Most people i run into that didn't like the 80's at all are usually people so young that they didn't get out much except to school and then home again..or 70's ex hippies who became irritated when synthesized music came about and their beloved cs&y and other woodstock sounding music died(thank god). I'm in my 50's and by normal standards i'd be considered a 70's child.But when 1981 arrived with MTV,i put creedence and hendrix in the closet and began enjoying daily doses of MTV and bands like the psychedelic furs,the talking heads,roxy music,cheap trick,talk talk,etc..(and especially european imports like Lene Lovich).My 70's friends and i suddenly didn't have much in common anymore as they despised everything 80's.I totally gave up my 70's vinyl interest for 80's music videos.Versatility?? The radio stations were much like MTV.. as you'd hear..Debbie Gibson,Heart,The Bangles,Harry Connick Jr,Fleetwood Mac,Motely Crue,Def Leppard,Whitesnake,Dolly Parton,Tina Turner,Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,Brian Adams,Cinderella,Dead or Alive and a lot more and all of them on ONE station.Today?? Sorry,but the 21st century, musically speaking ,holds about as much diversity as my ass in two feet of water(i have no idea what that means,btw)..anyway..no diversity worth mentioning.I could name MANY more artists that were popular at the same time ,contrasting in sound almost completely ,but yet all played on the same radio stations as well s on MTV.In the 1980's,people actually smiled at one another in public as in grocery stores and in the malls.Let me point out that the odds are 98% positive that it was white people living next door to you or across the street from you.The 80's was a time when bright colors meant a lot both in advertising and fashion.And for some reason geometric designs..I remember plenty of Album covers and even product advertisements that displayed alot of color including, pyramids,squares,squiggly lines,and so on.For some reason those paricular geometric designs were VERY common ,but for only a brief amount of time.Society..people in general..were totally different then.the attitudes weren't altogether humility but neither were they crass and people didn't turn their eyes away from you in a grocery store or mall when passing someone or when you voiced a hello or what's up.you can take this how you want but it's true.it was all still good in to the 90's until rap and hip hop hit the scene overly big time.It began with groups like 2 live crew who released videos and tunes like "me so horny"(which btw is as close as i get to liking rap music).anyway,once rap and hip hop became the norm..in the 1993,1994 era..everything got shot straight down to ya know where.don't get me wrong,the 90's spawned some okay stuff..music videos even..Alanis Morisette,Nina Gorden,Meredith Brooks,Roxette(definitely roxette!!)The Foo Fighters the barenaked ladies and a few more like No Doubt and the yeah yeah yeahs.The 90's were limited in it's decent music though.And even the decent 90's stuff had an 80's kind of edge or appeal to it,and that's what made those particular tunes stand out so well..Eventually,hip hop and crap music became the annoying norm..things haven't been the same since. how can one not miss the days of video game arcades,hanging at the mall and bright candy colors,and people could have short hair,long hair,no hair,pink hair,blue hair,streaked hair,mullet hair,teased hair and it was all acceptable.You could have holes in your jeans,your shirt and it was all cool,nobody cared.You could buy shirts at the mall that had rubber patches sewed on.it was strange but cool.a dude wearing a bright colored shirt wasn't gay,he was in fashion.parachute pants were so cool.here's something kind of backasswards..girls were more aggressive back then. girls were more likely to lift their shirt and flash you than not and if a guy dropped his drawers it was a turn on whereas today a female would immediately dial 911 or drop what she's carrying and scream bloody murder.i remember so many times in the 80's ,when i was in my early 30's,girls in their 20's ,out by the pool intentionally shifting the position of their bikini tops or bottoms in order to briefly expose themselves in a gesture of flirtation.Today you just don't see that happening./Funny thing is back then,chances are she didn't have an STD or HIV.but today? ouch!!I miss those days.people weren't obsessed with ageism.i was in my early and mid 30's and the 20 something year olds didn't care,it was no big deal.i dated them,hung out with them and even ..well...you know...I miss walking through the stores and passing people that would smile at you and nod.You can still find towns here and there that are that friendly but you'll find that they're predominantly white and that it's white folks that are doing the smiling and nodding.just like in the 80's./i admit that the 80's was mighty white..and that's one thing i miss about them.for good reason.if you remember them days then you remember why..but..That's another story for another day.