45 Gnarly Photos That Show What Life Was Really Like In The 1980s


We may think of the 1980s as the decade of big hair, bright colors, and screamingly loud heavy metal, but the decade was so much more than the excess with which its identified. Every decade takes time to settle into itself, and the ‘80s are no different. The early years are obviously in a ‘70s hangover, but by 1985 the time period has clearly found an aesthetic all its own.

If you lived with through the 1980s you definitely remember the sights and sounds of a changing world, the blips of an Atari, the thrill of eating cereal while watching Saturday morning cartoons, and the sense of wonder that came with the new inventions and electronics that seemed to come out every day. Whether you were a mall rat, a jock, or a straight A student these photos of the go-go ‘80s will fill you with nostalgia until you feel radical all over again. Click ahead to relive a decade in time that none of us will ever want to forget!