Top Movies of the 70s, 80s & 90s
Welcome to the Smells Like Gen X movies archive — the main hub for top movies by year, box office rewinds, retro multiplex nostalgia, video-store era favorites, and the films that lived on the marquee, the VHS shelf, cable TV, and your permanent Gen X brain wiring.
Use this page to jump straight into the 70s movies, 80s movies, or 90s movies lanes, or browse every available yearly movie countdown in one place.
70s Movies
New Hollywood, gritty thrillers, disaster flicks, counterculture weirdness, and prime analog cinema.
Explore 70s Movies80s Movies
Blockbuster excess, neon multiplex energy, VHS worship, sequel chaos, and peak Gen X movie DNA.
Explore 80s Movies90s Movies
Indie breakouts, studio giants, soundtrack-era hits, CGI flexing, and the last great video-store decade.
Explore 90s MoviesStart with 1970
The cleanest way into the 70s movies lane — early New Hollywood energy, analog grit, and the first year in the countdown series.
Start with 1984
One of the strongest movie years in the archive and one of the fastest ways to understand why 80s films still dominate Gen X nostalgia.
Start with 1994
A stacked year of mainstream movie power — blockbuster momentum, rewatch value, and pure 90s multiplex confidence.
Browse Movies by Year
Every available Top 10 Movies post is pulled in automatically here and grouped by decade for easier browsing.
70s Movies
New Hollywood, gritty thrillers, disaster flicks, counterculture weirdness, and prime analog cinema.
80s Movies
Blockbuster excess, neon multiplex energy, VHS worship, sequel chaos, and peak Gen X movie DNA.
Movie Posts
Top 10 Movies of 1979: Biggest Box Office Hits Ranked
From Kramer vs. Kramer and The Amityville Horror to Rocky II, Alien, Apocalypse Now, and The Muppet Movie, these were the biggest box office hits of 1979 ranked by North American gross for films first released that year.
Top 10 Movies of 1978: Biggest Box Office Hits Ranked
From Grease and Superman to Animal House, Heaven Can Wait, and Halloween, these were the biggest box office hits of 1978 ranked by North American gross for films first released that year.
Top 10 Movies of 1977: Biggest Box Office Hits Ranked
From Star Wars and Smokey and the Bandit to Close Encounters, Saturday Night Fever, and Annie Hall, these were the biggest box office hits of 1977 ranked by North American gross for films first released that year.
Top 10 Movies of 1976: Biggest Box Office Hits Ranked
From Rocky and King Kong to The Omen, All the President’s Men, and Silver Streak, these were the biggest box office hits of 1976 ranked by North American gross for films first released that year.
Top 10 Movies of 1975: Biggest Box Office Hits Ranked
From Jaws and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to Dog Day Afternoon, Shampoo, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, these were the biggest box office hits of 1975 ranked by North American gross for films first released that year.
Top 10 Movies of 1974: Biggest Box Office Hits Ranked
From Blazing Saddles and The Towering Inferno to Young Frankenstein, Earthquake, and The Godfather Part II, these were the biggest box office hits of 1974 ranked by North American gross for films first released that year
Top 10 Movies of 1973: Biggest Box Office Hits Ranked
From The Exorcist to American Graffiti, these were the biggest box office hits of 1973. This Smells Like Gen X countdown ranks the top 10 movies of the year by North American box office for films first released in 1973.
Top 10 Movies of 1972: Biggest Box Office Hits Ranked
From The Godfather to The Poseidon Adventure, Cabaret, and Deliverance, here are the top 10 movies of 1972 ranked by North American box office, with deeper nostalgia, cast highlights, and why these films still matter.
Top 10 Movies of 1971: Biggest Box Office Hits Ranked
From Fiddler on the Roof to The French Connection, Dirty Harry, and A Clockwork Orange, here are the top 10 movies of 1971 ranked by North American box office, with deeper nostalgia, cast highlights, and why these films still matter.
Top 10 Movies of 1970: Biggest Box Office Hits Ranked
From Love Story to Airport, MASH*, and Woodstock, here are the top 10 movies of 1970 ranked by North American box office, with deeper nostalgia, cast highlights, and why these films still matter.
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