1980s nostalgia

[19] In North America and Europe, it has been said that the quality of 21st century pop music is largely actually inferior to that of the 1980s.

[25] 1980s nostalgia music genres include synthwave, vaporwave, chillwave, sovietwave, the '80s remix and hypnagogic pop.

[34] Showa American Story is a Chinese video game set that combines American 1980s nostalgia with Japanese Shōwa nostalgia, as seen from the perspective of a video game developer who encountered the pop culture of those countries as a child in 1980s China.

[46] There is nostalgia for the 1980s music of Men Without Hats[47] and Mini Pop Kids;[48] and for 1980s food brands such as President's Choice cookies.

[57] There is nostalgia for 1980s Indonesian disco music;[58] and for 1980s films such as Gengsi Dong, Ratu Ilmu Hitam and Catatan Si Boy.

[61] There is nostalgia for 1980s television programmes such as Takeshi's Castle[62] and The Best Ten;[63] for 1980s city pop,[64] new music[65] and kayōkyoku music;[63] for the 1980s music of artists such as Mariya Takeuchi,[65] Yōko Oginome,[66] Meiko Nakahara, Saki Kubota,[65] Akina Nakamori, Seiko Matsuda,[67][68] Hiroko Yakushimaru[69] and Wink;[70] for 1980s arcade games such as Pac-Man and Galaga;[71] for 1980s computer consoles such as Famicom;[72] for 1980s hairstyles such as the Seiko-chan cut;[73] for 1980s floral pattern tableware;[74] for 1980s vending machines;[75] for 1980s analogue technology such as disposable cameras[6] and cassette tapes;[76] and for 1980s second hand goods.

[78] Musicians ClariS (2023) and NewJeans (2024) have performed cover versions of 1980s songs that imitate the stage routines of Wink and Seiko Matsuda.

[70][79] In 2017, the Yōko Oginome song "Dancing Hero (Eat You Up)" (1985) reached number 2 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart.

[80] In 2021, the Mariya Takeuchi song "Plastic Love" (1985) reached number 5 on the Oricon Singles Chart.

[83] There is nostalgia for the 1980s music of A-ha, Åge Aleksandersen,[84] The Kids, Pelle Parafins Bøljeband and Return.

[95] There is nostalgia for the 1980s music of OMD,[96][97] David Bowie, Duran Duran, Bananarama, George Michael, Boy George,[95] Level 42 and Bucks Fizz; and for Frankie Say Relax T-shirts, New Romantics, Smash Hits, Filofax, spandex, fluffy dice,[98] Blake's 7,[99] V,[100] Max Headroom,[101][102][103] Woolworths Pic n Mix,[95] rave,[104] shell suits,[105] 1980s jewellery,[106] and 1980s Christmases.

The Kate Bush song "Running Up That Hill" (1985) reached number 1 on the UK singles chart in 2022 as a result of being included in the fourth series of Stranger Things.

[117][118] Briscoe said that 1980s nostalgia frequently views the 1980s through an American lens that does not accurately reflect 1980s Britain.

[124] Nostalgia television programmes about the 1980s include That '80s Show (2002), Everybody Hates Chris (2005), The Americans (2013), The Goldbergs (2013), Halt and Catch Fire (2014), Stranger Things (2016)[17] and Paper Girls (2022).

[125] Nostalgia films about the 1980s include The Wedding Singer (1998),[126][11] Donnie Darko (2001), The Squid and the Whale (2005), Watchmen (2009), Adventureland (2009), Hot Tub Time Machine (2010),[17] Atomic Blonde (2017),[127][128] and Totally Killer (2023).

[12] The 1980s nostalgia boom includes remakes and reboots of, and sequels to, films and television programmes released in the 1980s.