Remember These? 15 Things Every '80s Kid Will Recognize
From the Walkman and Rubik's Cube to Saturday morning cartoons and the video rental store, take a trip back to the most iconic pieces of 1980s childhood.
In this article
If you grew up in the 1980s, chances are these will bring back a flood of memories. It was a decade of bold colors, big hair, new technology and toys that caused actual stampedes. Here are fifteen things that defined an '80s childhood.
Music and technology
1. The Sony Walkman. Introduced in 1979, the Walkman made music portable and personal. Mixtapes recorded from the radio, with the DJ talking over the intro, were a labor of love.
2. MTV. MTV launched on August 1, 1981. Its first video was, fittingly, "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles. Music videos became must-see TV.
3. Boomboxes and cassette tapes. And the pencil you used to rewind them to save batteries.
4. The VHS rental store. Friday nights meant browsing the aisles, hoping the new release wasn't checked out, and remembering to "be kind, rewind."
Video games
5. Pac-Man. Released in 1980, Pac-Man became a worldwide phenomenon, with arcade lines, cartoons and merchandise.
6. The Atari 2600 and the NES. Home consoles brought the arcade into the living room. The Nintendo Entertainment System launched in the U.S. in 1985, and with it came Super Mario Bros. and blowing into cartridges to make them work.
Toys and fads
7. The Rubik's Cube. The colorful puzzle became a massive craze in the early '80s. Most of us peeled off the stickers at least once.
8. Cabbage Patch Kids. In the 1983 holiday season, demand for these dolls led to famous scuffles in stores across the country.
9. Teddy Ruxpin. The storytelling bear, released in 1985, moved its eyes and mouth in time with cassette stories.
10. Garbage Pail Kids. Gross-out trading cards that many schools banned.
11. Trapper Keepers. The ultimate school supply status symbol, complete with that satisfying Velcro rip.
Movies and TV
12. Saturday morning cartoons. Cereal, pajamas and hours of cartoons was the weekly highlight.
13. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). It became the highest-grossing film of its time, and Reese's Pieces sales took off.
14. Back to the Future (1985). Made the DeLorean the coolest car on the planet.
Everyday life
15. Playing outside until the streetlights came on. Bikes, no cell phones and parents who had no idea where you were, and that was normal.
What do you remember most?
Every '80s kid has their own list. Share this with someone who'll remember too. And if you're more of a '70s kid, check out our look at classic sitcoms of the 1970s.
