Everything 80s

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The Launch of Air Jordan and Rise of Nike in the 80s Nov 11, 2026

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In 1984, a lesser-known shoe company decided to throw all its eggs into one basket. But the player they hoped to sign had no interest in them...

He looked to be a sure thing, but there was no telling just how much he was going to change the sporting world. Luckily for that company called Nike, Michael Jordan -- thanks to his mother -- eventually agreed to endorse the company's new basketball shoe.

It was the shoe that bore his nickname: Air Jordan, and both the shoe and the man would quickly make a giant splash on not just the NBA and the sporting world -- but all of pop culture.

Support the show and get bonus 1980s content: Patreon.com/80s

Introducing "Generation: Baby-Sitters Club" Nov 04, 2026

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Today, I'm sharing something exciting, an episode from Generation: Baby-Sitters Club, the new podcast from Connecticut Public.

This series goes beyond nostalgia to explore this iconic book series as a cultural phenomenon in the 1980s and beyond.

In this episode, host Daniela Doncel uncovers how the Baby-Sitters Club books came to be and how they changed the business of book publishing, and features an exclusive interview with series co-creator Jean Feiwel -- now Senior Vice President and Publisher at Macmillan.

The episode also features insights from author and University of California-San-Diego literature professor, Seth Lehrer, and University of Alberta professor, Margaret Mackay.

To listen to the other episodes of this great series, see here: Generation: Baby-Sitters Club

Halloween in the 1980s Vol. VII Oct 28, 2026

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Welcome to the Everything 80s Halloween Special! In this annual tradition, we travel back to revisit Spooky Season during the 80s, and in this episode, we look back at the defining name in Halloween costumes and why the 80s were such a notable period for them.

Then, we look back at the origins of one of the most famous pop-up shops in retail history, and also at the time Elvira teamed up with Coors for the Halloween season.

But that also leads into one of the most bizarre stories of the decade, as one of the most unexpected companies got caught up in all the Satanic Panic of the 1980s...

Young Guns movie review: Patreon.com/80s

Britain in the 1980s: Thatcher, New Wave, and the Second British Invasion Oct 21, 2026

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The 1980s in Britain were one of the most turbulent but creative decades any country has produced. It started with a new Prime Minister and ended with a cultural revolution.

In this episode, we look at how Margaret Thatcher's economic revolution shaped the nation, and how an underground music scene soon dominated North America -- which included a brand-new music video channel. Between Duran Duran, Culture Club, Wham, Flock of Seagulls, and the Human League, the look and sound of music were about to change more than ever before.

But there was so much more; a superstar Royal was making headlines around the world, British movies and actors were having a major impact on Hollywood, and some beloved 1980s North American TV shows would not have happened if it wasn't for the Brits...

Bonus 1980s content: patreon.com/80s

Hot Wheels vs Matchbox: The Billion-Dollar Battle For the Toy Car Industry Oct 14, 2026

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They were two legendary toy car companies that were a part of growing up for millions of kids. But behind the scenes, it was a cutthroat battle for our brand allegiance.

Matchbox and Hot Wheels had been fighting it out since the late 1960s, and even though both brands went through tumultuous times in the 70s and into the 80s, the toys stayed strong and even grew in popularity.

The die-cast toy car industry of the 1980s was so big that several other companies entered the picture. From Sears to generic knock-offs, everyone wanted a piece of the action. Including one company that decided they were going to make things much smaller...

The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

Unsolved Mysteries: The 1980s TV Show That Terrified Us Oct 07, 2026

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Unsolved Mysteries was one of the scariest TV shows in the 80s, especially if you were a younger viewer... But it was also one of the most-watched shows of the decade.

Its roots go back to the early 80s, and the show went through several iterations and hosts, including Perry Mason himself. But eventually came the host with one of the most distinctive voices in television history: Robert Stack.

You'll hear why its intense theme music was deliberately created to scare you, how viewers became part of the story, and how it helped launch the true crime boom from America's Most Wanted to today's podcasts.

And despite debuting nearly 40 years ago, Unsolved Mysteries is still with us to this day...

Support the show and get bonus 1980s content: Patreon.com/80s

10 Sports Rivalries That Defined the 1980s Sep 30, 2026

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It felt like a true golden age. An era that gave us multiple sports dynasties and individual athletes that seemed larger than life.

The 1980s weren't just a historic era for the Big Four North American sports, but it led to some generational rivalries. Rivalries that included a changing of the guard in the NHL and NFL, and an on-court rivalry between the bad boys of the NBA and the future of the league.

In the 1980s, we also saw two women battle it out for tennis supremacy, one of the greatest boxing matches of all time, and an original 6 battle from the 1940s, still going on in the 80s.

And then, there was what may be the true defining rivalry of the 1980s: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, and a decade-long battle between the Lakers and the Celtics.

Get early and ad-free access to new episodes: Patreon.com/80s

The Rise and Fall of Columbia House Record and Tape Club Sep 23, 2026

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It's been called the "Spotify of the 80s," and if you grew up back then, you know The Columbia House Record and Tape Club was not only your access to a vast world of music, but it also seemed too good to be true...

Twelve albums for a penny? Who could resist? It turns out, not a lot, but little did we know that by sending that penny in, we were committing to a years-long fulfillment obligation.

Today we look back on the seven-decade history of Columbia House, a program that started as a simple record club in the 1950s, but grew into a massive powerhouse in the 1980s.

Columbia House was a huge part of growing up in the 80s, and, amazingly, still existed right up to the time of this recording in 2026...

Get early, ad-free access to new episodes: Patreon.com/80s

Peter Cullen: The Voice of Your Childhood Sep 16, 2026

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Peter Cullen was not just the iconic voice of Optimus Prime on the Transformers, but was also a part of more 1980s cartoon shows than you may realize.

Today we look back at the remarkable career of the man who became one of the defining voices for an entire generation. His work spanned an incredible six decades, including hundreds of animated characters.

He also created sound effects for two of the biggest blockbuster movies of the 1980s. And besides being the voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen was also the voice of another one of the most famous cartoon characters in history.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie review: Patreon.com/80s

Rewind: When Video Games Were Almost Banned Sep 09, 2026

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The early 1980s were a golden age for video games. From iconic arcade games like Space Invaders and Pac-Man to the growth of home consoles like the Atari 2600, it felt like a magical time for kids and video game lovers.

But all of that almost came to an abrupt end...

In the early 80s, video games — specifically arcade games—had caught on so quickly and spread so far that many wondered whether it was healthy for kids to play them for hours on end. It wasn't just physical concerns, but psychological ones, too.

From the UK to North America, arcade games were soon under attack, and many cities were taking measures to restrict kids from playing them.

It was an issue that went all the way to the Supreme Court, and a generation had no idea how close we came to losing them...

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie review: Patreon.com

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