Are you in the USA? You might have some luck going to a chain drugstore and looking for those 'Birthyear' books, which contain some useful info about what was popular or in vogue at the time.
The other thing I can think of, is to track down and watch TV shows that were made during those years. Any pop-culture references they make would have to be well-known enough that a large audience would understand them.
Movies, too. Sci-fi movies, the kind that really didn't have the budget to make Next Sunday A.D. look like anything else.
Cape Malleum Majorem
The Eighties were a period of unbridled capitalism, with runaway prosperity and conspicuous consumption. Think Yuppies with BMWs; glam hair bands on MTV; Japanese dominating the consumer market, from Toyota cars to the Sony Walkman. Heck, just watch Back to the Future and Wall Street, and you'll get a pretty good picture.
Sources of information:
The '80s (Useful Notes page)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980s
Note that there was no internet or cell phones yet. The early Sue Grafton novels are set in this era, and seem extremely dated in that respect, to the contemporary reader. (The protagonist is looking for a public pay phone? What's that?)
edited 15th Jan '16 3:21:30 PM by pwiegle
This Space Intentionally Left Blank.
Thanks, guys. But I think it would be more useful if someone who actually lived through the decade would give me some information on how things were back then. Not demanding, just asking politely 
Cape Malleum Majorem
I was born in 1970, so I saw it through the admittedly skewed vision of a teenager. I didn't really figure out what "The Eighties" were until they were all over.
But then again, neither did anyone else. So all you really have to go on is latter-day depictions of the decade, whether nostalgic or unflattering.
This Space Intentionally Left Blank.
...What, exactly, are you looking for?
Yeah, I was alive them as well, but your question is extremely broad. Can you narrow it down a bit?
Born 1975. Although I have a South African view, I can help.
And, yes: rather too broad. Asking us what games came with our Ataris and that kind of thing would help. 
Among young people, there was a certain nihilism in the '80s due to the fear of nuclear war. The world could just end at any moment, so why work hard for long term goals? Particularly scary because Reagan was seen by many as frighteningly out of touch and potentially senile. See "We start bombing in 5 minutes.", "The day after", and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHmH1xQ2Pf4
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Frankly, that's overstated. Every generation has a reason for hating on the one that came before. For the '80s, it was nuclear war and being told by our parents how great we had it compared to the crap they went through while civil rights were being hammered out. While getting materialism shoved down our throats, while being simultaneously blamed for being spoilt brats. :/
It's probably the exact same proportion of nihilistic teens now as then: except it's "eat the rich" and "hate bankers and politicians" rather than "nuclear cold war sucks" and "hate politicians and stupid clan ideologies". 
The basic premise is the same: "our parents' generation are stuck at 15 years ago".
edited 20th Feb '16 5:51:54 AM by Euodiachloris
Could someone please give me some tips and/or ideas on how to write a period piece set in the mid 1980's, in the U.S.? Specifically, the years the story takes place in are 1983, 1984, & 1985. I know those years sound random, but they're actually very important to the plot. Thanks in advance.