Most People Still Love the 1980s

Remember when times were good?  According to a survey by Kelton Research for National Geographic Channel, three out of four adults say the country was in a far better place during the 1980s than today.

Even people who didn’t experience Ronald Reagan, big hair or the first-run of the Back to the Future movies say they love the '80s. Back to the Future, as it happens, is considered the decade’s most defining movie.

Speaking of Reagan, he’d get 58 percent of the vote if President Obama ran against him in the here and now, the survey said.

Meanwhile, 60 percent say that the late Michael Jackson is the '80s' musician who had the most impact on today’s performers.

As for the most significant events of the 1980s, 37 percent listed the fall of the Berlin Wall, 24 percent named the AIDS epidemic and 17 percent said it was the explosion of shuttle Challenger.

In terms of important breakthroughs made by women during the '80s, 46 percent say it was Sandra Day O’Connor’s appointment to the Supreme Court with 36 percent listing Sally Ride becoming the first woman astronaut.

Regarding technological breakthroughs that debuted in the 1980s, over half believe the personal computer still has an impact on contemporary life and 27 percent named the cellphone. Other 80’s staples like the microwave, Walkman and VCR each finished at about five percent.

As for iconic 1980s clothing items and accessories, most of the 1,000 adults surveyed don’t want shoulder pads, parachute pants, fanny packs and neon clothing to return.

However, over 50 percent wouldn’t mind if leg warmers made a comeback.