The 1980s embodied the fun and fervor of the yuppie culture through the craze for electronic dance music and people’s love for light-hearted yet highly entertaining films and television shows. These classic photos from that decade perfectly capture the essence of the era.

We can slip our phones into our pockets now, but that wasn’t the case four decades ago. In fact, people would’ve called you crazy for suggesting such a thing would ever happen. 

Movie enthusiasts remember Carrie Fisher from her portrayal of Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise that catapulted her to fame in the late ’70s. In this classic photo, the gorgeous actress seems to be having fun seated inside a trash can on the sidewalk of New York. 

The ’80s was a glorious decade for Bruce Springsteen and his fans. He released five excellent albums, including his tremendously successful seventh studio album, Born in the USA. His live concerts were such a rush during the decade that fans tailgated with their cars to gather around and discuss his songs.

A friend of Steve Jobs once described the late Apple chairman as quite a cool guy to hang out with—he wore plaid shirts and jeans, and rode his bike to meet his buddies. 

Visiting a grocery store during the ’80s was a nightmare for the parents, but the kids were ecstatic about the trip. This picture of the soda aisle in one supermarket proves why children never complained about getting dragged to the store! 

Several things about this picture taken in the 1980s tell us how far we’ve come as a society. Let’s start with the two things you’d never see dads in nowadays: a mullet and a crop top! Nor would you spot an adult with a lit cigarette and sparkler within arm’s distance of a child. 

New York subways were known to be dark and dangerous during the ’80s, and citizens had a tough time feeling safe while taking the train. To provide peace of mind, a band of good samaritans patrolled stations through the night. 

This classic photo of Drew Barrymore and Stephen King is reminiscent of how utterly captivating both were during the ’80s within their respective spheres of work. The famous novelist reigned supreme throughout the decade, with several notable works being adapted into Hollywood blockbusters. 

Never tell girls what they cannot do—they’ll return doing just that, and probably even better than most males. A case in point is the Hags of the ’80s. The all-girl skateboarding crew full of tough-as-nails punk-rockers was started by Steve Bates, who wasn’t allowed to join any crew because she was a girl.

3D movies were introduced to the world during the ’50s, but as with anything new, eventually the novelty wore off until. However, it experienced a massive resurgence during the late ’70s and the early ’80s. Watching horror films such as Friday the 13th and Elvira’s Movie Macabre in  3D technology became an exhilarating experience for moviegoers. 

The Empire Strikes Back can be counted as one of the precious gifts of the ’80s. No one can forget the opening scene, and this behind-the-scenes picture of how it was filmed makes it even more nostalgic and memorable.

How can we mention the ’80s without touching on its greatest gift for kids, Sesame Street? Jim Henson’s brainchild was an education program that taught young ones of that decade more than any school could. 

To say the ’80s had a lot of weird things going on would be an understatement. It was a time of pure creative madness, and being a kid during that decade was like winning the lottery to crazy town.

The ’80s started with a bang—five months into the decade, fans eagerly lined up at a theater to watch the most anticipated Star Wars installment yet, The Empire Strikes Back. By the film’s end, fans were curious about many things.