Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Reflect On Trends They Want To Bring Back From The 1980s or 90s

People Reflect On Trends They Want To Bring Back From The 1980s or 90s

The 80s and the 90s are the ultimate decades of nostalgia for millennials. We were born between 1981 and 1996 and as such grew up in some of the most formative decades for the contemporary American landscape.

The 80s and the 90s also marked the last periods of time before technology would completely take over the world--those of us who were children in the 90s remember a childhood both before and after technology entered it.

As such that creates a lot of nostalgia for a time that truly seems as if it will never come back.


Redditor majorchamp asked:

"80s and 90s redditors, what do you wish would come back even for a limited time?"

Here were some of those answers.

Mall America

"Experiencing my childhood mall in its prime. It seemingly had everything, KB toys, cool RadioShack, a puzzle store, a store that sold chocolate, 2 different book stores, an arcade, etc..."

"Today it's a shell of its former self, there's a few sparks of life, but it's dying a slow and painful death. 3/5 of it's anchor stores are gone and another is on life support."

"Part of the problem is that the owners keep raising the rent to make up for the empty storefronts."-Sandman1031

What Games Used To Be

"Goldeneye 64. For those who didn't grow up with it, there's no way you could convince them that this was a game that people thought was the f**kin pinnacle of FPS games (at the time)."

"Imagine playing a FPS, but with a controller, but with aim/movement speeds calibrated to make you feel like you're moving through water, with the resolution of a flip-phone. That's Goldeneye."

"We had fun with it despite those things."-Antnee83

KentuckyfriedchickenandaPizzaHut

"The quality of of the food at Pizza Hut before all the cost cutting changes."

"Their pizza in the 80's and 90's served in the black deep dish pans was my favorite growing up and was legitimately delicious pizza, but unfortunately the quality of their food has gone down significantly."-spotrevdis

It was most definitely a simpler time than the internet-saturated one we live in now.

Just How It Was

"The post cold war - pre war on terror period was golden. Such progress on tech - everyone getting computers, mobile phones and the internet bringing us to a new peaceful era and new millennium at hand, sure we can solve it all..."

"It has not been like that since. You can see it in the attitudes of the younger gens, there is a difference if you've never lived such optimism."-MindTheFuture

The 90s Were Solid For Music

"Nights with your best friend or two riding around literally all night listening to the radio and talking. Maybe you stop at the park and swing awhile under the stars."

"Then get back in the car and drive so more till the sun starts coming up. Just feeling invincible and secure cause even if you're feeling sad that song is gonna come on the radio that you live to belt out together."

"And by the last note you're feeling better cause things as complicated as they seemed then were really not that bad for most of us. I'd give anything to have a night like that again. Just one."-Psychological_Tap187

Hopscotch Also Gave You Social Skills

"Children spending more time with each other socially. You developed social skills and confidence in ways that you just can't when you are communicating in text, or spending so much time isolated."

"Socialising on the internet or gaming is not the same thing at all. We used to spend the majority of time outside of school with friends, or bonding by playing games in the street."

"It's no wonder anxiety and lack of social confidence is so widespread amongst young people in the modern era."-Scallywagstv2

A Rare Gen X View

"Not be a walking advertisement for clothing brands. It is hard to explain to millennials and Gen Z just what an explosive culture shift Nirvana was."

"Imagine a relatively unknown artist coming out with a music video that was so counter culture, everyone was walking around with question marks over their heads."

"A month later, everyone tore any brand markers off their clothes. Jean patches ripped off, you were adorned with buttons and patches that matched your ideology, not some anime you like."

"And the point it, whether you paid $100 for a pair of jeans or got them at a thrift store, you didn't know, and that was the point."

"We had a rock revolution, which Mins and Gen Z seriously need. If you watch the famous Nirvana MTV live show, you will notice Cobain is wearing clothes with holes in them, despite being worth millions."

"Great video on what a huge societal and monumental shift Nirvana was for all kinds of reasons including talking about mental health, feminism, and topics previously avoided"

"People also didn't go out in public looking like slobs. I would never dream of going to school or the grocery store in pajamas."-beckoning_cat

But then, to everyone, their generation was, of COURSE, the best generation. There is no beating it.

Groupie Life

"Going on tour with your favorite band. You used to be able to do it, easily. Sling beer or t-shirts in the parking lot before a show, camp in the lot overnight before leaving for the next one, repeat until the end of summer."

"Nowadays... I don't think bands even go on tours that are followable, much less affordable just by selling spare beer and t-shirts in the lot."

"Furthermore, you can count the number of venues that allow you to camp for free in the parking lot (or nearby) on one hand."-Chubby-Tumbles

Razzles

"Candy use to taste better, like there was some called tuti-fruity, came in small squares in wax paper, like tiny, of a 20p piece, they use to taste amazing and i would buy them all the time as a kid."

"Then the company that made them changed out the recipe and said 'Nah, its all in your head, its fine, havent changed a thing...' but they now taste like small bits of plastic with minimal flavourings..."

"I wish we had the candy we had from the 80's and 90's."-Empty-Refrigerator

Old Timey Serving

"I remember drive in dining at A&W and it was nice! I was a kid during the 80's and the last A&W closed it's outdoor car side dining back in '89 and had a blow out event with classic cars from the 40's and 50's with waitresses wearing period clothes on rollerblades."

"I lived close by to this event and sat there for hours wondering around looking at the cars and talking to adults dressed up in 40's and 50's clothes driving cars that were in mint condition all getting food. There was a huge crowd of people. It was very memorable!"-ne0rmatrix

Nostalgia has it out for all of us. No matter what comforts are available to us in our given day, the past will come up and bring a fond tear to our eyes just because we can.


Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Ryan Gosling; Jake Hamilton
Jake's Takes/YouTube

Ryan Gosling's Reaction To Being Interviewed By Journalist Who Is Stranded In The Desert Is All Of Us

Celebrities get interviewed from all kinds of places, but the side of the road in a desert? That's not typically one of them.

But for a recent sit-down with Ryan Gosling, that's exactly where Good Day Chicago reporter Jake Hamilton ended up asking his questions. From the side of the road, no less.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Sheldon Whitehouse and Kristi Noem
PBS News

Kristi Noem Blasted For Trying To Play Dumb After Being Shown Photos Of Bedroom On Her Luxury Jet

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was called out after appearing dumbfounded this week after Rhode Island Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse grilled her about her use of a luxury jet by showing her images of its bedroom.

On Monday, Noem testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the DHS recent funding lapse. Last month, reports surfaced that Noem’s department had sought approval from the Office of Management and Budget to purchase a luxury Boeing 737 Max 8.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Hillary Clinton; Donald Trump
@GOPoversight/X; Kay Nietfeld/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Hillary Clinton Was Asked If Trump Should Be Deposed About Epstein—And Her Blistering Response Is Spot On

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a blistering response during her deposition in the House Oversight Committee's Epstein investigation when asked about whether or not she thinks President Donald Trump should also be deposed.

Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, testified separately behind closed doors last week before the House Oversight Committee regarding their connections to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier, pedophile, and sex trafficker. Video recordings of the depositions were released by the committee on Monday.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshots of friendly fire incident with US F-15 over Kuwait
@CNN/Instagram

Video Of Kuwaiti Locals Rushing To Help American Pilot Shot Down In Friendly Fire Incident Goes Viral

Video of Kuwaitis hurrying to check on the condition of a United States Air Force pilot who ejected from an F-15 fighter jet went viral online.

It has been reported by United States Central Command (CENTCOM) that three U.S. military jets were accidentally shot down over Kuwait as a result of "an apparent friendly fire incident" by Kuwaiti air defenses. Initial reports attributed the crashes to Iranian military forces.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Was Spotted With A Huge Rash On His Neck—And Nobody Is Buying The Explanation

President Donald Trump's health and fitness are once again in the spotlight after he was spotted with a red rash on his neck to go along with the bruises on his hands—and the White House physician's explanation for the matter isn't satisfying anyone.

A reddish mark could be seen on Trump's neck during a Medal of Honor ceremony on Monday, extending above his shirt collar and ending just beneath his ear.

Keep ReadingShow less