This week on Nostalgia Nerds, we’re turning up the volume on our Top 80s bands—the music that defined the decade and our childhood playlists. We also look back at the story of Ryan White and how his battle with AIDS became one of the most talked-about moments of the era.

Plus, we open up our middle school journals again for more awkward confessions, deep thoughts, teenage drama, and the kind of memories that only make sense in hindsight.