Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with 80s

Songs That Defined the 80s and 90s

lysistrata — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 22:48:02 -0800

I'm looking for 80s and 90s songs that defined the times. I'm looking for the songs that dominated the radio between the mid 80s and mid 90s. I'm looking for the songs you made out to and the songs you made fun of. Help me make a friend's birthday party a good one. If you graduated high school between '89 and '94 what are the tunes that bring you back to home room?

Tragic 80s Musician?

JoanArkham — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:42:25 -0800

A friend and I are trying to remember the name of an '80s musician whose career was cut short when he mysteriously disappeared / met with foul play while traveling in Europe. Wrong guesses so far include "the guy from the Vapors" (Wikipedia says he is still alive) and "the guy from Manic Street Preachers".

Help Me Remember These Obscure Toys

sjuhawk31 — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:09:00 -0800

ObscureToyFilter: Help me remember a toy from my childhood. My siblings and I are remembering plastic, colored blocks and cylinders that unfolded to become characters. We recall a king and queen, almost certainly a pig, and maybe a cow. Google has failed us so far. It was almost like these things were precursors to Transformers, but they were far less complex (as we were far younger). They would only unfold once, on a hinge, and the character would be printed on the inside of the shape. They weren't perfect halves, either; there would be little legs and arms sticking out.

This would most likely be in the 1984-1988 range, when we were between 5 and 10, but perhaps earlier.

Bonus points for pictures proving accuracy.

Power Hour Help!

ASM — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:14:19 -0800

Can you help me find an 80s Power Hour mix? I'm looking for an 80s Power Hour mix, ideally it'll just be one long mp3. I've searched the tubes to no avail.

I honestly thought that something like this would be easier to find.

For those unfamiliar with the power hour concept, you're essentially listening to 60 tracks that are cut to 1 minute in length over the course of an hour.

Obviously, if anyone knows of a continuous 80s Power Hour mix that's longer than an hour, I'll take it.

Thanks for the help!

No one twisting his arm....

scarylarry — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:09:33 -0800

What bands sound like Game Theory? One of the only good things to come out of a past relationship was exposure to Game Theory, close to my current favorite band. I have acquired all their albums by methods both legal and illegal, and I just love their sound and their unflagging intelligence.

What other bands should I listen to? These can predate GT or be more contemporary. I'm searching for songwriting that is as simultaneously intelligent and, for lack of a better word, *quirky* as Scott Miller's.

Were I answering this question, I guess I'd suggest Big Star, The Soft Boys, early REM, and the Unicorns/Islands. I hope this gives some idea where I'm coming from.

One thing I love about Game Theory, too, is that they've *nearly* fallen by the wayside. I'd love to resurrect a band from the 70s, 80s, or 90s that I would have no way to discover without asking this question; the more obscure the better, I suppose.

I should probably also say that I already know and love the Loud Family. Otherwise, I'm all ears!

I look forward to the aural candy to come.

When we look back, what will this decade look like?

Cool Papa Bell — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:48:08 -0800

Neon and skinny ties in the 80s; flannel and nose rings in the 90s. What will be the signature, stereotypical fashion or clothing item of this decade, the one that will be used in the future to instantly reference and signal this time period to others? If I want to stereotype the 80s, I'll dress men in Miami Vice neon colors and do their hair like the Flock of Seagulls guy. Women will look like Madonna in the height of her thrift-store look.

If I want to stereotype the 90s, I'll dress everyone in grunge flannel, clunky boots, tattoos and nose rings. Maybe that's only the early 90s, but you get my point.

If I want to stereotype the time period from roughly 2000 to now, what will it look like?

70's and 80's songs to play in a business.

ptsampras14 — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:15:49 -0800

What are some good 70's and 80's songs suitable for playing in a pharmacy? My father owns a family pharmacy and we have an iPod with nice 70's and 80's songs set to play for the customers. Can you tell me some that I can add to the playlist? Remember nice calm easy listening ones are best, and no dirty or bad songs about dying etc.. To get an idea of some of the songs I have here's a link to the playlist so far. Specific songs are great, but I will also take artists. Try not to give duplicates. If 10 people give 10 songs that's 100 new songs! Thanks!

Bug Hunters

Artw — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:30:24 -0800

UK 80s gaming magazine question: Who drew "Bug Hunters", the comic strip with the big four armed robot, for CRASH and C&VG magazine? This question might be related to this other question.

Identify this horror movie from two brief memories.

greatgefilte — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:00:05 -0800

Help me identify this horror movie from my youth. So, there was movie I once saw when I was a kid in the 80's, and I can only remember one or two scenes from it. I'd love to know what it was, though. Here's what I remember:

* A TV reporter interviewing one or two kids (brother and sister?) about the disappearance/death of some other kids. They feign sadness because they're the ones responsible.

* Hands, lots of hands, pushing and reaching out of a wall.

Help me, MeFi, you're my only hope!

Who played a Pollock like neon guitar in the 80s?

Java_Man — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:25:47 -0800

In the 80's, which guitarist played a white guitar daubed with paint splotches and Pollock-like streaks of neon pink and green, among other colors? I recall seeing the guitar (probably in a video), but can't place the guitarist or find any images.

Haunted painting, Nickelodeon, 1980s: Give me back my button!!

MaddyRex — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:55:44 -0800

Do you remember this mid- to late-80s Nickelodeon made-for-tv movie? "Give me back my button!" Okay, I'm trying to find out what movie/tv show this was...and I know it's a total shot in the dark.

Here's what I remember:
I believe this was one of those Canadian children's movies (like "The Peanut Butter Solution") or after school specials (like "Seven Wishes of a Rich Kid") that Nickelodeon used to show before they had enough programming to fill their schedule. It was on a segment on Nick called "Special Delivery."

Plot-wise, it was about a girl who had to stay in a haunted house. In one of the dark corridors hung an evil-looking painting of a woman in black wearing a black veil, and only a little bit of skin on her neck was visible. She was also wearing a button somewhere on her person. The young girl somehow gets ahold of the button in the painting, and later the woman in the painting comes to life (!), steps out of the painting (!!) and starts walking toward the girl, whispering ominously, "Give me back my button!"

As this point my 7 - 9 year old self turned off the television in pure terror. Twenty years later I want to know what happened, dammit!

What was this horror/thriller from the late 80's / early 90's?

hitopshelf — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:54:04 -0800

What is the name of the movie or show with this plot?: A young girl with an abusive father is given a black-robed doll name "the Viper." At night, the Viper comes alive as a human-sized version of itself with green, glowing eyes and helps the girl. Near the end of the movie/show, there is a twist where the Viper is actually the girls father or something along those lines.

Names of dance moves in Something Good '08 video

dmo — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:12:38 -0800

Besides "running man" and "hammer dance", do you know the names of the dance moves in the video for Something Good '08 by Utah Saints?

GH3 guitar for PS2 doesn't work with earlier versions?

Sweetie Darling — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:26:59 -0800

GH3 guitar doesn't play well with others. My lovely family just bought me Guitar Hero '80s for my birthday (PS2), but it seems that our GH3 guitar isn't compatible. The buttons work for navigation but not to play notes. A frustrating scan of the various GH forums seems to confirm that incompatibility, but only in one place, buried way down deep. It just seems weird to me that they wouldn't have made it backwards compatible - otherwise what are people supposed to do who are late to the game? The folks at Best Buy hadn't heard anything about it. Any hacks or suggestions?

Random TV show about Fanasty in the 80s

Rolandkorn — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:33:13 -0800

80s tv question. When i was a young man i remember this show that was semi fanasty with a plot around swordsmen who had a sword but also a dirk would come out of the hilt of the sword. This is all i remember if anyone could guide me more would apprecaite it. Show would have been before 85.

Hey, remember crazy mannequin shows from the 80's?

pedmands — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:54:55 -0800

Here's a semi-tough one (at least, I think). TV show from the 80's, had at least one character that was a mannequin who would come to life after you placed his cabbie-hat on him... I remember him being in a department store at the top of an escalator, something to that effect. There was also an episode in which a live character was home sick and he brought her chicken soup, I think. There was also a computer and an owl. Damned if I don't sound crazy.

This one has been bugging me and my lady all day, to the extent that I passed up my chance this week to ask an anonymous Q that's been bothering me... impulsive, I know, but necessary.

Thanks.

Why isn't this line moving?

hwyengr — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:03:24 -0800

Does anyone remember this traumatizing medical foundation advertisement from the '80s? When I was a kid there was this ad (possibly a psa) for some medical foundation (I think) that involved a lot of people standing in a long line that didn't move. The ad implied that all of these people were waiting for treatment for this incurable disease, and would be waiting in line forever. I don't remember what the disease was. There was a wide variety of people, and there were kids who kept poking their heads to one side, as if they were checking to see if the line was moving.

This thing gave me nightmares for years, being one of the people eternally standing in line. Around this time, I also began my path to hypochondria.

I saw it in central IL, early-to-mid '80s. I don't think it was AIDS, some part of me thinks it was MS.

If anybody knows what I'm talking about, and can find it on YouTube, I'd like to see it again.

Help me make 2 new wave costumes.

23skidoo — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:46:26 -0800

I want to throw together 2 costumes (1 guy, 1 girl) that would scream 80's new wave high schooler. I need pictures to help us not end up too emo. "New wave" means different things to different people, so please read inside. I want the kind of "new wave" outfit that a teenager who was a fan of Depeche Mode, the Cure, and Love and Rockets would have worn circa 1988. I don't particularly want to look like I'm actually IN Depeche Mode or Love and Rockets because that would make me look like an unemployed European waiter, or something.

I was 15 in 1988, but I'm having a hard time remembering exact things that people were wearing. I remember lots of black, muted tones, clunky shoes, etcetcetc, but I'm having a hard time tying it all together. Can you point me towards pictures of guys and girls that show the kind of outfit I'm talking about? Bonus points if the picture isn't a costume but what someone was actually wearing 20 years ago.

How to find this 80s toy

trillian — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:21:06 -0800

My friend is looking for something she remembers from the '80s. It was a big plastic "jewel" on a bracelet or maybe a necklace -- it would open up and there would be a toy pet inside. (?) She wants to find one, maybe on eBay. But we can't remember what these were called!

What from the '80s was actually good?

Metroid Baby — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:24:08 -0800

I'm a child of the '80s, and I loved the '80s. However, I didn't develop a sense of good taste until about 1994, and as a result my pop-culture radar is completely jammed with crappy cartoons designed to sell toys, cereal commercials, and Ewoks. Can you recommend totally awesome movies/TV shows/etc. that will satisfy my '80s nostalgia, but are good enough to watch today? I spent my formative years reading endless volumes of Sweet Valley Twins and Baby-Sitters Club books and running to the TV every time Rainbow Brite or Captain N came on. A lot of the stuff I loved as a kid hasn't aged well, though; most of it is painfully unwatchable now. (I mean, Rainbow was whiny and boring, Starlite was a pompous jerk, and Twink was a wuss. I'm beginning to sympathize with Murky Dismal.) I'd like to revisit my youth while keeping the cringing and brain atrophy to a minimum.

Additionally, I know my mental catalog of '80s pop culture is woefully incomplete; being young, I naturally missed out on a lot. There's a whole decade of PG-13 movies I missed! But much like I couldn't tell a Trix ad from a real cartoon at the age of four, I'm having trouble picking out the stuff that's actually worth my attention.

So I am looking for recommendations of movies, TV, books, anything from the decade that is quintessentially '80s—as so totally '80s as possible—but well-done and interesting enough to be worth watching in 2008 and beyond. The medium and genre are not particularly important, though I'd certainly welcome anything that would have appealed to a kid back then.

(I haven't mentioned music because I listen to plenty of '80s pop and don't really need recommendations in that area. Plus, I have a feeling I already know what you’re going to say.)

Help me remember this detective comedy film from my childhood!

jspierre — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 07:18:37 -0800

I am trying to find the title of this film I remember scantily from my childhood. I do remember belly-laughing at this film when I was a kid, but can't remember for the life of me more than just a few details. Here's what I know (or think I remember)... I don't know the year, but probably the film I remember is from the very late 70s through perhaps the first couple of years of the 90s. It was a movie about a guy who was enrolling in some sort of "detective school" which was actually a scam being run by what I think was a con artist in a run down building. I think in the end it led to the main character actually solving a crime or mystery of some sort and, of course, figuring out that the detective training he attended was a scam.

I'm not very sure about any of the details except that I remember that it was really funny to me (at the time), oh and I remember a scene toward the beginning where the Lead is first brought into the detective training program and he is offered "hor douvres" of peanut butter on crackers by a very intimidating black woman who then charges him for the one he takes - something like six dollars. Then, she offers him a soft drink for which she demands additional money.

I think the word "Tourist" may have been in the title, but I'm just grabbing at straws there from what my fragmented mind remembers.

Any help anyone could give me on indentifying this childhood favorite would be greatly appreciated!

Looking for an old text-based RPG magical game.

mrbloo — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:13:37 -0800

I'm trying to find an old computer game that we used to play in school (probably around late 80s). It was a text based RPG with puzzles and magical items. Here is what I remember about it;

* The game was text based but colored even though the graphics was somewhat primitive.
* The bottom 1/4 (or 1/5) of the screen was where the text of the story was. The rest was a pixel drawing of a scene. It wasn't animated either.
* It was story based (old rpg probably..) with items, and puzzles.
* I remember the scenes including a forest, and magical items.
* I'm not quite sure if there was a wizard in the game, or a castle or a princess, but it was very fantasy-like.

I've done some research, and found "Enchanted Forest", but I know it isn't that for sure, there weren't any attributes to the character you played (not that I remember..) Any input would be much appreciated, thanks!

Name that obscure music video

gofargogo — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 10:40:28 -0800

MusicvideoFilter: Animated mid to late 80s brazilian(?) music video on MTV, what was it? This has been bugging me for decades. There was a video shown on MTV for a while in the mid-to-late 80's that I'd love to see or hear again. I think the band was Brazilian, or at least latin. The video was animated colored drawings on a black background and did a lot of morphing from one thing to another. Can the hive mind mind put me on the right track?

Please help me remember the name of a childhood toy.

mockjovial — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:54:23 -0800

Please help me remember the name of a childhood toy. I'm remembering a toy from my childhood, which would have been the mid - late 80s.

The basic idea was that it was a military vehicle of some type - like a jet or a jeep. You would push a red button and it would fold out and expand and become some kind of military base. I remember that the jeep doors would swing out, and the wheels would fold down to serve as a platform. There also were little plastic infantry guys - one kind was black with red visors, the other was beige with green visors. They were in all different types of positions. Crouching, running, etc. The jet would unfold to a little base as well, and the front nose-cone became some kind of car. I thought they were called 'xpanders' or something like that, but my google-fu is failing me. Does anyone know what I'm talking about!? It’s driving me nuts!

Do you remember this animated version of The Pied Piper?

Lentrohamsanin — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 07:09:49 -0800

Sometime in the 80s, I remember seeing what I think was an adaptation of the Pied Piper on Nickelodeon, but it doesn't seem to be any of the ones listed on the IMDB or Wikipedia. Maybe you remember? Details inside... Details:

-It was animated, and I remember it being feature length.

-It was primarily a comedy.

-The animation style was very flat, possibly involving cut outs. It had lots of primary colors and very simplistic backgrounds. The character designs were very simple and cartoony, a bit like Ed Emberley's drawings.

-There are two characters that I don't think are usually in the story. One was a Princess who was very much not the traditional fairy tale princess (she was outspoken and take charge, and didn't defer to the piper/hero). The other was a version of the devil. He had a punning name along the lines of B. L. ZeBub or B.L. Zeebob.

-It was a musical. One of the piper's song had lyrics along the lines of:

I am the piper
And my father's son,
And I am the one
To do what must be done!
Willy-nilly,willy-nilly
I am the one!
Willy-nilly, willy-nilly
I am the one!

-I think title cards (like in a silent movie) were occasionally thrown up on the screen. I remember one that said something like "And now Mr. Zeebub is going to sing a nasty song! Cover your ears!"

-The voice actors were British.

None of these details have brought anything back on Google, probably because I'm just off enough on the exact wording, etc. for it to matter.