Summer is officially here! That means lots of quality family time, fun outdoor activities, and taking time to enjoy the sun. No matter who or what age you are, we can all agree that a fun summer is the best summer.
At Valley Eats, fun is a very important part of who we are. From little pranks (ask Sam about her mysteriously shrinking desk space!) to the putting green in our office, there’s always some fun to be had. For many of our staff, the summers in the 80’s were some of the most fun summers we can remember.
That’s why we’ve chosen "Back to the 80’s" as our summer theme for 2021, as you might have guessed by our updated Facebook and Instagram profiles. After asking our staff about their favourite throwbacks, we created this list that showcases just how awesome and fun that decade really was.
1. Classic Gaming
While the video industry saw many challenges in the 80’s, iconic games were born that are still relevant today. The industry crash in 1983 did not keep the decade from producing some of our favourite games of all time here at the office. One of the top games we particularly enjoyed was Donkey Kong, which was one of the leaders in platform games. The Mario Bros arcade game, Pac - Man, The Legend of Zelda, and the Ninja Turtles arcade game were some of our other notable mentions that provided hours of entertainment (and still do!).
In our office we have the Radio Shack Astro Command, a throwback we enjoy on our breaks. Sure you could play games on your phone, but this handheld game packs a punch.
2. The Soundtrack to Our Youth
Hands-down, our favourite 80’s band is Guns N’ Roses. Their rock hits are still blasted in our office today over 30 years after their release, especially “Paradise City” and “Welcome to the Jungle” - iconic tunes! We couldn’t help but appreciate other rock icons from the decade like AC/DC, Aerosmith, and Bon Jovi. Then we have our favourite pop powerhouses like Whitney Houston and Madonna who broke through the industry as incredibly successful female artists. In one way or another, these artists all paved the way for superstars of today. Check out our Valley Eats 80's Playlist on Spotify or Apple Music to get your fix for all your favourite songs from the decade.
3. Iconic Movies
It was SO HARD to narrow down our favourites in this category - there were so many fun films created in the 80’s! As special effects progressed, the “dance movie” genre emerged, and sci-fi saw a rise in popularity, great films came as a result. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was definitely on the top of our list, followed closely by Back to the Future. We couldn’t talk about fun movies in the 80’s without reminiscing over Footloose, Dirty Dancing, The Breakfast Club, and Ferris Bueller’s Day off. So many classics were born that we still hold close to our hearts and probably won’t be letting go of any time soon. What are your favourites?
4. Unforgettable Fashion
In the 80's, it was impossible to get dressed in the morning without having a bit of fun. Bright colours and loud patterns dominated the fashion scene, as we’ve seen re-lived and reimagined in the Stranger Things series. We had a think about what we would like to see come back in style and our top pick was neon EVERYTHING. Those bright, vibrant colours are still burned into our memories and deserve to make a comeback. (We would love to see leg warmers come back, but we’ve seen them try and it didn’t go so well.) One thing that has successfully reappeared thanks to TikTok is banana clips and some of us couldn’t be happier about it. Did you know we have a TikTok? Check it out here.
Now that you’ve read all about our love of the 80's, it’s time to blast some classic tunes, pull on a neon t-shirt, and have a tubular summer.