To wish I had been old enough to enjoy the 80s?

[CJ2010]

Just listening to some brilliant 80s songs on my iPod and was just thinking that I would have loved to have been in my teens/ twenties to have been able to enjoy the music, fashion, movies etc. I think the music especially, was brilliant, such a great mix of everything to suit all tastes. I was born in the eighties, so I can sort of remember the 90s, which were also fab, but the last decade I think, has been crap, music wise. AIBU?

I am somewhere in that communards vid. I also helped to do boy George's hair. My mates designed Bro's leathers. Ummmm I used to go to Heaven and theMud club. I had full length black and orange dreads and could air kiss like I was born to it
I was a proper 80s girl.
I have no hankering for those days at all!

What about Japan??(I know they covered the late 70's too) I absolutely loved David Sylvian and his lovely voice and beautifully made up face! Still have a thing for men in make up today! And if anyone one wants to borrow my kajagoogoo cd, it's in the car!
Don't forget Talk talk, martha and the muffins, Soft cell, Erasure and King!
Happy days.
Am just off to put on my peddle pushers and my frilly blouse......

I was 15 in 1980, and got married at 25 in 1990 - so I consider the 80s to have been my heyday! We had moved to the town where I still live the year before, and so I had to start at a new school, make new friends....it was tricky for a while, but turned out ok in the end. I had a Saturday job in Woollies - on the make-up counter, so had plenty of money for latest singles, and "lemon drench" perfume from boots 17!
I can still remember lying in bed listening to John Peel on the radio, and the first time I heard "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell. I still love that song.
I also loved Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Fixx, and Psychedelic Furs. My film of the decade would have to be Pretty in Pink, although the Breakfast Club would come a close second...and my mum still has a photo of me going to my friends wedding when I was 20. I look like Joan Collins, and older than I am now!
Highlight was obviously meeting dh, in v dodgy nightclub...I can remember I was wearing a white leather batwing jacket with grey suede bits that my mum had bought me when she took me to London for my 21st.
That was a fab weekend too - Wham did their farewell concert and were having a party (at Stringfellows or somewhere, I think) and there were loads of people outside watching all the popstars going into the party...and we saw Time the musical - starring Cliff Richard

Those who think 80s politics was lousy should have tried the 70s - endless strikes, three day weeks, petrol rationing, electricity cuts, winter of discontent.
And need I mentioned flares?

Personally I reckon I got the two best decades - was in my late teens and 20s in the 1960s and then got to relive the best times of the 80s via the offspring who were teens and I could eavesdrop on their music...but not when they were watching of course.

I am old enough to remember, I hated the music, especially Madonna, she set my teeth on edge. Being short with bog boobs, the clothes were awful, nothing fitted - dropped waists, batwing sleeves and high collars made me look dumpy, the make up was scary. The greed and self centredness of yuppies and the bonkers political correctness. Don't even get me started on Maggie Thatcher. Don't miss it at all.
Loved DMs though

This thread is making me so jealous! Politics aside, it sounds like you all had such an exciting time! And from what you are all saying, having fun didn't have to cost a load of money.

I asked further up thread, if anyone was lucky enough to attend the Live Aid concert? If you did, what was it like? I've watched Queen's performance on you tube - wow!

I loved being a teen in the 80's, luckily I have some very good, like-minded friends. We hit the 80's Rewind festval at Henley-on-Thames every year.Theres also one in Scotland for those who live in the North.
Two days of great bands (the line up is always an absolute 80's lush fest), leg warmers, neon, shoulder pads and hair moussed and hairsprayed to within an inch of it's life.
Lineup for this year Read it and weep!!!

I remember schools being exactly like Grange Hill kids getting up to pranks rather than knivings and having to have a resident policeman. Going to university and living in a grungy student house, my rent was £16 a week! The music and grungy student fashions DMs, 501s, skater skirts, opaque tights, old men's overcoats. Townies wore off the shoulder tops, pencil skirts and white stilettos. Going to discos called Gossips where everyone danced around their handbags or like Morrissey. I enjoyed being a student everyone was piss poor and trying to live on £50 a week but we all had a ball.

This thread is making me very nostalgic. I was a teenager in the 80s, and I agree that the music was outstanding. I still love listening to the music of my youth (The Police, U2, Thompson Twins, Tracey Chapman et al.). Some great films and television series.

The fashion was fun for a young person. I remember wearing an oversized turqoise jumper decorated with faux Greek letters, black trousers, and those black pixie flyaway boots (whatever they were called). It probably looked hideous but I loved that outfit.

The less said about politics the better, though. Thatcher and Reagan. Shudder.

I'm very glad that I spent my formative years in the pre-Internet, pre-mobile phone era. Does anyone else remember the endless hand-wringing and solemn discussions prior to the introduction of breakfast television? That would have been in 1982 or '83, I think. It all seems rather quaint now.

I was born in 1983 and my fondest memory of that decade is definitely Rainbow Brite. I was was asked at the time what I wanted to be when I grew up, and Rainbow B was my answer!

I'm 29 now and there is still a bit of RB in me ... :)

80's were a fast moving time for me - exams O & A levels, leaving school , getting first job , then starting a job that lead to my career , getting married towards end of the decade ! ( Had the typical Lady Di wedding dress )

1990's - got divorced !

2000's got married again !

Someone mention Sweater Shop - yes I remember them and Benneton only sold jumpers !

Music was great - unlike today (sound like my parents !)

Another one born in 1970!

Can't believe we've got this far without mentioning Boots Twilight Teaser lipstick...Or was that just my school?The mid 80s were a great time to be a teen, we had a fab bunch from school who had some brilliant parties. We used to be all dressed up then get to the parties on our bikes! the fashions were great for the time, My mm had taught me to sew so I made most of my clothes. I'd decide during the week that I wanted something new to wear at the weekend and went and bought material and made it. We had a local supermarket where loads of us worked after school and at the weekend, the school gates opened and we went as one to the supermarket for "late night " opening....till 8pm
I know here were massive political downsides, but because of my age I didn't really have an awareness of them, on the whole, definitely good memories

And din't forget the short hair with tails....
I loved the 80s - all that soft rock - white snake, def leppard, Bon jovi etc,

I was born in 1960 and must confess the 70s did it for me music wise. But I had my first job in 1981, moved to London in 1981, loved the fashion and was an original sloane . The 80s for me were: barbours, pie crust collars, bright crew neck sweaters, over a navy blue spotty skirt with co-ordinating tights, pearls, velvet headbands, blonde hair and pink lipstick. Oh, and everything tucked into high rise jeans or pleat top trousers with a pretty belt and co-ordinating shoes. Hurtling down the Old Brompton Road on Saturday mornings on a bike to do some shopping and meet chums at Draycott's wine bar and the Admiral Codrington. Or on Sundays going to Juliana's for tea in Notting Hill in the days before coffee shops were everywhere and a good tea shop was hard to find.

I had my first job in the City, and ended up selling Eurobonds, went to the "Big Bang Ball", had shoulder pads and patent pumps with clip on bows and bits and pieceds and two taffeta ball gowns .

Remember C4 coming on, Green Lizzie, aerobics, Pineapple studios, Grunts in Covent Garden, Band Aid, the General Tradiing Company, the Falklands War and later on Black Monday!

I remember the 80's well

putting coke or a of sugar and water in my hair so it would stick up

wearing blue lipstick and dyeing my hair every colour with crazy colour

we went to the free Nelson Mandela concert in about 1988

didn't fancy live aid anyway

loved Japan, Bauhaus, Spear of Destiny, Echo and the bunnymen, seen Jesus and Mary chain live, also REM and Lloyd Cole. Also went to a David Sylvian solo concert and seen him outside

absolutely loved the Smiths and worked for Morrisey's manager in 1988

Be thankful that you don't have photos of yourself with a big perm, white stilettos, a ra ra skirt and bat wings.

Ah, the many many folded jumpers of Benetton.

Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy of Saturday afternoon.

The A Team at 5ish to follow.

The score draws.

My mum and dad on strike alot.

I got quite sophisticated at one point and got clothes from Richards Shops.

Shoes from Barratts or Dolcis.

It was a decade of 2 halves for me. Started off seriously uncool in my reversible jumpers and jellybean shoes listening to wham and buying posters from Athena. Got a bit cooler towards the end when I discovered the likes of the Smiths, Jesus and Mary Chain, Echo and the Bunnymen etc. And the joy of DM boots with little flowery skirts and leggings.

Still think you can't beat that era music wise but most generations think the same. My parents would swear it was the 60s. Noughties are full of MOR shite though. I do pity the youth of today

"reversible jumpers and jellybean shoes" yup to both, expecially the reversible jumper with a tiger in grey and pink on it! and my bedroom walls were furnished with smash hits plus Athena, and my school bag contained 90% athena tat

Anyone remember Red Wedge concerts. I have rubbished the 80s and the music but I'm nostalgic for Billy Bragg ( seen at Peckham Civic Centre) and the Pogues ( can't remember where as I wasn't much more sober than Shane Macgowan!)

The music and grungy student fashions DMs, 501s, skater skirts, opaque tights, old men's overcoats. Townies wore off the shoulder tops, pencil skirts and white stilettos. Going to discos called Gossips where everyone danced around their handbags or like Morrissey. I enjoyed being a student everyone was piss poor and trying to live on £50 a week but we all had a ball.
I remember going to my first bop at uni dressed as a townie. I was mortified. I soon got into the baggy jumper, little flowery skirt, cotton tights and DMs fashion. Oh those were the days. It was bleeding freezing in student digs in Leeds. Young 'uns now - don't know they are born

Maybe a jumper from Chelsea Girl as soon as the grant cheque arrived ;)

I always wished I'd been old enough to enjoy the 70's and thought the music in the 80's was mostly shite but it did improve towards the end. I guess we all want we can't have. I thought the 90's music was better.

I agree about good films in the 80's though.