My local mall still gets tons of business, funnily enough. Mostly clothes shops in there, I guess because you can't try on stuff online. I usually just go there for the retro game shop. It's where I got my Atari.
They're coming back for sure! Teens who love the aesthetic go and while working for Lyft, my dad picked up two girls going to the mall. When he asked them about it they said "online shopping? That's something my MOM does.."
I feel lucky in that there’s 4 malls near me that are only getting bigger and have only closed a couple stores (sears usually). And they’re always packed with people on the weekends! I don’t think they’re going anywhere just yet
Not really, atleast where I live malls and shopping centers are still visited very commonly. Only Malls I know that are in bad states are due to years of neglect and bad business practices.
I've actually experienced this before. Was about the start of this virus thing and My grandparents wanted to shop with me. While waiting for them to finish up paying. I hear this song in the (almost) Empty mall. It was surreal. (Edit: Thanks for 15k :P)
The Line That Speaks Most volumes to me is "Welcome to your Life, There's No Turning Back" As Many Wish they could turn back time to Undo Mistakes/Regrets.
fun fact this was a mall in the 80s when this song came out. my mom said she would go there all the time the name is Gwinnett Place Mall and this song would play all day long!! Sadly, the mall shut down in December of 2020
Our local mall died during covid too. Only like 3 shops are still kinda open. It used to have a food court area that looked like so much like this picture with flashy neon and all. This gives me unbelievable nostalgia when my mom used to take me there in the 90s when I was kid
The melancholy of nostalgia. This could work as a cool Backrooms, where it's your favourite mall, with your favourite tunes playing, but it's completely empty, because it's the past, and no one lives there anymore.
I like this concept, especially since I have some good and bad memories at my mall. It would probably drive me insane being there alone knowing the past
For people wondering, I’ve seen plenty of comments speculating about which mall this is. This was 100% White Flint mall, just outside of Rockville Maryland. My dad’s best friend at the time owned the smoothie king at the upper food court, across from the bubbles salon, just outside of what’s pictured here. Used to spend every weekend here as a kid. The part of the mall pictured is forever burned into my head, I don’t think I’ll ever not be able to instantly recognize this place. Words do not describe the rush of nostalgia I get looking at this place. Gone but never forgotten.
NO WAY literally a mall that I used to go to often before it closed a few years ago with my favorite song ever playing over an image of it This is the perfect video,thank you for this
One reason why Star Trek: The Next Generation is my favourite show is because of how immensely comfy and chill the late 80s/early 90s aesthetic is. It's so pervasive that it affects even a sci-fi show meant to be set centuries in the future; even then the colourful carpets, beige walls and warm lighting give a strong, comforting nostalgic vibe.
I was born in 1990, I still remember when those Solo cups with the blue waves were just that, cups. Never in my life did I think people would be wearing the design later in life lol
Imagining someone in the present in a moment like this, desperately wishing to go back in time and the song suddenly having a fuller sound as he opens his eyes and he’s in a crowded mall in the 80’s.
The thing is, you'd feel compelled to stop every single person and plead with them to, "Stop, take a moment to look around you and really take this in. Enjoy this, because you have no idea how good you have it." They would look at you like you're mad; to them, it's as commonplace as checking Facebook today. Those people are just shopping in a shopping mall; no amount of words could make them appreciate it the way you do. It's one of life's more cruel jokes that it's often the little things we miss the most, that we appreciate the most once they're gone. Shopping in malls (or just _being_ in one), hanging at an arcade, going to a Blockbuster Friday evenings, or even the simple act of making up games/activities to do outside when we were kids. Technology has certainly made our lives cushier, but whether that's a good thing is debatable. A lot of what our generation had to do for kicks has now gone extinct because technology has made it obsolete. Shopping malls, arcades, movie rentals, outdoor activities, hanging out in parking lots or at Sonic drive-ins just to socialize with friends, etc.....modern tech (particularly the advent of the smartphone) has put all of those things in Gen Z's pocket; any one of those activities they can do from the comfort of their home, without ever setting foot outside or talking to a single person.
Why don't people design buildings like this anymore? The design are so nostalgic and pretty in a odd way, I like it...and it's way better than modern gray and white decor..😪 I know it's not the 80's anymore, but it doesn't mean that they can't design a mall to look like it was built in the 80's. And personally I think people would appreciate the design. And if people don't like it, I'm sure they wouldn't get angry at a mall design. Idk I think any design is better than gray and white designs we see today...👀
This aesthetic looks good until things start breaking and it gets dirty. Then it just looks like a lot of work that nobody wants to do or pay for. That and people got tired of this look after like 5 years. By the time it's time to repaint and replace everything, nobody wants to see the same old look they're used to anymore.
I’m 23, as a young kid (5/6/7) my parents owned a vending business in most of the malls in Jersey and Philly area, it was some of the greatest memories I’ve ever had. Taking day long trips from mall to mall, going to the Disney store way back when, game stop, mall food court, walking the malls, playing on the artificial rocks in the food court, playing my game boy in the car, looking out the window at all the industrial parts of jersey and Philly on the highways, the haze of the sky with partial sun, watching spongebob and godzilla on an old portable dvd player, running into family or friends out and about. All the while social media did not exist, it was the end or an era, but it was amazing. It was the perfect storm, it really was, people were still drunk with nostalgia from the 80s and 90s, the retro vibe is still undefeated. Almost feels like a dream.
It's kind of surreal and bittersweet to watch this. This brings back memories, even though our malls looked a bit different than this, I remember when that kind of bright and happy neon was everywhere. I know everything wasn't sunshine and rainbows in the 80's, far from it (trust me, I know, I was there), but there was a kind of optimism you don't see much anymore. And while things weren't nearly as innocent as most people my age like to pretend, it's not entirely BS, it was a lot easier to make friends and keep friends back then. The mall was *the* place where teenagers would hang out, boys and girls, boys would frequent different stores than girls, of course. Some would skateboard in the mall and get thrown out for doing so, that's why "no skateboarding inside" signs exist, which may seem quaint today. Anyways, thanks for the step back into the past for four minutes of nostalgia.
I'll sad post here I guess. I gave up a lucrative career in IT to come back home to nowhere, do community service, and fish. Two months ago I went to get a haircut and got into a conversation with two older people... So we were teenagers in the 80s, the 70s, and the 50s. In short, we decided there has been a definite loss of the sense of freedom. We feel tracked everywhere. There are so many more people, but they are much less friendly. Drugs have ruined, not liberated. Nobody believes in the country like they used to. Young people sometimes talk about a dystopian future, without realizing we're in it. If you could take a picture of modern life and show it to people from past decades, they'd be horrified. It's not that the times have changed. It's that the people have. No hope, no faith, no community, no confidence, and no freedom.
Even if our 80's "truth" was just a pretty lie, it was *our* pretty lie, beautifully packaged, and presented to us by credible figures. I definitely felt I had a future in front of me, and I did. Just looks like we're about out of road now...
@@Kyavata I agree with you. This dystopian idea is the closest thing to BS we'll ever get, oh hold on, we've gotten it, like you've said. And it's absolutely not what it's played out to be.. Millenial here and I'm glad y'all got to experience freedom in one of it's best forms.
The internet made shopping and decision making easier. But it killed the soul and experience of walking around, looking at creative displays, talking to people, looking, touching and playing with the product before you buy it. Sometimes the experience of buying trumped specs and pricing.
After visiting a mall today that is still somewhat open but mostly vacant myself and my friend were brought back to some serious memories of what it was like growing up as a child. It felt unreal. How few people were there, how few stores were open, and how many were vacant, left with nothing. The mall was more than shopping. It was part of something greater called an experience. The internet can be convenient but it lacks personality and experience of human interaction. Glad to be raised in one of the last generations before technology completely took over. I had a life as a kid
I was a teenager in the 70’s, and while I didn’t particularly like malls, they we’re definitely the place to be back then. I never thought I’d live to see them die. Now it’s not just the malls, with all the theft and violence, it’s beginning to look like virtually all brick & mortar retail is on the way out. We’re headed toward a future filled with nothing but fast food joints and heavily guarded, fortress-like, Costco style, grocery stores. The future of society is looking increasingly bleak and isolated. 😢
Had this experience while working alone at a nightshift as a Security Guard in a (under construction) mall. The radio for the carpenters and stuff was on all night. Being alone at night with a song like this really gave me an experience of being alone in the world. 10/10 moment in my life.
There’s something I can’t describe right now about this song. It reminds me of something I lost, but which I know I can never have. It is so peaceful and happy, yet sad and longing. I wish I could have it back, but all I’m left with is memories that I can only hope won’t fade with time. I love you so much dad, I miss you.
@@newytacc9447 oh my gosh thank u sm I feel bad now I didn’t realize people thought he passed! I’m actually away at college and just haven’t gotten to c him in a long time, but thank u again for your well wishes, it truly means a lot! /g
Absolutely haunting how the atmosphere of the song captures the feeling I have when remembering my days as a 13 year old spending a Saturday afternoon innocently wandering around the mall with my friends. We were never there to buy anything, we were there to experience the energy of everyone else in the mall, "people watching", if that makes sense anymore.
I swear listening to stuff like this feels like time travel I wish I could go back to my childhood x_x being an adult is very stressful thank you for uploading this 80s and early 2000s is the perfect time to be alive.
in my little town in Venezuela we had a huge economic boost around the 90s, they built 2 huge malls, one has 4 or 5 story "building" with a lot of indoor vegetation and a fountain that echoed the whole mall so it felt tropical (You will always hear the fountain echoing each time you enter the mall or exit a store, it feels like the Zora domain in Ocarina of Time), the other one has this European open-style market with a canal on the back so if you had a boat you could go shopping by boat! This one also had a cinema (currently operating), a bowling court (until 2017), a complete amusement park and it had a lot of high-class restaurants by the canal. I experienced the small decay year by year as I grew older, when I finally could grab a car and go explore my town, both malls were already rotting away, so I went there only to relive the memories when I shared with family and friends. The one with the Caribbean concept is the one with this nostalgic abandoned feeling, Casinos were banned in Venezuela around 2010 so there's a Casino room completely closed for over 12 years, on the other hand the European style mall is having a lot of growth recently after being stagnant for over 10 years, they recently opened a casino where a bowling court used to be. There's a third huge mall or hotel that was in development, the proyect went bankrupt around 2000s because of bad administration and some inflation thanks to Chavez. If you're interested in photos and location, you can google them. They are located in Venezuela, Anzoategui, Lecheria. European concept: Plaza Mayor g.page/Tu-Movil-Venezuela?share Caribbean concept: Caribbean Mall goo.gl/maps/33EzESH31eYVzMHd6 EDIT: I remembered the malls I used to went in Margarita island (Porlamar) as a Kid, I wonder how they are now, they were recently new (around 2010) it attracted a lot of tourism since they were international-level malls. The Margarita island had the best tropical food, hotels, beaches and malls. They also have a Hard Rock cafe and other international store brands.
This hits close to home because my first job at publix where i worked for about a year. Every single night about 10 minutes before closing, when everyone started to close up shop and the store was near empty this song would play. So at the end of almost every one of my shifts this would play. I never got sick of it.
The music ironically gets to the heart of the matter...malls died for several reasons. In the USA, lots of local malls were bought up by companies trying to consolidate and dominate (i.e. rule the world). They jacked up the rent, which forced out local retailers (often out of business all together). When retail became the same everywhere, the local mall ceased to be an enjoyable place to go.
This gives me a feeling of comfort and of a sinking dread, simultaneously. I wasn't born in the 80s but I love this song and my family frequented malls quite a bit, but imagining a completely solitary mall, a place where there are usually hundreds or even thousands, where only the sound of the radio can be heard overhead, gives me chills. If someone asked me to describe purgatory, I'd send them this video. This also reminds me of the old Taco Bell design, good times!
Here’s how I imagine this: Your in a mall with your parents in the 1980’s, your surrounded with friendly people, vapor-wave, and vibrant colors, everyone was interested in hippie clothing at the time and everyone loved art so people would set up stands, and it was really a joyous and happy place, like Heaven.
I work at a local grocery store and I’ve recently realized I hate my job and everything about my life. I was at my checking lane when this came on with pretty similar quality and that’s when I realized there is no getting better. I’m on a roller coaster of life that doesn’t slow down when I scream. The girl i like is moving away on Sunday and I just can’t say how I feel about her because I don’t want her stressing about anything. I just feel like I’m drowning in life.
Hang in there buddy. It may be hard to put perspective on it when you’re young but life is a journey and you don’t know where you’re going to end up. But when you’re older and look back, you’ll know where you’ve been.
You still have a hope Bro, and the name of that Hope is jesus, he can solve your anxiety and sadness, i say that by personal experience! God bless you!❤️❤️
It’s depressing really. We sometimes went to the mall just to go. I really miss those days. The convenience of online shopping is AWESOME, but something about the mall, even as an introvert/almost shut-in, was special.
It’s kind of a Metaphor how all the glitz, glamour and materialism of the 80s was just a brief but intense illusion of a fever dream built on quick deals, bad investments, and broken dreams and promises. It was the beginning of the end of the dream where if you aspired and worked for more, you could obtain it. The empty shell of a mall with its neon lights and glamour rock are all that remains.
Thanks for the trip back in time. Me and my best bud (RIP) are on our way to the arcade to play some Primal Rage after grabbing an Orange Julius. I'm so glad I had a childhood in the 80s - 90s. We were lucky. Very very lucky.
I miss the vibes back then. I was born in 1984. This might have been the most positive comments I have read for a RUclips video. Everyone leaving comments are awesome, especially since no one is arguing, just reminiscing on the good times. There was something about being in a mall in the 1990s.
Certain songs in malls in general trigger something in me that I really enjoy and wish I could feel all the time. Another good one for this is Donna Lewis' I Love You Always Forever. Hearing that echoed throughout a mall, empty or otherwise, sends me to a happy place.
Back in 2020 I watched a video in which 3 guys explored an abandoned mall that originally opened in 1981, all the neons were on and there was still music playing, and this was one of the songs. It was very sad to see a such beautiful building getting abandoned
There was a period of musical evolution that occurred side-by-side with technological advancement from 1950 to 2000, particularly improvements in recording and electronic synthesis of sound. 1900 to 1950 was important too, with the advent of radio, recording, electricity, etc, but not quite as fast paced. Since 2000, music evolution slowed a bit since all the technological pieces were in place, just getting smaller and cheaper with easier access. 1980 is in the middle of that, so there's still a certain rawness to the synthesizers to contrast with the slick production standards of an evolved music industry.
I was born in 85. I got to experience so much of this. Truth be told, it’s hard to let go of. I don’t want to live in the past, but in my mind, I’d give just about anything to go back. Just to experience it all again naturally as it was. In the early 90s, there were a lot of arcades in the malls as well. My dad would take my brother and I, plop down a $10 roll of quarters and we’d have a blast. Just the best of times all around. We’re all connected via social media and the internet but so disconnected from anything real and tangible. As I approach 40, I hope you younger ones get out there and make some amazing memories of your own. Seize this decade and make it something you’ll want to remember when you’re 37.
just hit 30 in May and i feel like i got the best of the tail end of this generation, i too spent alot of my time in the mall arcade, and the movie theatre..
This reminds me of when after a long week I go to this old mall with my family and it’s about to close. And it feels ethereal walking in the mall with music. It’s like you get flashbacks of your childhood, movies, memories, and even a sensation of the future. It’s like you’re the main character of a movie. This reminds me of college too, and falling in love. Going to school and being happier. Wish I could go back.
imagine you and your friend group just hanging out there and vibing, doing whatever you want. changes the whole mood from nostalgic to exciting and hopeful
This song is one of my earliest memories (this and “good enough” by Cyndi Lauper). This album came out around the time I was born and that easily recognizable two chord pattern was really one of the first bits of music that really stuck with me. I think of being at Disney World as a 3-year-old with this playing over the loud speakers as jets of water shoot across a garden, much to my bewilderment lol.
We were so mesmerized by the advent of the Internet, smart phones, and e-commerce. Now look at us. It's ironic in a way, as humans are natural social creatures and yet we have developed technologies that have destroyed the outlets for social interaction...and in doing so, probably much like our damage to the climate, have engineered our own extinction. Humans crave social interaction (no matter how introverted you think you are), and the less we have of it, the more likely we are to die. Humans. Not the brightest stars in the cosmos...
I take comfort in knowing how many other teens around my age wish that we had our teen years in the 80s instead of today. Our parents just made it look so fun🤧
@@izzybizzy9589 Ikr?? I got attacked for having an opinion on Twitter today...And it was literally about realism. I said that their favourite dead *FICTIONAL* characters arent together in the afterlife...they literally interacted for 2 seconds. And people are obsessed with the idea of them together. Anyways, I got attacked and called many names. I'm tired. I honestly wish social media apps didnt exist so that people could actually interact with each other physically. And people couldnt say dumbass things and have people bully each other. I wish that writing down numbers instead of getting down instagram usernames was still the norm. *sigh*
@@QuietlyCurious yep totally! Only problem is, I dont have that much friends...only one maybe? But shes all that matters. Kids probably dont interact with me because I dont interact with social media that much...maybe?? I've been an outcast my whole life so nothing new :)
Oh boy, this brings back awesome memories from childhood. Me and my friends would hang out at the mall every weekend. Our mall was pretty magical back in the day. First we'd head straight for the arcade above the food court, spend a few hours in there and then we'd head downstairs to lunch in the food court. They had a giant tv screen in the centre of it that played mtv all day, so we'd sit and watch that while eating. Then we'd head back upstairs to the Warner bros cinema. It was the most fun routine we ever had as kids. The best of times, but sadly missed.
We used to go to the mall and interact with people in the 80s. Talk to people. Walk around. Now the young people are stuck on their phones in their rooms thinking of suicide. So sad how things have gone down hill.
There’s symbolism here. This place was once bustling, full of families and high schoolers enjoying their day at the mall. Now it’s empty and a shell of what it used to be. It’s a reminder of how everything changes overtime and memories are the only things we’re left with. It’s ironic the lyrics in the song are “nothing ever lasts forever.”
I teach and I feel so sad for this generation. The 80’s were a transformative decade we were the last innocent/innovative teens. We made things and lived life we socialized in real time. It wasn’t just the brand of your denim jacket but the concert pins you collected on it or the art you painted on it that made it cool. You had to spend time creating that mix tape not just pulling a play list. Life may be convenient now and you can order out for pizza, but going to the pizza parlor with your family was a treat. It tasted better it wasn’t convenience food back then. No phone calls past 9:00. I could go on nostalgia is a siren song. Be blessed my fellow Gen Xers.
truth be told, our generation has a colossal divide between the ones who were born before or after the time social media started migrating towards younger kids. When I was growing up (born 2005) I spent a ton of time with friends and cousins out in the woods or playing with nerf guns or going biking to a nearby plaza to spend 30 bucks on overpriced candy. Social media/phones/unrestricted internet access was a thing for spoiled rich kids or highschoolers. Seeing a first grader with a smartphone is something I never would have imagined.
Born in 76, spent my childhood in the 80's and my teens in the early 90's. I consider the 90's to be the last true iconic decade. After that everything has been a blend of previous decades pulling from our fashion and music. The young kids today dress like 90's hip hop or 80's post punk. They listen to our music and absorb our past through movies and media. Mobile phones and social media destroyed the individual, very few are unique anymore.
"Nothing ever lasts forever" quite appropriate when concerning malls. I think anyone growing up in the 80s and 90s has a happy place mall they miss. My schuylkill mall was torn down years ago and it almost makes me cry but I'm glad I lived in a time when these places were the place to be. 🤘😎
I’ve had an experience similar to this. I went to the mall where they filmed Stranger things season 3. Through out the entire mall I saw only 7 people. A lot of the stores were closed or empty. Absolutely huge mall with close to 200 rooms just empty. There wasn’t any music though. Pure silence. If you went far enough into the mall, some of the hallway lights weren’t even turned on.
Me too. I was at a mall & 98% of the shops were gone. Was there for an hour & didn't see a soul. & they were playing 80's music too. It was like being the last man on Earth. All in all, it was kinda nice.I don't miss the people as much as I miss the food court. Damn Covid. xD
This hits so hard, something about being alone in a mall, or when a mall is deader than doorknob and this song plays in the background. It truly feels like your in the 80s. It almost feels unreal.
Am I the only one that thinks a mall dedicated to this aesthetic would be successful with the public?? Like make any restaurants or shops in the mall also follow the same aesthetic and be a little Time Machine 😁
Imagine you are sitting against the back wall. It is the final minutes of 1989, and knowing at the strike of midnight the kiss you share will be with the final goodbye to the most creative through the freedom of expression in pop culture and entertainment that will ever be. 12:01 the clock pushes you forward as time stands still for no one. The lights start to turn off and the music fades to silence. You wipe away the tear that runs down your cheek as you open your eyes and smile knowing you were lucky enough to be there to experience it in person.
I've been working at a mall for about 8 months now. Let me tell you my story. Coming in 5 days a week. Seeing how little people are inside such a massive building filled with high end stores. Watching the mall's infastructure slowly fall apart. First one escalator broke. Then a second. Then a third. Of the three escalators around where I am, one is permanently offline and the other two shut down at least once every day. There's an interactive map terminal nearby that gets stuck in a command line loop no matter how many times the technician fixes it. Even the stores are slowly decaying, a sunglasses store's massive 10 foot digital display is a permanent windows 7 blue screen now. Two weeks ago one of the clothing store's racks collapsed and damaged the glass. Despite being (to my knowledge) fully staffed, the mall's garbage piles up and is left unserviced. Bathrooms are foul and unclean, frequently missing handsoap and paper towels. Speaking of, enjoy walking 75 yards down a yellow backrooms style hallway with no illumination but florescent lights to get to the bathrooms. I don't even know why the bathrooms are practically hidden at the ends of these ridiculously long corridors. About a third of bathroom stall locks don't work. One of the toilets has a physical handle that's half broken off the toilet, but somehow still works. The mall's own rotating electric billboard is completely offline on one side, and on the other only half of the display works - showing the bottom half of whatever ad is put up on it. They put up a Christmas tree and lights in the mall 3 days before Halloween. There's an entire underground portion of the mall I've never been to, but I've seen it on the interactive map (when it works) and know there's an elevator that takes you underground. It's an experience. Like a fever dream in slow motion. I actually feel like I'm working inside some SCP simulation of a decaying mall.
This picture really hits home to me. This was the food court at White Flint mall in North Bethesda, MD. I went there many times as a kid before it sadly got demolished. The nostalgia hurts…
Around here there is still a decadent supermarket that wasn't revamped since those times, and the tinny speakers play a radio station that specializes exactly in 80s hits, so the shopping experience is just like entering a time capsule, full of elderly people as customers, and since the products offered are current ones, everything coming in much smaller packages is the detail that gives away the illusion.
That classic "AM radio" reverb makes this song sound amazing! I can always picture this song playing in a mall on a quiet Sunday afternoon with few people around and most shops closed for the weekend
Weird that a concept so simple could be so fascinating. I love this. It's very haunting. There is a wide fascination with this apparently. That last Wonder Woman took place in the 80's--AND there was a mall scene. And Stranger Things and that other horror series with Mya Hawk took place in a mall. Thank for posting this!
Back in late 2021, me and two old school friend’s where messing around one night in the mall after 99% of the people had gone home. We’d all left school that summer and had been at different colleges for some months, not this song sadly, but music was still playing over the speakers and it was really memorable. It’s one of those old 80’s malls by mine that still has all the original interior designs so it was literally like we where back it time 😢
I remember when I went to the arcade at the mall with my friend, I played a music game and chose everybody wants to rule the world, it was an amazing day I spent with my best friend but as the song says "nothing ever lasts forever"
Im not old enough to remember malls like that and i never really liked them when i was younger but now im 15 and i really get the appeal of them and it makes me kinda sad because I really wish that i could've experienced what it would be like to just aimlessly walk around a mall in the 80s for hours on end for fun
I hate what most malls look like now a days. This design is so cool and just screams personality. There’s so many colors, the wall art is unique and the neon lines on the ceiling and pole look cool! Most malls I’ve been to have just plain white walls with little or no art on them. The cafeterias are the same way and maybe just maybe you will see some fake plants around you. The King of Prussia mall’s cafeteria in Pennsylvania (2nd biggest mall in the USA btw) is a great example of this. As much as I like that mall it’s just not that good looking. The other malls I’ve been to in North Carolina and Florida are basically the same. It’s sad we moved away from this kind of style that was popular in the 80s. Yeah I get it, times change and people want to see something new, but what exactly are we seeing that is new? At the Franklin Mills Mall (Philadelphia Mills) back in the 2000s had a big Benjamin Franklin head in the middle of the mall. The whole mall had a Benjamin Franklin style to it. Kites, lighting and a big ceiling with glass panes. Now it looks boring and has no personality to it. The Benjamin Franklin style was removed and now is just another boring mall. I say lets bring back this kind of style from the 80s. Or at least build off of it. Add more colors or design something to make the inside of the mall look interesting. Anything please! Also for anyone wondering I’m in my mid 20s. I wasn’t born in the 1980s so don’t call me old. I just want malls to be great again Also also let’s bring back playing this kind of music in malls. I personally hate most of the music that is out today but I absolutely love most of the music from the 70s, 80s and 90s. There are so many songs they can play that are family friendly and just catchy as hell!
these edits make the song feel nostalgic, like makes miss when I was a kid back in the 2010s as music played in the supermarket while we shopped and I spent my birthday money of lego sets
When I hear this, I picture myself in the 80s in a mall shopping for summer clothes with my mom while she's criticizing me on what my style is. This is so random lol.
This just makes me grateful for actually experiencing malls as a kid growing up in the 80's. The video for that song was actually filmed in my state too. The 80's have become the new 50's. Good times, for the most part.
The person who made this is a genius. Not only is this the epitome of the 80s but even the smallest detail like how the sound is echoing through the mall is what made it. Thank you for this amazing post!
I experienced this before. There was a smaller mall in a town near my house built in 1982. It was always so popular up until 10 years ago. That’s when it started to lose popularity. About a week before it was fully closed for good, I walked through it one last time while it was dead empty. And this very song came on.
It’s so sad that no amount of aesthetic can save malls from going out of business
*gasping while grasping my hand to chest*
My local mall still gets tons of business, funnily enough. Mostly clothes shops in there, I guess because you can't try on stuff online.
I usually just go there for the retro game shop. It's where I got my Atari.
They're coming back for sure! Teens who love the aesthetic go and while working for Lyft, my dad picked up two girls going to the mall. When he asked them about it they said "online shopping? That's something my MOM does.."
I feel lucky in that there’s 4 malls near me that are only getting bigger and have only closed a couple stores (sears usually). And they’re always packed with people on the weekends! I don’t think they’re going anywhere just yet
Not really, atleast where I live malls and shopping centers are still visited very commonly. Only Malls I know that are in bad states are due to years of neglect and bad business practices.
I've actually experienced this before. Was about the start of this virus thing and My grandparents wanted to shop with me. While waiting for them to finish up paying. I hear this song in the (almost) Empty mall. It was surreal.
(Edit: Thanks for 15k :P)
Which mall was it?
What luck lol
i wish i could've experienced that
Wish I was there
Nice
The neon colors, the architecture, the music really fit the vapor wave aesthetic.
stranger things
@@ifalone not even close...
@@ifalone Vaporwave is too pure for that Netflix crap
Edit: Sorry if that comes across as mean
90s
@@ifalone ew
"life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you'll miss it."
“Nothing lasts for ever”
That hit me hard 😢
When you realize everything is "Temporary" you live a better life!!
The Line That Speaks Most volumes to me is "Welcome to your Life, There's No Turning Back" As Many Wish they could turn back time to Undo Mistakes/Regrets.
Damn that hitted me too :(
@@ymsc08yalova3 Enjoy everything and live life!
@@omegasupremez2832 Hate everything and LIVE YOUR LIFE! 🎉🎉🎉😊😊😊
Yep..... That lone security guard is indeed ruling his little world.
haha yess!
hello yes that is me
dancing is what to do
Benry in a nutshell
You little punks are in my world.
I am the law
You are a mall cop you cops reject
fun fact this was a mall in the 80s when this song came out. my mom said she would go there all the time the name is Gwinnett Place Mall and this song would play all day long!! Sadly, the mall shut down in December of 2020
That's so wild to see this. That mall is abandoned and I've been there! Before and after the shutdown!
ah what? they shut it down?
i didnt know that
Our local mall died during covid too. Only like 3 shops are still kinda open. It used to have a food court area that looked like so much like this picture with flashy neon and all. This gives me unbelievable nostalgia when my mom used to take me there in the 90s when I was kid
Well "nothing ever lasts forever"
I think that’s the mall they used for stranger things 3 too!
The melancholy of nostalgia. This could work as a cool Backrooms, where it's your favourite mall, with your favourite tunes playing, but it's completely empty, because it's the past, and no one lives there anymore.
Ow
Its a safe map
better liminal space
I like this concept, especially since I have some good and bad memories at my mall. It would probably drive me insane being there alone knowing the past
dude this is already in the backrooms, search up "Poolrooms (OVERRIDE EDIT)"
For people wondering, I’ve seen plenty of comments speculating about which mall this is. This was 100% White Flint mall, just outside of Rockville Maryland. My dad’s best friend at the time owned the smoothie king at the upper food court, across from the bubbles salon, just outside of what’s pictured here. Used to spend every weekend here as a kid. The part of the mall pictured is forever burned into my head, I don’t think I’ll ever not be able to instantly recognize this place. Words do not describe the rush of nostalgia I get looking at this place. Gone but never forgotten.
NO WAY
literally a mall that I used to go to often before it closed a few years ago with my favorite song ever playing over an image of it
This is the perfect video,thank you for this
Lucky 👍
i wish i could’ve remembered white flint better
Yes! White Flint!! My first job was in this mall at a store right around the corner from this shot.
The odds of that being true are incredible. I'm glad the stars have smiled upon you.
Which mall
Late-80's/early-90's were a vaporwave-aesthetique trip. This is beautiful!
One reason why Star Trek: The Next Generation is my favourite show is because of how immensely comfy and chill the late 80s/early 90s aesthetic is. It's so pervasive that it affects even a sci-fi show meant to be set centuries in the future; even then the colourful carpets, beige walls and warm lighting give a strong, comforting nostalgic vibe.
I was born in 1990, I still remember when those Solo cups with the blue waves were just that, cups. Never in my life did I think people would be wearing the design later in life lol
1985 'U'
Imagining someone in the present in a moment like this, desperately wishing to go back in time and the song suddenly having a fuller sound as he opens his eyes and he’s in a crowded mall in the 80’s.
YES! That’s like the majority of us teens now 😂
The thing is, you'd feel compelled to stop every single person and plead with them to, "Stop, take a moment to look around you and really take this in. Enjoy this, because you have no idea how good you have it."
They would look at you like you're mad; to them, it's as commonplace as checking Facebook today. Those people are just shopping in a shopping mall; no amount of words could make them appreciate it the way you do.
It's one of life's more cruel jokes that it's often the little things we miss the most, that we appreciate the most once they're gone. Shopping in malls (or just _being_ in one), hanging at an arcade, going to a Blockbuster Friday evenings, or even the simple act of making up games/activities to do outside when we were kids.
Technology has certainly made our lives cushier, but whether that's a good thing is debatable. A lot of what our generation had to do for kicks has now gone extinct because technology has made it obsolete. Shopping malls, arcades, movie rentals, outdoor activities, hanging out in parking lots or at Sonic drive-ins just to socialize with friends, etc.....modern tech (particularly the advent of the smartphone) has put all of those things in Gen Z's pocket; any one of those activities they can do from the comfort of their home, without ever setting foot outside or talking to a single person.
Yeah!
That would be paradise. Interaction/eye contact with fellow humans who's heads aren't buried in their cell phones.
@@sixstanger00 Well said.
Why don't people design buildings like this anymore? The design are so nostalgic and pretty in a odd way, I like it...and it's way better than modern gray and white decor..😪
I know it's not the 80's anymore, but it doesn't mean that they can't design a mall to look like it was built in the 80's. And personally I think people would appreciate the design. And if people don't like it, I'm sure they wouldn't get angry at a mall design. Idk I think any design is better than gray and white designs we see today...👀
because it's not the 80's anymore :(
9/11, the day the 90s died and took this aesthetic with it…
money
This aesthetic looks good until things start breaking and it gets dirty. Then it just looks like a lot of work that nobody wants to do or pay for. That and people got tired of this look after like 5 years. By the time it's time to repaint and replace everything, nobody wants to see the same old look they're used to anymore.
isnt neon like dangerous or smth?
a mall in the 80's was it's own thing - a place, an escape, a vibe, an event...there's nothing quite like it today.
@Jack MeHoff ?
@Jack MeHoff ?
@Jack MeHoff Ok Boomer
Everything in this Day & Era is Bland an Dry.
There's nothing today unless you enjoy hunting
I’m 23, as a young kid (5/6/7) my parents owned a vending business in most of the malls in Jersey and Philly area, it was some of the greatest memories I’ve ever had.
Taking day long trips from mall to mall, going to the Disney store way back when, game stop, mall food court, walking the malls, playing on the artificial rocks in the food court, playing my game boy in the car, looking out the window at all the industrial parts of jersey and Philly on the highways, the haze of the sky with partial sun, watching spongebob and godzilla on an old portable dvd player, running into family or friends out and about.
All the while social media did not exist, it was the end or an era, but it was amazing. It was the perfect storm, it really was, people were still drunk with nostalgia from the 80s and 90s, the retro vibe is still undefeated.
Almost feels like a dream.
It's kind of surreal and bittersweet to watch this. This brings back memories, even though our malls looked a bit different than this, I remember when that kind of bright and happy neon was everywhere. I know everything wasn't sunshine and rainbows in the 80's, far from it (trust me, I know, I was there), but there was a kind of optimism you don't see much anymore. And while things weren't nearly as innocent as most people my age like to pretend, it's not entirely BS, it was a lot easier to make friends and keep friends back then. The mall was *the* place where teenagers would hang out, boys and girls, boys would frequent different stores than girls, of course. Some would skateboard in the mall and get thrown out for doing so, that's why "no skateboarding inside" signs exist, which may seem quaint today. Anyways, thanks for the step back into the past for four minutes of nostalgia.
I'll sad post here I guess.
I gave up a lucrative career in IT to come back home to nowhere, do community service, and fish. Two months ago I went to get a haircut and got into a conversation with two older people... So we were teenagers in the 80s, the 70s, and the 50s.
In short, we decided there has been a definite loss of the sense of freedom. We feel tracked everywhere. There are so many more people, but they are much less friendly. Drugs have ruined, not liberated. Nobody believes in the country like they used to.
Young people sometimes talk about a dystopian future, without realizing we're in it. If you could take a picture of modern life and show it to people from past decades, they'd be horrified. It's not that the times have changed. It's that the people have. No hope, no faith, no community, no confidence, and no freedom.
You speak the truth, Altoona.
@@Kyavata As do you, Ayava.
Even if our 80's "truth" was just a pretty lie, it was *our* pretty lie, beautifully packaged, and presented to us by credible figures. I definitely felt I had a future in front of me, and I did. Just looks like we're about out of road now...
@@Kyavata I agree with you.
This dystopian idea is the closest thing to BS we'll ever get, oh hold on, we've gotten it, like you've said. And it's absolutely not what it's played out to be..
Millenial here and I'm glad y'all got to experience freedom in one of it's best forms.
Why do I imagine me living here during a zombie apocalypse and waking up to this song every morning?
Facts!
….you watching a bit too much movies buddy
WRITE A BOOK
Project Zomboid can help with that lol.
Wrong decade, dude!
New Backrooms level: Mallrooms. Neon lights, tile floors, and never ending 80's synth/pop jams.
Edit: just imagine a never ending food court.
dude i wouldn’t mind that at all
a never ending food court seems nice, as long as every shop sells different things
If the food is infinite...!
Thats the dream baby
I thought this was a backrooms video at tge start ngl
The internet made shopping and decision making easier. But it killed the soul and experience of walking around, looking at creative displays, talking to people, looking, touching and playing with the product before you buy it. Sometimes the experience of buying trumped specs and pricing.
After visiting a mall today that is still somewhat open but mostly vacant myself and my friend were brought back to some serious memories of what it was like growing up as a child. It felt unreal. How few people were there, how few stores were open, and how many were vacant, left with nothing. The mall was more than shopping. It was part of something greater called an experience. The internet can be convenient but it lacks personality and experience of human interaction. Glad to be raised in one of the last generations before technology completely took over. I had a life as a kid
I was a teenager in the 70’s, and while I didn’t particularly like malls, they we’re definitely the place to be back then. I never thought I’d live to see them die. Now it’s not just the malls, with all the theft and violence, it’s beginning to look like virtually all brick & mortar retail is on the way out. We’re headed toward a future filled with nothing but fast food joints and heavily guarded, fortress-like, Costco style, grocery stores. The future of society is looking increasingly bleak and isolated. 😢
Had this experience while working alone at a nightshift as a Security Guard in a (under construction) mall. The radio for the carpenters and stuff was on all night. Being alone at night with a song like this really gave me an experience of being alone in the world. 10/10 moment in my life.
This is such a surreal feeling that I don’t know if I’m gaslighting myself into believing I experienced it, but it sounds so familiar.
Its called a liminal space
Confabulation of memories, both distant and familiar.
Something is so comforting about being alone in a large, empty space. I know many find it frightening, but it truly makes me feel at peace.
There’s something I can’t describe right now about this song. It reminds me of something I lost, but which I know I can never have. It is so peaceful and happy, yet sad and longing. I wish I could have it back, but all I’m left with is memories that I can only hope won’t fade with time.
I love you so much dad, I miss you.
Well stated, your words are spot on ! Sorry about your Dad. God Bless you ! 🙏✝️🙏
@@newytacc9447 oh my gosh thank u sm I feel bad now I didn’t realize people thought he passed! I’m actually away at college and just haven’t gotten to c him in a long time, but thank u again for your well wishes, it truly means a lot! /g
It hits different when you listen to this while skipping PE class because you hate playing volleyball
I'm in my PE class though. How the hell did you know? 💀
I skipped PE like 7 times
Absolutely haunting how the atmosphere of the song captures the feeling I have when remembering my days as a 13 year old spending a Saturday afternoon innocently wandering around the mall with my friends. We were never there to buy anything, we were there to experience the energy of everyone else in the mall, "people watching", if that makes sense anymore.
"Nothing ever lasts forever"
Couldn't be more true for malls like this
This is my anemoia theme song. It just makes me feel comfy thinking about a time 20 years before I was born.
I swear listening to stuff like this feels like time travel I wish I could go back to my childhood x_x being an adult is very stressful thank you for uploading this 80s and early 2000s is the perfect time to be alive.
I experienced this in 1998.. One of my earliest memories
in my little town in Venezuela we had a huge economic boost around the 90s, they built 2 huge malls, one has 4 or 5 story "building" with a lot of indoor vegetation and a fountain that echoed the whole mall so it felt tropical (You will always hear the fountain echoing each time you enter the mall or exit a store, it feels like the Zora domain in Ocarina of Time), the other one has this European open-style market with a canal on the back so if you had a boat you could go shopping by boat! This one also had a cinema (currently operating), a bowling court (until 2017), a complete amusement park and it had a lot of high-class restaurants by the canal.
I experienced the small decay year by year as I grew older, when I finally could grab a car and go explore my town, both malls were already rotting away, so I went there only to relive the memories when I shared with family and friends.
The one with the Caribbean concept is the one with this nostalgic abandoned feeling, Casinos were banned in Venezuela around 2010 so there's a Casino room completely closed for over 12 years, on the other hand the European style mall is having a lot of growth recently after being stagnant for over 10 years, they recently opened a casino where a bowling court used to be.
There's a third huge mall or hotel that was in development, the proyect went bankrupt around 2000s because of bad administration and some inflation thanks to Chavez.
If you're interested in photos and location, you can google them. They are located in Venezuela, Anzoategui, Lecheria.
European concept: Plaza Mayor g.page/Tu-Movil-Venezuela?share
Caribbean concept: Caribbean Mall goo.gl/maps/33EzESH31eYVzMHd6
EDIT: I remembered the malls I used to went in Margarita island (Porlamar) as a Kid, I wonder how they are now, they were recently new (around 2010) it attracted a lot of tourism since they were international-level malls. The Margarita island had the best tropical food, hotels, beaches and malls. They also have a Hard Rock cafe and other international store brands.
This hits close to home because my first job at publix where i worked for about a year. Every single night about 10 minutes before closing, when everyone started to close up shop and the store was near empty this song would play. So at the end of almost every one of my shifts this would play. I never got sick of it.
The music ironically gets to the heart of the matter...malls died for several reasons. In the USA, lots of local malls were bought up by companies trying to consolidate and dominate (i.e. rule the world). They jacked up the rent, which forced out local retailers (often out of business all together). When retail became the same everywhere, the local mall ceased to be an enjoyable place to go.
This gives me a feeling of comfort and of a sinking dread, simultaneously. I wasn't born in the 80s but I love this song and my family frequented malls quite a bit, but imagining a completely solitary mall, a place where there are usually hundreds or even thousands, where only the sound of the radio can be heard overhead, gives me chills. If someone asked me to describe purgatory, I'd send them this video.
This also reminds me of the old Taco Bell design, good times!
Absolutely ! And taco bell before they're remodel
Here’s how I imagine this: Your in a mall with your parents in the 1980’s, your surrounded with friendly people, vapor-wave, and vibrant colors, everyone was interested in hippie clothing at the time and everyone loved art so people would set up stands, and it was really a joyous and happy place, like Heaven.
I work at a local grocery store and I’ve recently realized I hate my job and everything about my life. I was at my checking lane when this came on with pretty similar quality and that’s when I realized there is no getting better. I’m on a roller coaster of life that doesn’t slow down when I scream. The girl i like is moving away on Sunday and I just can’t say how I feel about her because I don’t want her stressing about anything. I just feel like I’m drowning in life.
I think I know the feeling. All I can say is, good luck.
Hang in there buddy. It may be hard to put perspective on it when you’re young but life is a journey and you don’t know where you’re going to end up. But when you’re older and look back, you’ll know where you’ve been.
I pray for you brother, you will find your path one day I am totally sure
Sadly, you will probably forget all about her, and remember her when the next girl moves away. Round and round......
You still have a hope Bro, and the name of that Hope is jesus, he can solve your anxiety and sadness, i say that by personal experience!
God bless you!❤️❤️
It’s depressing really. We sometimes went to the mall just to go. I really miss those days. The convenience of online shopping is AWESOME, but something about the mall, even as an introvert/almost shut-in, was special.
It’s kind of a
Metaphor how all the glitz, glamour and materialism of the 80s was just a brief but intense illusion of a fever dream built on quick deals, bad investments, and broken dreams and promises. It was the beginning of the end of the dream where if you aspired and worked for more, you could obtain it. The empty shell of a mall with its neon lights and glamour rock are all that remains.
I was just entering the 9th grade when this came out . In the eighties , the Malls were the place to be. Such a Bygone Era. Sad .
Thanks for the trip back in time. Me and my best bud (RIP) are on our way to the arcade to play some Primal Rage after grabbing an Orange Julius. I'm so glad I had a childhood in the 80s - 90s. We were lucky. Very very lucky.
💯🤔😥💯
Imagine this is playing in this empty mall in 30 years during a zombie outbreak
Someone found the easter egg song💀
I miss the vibes back then. I was born in 1984. This might have been the most positive comments I have read for a RUclips video. Everyone leaving comments are awesome, especially since no one is arguing, just reminiscing on the good times. There was something about being in a mall in the 1990s.
Certain songs in malls in general trigger something in me that I really enjoy and wish I could feel all the time. Another good one for this is Donna Lewis' I Love You Always Forever. Hearing that echoed throughout a mall, empty or otherwise, sends me to a happy place.
Back in 2020 I watched a video in which 3 guys explored an abandoned mall that originally opened in 1981, all the neons were on and there was still music playing, and this was one of the songs.
It was very sad to see a such beautiful building getting abandoned
I need to see this video
@@amandylyn3881 yeah i want too, sadly i don't remember which channel it was, i tried with The Proper People but no luck
Looks like it was reuploaded!
ruclips.net/video/67VEVfUcAdc/видео.html
@@xXNickPXx no it was not this video, it was from another channel. still cool though
I’m only 15 but I have to say 80s is the best decade for music in history
Even for architecture imo. The neons should've stayed.
Agreed, 80s were really great, and 60s too
There was a period of musical evolution that occurred side-by-side with technological advancement from 1950 to 2000, particularly improvements in recording and electronic synthesis of sound. 1900 to 1950 was important too, with the advent of radio, recording, electricity, etc, but not quite as fast paced. Since 2000, music evolution slowed a bit since all the technological pieces were in place, just getting smaller and cheaper with easier access. 1980 is in the middle of that, so there's still a certain rawness to the synthesizers to contrast with the slick production standards of an evolved music industry.
I thought the same at age 15 and still do 10 years later. You’re correct.
Luckily you live in the modern day, when you can get music from any era instantly and freely
I realize now that the janitors probably experience this on a daily basis, vibin' alone to the music of the mall
I was born in 85. I got to experience so much of this. Truth be told, it’s hard to let go of. I don’t want to live in the past, but in my mind, I’d give just about anything to go back. Just to experience it all again naturally as it was. In the early 90s, there were a lot of arcades in the malls as well. My dad would take my brother and I, plop down a $10 roll of quarters and we’d have a blast. Just the best of times all around. We’re all connected via social media and the internet but so disconnected from anything real and tangible. As I approach 40, I hope you younger ones get out there and make some amazing memories of your own. Seize this decade and make it something you’ll want to remember when you’re 37.
This was beautiful. Thank you so much for the advice, you only live once right?
Mega cap
If you were born in '85, you missed most of it. Had you been born in 1975, you've had experienced a lot more of it.
I'll make it one to Remember📸🎥, A Life to be Celebrated🎉.
just hit 30 in May and i feel like i got the best of the tail end of this generation, i too spent alot of my time in the mall arcade, and the movie theatre..
This reminds me of when after a long week I go to this old mall with my family and it’s about to close. And it feels ethereal walking in the mall with music. It’s like you get flashbacks of your childhood, movies, memories, and even a sensation of the future. It’s like you’re the main character of a movie. This reminds me of college too, and falling in love. Going to school and being happier. Wish I could go back.
imagine you and your friend group just hanging out there and vibing, doing whatever you want. changes the whole mood from nostalgic to exciting and hopeful
This song is one of my earliest memories (this and “good enough” by Cyndi Lauper). This album came out around the time I was born and that easily recognizable two chord pattern was really one of the first bits of music that really stuck with me. I think of being at Disney World as a 3-year-old with this playing over the loud speakers as jets of water shoot across a garden, much to my bewilderment lol.
The food courts, the arcade, the window shopping, the bright flashy colors, the people watching. What a time to be alive.
We were so mesmerized by the advent of the Internet, smart phones, and e-commerce. Now look at us.
It's ironic in a way, as humans are natural social creatures and yet we have developed technologies that have destroyed the outlets for social interaction...and in doing so, probably much like our damage to the climate, have engineered our own extinction. Humans crave social interaction (no matter how introverted you think you are), and the less we have of it, the more likely we are to die.
Humans. Not the brightest stars in the cosmos...
Dude this mall is giving me the chills down my spine
I take comfort in knowing how many other teens around my age wish that we had our teen years in the 80s instead of today. Our parents just made it look so fun🤧
Kids these days are so pissed off.
So much tension in this new generation
Just don't give up on real-life flesh-and-blood connection with other people and you'll retain the only part that mattered.
Stop trying to live in the past, and start having meaningful experiences now. That’s what matters
@@izzybizzy9589 Ikr?? I got attacked for having an opinion on Twitter today...And it was literally about realism. I said that their favourite dead *FICTIONAL* characters arent together in the afterlife...they literally interacted for 2 seconds. And people are obsessed with the idea of them together. Anyways, I got attacked and called many names. I'm tired.
I honestly wish social media apps didnt exist so that people could actually interact with each other physically. And people couldnt say dumbass things and have people bully each other. I wish that writing down numbers instead of getting down instagram usernames was still the norm. *sigh*
@@QuietlyCurious yep totally! Only problem is, I dont have that much friends...only one maybe? But shes all that matters. Kids probably dont interact with me because I dont interact with social media that much...maybe?? I've been an outcast my whole life so nothing new :)
“…nothing ever lasts forever…”
Oh boy, this brings back awesome memories from childhood. Me and my friends would hang out at the mall every weekend. Our mall was pretty magical back in the day. First we'd head straight for the arcade above the food court, spend a few hours in there and then we'd head downstairs to lunch in the food court. They had a giant tv screen in the centre of it that played mtv all day, so we'd sit and watch that while eating. Then we'd head back upstairs to the Warner bros cinema. It was the most fun routine we ever had as kids. The best of times, but sadly missed.
We used to go to the mall and interact with people in the 80s. Talk to people. Walk around. Now the young people are stuck on their phones in their rooms thinking of suicide. So sad how things have gone down hill.
There’s symbolism here. This place was once bustling, full of families and high schoolers enjoying their day at the mall. Now it’s empty and a shell of what it used to be. It’s a reminder of how everything changes overtime and memories are the only things we’re left with. It’s ironic the lyrics in the song are “nothing ever lasts forever.”
this has no business being nostalgic because i didn't even exist til 2004
Its called anemoia
06 guy here
@@jeroen2218 ik
I teach and I feel so sad for this generation. The 80’s were a transformative decade we were the last innocent/innovative teens. We made things and lived life we socialized in real time. It wasn’t just the brand of your denim jacket but the concert pins you collected on it or the art you painted on it that made it cool. You had to spend time creating that mix tape not just pulling a play list. Life may be convenient now and you can order out for pizza, but going to the pizza parlor with your family was a treat. It tasted better it wasn’t convenience food back then. No phone calls past 9:00. I could go on nostalgia is a siren song. Be blessed my fellow Gen Xers.
truth be told, our generation has a colossal divide between the ones who were born before or after the time social media started migrating towards younger kids. When I was growing up (born 2005) I spent a ton of time with friends and cousins out in the woods or playing with nerf guns or going biking to a nearby plaza to spend 30 bucks on overpriced candy. Social media/phones/unrestricted internet access was a thing for spoiled rich kids or highschoolers. Seeing a first grader with a smartphone is something I never would have imagined.
@@cldus7442 He thought that we are 2 and beware that I am also of that generation although I am 1 year younger.
Born in 76, spent my childhood in the 80's and my teens in the early 90's. I consider the 90's to be the last true iconic decade. After that everything has been a blend of previous decades pulling from our fashion and music. The young kids today dress like 90's hip hop or 80's post punk. They listen to our music and absorb our past through movies and media. Mobile phones and social media destroyed the individual, very few are unique anymore.
"Nothing ever lasts forever" quite appropriate when concerning malls. I think anyone growing up in the 80s and 90s has a happy place mall they miss. My schuylkill mall was torn down years ago and it almost makes me cry but I'm glad I lived in a time when these places were the place to be. 🤘😎
i dont understand how internet shopping is so reliable... ive done it a ton and like 30% the time i get the wrong size so i want malls back
2 years and I’m STILL watching this vid all the way through. Why?
I don't know why all of your "Empty mall" videos feel so nostalgic
I’ve had an experience similar to this. I went to the mall where they filmed Stranger things season 3. Through out the entire mall I saw only 7 people. A lot of the stores were closed or empty. Absolutely huge mall with close to 200 rooms just empty. There wasn’t any music though. Pure silence. If you went far enough into the mall, some of the hallway lights weren’t even turned on.
Me too. I was at a mall & 98% of the shops were gone. Was there for an hour & didn't see a soul. & they were playing 80's music too. It was like being the last man on Earth. All in all, it was kinda nice.I don't miss the people as much as I miss the food court. Damn Covid. xD
This hits so hard, something about being alone in a mall, or when a mall is deader than doorknob and this song plays in the background. It truly feels like your in the 80s. It almost feels unreal.
Am I the only one that thinks a mall dedicated to this aesthetic would be successful with the public?? Like make any restaurants or shops in the mall also follow the same aesthetic and be a little Time Machine 😁
Imagine you are sitting against the back wall. It is the final minutes of 1989, and knowing at the strike of midnight the kiss you share will be with the final goodbye to the most creative through the freedom of expression in pop culture and entertainment that will ever be. 12:01 the clock pushes you forward as time stands still for no one. The lights start to turn off and the music fades to silence. You wipe away the tear that runs down your cheek as you open your eyes and smile knowing you were lucky enough to be there to experience it in person.
I've been working at a mall for about 8 months now. Let me tell you my story.
Coming in 5 days a week. Seeing how little people are inside such a massive building filled with high end stores. Watching the mall's infastructure slowly fall apart. First one escalator broke. Then a second. Then a third. Of the three escalators around where I am, one is permanently offline and the other two shut down at least once every day. There's an interactive map terminal nearby that gets stuck in a command line loop no matter how many times the technician fixes it. Even the stores are slowly decaying, a sunglasses store's massive 10 foot digital display is a permanent windows 7 blue screen now. Two weeks ago one of the clothing store's racks collapsed and damaged the glass. Despite being (to my knowledge) fully staffed, the mall's garbage piles up and is left unserviced. Bathrooms are foul and unclean, frequently missing handsoap and paper towels. Speaking of, enjoy walking 75 yards down a yellow backrooms style hallway with no illumination but florescent lights to get to the bathrooms. I don't even know why the bathrooms are practically hidden at the ends of these ridiculously long corridors. About a third of bathroom stall locks don't work. One of the toilets has a physical handle that's half broken off the toilet, but somehow still works. The mall's own rotating electric billboard is completely offline on one side, and on the other only half of the display works - showing the bottom half of whatever ad is put up on it. They put up a Christmas tree and lights in the mall 3 days before Halloween. There's an entire underground portion of the mall I've never been to, but I've seen it on the interactive map (when it works) and know there's an elevator that takes you underground.
It's an experience. Like a fever dream in slow motion. I actually feel like I'm working inside some SCP simulation of a decaying mall.
Where are you??? (Where is this mall?)
My hope is that one day, Malls will be back in style, heck fore some reason they are brings back bell bottoms from the 60s/70s.
as time passes, we lose any non-monetary value. unless the people take their lives back.
This picture really hits home to me. This was the food court at White Flint mall in North Bethesda, MD. I went there many times as a kid before it sadly got demolished. The nostalgia hurts…
Around here there is still a decadent supermarket that wasn't revamped since those times, and the tinny speakers play a radio station that specializes exactly in 80s hits, so the shopping experience is just like entering a time capsule, full of elderly people as customers, and since the products offered are current ones, everything coming in much smaller packages is the detail that gives away the illusion.
That classic "AM radio" reverb makes this song sound amazing! I can always picture this song playing in a mall on a quiet Sunday afternoon with few people around and most shops closed for the weekend
Weird that a concept so simple could be so fascinating. I love this. It's very haunting. There is a wide fascination with this apparently. That last Wonder Woman took place in the 80's--AND there was a mall scene. And Stranger Things and that other horror series with Mya Hawk took place in a mall. Thank for posting this!
Back in late 2021, me and two old school friend’s where messing around one night in the mall after 99% of the people had gone home. We’d all left school that summer and had been at different colleges for some months, not this song sadly, but music was still playing over the speakers and it was really memorable.
It’s one of those old 80’s malls by mine that still has all the original interior designs so it was literally like we where back it time 😢
I remember when I went to the arcade at the mall with my friend, I played a music game and chose everybody wants to rule the world, it was an amazing day I spent with my best friend but as the song says "nothing ever lasts forever"
One of the best songs from the 80's. Malls were quintessential 80's. I expect to see them together. So sad to see dead malls.
I can’t be the only one getting that weird nostalgic feeling that just creeps me out
This was calming to me. Now I don’t need therapy. Thank you.
Im not old enough to remember malls like that and i never really liked them when i was younger but now im 15 and i really get the appeal of them and it makes me kinda sad because I really wish that i could've experienced what it would be like to just aimlessly walk around a mall in the 80s for hours on end for fun
I was a mall cop for 2 years, in my early 20s. This song always played at 8pm followed by Closing Time. I miss it.
I hate what most malls look like now a days. This design is so cool and just screams personality. There’s so many colors, the wall art is unique and the neon lines on the ceiling and pole look cool! Most malls I’ve been to have just plain white walls with little or no art on them. The cafeterias are the same way and maybe just maybe you will see some fake plants around you. The King of Prussia mall’s cafeteria in Pennsylvania (2nd biggest mall in the USA btw) is a great example of this. As much as I like that mall it’s just not that good looking. The other malls I’ve been to in North Carolina and Florida are basically the same. It’s sad we moved away from this kind of style that was popular in the 80s. Yeah I get it, times change and people want to see something new, but what exactly are we seeing that is new? At the Franklin Mills Mall (Philadelphia Mills) back in the 2000s had a big Benjamin Franklin head in the middle of the mall. The whole mall had a Benjamin Franklin style to it. Kites, lighting and a big ceiling with glass panes. Now it looks boring and has no personality to it. The Benjamin Franklin style was removed and now is just another boring mall. I say lets bring back this kind of style from the 80s. Or at least build off of it. Add more colors or design something to make the inside of the mall look interesting. Anything please!
Also for anyone wondering I’m in my mid 20s. I wasn’t born in the 1980s so don’t call me old. I just want malls to be great again
Also also let’s bring back playing this kind of music in malls. I personally hate most of the music that is out today but I absolutely love most of the music from the 70s, 80s and 90s. There are so many songs they can play that are family friendly and just catchy as hell!
these edits make the song feel nostalgic, like makes miss when I was a kid back in the 2010s as music played in the supermarket while we shopped and I spent my birthday money of lego sets
I have such nostalgia for eras that I never even experienced
Envy. Wishful thinking.
this reminds me of a childhood local mall i used to go to, it closed down for a demolition almost 4 years ago :,)
I was born in 2005 but for some reason the 80s seem so nostalgic even tho I’ve never experienced that time period.
Same here! I was born a year after you but I too feel nostalgia when I hear about the 80s!
When I hear this, I picture myself in the 80s in a mall shopping for summer clothes with my mom while she's criticizing me on what my style is. This is so random lol.
This just makes me grateful for actually experiencing malls as a kid growing up in the 80's. The video for that song was actually filmed in my state too. The 80's have become the new 50's. Good times, for the most part.
This is literally aesthetic and liminal spaces with a soothing music combined.
EWRW has to be most "liminal" music I know of, although Depeche Mode has released a lot of these as well.
Imagine being the only
Person in the mall, just sitting there and enjoying that song :D
hits different when this was the kind of mall you went to as a kid.
“Nothing ever last forever” always hits different
The person who made this is a genius. Not only is this the epitome of the 80s but even the smallest detail like how the sound is echoing through the mall is what made it. Thank you for this amazing post!
Imagine it being the end of the world and you are alone and this song starts playing in this mall while you’re looking for supply’s 😅
OMG!!! Watch the movie NIGHT OF THE COMET……mannequin is another good one 🥳💯
@@rstumbaugh43 night of the comet is this exact scenario
@@tc-tm1my yes! One of my favorite movies!
If was anything like walking dead I would have my Guard up ready to Go.
Great reverb effect from the emptiness!
Now this really hits me. I’m 17 and so into the 80s aesthetics and vaporwave concepts which I think of shopping mall experiences nowhere near as this…
This is basically all I wish for my existence has to be on an old Mall listening to this song
Trapped in a timeless liminal space between past and present, a moment that never passes or arrives…
WOW, BRAVO, WELL SAID ! 🤔😥💯
This song makes me have beautiful memories that never happened
I experienced this before. There was a smaller mall in a town near my house built in 1982. It was always so popular up until 10 years ago. That’s when it started to lose popularity. About a week before it was fully closed for good, I walked through it one last time while it was dead empty. And this very song came on.
everytime i go to the mall i hear this song on a speaker, whether it's a distant store, or the food court