Today, the '80s are thought of as a time full of frosted blue eye shadow, bright neon clothes, and huge hair. Every year, thousands of high schools and sororities have '80s themed dances and spirit days paying homage to the decade. It’s time we remember all of the great things that actually happened during the best decade of the 20^th century.

How can we talk about this era without mentioning all of the great movies? These were the glory days of John Hughes. Teenagers across the country sat in schools dreaming of a day off like Ferris Bueller’s and replicating the unforgettable dance from "The Breakfast Club." Everyone’s favorite archeologist made a splash on the screen, quickly becoming the apple of every adolescent girl’s eye. People poured into theaters to watch the adventures of a teenage boy and a kooky scientist try to get back to the future. Despite limited technology (at least compared to today’s special effects), these movies have lasted for years and are considered classics that will never die.

Even the music of the '80s lends itself to our sun-drenched, carefree road trips. It’s impossible to not sing along with Journey’s power ballad “Faithfully” with your friends. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a party favorite that everyone seems to know all the lyrics to. Screaming the lyrics to “Livin’ on a Prayer” at a karaoke bar never gets old. From the upbeat songs of Van Halen to the moving ballads from Guns N' Roses, '80s music will always find itself on playlists for any occasion.

This decade also saw the rise of video games. All of those classic characters we know and love today had their wildly successful starts back in the '80s. Mario jumped his way to rescuing Princess Peach, Link discovered the lands of Hyrule, and Pac-Man was always trying to escape those pesky ghosts. These games are still in our hearts and on our game consoles years later.

Rubik’s cubes and Cabbage Patch Dolls found their way under the Christmas tree every year, and everyone was hoping for a fancy new Macintosh computer as their high school graduation gift.

The '80s was also a decade of milestones, especially for women. Those years saw the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court: Sandra Day O’Connor. Sally Ride was the first woman to make her way up into the final frontier. The death of Princess Diana shocked and saddened millions across the globe. This brought together the world—even in a time when not everyone had a cell phone.

So even though we think of perms, bubblegum, and TV aerobic instructors donning leg warmers as bright as their expressions, we know that the '80s were so much more than that. The '80s were a time for blockbusters unlike none other, for music that spoke to our souls, and for video games that we all still love today. Were the computers aesthetically unpleasing? Sure. Were perms a good choice? Definitely not. All I know is that I enjoy all of the great things that came out of this decade. After all, who doesn’t want to watch Ferris kick it in Chicago every once in a while?