In recent years, we have seen a growing craze for the 1980s, and the trend seems to follow us into the 2020s as well. Everything from synth-pop to retro arcade games has received a real boost through big hits such as the Netflix series Stranger Things. Our fascination with the decade of gymnastics in front of the TV, the movie box, and Rubik’s cube seems to have no limits.

The 80s in today’s popular culture

Our love for the ’80s is notable wherever you turn. Whether in the TV series and movies we consume or the games at any online casino, the 80’s inspiration is palpable. It is not uncommon for online casinos to use retro aesthetics inspired by 80s arcade games, and in recent years we have seen a plethora of series and movies that either take place in the 80s or have clear influences from it.

In addition to Stranger Things mentioned above, we have seen series such as The Americans (2013-2018) and Chernobyl (2019), which take place in the 80s, and films with a clear 80s connection such as Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and Joker (2019). Blade Runner 2049 takes place, as the title suggests, in the future, but much of the aesthetics and music throws us back to the ’80s when Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) enchanted science fiction lovers around the world.

However, it does not end there. Remakes and sequels to 80s films are in the majority of the production companies’ pipelines.

A recurring grip in many of the series and films that flirt with the ’80s are the characteristic tones from the synthesizer. It is not uncommon for us to hear classic synth-pop songs in films from Depeche Mode, A-ha, Eurythmics, and Kraftwerk. But it is not only songs from the 80’s artists that act as a time marker in the films and series. In Stranger Things and Blade Runner 2049, for example, it is the 80s-inspired tones that set the mood and bring our nostalgic vein to life.

The fashion from the 80s today

Even in the fashion world, we have seen a lot of trends from the 80s that have looked back on the days of yore. Everything from animal prints to ruffles and padded shoulders has increased in popularity and has been seen on catwalks to an increasing extent.

Fortunately, we have not embraced all of the 80s trends. The extremely sprayed and permed hairstyle has not yet taken over on the streets, and dressing in neon colors is not quite as extreme as 35 years ago.

Our 80s nostalgia has brought with it a lot of magnetic elements into the 2020s, not least in our popular culture. The fascination we have for the decade also seems to hold on to its firm grip on us for a long time to come.