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Reactor #4.

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But the thing folks talk about the most is the sound of the '80s—its music scene.

Many consider the nostalgia that '80s music creates to be the strongest out there with numerous artists coming back to cover popular songs and sounds from the decade.

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One commenter speculated that the '80s was a careless and fun decade. Considering modern day stresses imposed upon new generations, looking back to a decade whose fashion and music sound carefree, it becomes a nice escape for the younger generations.

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ninjaTrashPandaBoom
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Taking a break from riding all over the place eating Ding Dongs that came wrapped in aluminum foil, drinking Tang and battling tanks on Atari 2600 before taking off on another adventure!

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Tucker Cahooter
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I show my age by confessing that I knew the names of all the songs these lines came from straight away

ShyWahine
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All GEN Xers: Super easy - The Proclaimers / Toto / Nena/ Men At Work

Nikki Sevven
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Come on, Eileen! Don't you want me, baby? Take on me, because I'm hungry like the wolf. We can dance if we want to. I'm never gonna give you up, even though you're a material girl, so pour some sugar on me."

Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

99 Luftballons was the first song I ever heard from a CD player. New tech back then. We also had all these big balloon releases that year to protest for peace. All the school kids would get together and we'd all have balloons and release them at once. I can't imagine the amount of microplastic from that, but we also were tired of being threatened by nuclear annihilation.

Slim 864 GVG
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When you have FAME, You get money for nothing and your chick's for free, but there's always something there to remind you that you live in a Big Country and life is Just Like a dream.

xolitaire
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If I'm asked how old I am I tell them I remember David Hasselhoff singing I'm looking for freedom in reunited Berlin while wearing a jacket with blinking christmas lights tacked on

Alex Kennedy
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Neither Toto, nor Nena, nor Men at Work are / were cheesy. Don’t be a doof.

JayKat5
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles), Africa, and Down Under.

ShellsBells
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Since Weird Al Yankovic has been mentioned, why not listen to him sing "Africa" along with Weezer? He actually has a great singing voice.

Meyrin
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I got chills from these two songs... and not the good kind

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There’s also the idea of having parents who listen a lot to '80s music, instilling an interesting sense of nostalgia for their kids as well, even if they didn’t live through it.

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Others speculated that it could just be history doing its cyclical thing again. Those who grew up in the '80s are now becoming primary producers of pop culture. Considering all the '80s franchise reboots, Stranger Things and the like, they all come from people who grew up in that era for the people who grew up in that era.

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This idea of revivals is further supported by another commenter, who explained that the '70s saw a huge '50s revival with the TV show Happy Days and the movie Grease. Then there was a '60s revival in the '80s with The Doors, The Who, and the like filling entire stadiums. Apply the paradigm far enough and you might just be able to explain why “old” things are hip again.

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Poppy
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a photo of my mum who was very visibly pregnant with me smoking a cigarette.

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But that’s just music. Think of the remaining part of pop culture that happened back in the '80s: the Master System, NES. and Atari 7800 all came out in the early part of the decade; Polaroid reached peak popularity during this time; shows like Full House, The Transformers and Duck Tales were huge back then; movies like Back To The Future debuted during the '80s. The list goes on.

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ninjaTrashPandaBoom
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Your momma is so stupid/fat/lazy...[insert random offensive insult here]...battle it out, everyone laughs, and we all play dodgeball or G.I. Joe until the street lights came on.

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martin734
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember watching Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet on one of these in our English literature class. Olivia Hussey was hot!

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Well, that’s that. If you enjoyed this article, we have plenty more where that came from. Well, not there per se, but the '80s! And you can always check out the Instagram page.

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And if you don’t feel like going back in time any more, then why not stay in the present and share your takes and stories in the comment section below!

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Mandy
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or a girl and her bike! I loved my bike...the whole neighborhood had bikes and we were outside all day and everyday we could!

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SCamp
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When it’s a school day but Frankie’s vig’s due and he may need some persuasion

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Tiggy Darling
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Time Magazine: "The Red Brick Road is supposed to lead travellers from Quadling Country to the great Emerald City. However, in the movie, the road is shown ending up at…Munchkin City Hall."

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GoGo LaTata
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I watched Sesame Street before there even was an Elmo... And Oscar was orange!

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SarCaustic
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The hole in the ozone layer thanks you for your contribution, hair spray.

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beautiful plumage
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

anyone else try to find adult content no matter how scrambled the picture was? you got super excited when you thought you sorta kinda saw something.

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's a Honda ATC 90. Fun as hell but basically banned after too many people kept dying on them.

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martin734
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For those who don't know, the yellow plug carried the video signal and the red and white plugs carried the stereo audio, red for right and white for left.

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