Mental Floss

THE '80S

Dr. Demento makes a live appearance in Los Angeles in 2014.

Radio personality Dr. Demento spent four decades curating weird novelty songs for an enraptured audience—including a young "Weird" Al Yankovic.

Jake Rossen


Pictured: The 1980s.

In the 1980s, shopping malls across America hosted everything from video game demonstrations to fans screaming for Patrick Duffy.

Jake Rossen








Silver Buffalo/Toynk

Treat your Golden Girl to some fun toys, mugs, and accessories based on the classic show about four women living together. Any 'Golden Girls' fan would love all the items on this gift guide this holiday season.

Molly Gregory












The Clash—Joe Strummer, Paul Simonon, Mick Jones, and Nicky 'Topper' Headon—in New York in 1978.

Rolling Stone named 'London Calling,' the landmark third album by English rockers The Clash, #1 on its list of the 100 Best Albums of the 1980s—and with good reason.

Kenneth Partridge


Timothy Dalton and Sam J. Jones in Flash Gordon (1980).

The 1980 film based on the Alex Raymond comic strip was a box office disappointment but later earned a cult following—including a fan in Queen Elizabeth II.

Jake Rossen