70s • 80s • 90s

Gen X Nostalgia Music, TV, Movies, Toys and More

Smells Like Gen X explores the music, movies, television, toys, fads and commercials of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s—with researched stories, countdowns and memories from someone who lived it.

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70s, 80s and 90s Gen X Nostalgia

Explore music, movies, television, toys and pop culture from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Start with the decade you remember best.

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1970s Music, Movies, TV and Toys

1970s Nostalgia

Explore 1970s music, classic movies, television, toys and the pop culture that shaped early Gen X.

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Explore 1980s nostalgia 80
1980s Music, Movies, TV and Toys

1980s Nostalgia

Explore 1980s music, movies, television, toys, mall culture, video stores and the decade's biggest trends.

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1990s Music, Movies, TV and Toys

1990s Nostalgia

Explore 1990s music, movies, television, toys, CD culture and the final years before everything went online.

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Popular Collections

Classic Toys and Music

Browse classic toys and music by decade, including year-by-year countdowns, major genres, memorable toy lines and the stories behind them.

Classic Toys

Toy Collections

Browse action figures, dolls, games, electronics, collectibles, Christmas toys and year-by-year guides to the playthings Gen X remembers.

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Top Toys by Year

Find the published toy countdowns organized by year.

1970s Toys

70s Toys

Classic playsets, dolls, games and toys from the 1970s.

1980s Toys

80s Toys

He-Man, G.I. Joe, Transformers and the biggest 1980s toy lines.

1990s Toys

90s Toys

Furby, Tamagotchi, Pokémon and the biggest 1990s toy crazes.

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Music by Decade

Music Collections

Browse top songs by year, Billboard countdowns, albums, artists and genre guides covering the music of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

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Top Songs by Year

Billboard year-end countdowns and song guides by year.

1970s Music

70s Music

Classic rock, soul, funk, disco and the biggest songs of the 1970s.

1980s Music

80s Music

Pop, rock, new wave, R&B, rap and the biggest songs of the 1980s.

1990s Music

90s Music

Grunge, hip-hop, R&B, pop and the biggest songs of the 1990s.

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More Gen X Nostalgia

TV, Movies Fads and Commercials

Keep exploring the shows, films, trends and ads that helped define everyday life in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

Classic Television

TV Shows

Sitcoms, dramas, cartoons, rankings and the prime-time shows Gen X still remembers.

Browse Television Posts → Big-Screen Nostalgia

Movies

Blockbusters, box-office countdowns, VHS favorites, soundtracks and forgotten films.

Browse Movie Posts → Trends We Lived Through

Fads

Schoolyard crazes, mall trends, fashion, collectibles and short-lived obsessions.

Browse Fad Posts → Ads We Never Forgot

Commercials

Mascots, jingles, slogans, toy ads and the commercials that became part of pop culture.

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Latest Articles

Read the newest Smells Like Gen X articles, including countdowns, in-depth stories and nostalgia from across the 70s, 80s and 90s.

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Latest Videos

Watch the newest Smells Like Gen X videos about music, movies, television, toys and forgotten pop culture.

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About Smells Like Gen X

Researched and Remembered

Smells Like Gen X combines researched facts with lived experience to revisit the music, movies, television, toys and pop culture that shaped Generation X.

Learn more about the site and meet Gizmo, the longtime media professional behind Smells Like Gen X.

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