Santa Barbara, St. Elmo’s Fire, Simple Minds – the 1980s from A to Z
Like, OH MY GOD! It’s totally awesome you came back to find out what my favorite S’s are from the 1980s. Like the most rad tv show, movie and music from the 80s.
Santa Barbara
I had always been a fan of the daytime soaps. As early as kindergarten, I would sneak away and watch Days of Our Lives as my mom watched it. And my Grandmom watched the CBS soaps Young and the Restless, Guiding Light and As the World Turns (which I became totally obsessed with toward the end of high school through college and until in ended in 2010). But Santa Barbara was all mine – I started watching it when it debuted in 1984 and quickly became obsessed especially with Eden and Cruz. Coincidentally, our family took a trip to the west coast in 1984 and we visited Santa Barbara. I still love Soap Operas today, but unfortunately the genre is almost extinct with only four shows still on the air Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, Young and the Restless and Bold and the Beautiful – and I watch all of them except the last one.
St. Elmo’s Fire
The Brat Pack started with not only one of my favorite movies of the 1980s, but with one of my favorite movies off all time (not top 5, but definitely top 10) St. Elmo’s Fire starring Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Andrew McCarthy, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Mare Winningham, Emilio Estevez and Andie MacDowell. This movie makes me ache in a sad, nostalgic way. I think the friendships and closeness these college friends portray reminds me of my group from high school. I literally start tearing up every time the movie starts when the credits are running and the seven friends arm and arm in their caps and gowns walking across College Park (the University of Maryland where I went to school), and the theme from St. Elmo’s starts (not the “Man in Motion” but the instrumental theme). Just the first few notes of the song gets me every time – much like the first few seconds of The Way We Were
(on a side note, I also loved the Superman movies – all of them starring Christopher Reeves)
Simple Minds
Like OMD’s “If You Leave,” Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” is the quintessential 1980s song and one of my all-time faves. It is from the great John Hughes’ movie The Breakfast Club, which I did not choose for my favorite B movie of the 80s because the Back to the Future trilogy edged it out as my favorite. Other great songs from Simple Minds include “Alive and Kicking” and “Sanctify Yourself.”
Thank you for joining me on my trip back to the totally tubular 1980s as I complete my Blogging from A to Z Challenge. What was your faorite tv show, movie and band or song from the 80s starting with the letter S? Please come back tomorrow to read about my faves from the 80s that start with the letter T. And be sure to check out the 1970s from A to Z here.
DEENA'S DAYS 
Great post, as always. I don’t remember Santa Barbara. I watched the Young & the Restless because my aunt was into it and we watched it every day. I also liked All My Children but lost track of it over the years. I watched General Hospital back when Luke & Laura were all the rage (my college years, early 80s). I don’t watch any of them today. If I did, it would probably be Days of Our Lives because it stars Eileen Davidson, who i really like on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
St. Elmo’s Fire: I can totally see why it would make you tear up. Seeing those friends so tight takes us back to our younger days when our friendships were everything to us. That was such a great film.
Love Simple Minds’ Don’t You! I’ve already played it twice just while reading and commenting on this post! 🙂
Michele at Angels Bark
LikeLike
actually eileen davidson is no longer on days. she’s still on young and the restless. she was doing both at the same time for a while. but she’s been ashley on young and the restless since the early 80s. thanks so much for reading and commenting!
LikeLike
Loved loved LOVED Santa Barbara. How hot was A. Martinez?! And I can’t see Robin Wright and not think of her on that show. Even as Claire Underwood. Best soap opera ever.
@IsaLeeWolf
A Bit to Read
LikeLike
Totally agree! A Martinez is on days of our lives now
LikeLiked by 1 person
Is he? I haven’t watched Days in years, though it was my soap after Santa Barabara went away. And yet you can just pick up where you left off. Though all the children are adults with children of their own.
LikeLike
Yeah he joined the cast this year or maybe the end of last year
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for stopping by. Glad to know there are other Santa Barbara fans out there!
LikeLiked by 1 person
There is my Andrew McCarth Again ♥️. The Brat Pack of our generation
LikeLike
Yes I think the 1980s had the best movies and the best actors. Thanks for stopping by
LikeLiked by 1 person
Robin Wright played such sweet characters on SB, The Princess Bride and Forest Gump and then such a ruthless character on Netflix House of Cards.
LikeLike
I haven’t watched house of cards yet but it’s on my list. Glad to know another person who watched Santa barbara
LikeLiked by 1 person
Can’t say I was into the soaps, and I never saw St. Elmo’s Fire, but I did live near where The Breakfast Club was filmed. Nearly all of John Hughes’ movies were filmed in the northern suburbs of Chicago. This was filmed at Maine North in DesPlaines. My old high school was in “Uncle Buck”…
John Holton
Blogging from A to Z Challenge Co-Host
The Sound of One Hand Typing
LikeLike
You never saw at Elmo’s fire? It wasn’t John Hughes film and it was filmed in DC and at university of Maryland. Thanks for stopping by
LikeLike
Right, I knew he didn’t direct St. Elmo’s Fire. I was talking about The Breakfast Club.
LikeLike
Three excellent choices. I don’t remember much about Santa Barbara other than it came on after Another World which came on after Days of Our Lives. My grandmother, whom I stayed with during the day while my parents worked before I was old enough to go to school, loved Days and Another World, so I grew up watching those. I have faint memories of the opening to SB and that was about the time my grandmother changed the channel.
Don’t You Forget About Me… What a classic and I always see Judd Nelson’s character thrusting up his fist in triumph walking across the football field when I hear it.
LikeLike
fantastic! thanks for reading and sharing your memories!
LikeLike
As usual another great blog Deen. I’ve never watched Santa Barbara but I heard it was a good soap opera. My girlfriend used to watch it all the time but back then I wasn’t too much into soap operas. St. Elmo’s Fire. Omg. This was a great movie. I enjoyed it tremendously. Especially with the brat pack. I don’t know too much about Simple Mind’s music but I loved that song ” Dont You Forget About Me” which I heard for the very first time on The Breakfast Club and remains one of my favorite songs till today. During that era I had a couple of favorites myself which are: tv shows- Small Wonder, Simon & Simon, Scooby Doo & Silver Spoons. Movies- Scarface, the Superman series, She’s Having A Baby, Splash, Sixteen Candles, Soul Man, & Stand by Me. I didn’t have much musicians/bands with the letter S except Salt-n-Pepa. Thanks again for a great blog and much success throughout your journey.
LikeLike
Thanks so much Vicky. Really glad you’re enjoying my trip through the 80s and sharing your faves too. I also loved the superman movies.
LikeLike
Lots of great stuff here. Breakfast Club, the Breakfast Club soundtrack, St. Elmo’s Fire theme was excellent. Yes, the instrumental. OMD is a great 80s band. The only thing I was never keen on was the soaps. Probably the only one I’m vaguely familiar with is Days of our Lives because Alison Sweeney was on it.
LikeLike
And how do you know Alison Sweeney if not from days?
LikeLike
Alison Sweeney was the host of Biggest Loser. One of the reality shows I used to write blog posts about. But that was several years ago and I have not seen the show since she recently left it.
LikeLike