The Retro
by 11 Points
Modern perspectives on ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia
April 23, 2021 • Issue 44
This week in nostalgic history
April 23rd
36 years ago, on April 23rd, 1985 - New Coke was announced.
It seems hard to fathom now, but once upon a time, Coke was decidedly worried about the upstart Pepsi. In the early '80s, Pepsi was finally starting to really cut into Coke's market share and, more concerning to Coke, was winning head-to-head blind taste tests. Pepsi was slightly sweeter than Coke so, on a one sip basis, people did tend to favor Pepsi. And not just during Pepsi’s clever marketing gimmick of the Pepsi Challenge either — in actual, white coat focus groups and everything.
So Coke came up with a seismic-level idea: Let’s make a version of Coke that’s slightly sweeter than Pepsi. Now in head-to-head (-to-head, including O.G. Coke) white coat focus groups, this new Coke was winning. And Coke was willing to, essentially, bet the farm on the new Coke. So on this day in 1985, old Coke was sent to the big soda farm in the country and New Coke hit stores (and restaurant soda fountains) around the U.S.
The legend then goes that the populous went full pitchforks and rebelled against New Coke out of the gate, but that isn't quite accurate. History has obscured the contemporaneous reaction because, in reality, New Coke wasn’t instantly reviled. In fact, sales were good, widespread surveys showed average Coke drinkers were more or less fine with the taste, and the gambit to change the flavor of Coke might’ve worked — if not for the narrative. It always comes down to the narrative.
For people who viewed Coke as more than just a brand but, really, as a part of their identity, the change to the formula was tantamount to sacrilege. Pepsi also had a field day with the change — after all, when the number two brand forces the number one brand to make such a major change, that changes the power dynamic — and ran ads in or on every possible medium mocking Coke’s capitulation.
And as the narrative set in, the perception of New Coke changed. The shift backed up the caveat to the taste testing results. Blind, people would choose the sweeter Pepsi over Coke. But when they could see the brand names, people overwhelming picked Coke over Pepsi. Brand perception was everything. And the New Coke brand was mortally wounded.
Within three months, Coke reintroduced the old flavor as Coca-Cola Classic, a branding it maintained all the way until 2009. Meanwhile, New Coke stayed in stores and was rebranded Coke II in 1992, then was finally, fully discontinued by 2002.
Also on April 23rd: The Sinclair ZX Spectrum was released (1982)… Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ one hit, Come on Eileen, hit number one (1983)… Baywatch premiered (1989)… Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played in his final NBA regular season game (1989)… Michael Bolton’s album Time, Love, and Tenderness was released (1991)… Shaquille O’Neal destroyed his second backboard of his rookie season on a dunk (1993)… Election hit theaters (1999)
April 24th
28 years ago, on April 24th, 1993 - Paperboy’s one hit, Ditty, peaked at number 10.
I’m a big fan of Ditty — have been since 1993, plus it was a big song amongst my college crew — and, I guess, a de facto fan of the rapper Paperboy as a result. So it really messed with me when I watched the premiere of the show Atlanta and the rapper on the show was named Paperboy. "But," I said to myself because certainly no one else would’ve cared, "There’s already a rapper named Paperboy. Ditty?! Hello?!" (Atlanta would address the other Paperboy a few episodes into its run, so phew, on the radar.)
But other than knowing there was a rapper named Paperboy and Ditty was a stellar example of the early '90s "dance rap with an edge" genre, it occurred to me I didn't really know much at all about Paperboy. I still don't. I figured writing about Ditty would provide a good opportunity to research him, but there's been remarkably scant ink put toward the career of Paperboy.
Here's what I do know. Paperboy was a rapper signed by a label called Next Plateau, which became quite successful in the late '80s thanks to Salt-N-Pepa. They signed a bunch of other artists, but no one who hit the Salt-N-Pepa level — in fact, it's quite possible Paperboy, with one top 10 hit, was their second-biggest success story. Paperboy would release two more albums, City to City in 1996 and The Love Never Dies in 2004, neither of which came anywhere close Ditty's album, The Nine Yards. I couldn't fill in any gaps between that and 2008, when Paperboy was arrested for drug possession. And the trail runs cold after that. There is a Twitter account, @PaperboyDitty, but it's unverified.
Also on April 24th: Tom Tom Club’s one hit, Genius of Love, peaked at number 31 (1982)… Massachusetts declared this day New Kids on the Block Day (1989)… the space shuttle Discovery launched with the Hubble telescope onboard (1990)… David Robinson scored 71 points in the final game of the NBA season (1994)… Mel Kiper Jr. was mocked live during the NFL draft (1994)… Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots entered rehab (1996)… Seinfeld’s “The Yada Yada” episode aired on NBC (1997)
April 25th
29 years ago, on April 25th, 1992 - The back-to-back-to-back series finales aired for Growing Pains, Who’s the Boss?, and MacGyver on ABC.
Is this the day the shenanigans died?
May sweeps kicked off on this day in 1992 (so what if it's April, TV doesn't abide by your rules, calendar), and ABC came out with quite a opening salvo: Killing off three popular shows all in one night. The Who's the Boss? finale featured Tony and Angela facing down the decision to move to Iowa; the Growing Pains finale featured the Seavers facing down the decision to move to Washington, D.C.,; and the MacGyver finale featured MacGyver facing down the Chinese mafia and paternity issues and using a pressure washer and a steering wheel to make a jetpack.
ABC framed the night as a celebration of all three popular (albeit dwindling in ratings) shows, but maybe should've given each their own separate send-off; the network finished third in the 1992 May sweeps period, ever so slightly behind NBC and CBS.three shows, but maybe should've given each their own separate send-off; the network finished third in the 1992 May sweeps period, ever so slightly behind NBC and CBS.
Also on April 25th: The Hubble telescope was released into orbit (1990)… MLB returned after a strike ended the prior season (1995)… Method Man and Mary J. Blige’s duet I’ll Be There/You’re All I Need was released (1995)… Soul 4 Real’s single Every Little Thing I Do was released (1995)… Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk opened in New York (1996)… Volcano and Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion both hit theaters (1997)
April 26th
26 years ago, on April 26th, 1995 - Friday hit theaters.
The early '90s saw the rise of what Ice Cube would call "hood movies" — and there was one commonality. They were bleak as hell. Some were powerful, some were exploitative, some were good, some were by-the-numbers, but again, they were universally bleak as hell. Ice Cube, thanks to his rap career and, yes, his breakthrough role in perhaps the most famous of those early '90s movies with Boyz n the Hood, had the opportunity to change the direction. So he set out to make a movie set in a neighborhood like the one in which he grew up, but one that showed every moment wasn't so dire. There were plenty of laughs too. Real friendships, ridiculous characters, crazy parents, misadventures — that was all there too.
The result was Friday, now considered a classic comedy (and, I dare say, not a cult classic but an actual classic), which launched Chris Tucker and also launched the newer, less edgier version of Ice Cube. There wouldn't be an Are We There Yet? without Friday.
And Friday, for its pros and cons (con: who's the real bad guy, Deebo or Big Worm, and if it's Big Worm, why is the climax the fight with Deebo?), deserves its spot as an underrated game changer. It's a whole lot of fun and feels pure and authentic. It hits on real issues and shifts smoothly between the comedy and drama without sacrificing either. And it showed hood movies could be more than just depression porn.
Also on April 26th: Rod Stewart was mugged in Los Angeles (1982)… John Elway was the number one pick in the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts (1983)… Just One of the Guys hit theaters (1985)… Arnold Schwarzenegger married Maria Shriver (1986)… the Chernobyl disaster occurred in Kiev (1986)… Kevin Mitchell made a famous barehanded catch (1989)… Lucille Ball passed away (1989)… Dinosaurs premiered on ABC (1991)… NBC announced Conan O’Brien would replace David Letterman on Late Night (1993)… the first game was played at Coors Field in Colorado (1995)… Replay TV shipped the first DVR (1999)… Caroline in the City aired its series finale (1999)… Lycos launched five live web radio music channels (1999)
April 27th
40 years ago, on April 27th, 1981 - Xerox released the first computer mouse.
The mouse is such an intrinsic part of computing it's hard to imagine life without it (although the touchscreen people sure are trying). Today marks the 40th anniversary of the first commercial mouse; although a handheld computer input tool had been around since the '60s, it was on this day that Xerox shipped a mouse with a personal computer for the first time.
That machine, the Xerox Star, non-coincidentally was also the first commercial system with a graphical user interface. That type of interface more or less required a mouse; you could get away without one when just interacting with the command line, but not when interacting with folders.
The first mouse looks remarkably similar to the mouse we know today. It's a plastic trapezoid with two buttons and a cord. The operation wasn't very smooth and by all accounts it weighed a ton, but it's still instantly recognizable as a computer mouse.
In the 40 years that have passed since then, we've seen all sorts of improvements to mice, both in aesthetics and functionality — but their purpose and mechanics aren't all that different than that of the first mouse ever.
Also on April 27th: Wings broke up (1981)… Nolan Ryan became the MLB career strikeout leader (1983)… Axl Rose got married for 27 days (1990)… the series finale aired of 21 Jump Street (1991)… the first Kirby game for Nintendo, Kirby’s Dream Land, was released (1992)… Spacehog’s one hit, In the Meantime, peaked at number 32 (1996)… 702’s single Where My Girls At and K-Ci and JoJo’s single Tell Me It’s Real were both released (1999)
April 28th
27 years ago, on April 28th, 1994 - Warren G and Nate Dogg’s single, Regulate, was released.
Regulate is one of the best rap hits of the '90s — and definitely the best rap track ever to sample Michael McDonald, at least until one day DaBaby makes a banger out of Yah Mo Be There. (But seriously, listen to Michael McDonald's I Keep Forgettin' and try *not* to hear Regulate.)
Regulate originally appeared on the Above the Rim soundtrack and became a breakout hit that transcended the film. The song itself is something of an urban tall tale, a fictionalized story of two friends who are both indomitable warriors and irresistible charmers. (And who also must get great Starwood points at the Eastside Motel.)
But the content isn't meant to be realistic; the entire song flows like dream sequence, from the slow but hypnotic beat to the mellow rapping and singing. It's also completely addictive and, notably, really easy for even people with so-so rhythm to rap along to. Regulate (or, as I've accidentally typed literally every time thus far, Regulators) remains to this day a go-to example of '90s West Coast hip-hop at its finest and most commercially popular.
Also on April 28th: Ozzy Osbourne sang over a plane’s PA system (1987)… the NBA announced it would be expanding to Charlotte, Miami, Minneapolis, and Orlando (1987)… Jon Bon Jovi got married to his high school sweetheart (1989)… college basketball coach Jim Valvano passed away (1993)… All-4-One’s single I Swear was released (1994)… The Verve broke up (1999)
April 29th
35 years ago, on April 29th, 1986 - Bo Jackson was the number one pick in the NFL Draft but refused to play for the team that drafted him.
Bo Jackson is an '80s sports legend, in part due to being one of the few true two-sport athletes of the modern era, but also in part due to Nike's legendary "Bo Knows" marketing campaign and just how unstoppable he was in the Tecmo Super Bowl video game.
But the Bo Jackson pro sports era got off to a very rocky start on this day in 1986; a rocky start that's been more or less washed away by history.
Both the pro baseball and pro football worlds were well aware of Bo Jackson early on. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1982, but chose to go to Auburn University instead. There, he played both baseball and football. As a senior, he won the Heisman Trophy in football and as a junior, he had a batting average above .400. I have to cite his junior year baseball stats because he didn't get much of a senior season — which is where his trouble with football began.
After his senior football season but before baseball season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — who held the first pick in the NFL Draft — flew him out to their facilities on a private jet. They told him that trip was cleared with the NCAA, but it was not. As a result, he lost his eligibility and could only play an abbreviated baseball season. That made him so angry with the Buccaneers he told them he would refuse to play for them if they drafted him.
On this day, they used the number one overall pick to draft him anyway. He stuck to his word, turned down their $7 million+ offer, and instead signed a contract to play professional baseball for the Kansas City Royals for about one-seventh the money.
The Buccaneers eventually lost the rights to Jackson. He was drafted the following year in the final round of the draft by the Los Angeles Raiders, who told him he could play both baseball and football, so he wound up actually signing that deal.
There was some concern that Bo should specialize and just pick one league, although if anyone could handle excelling in both sports, it was him. Bo Jackson was a preternaturally talented athlete, but injuries, not multitasking between the sports, would tank his career. He played just 38 NFL games across four seasons before a hip injury ended his football career. His baseball career was also perhaps shorter than it should've been, ending in 1994 after a series of truncated seasons. He wound up making one NFL Pro Bowl and one MLB All-Star game, but mainly left behind a laundry list of "What ifs?"
Also on April 29th: Alfred Hitchcock passed away (1980)… Black Sabbath began their first tour with Ronnie James Dio (1980)… Billy Martin became manager of the New York Yankees for the fourth time (1985)… Roger Clemens struck out 20 batters in a game (1986)… Eric Clapton filed for divorce from Patti “Layla” Boyd (1988)… Emelio Estevez married Paula Abdul (1992)… the L.A. riots began after the Rodney King verdict was announced (1992)… TLC’s single Baby Baby Baby was released (1992)… With Honors and PCU both hit theaters (1994)… Tupac got married while in jail (1995)… the series finale of Empty Nest aired on NBC (!995)… Tommy Lee quit Motley Crue (1999)
Everything old is new again
A look at the reboots, revivals, throwbacks, retro insights, and nostalgia in the news.
Michael Keaton is officially going to play Batman again, in The Flash.
A review of the new Mortal Kombat movie argues it fixes the biggest mistake of the 1995 original film: the original didn't stay true to the video game's over-the-top violence and gore.
NBC is creating a game show based around the board game Guess Who.
Justin Bieber filmed a cameo in the Friends reunion special.
Fujifilm made a modern version of the Game Boy Printer, which can now print pictures from a Nintendo Switch.
Jason Alexander's theory of where George would be today: "Quarantined in with his parents."
Someone created an operating system that only runs Tetris. And also, someone turned an iPad Pro into the "ultimate classic Macintosh."
Throwbacks and recommendations
This YouTube video shows how Cobra from G.I. Joe resembles a large modern tech company with its benefits and perks.
Here's a 25-minute documentary on the history of McDonaldland.
Check out Rolling Stone's list of the 25 greatest punk rock movies of all time, most of which are from the early '80s.
Here's a dive into how the Baltimore Sun ran a cartoon in 1987 that secretly featured people having sex.
Someone compiled all of the old Mac "death chimes" — the sounds that would play when a Mac couldn't boot up properly.
Thanks for reading!
-Sam