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- Bite-Sized Nostalgia
If you love the weekly dose of nostalgia we deliver to your inbox every Saturday morning, spread the word! Forward this email to a friend - or better yet, shout it from the rooftops. We’d also love to hear from you! Let us know what you enjoy and what you’d like to see in future issues. As always, thank you for your support, and enjoy this week’s trip down memory lane.
The Wet Bandits met their match.
Few holiday movies hit us in the nostalgia gland quite like Home Alone. It’s one of those films that instantly transports you back to the 1990s—when talkboys were cool, when airline security was basically a suggestion, and when every kid secretly wondered what they’d do if they were accidentally left home without their parents. Watching Kevin McCallister outsmart the Wet Bandits with paint cans, micro machines, and that iconic aftershave scream never gets old. There’s something magical about how the movie balances pure chaos with genuine heart.
What makes Home Alone so timeless is how relatable it felt as a kid—and how differently we see it now as adults. As kids, we cheered for Kevin’s freedom, rooting for him as if a nine-year-old battling two criminals was totally normal. As adults, we watch the McCallister’s sprinting through O’Hare and think, “Honestly… I get it.” And don’t even get us started on the house. That big, cozy Chicago home decorated like a Christmas catalog still feels like the blueprint for holiday vibes.
Whether you first watched it on VHS, cable TV, or during an annual December rewatch, Home Alone remains a warm, hilarious reminder of simpler times. It’s the kind of movie that instantly brings you back—just like the best nostalgia always does.
«« Mini-Rewind ««
Bark at the Moon, the third studio album by Ozzy Osbourne, dropped on November 15 — a timeless blast of ’80s metal energy.
On November 15, 1990, the truth finally came out! Milli Vanilli’s Rob Pilatus admitted that neither he nor Fab Morvan sang a single note on Girl You Know It’s True — one of the wildest reveals in pop music history.
November 16, 1987, Rick Astley dropped his smash debut album Whenever You Need Somebody. It unleashed the global #1 hits ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ and ‘Together Forever’ — pure ’80s magic!
On November 17, 1990, we said goodbye to Puppetland. The final episode of the boundary-pushing children's program "Pee-wee’s Playhouse" aired, concluding its fantastic run. I know you are, but what am I?
November 17, 1989: Paula Abdul released the single "Opposites Attract", the sixth and last chart-topper from her debut Forever Your Girl. The music video starring MC Skat Kat remains a piece of pop culture history!
The Wedding of the Century! On November 17, 1981, over 30 million viewers tuned in to witness Luke and Laura's famous wedding on General Hospital. A true pop culture phenomenon that transcended daytime TV!
On November 18, 1981, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts released their second studio album, "I Love Rock 'n Roll," featuring the absolute anthem of the same name! A definitive album of the decade.
Nov 18, 1985: The world met Calvin and his philosophical tiger, Hobbes. The comic strip quickly captured hearts, debuting small but growing to be featured in over 2,400 newspapers worldwide at its peak!
Patience is a virtue! On November 19, 1982, Phil Collins released his popular cover of "You Can't Hurry Love" from his second solo album, Hello, I Must Be Going! The track became a major pop hit!
The King of Pop arrives! On November 20, 1984, Michael Jackson received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The turnout was so massive (5,000 onlookers) that security had to whisk him away after just three minutes!
A chilling piece of TV history: On November 20, 1983, the TV movie "The Day After" debuted on ABC. Its terrifying depiction of nuclear war was watched by over 100 million people—one of the largest audiences for a TV movie ever.
Vengeance drives fast! The cult action film "The Wraith," starring a stacked cast including Charlie Sheen, Sherilyn Fenn, and Randy Quaid, debuted in theaters November 21, 1986.
Rick Astley is known by generations.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate one of the most unexpectedly iconic figures of 1980s pop culture: Rick Astley. Even if you didn’t grow up glued to MTV or rewinding cassette singles on your boombox, you definitely know that voice. Smooth, deep, and way beyond his years, Rick burst onto the scene with “Never Gonna Give You Up” in 1987—an upbeat, synth-powered anthem that somehow still feels fresh today.
What’s funny about Rick Astley is that his legacy has lived two totally different lives. First, he was legitimately a chart-topping star. His debut album was massive, his hair was perfect, and the world couldn’t get enough of that catchy Stock Aitken Waterman pop sound. But then, decades later, Rick became a whole new kind of legend thanks to the internet’s greatest prank: the Rickroll. Suddenly, a generation that wasn’t even alive in the ’80s knew his song word-for-word. And Rick handled it all with the most wholesome, good-sport attitude imaginable.
Today, he stands as this rare crossover figure—someone who represents pure ’80s nostalgia and modern meme culture. Whether you first heard him on vinyl or in a surprise YouTube link, Rick Astley has earned his quirky, beloved place in pop-culture history.
I triple dog dare you!
Few holiday movies capture childhood the way A Christmas Story does. Watching it now feels like flipping through an old family photo album where every page brings back a memory you forgot you even had. Set in the 1940s but somehow timeless, the movie follows young Ralphie Parker on his single-minded quest for the ultimate Christmas gift: a Red Ryder BB gun. And of course, everyone—from his mother to his teacher to even Santa—has the same warning: “You’ll shoot your eye out!”
Part of the movie’s charm is how relatable it all is. The itchy pink bunny suit, the triple-dog-dare on the cold metal pole, the chaos of Christmas morning… it’s childhood in all its awkward, magical, and slightly ridiculous glory. Even Ralphie’s inner monologue feels like the universal soundtrack of being a kid—dramatic, hopeful, and convinced that the smallest things are life-or-death situations.
What makes A Christmas Story such a nostalgic treasure is how it’s woven its way into pop culture. From 24-hour TV marathons to leg-lamp replicas proudly (and hilariously) displayed in living room windows, the movie has become a holiday tradition in itself. It’s warm, quirky, and endlessly quotable—the kind of film that brings you right back to the simplicity of childhood Christmases every time you watch it.
The tunes were solid…but there were two small problems.
If there’s one story from late-’80s pop culture that still makes people go, “Wait… what actually happened?” it’s the rise and fall of Milli Vanilli. At first, Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan were everywhere—magazines, MTV, award shows. With their catchy hits like “Girl You Know It’s True” and their unmistakable style, they were one of the hottest acts of 1989. They had the look, the moves, and the energy. The only thing they didn’t have… was their own voices on the recordings.
When the truth came out—that they hadn’t sung a note on their album—the music world went into meltdown. The infamous onstage skip during a live performance didn’t help either. Soon after, the group became the center of one of the biggest scandals in music history. Their Grammy for Best New Artist was revoked, something that has never happened before or since.
But what gets lost in the jokes and headlines is the human side. Rob and Fab were young, pressured, and caught up in a music machine bigger than they ever imagined. Fab eventually rebuilt his career with genuine performances, while Rob tragically struggled and passed away in 1998. Today, Milli Vanilli remains a symbol of both the wild excess of the ’80s and the complicated cost of fame.
Tap the image to watch this weeks Lost Hit of the ‘80s
🎧 Retro Picks of the Week
📺 T.V. Show: Moonlighting brought a smart, stylish blend of comedy, drama, and rapid-fire banter to TV, fueled by the electric chemistry between Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd. With its witty dialogue and playful breaking of the fourth wall, the show became a defining ’80s classic that helped shape the modern romantic-comedy series.
📼 Movie: The Little Mermaid brought Disney animation roaring back to life in 1989 with its vibrant undersea world, unforgettable songs, and Ariel’s wide-eyed quest to be part of something bigger. It became an instant classic that still defines a generation’s childhood and helped launch the Disney Renaissance that followed.
🎵 Song: “Jenny (867-5309)” by Tommy Tutone is one of the most instantly recognizable songs of the 1980s, thanks to its unforgettable hook built around a phone number everyone ended up dialing at least once. It’s a perfect slice of power-pop that turned a simple chorus into a pop-culture legend still referenced—and sung—decades later.
🕹️ Video Game: Space Invaders revolutionized gaming in the late ’70s and early ’80s by turning a simple premise—shooting descending aliens—into an addictive, culture-shifting phenomenon. Its iconic pixelated enemies and escalating tension helped define the arcade era and laid the groundwork for modern video games.
👾 Cartoon: The Jetsons gave us a bright, retro-futuristic vision of life in the sky, complete with flying cars, robot maids, and push-button everything. Premiering in the early 1960s but loved throughout the ’80s, it became a charming, optimistic look at what the future could be—served with plenty of family-friendly laughs.
