Food & Fads
This carbonated beverage brand caused massive public outcry in 1985 when it changed its secret formula.
What is coca-cola (new coke)?
If you pulled up to the pump in 1985, a single gallon of regular unleaded gasoline would cost you roughly this much.
What is $1.20? (Accept: $1.10-$1.25)
This brands commercial famously featured Clara Peller shouting “where’s the beef?”
What is Wendy’s?
Dolly Parton sang about the daily grind in this 1980 anthem, opening with the lines: "Tumble outta bed and I stumble to the kitchen, pour myself a cup of ambition."
What is "9 to 5"?
Patrick Swayze teaches Jennifer Grey how to dance and famously proclaims, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" in this 1987 romance.
What is "Dirty Dancing"?
No fancy 1980s dinner began without this upscale appetizer, instantly recognizable by its ring of pink seafood hooked around a glass of spicy red sauce.
What is a shrimp cocktail?
Janitors, cashiers, and teenagers starting out in 1981 saw the federal minimum wage rise to this hourly rate.
What is $3.35 an hour?
This chocolate candies brand assured consumers that its product would conveniently “melt in your mouth, not in your hand.”
What is M&Ms?
Cyndi Lauper gave voice to teenagers everywhere in 1983 when she sang: "Some boys take a beautiful girl and hide her away from the rest of the world, I wanna be the one to walk in the sun..."
What is "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"?
This 1985 classic stars Michael J. Fox as a teenager who accidentally travels 30 years into the past in a DeLorean time machine.
What is "Back to the Future"?
Introduced in 1988, this yellow box allowed kids to build their own meals using crackers, cheese, and lunch meat.
what is lunchables?
Buying a brand-new home looked very different in 1980, when the national median sales price for a house day right around this figure.
What is 64,600? (Accept: $60,000-$70,000)
This claymation musical group became a massive pop culture phenomenon in 1986, dancing and singing “I heard it through the grapevine” to sell a shriveled snack.
Who are the California Raisins?
This soaring 1981 Journey track told the story of a "city boy, born and raised in South Detroit" who took the midnight train going anywhere.
What is "Don't Stop Believin'"?
In this 1982 sci-fi masterpiece, a gentle alien gets stranded on Earth, befriends a boy named Elliott, and famously begs to "phone home."
What is "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial"?
This specific appetizer trend-featuring hollowed-out potato halves fried crisp and piled high with cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and sour cream-became the ultimate 1980s casual dining starter at chains like TGI Fridays.
What are Potato Skins?
While home prices were lower in the 1980s, buyers faced a massive hurdle when standard mortgage interest rates peaked near this historic percentage.
What is 18%? (Accept: 16%-18%)
This long running fabric softener commercial featured a sweet, talking teddy bear who loved to hug freshly laundered, fluffy towels.
Who is Snuggle? (The snuggle bear)
Willie Nelson celebrated life on tour in 1980 with this signature song, singing: "The life I love is making music with my friends, and I can't wait to get..."
What is "On the Road Again"?
Tom Cruise played a daring fighter pilot named Maverick who feels "the need for speed" in this high-flying 1986 action film.
What is "Top Gun"?
Micro-brewed, rich, and high-fat ice creams took off in the 80s, driven by the massive popularity of this Vermont duo known for mixing giant chunks of candy and cookies into their pints.
Who are Ben & Jerry's?
Dropping a quarter into an arcade machine or a pay phone was standard, but a single first-class U.S postage stamp began the decade costing 15 cents and ended it at this price.
What is 25 cents?
This popular beer brand ran an iconic ad campaign featuring famous athletes arguing over whether the drink “tastes great” or is “less filling.”
What is Miller Lite?
This 1983 soft rock classic by Bonnie Tyler paints a dramatic picture with: "Once upon a time I was falling in love, now I'm only falling apart. There's nothing I can do..."
What is "Total Eclipse of the Heart"?
In this hilarious 1980 comedy, Ted Striker must overcome his fear of flying to land a commercial plane after the pilots fall violently ill from eating the fish.
What is "Airplane!"?