▸ the soundtrack of
Class of 1986
Middle School
1979–1981Awkward dances and your first favorite band.
High School
1982–1986The lunch table, the hallway crush, the parking lot.
First Car
1984–1986Windows down, volume up, finally free.
College Years
1986–1990Dorm rooms, road trips, and figuring it out.
Early Adulthood
1991–1995First apartment, first heartbreak, first paycheck.
30-year reunion
2016
Generation
Gen X
You'd be about
58
🔙 The world when you walked the stage
The world around the music — what was on screen, and what was on the shelf.
🎬 Set the scene
That 1986 feeling: Alvin and the Chipmunks in the background, an Orange Julius on the counter, a Push Pop in reach, and no one texting to ask where you were.
🎬 At the movies
📼 Saturday cartoons
- He-Man and the Masters of the Universe👕 tee →
- ThunderCats👕 tee →
- G.I. Joe👕 tee →
- The Smurfs👕 tee →
- The Real Ghostbusters👕 tee →
- Inspector Gadget
- Voltron👕 tee →
- Muppet Babies
- Alvin and the Chipmunks
- Jem👕 tee →
📰 Headlines
- Challenger disaster (Jan 28)
- Chernobyl disaster (Apr 26)
- Iran-Contra affair breaks
- Statue of Liberty centennial
- Hands Across America
💡 Tech & Firsts
- Pixar founded
- IBM PC Convertible laptop
- Nintendo's nationwide US launch
- The Legend of Zelda released
- Honda's Acura debuts in US
🏆 Sports
- Mets win the World Series
- Celtics win the NBA title
- Bears win Super Bowl XX
- Canadiens win the Stanley Cup
- Tyson youngest heavyweight champ
🤪 Crazes & fads
- Garbage Pail Kids cards
- Transformers: The Movie
- Nintendo mania
- Pee-wee's Playhouse
- Aerobics craze
👖 Clothes
- Acid-wash jeans peak
- Members Only jackets
- Big hair & perms
- Slap bracelets emerge
- Cosby sweaters
💵 What it cost
- Gas: 93¢/gal
- Stamp: 22¢
- Movie ticket: ~$3.71
- New car avg: ~$12,000
- Median home: ~$80,300
🧸 Toy chest
🍬 On the shelf
🥤 In the fridge
How well do you remember Class of 1986?
7 quick questions — the songs, the artists, the year. No cheating. 😏
💬 Memories from the Class of 1986
“Oh the good ole days before all the controversy. At least Michael is making a comeback!”
— Anonymouson this song →“The back of the band bus, somebody's boombox playing Floyd the whole ride home from the away game. Those bus rides were honestly the best part.”
— Anonymouson this song →
📸 Your Class of 1986 card
A neon card of your class's year — post it to your reunion group or tag your class.
👥 Find your class
The people who came up on the same songs are hanging out right now.
🎓 Class of 1986 gear
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Different year?