What bands/movies from our era completely passed you by somehow and you’ve gotten to enjoy (or not) discovering them in middle age? Or even have YET to discover?

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frankensundae@reddit

I just watched The Lost Boys for the first time. I kind of just assumed I had seen it, but when I heard someone comparing the movie to the musical I realized the plot details didn’t seem familiar. so I put it on the other day and yeah, I’d definitely not seen it. I was too young for “scary” movies when it came out and I guess I just pieced enough together from movie trailers to get the general idea.

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dewihafta@reddit

Most of the music. I found out a few years ago that that I am a huge Roxette fan. Who knew?

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Stabwank@reddit

Never watched titanic, I know what happens so I don't see the point.

Never watched any of the lord of the rings films, at the time I just never got round to watching them, now I am not watching them because it seems to really upset some people and that amuses me.

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lakatos_intolerant@reddit

WarGames. Somehow never watched it growing up and finally watched it a few years ago. It seemed to really capture the elevated Cold War hysteria of 1983.

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fridaygirl7@reddit

This movie is so good. I watched it many times as a kid. Glad you found it!

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lakatos_intolerant@reddit

Thank you and that's great to hear, and I will definitely watch it again this summer.

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Sudden_Associate7566@reddit

I never managed to see Before Sunrise, and at this point I’m afraid it’ll never live up to the expectation I had for it as a dreamy teen

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fridaygirl7@reddit

It will!

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jackfaire@reddit

A TV show rather. I didn't even know Blossom existed until The Big Bang Theory.

Going back and watching Blossom even explained why people kept telling me that my favorite Disney Movie had Six in it.

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udonbeatsramen@reddit

Meat Puppets. I’ve been obsessed over the last few months. I always liked what I heard but never took a deep dive. And with this band, that dive goes deeeeep

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dumpyduluth@reddit

my friends band opened for them and they got me in the green room. they're nice dude's who shared a joint with me.

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Eric848448@reddit

That was one of Kurt Cobain’s favorite bands.

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BillyBattsInTrunk@reddit

Oh, thanks for the reminder!

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thehakawati@reddit

Somehow I didn’t fully appreciate David Bowie until recently. I just listened to his entire catalog album by album and realized I missed out. I think I wrote him off as an aging rocker and did not understand his pivotal presence in alternative rock.

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ssssharkattack@reddit

Yes, Bowie from ‘75-‘80 is untouchable and hugely influential. Also check out the two albums Iggy Pop made with him in ‘77 - The Idiot, and Lust for Life.

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Solid-Hedgehog9623@reddit

I somehow missed the Stone Roses and Failure. Discovered both in the last couple years. All that fuss over blur vs oasis when stone roses were the real gem.

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SlackerDS5@reddit

Didn’t know about failure until listening to APC. Thought their version of the nurse who loved me was good until I heard Failure’s.

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middleWave@reddit

The Soft Bulletin. Now it's a top 3 90s rock album for me.

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trainwreckhappening@reddit

I have never actually seen Pulp Fiction. At this level it's a point of pride.

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frumperbell@reddit

I think I'm the only girl in our generation that did NOT have her sexual awakening by watching Labyrinth.

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Far-Bumblebee-7216@reddit

You are not…there are at least two of us. lol

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HookerFace81@reddit

Make that three!

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chetmanley56@reddit

Prince, I knew all his big hits, but it was only after he died and there was so much praise heaped upon him that I started really listening to a lot of his music and watching live performances of his and finally appreciated what an amazing talent he was

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Konnorwolf@reddit

I only know his singles. Not someone I activity listened to and wonder if I should give him a listen at some point.

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Chuckles_McNut@reddit (OP)

As a musician I have mad respect for what he did but I find his stuff kind of an acquired taste

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Konnorwolf@reddit

Likely why it never really stood out to me.

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FelixAxellus@reddit

I finally saw The Lost Boys two years ago. Loved it, but it probably would have been even more fun to see it as a kid.

OP, what was it like for you finally seeing The Goonies? It's one of my favorites, but my wife has never seen it. I'm not sure if it would hit the same, without that memory of seeing it at like 8 years old (!) when I saw it first.

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Chuckles_McNut@reddit (OP)

yeah I think you're onto it- to an adult nowadays it's a little lame, but it's kind of an Indiana Jones for kids so I can totally see how a kid at the time would be into it. but it's funny to see them hella young actors

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FrostingAndCakeBread@reddit

Selena Y Los Dinos is my new favorite. 💜

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chrisdecaf@reddit

Better late than never

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THExIMPLIKATION@reddit

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I totally missed out on her in the 90s, but now I'm loving her music.

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username__0000@reddit

The pixies!

I loved nirvana and knew Kurt was heavily influenced by them. But no one I knew had their music and it didn’t get played much on the radio or Muchmusic (Canada MTV) and didn’t seem to show up on Columbia house or BMG (both major contributors to my music collection and my only identity crimes) so I didn’t get to hear much of it.

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blamberr@reddit

I’d never seen Pulp Fiction or Jackie Brown until a few weeks ago. PF was good, but Jackie Brown is officially one of my favorite movies now
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Flight_Not_Fancy@reddit

Louis...Louis...

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blamberr@reddit

My dad thought this was the funniest ever. He was in looooove with her

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Chuckles_McNut@reddit (OP)

what...someone preferring JB over PF?? Maybe I need to give it a re-watch

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Think-Cry-5284@reddit

Two words my friend: Pam Grier. ❤️ I mean she's a whole lot of woman.

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blamberr@reddit

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blamberr@reddit

It is sooooooo good. Seriously. And I’ve never liked Tarantino. But Pam Grier is a goddess and the sight of Bridget Fonda in jean shorts and bikini top will stay with you forever. And this is coming from a straight woman. The male characters also kill it, albeit with less sex appeal.
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ghoulthebraineater@reddit

Morphine. God I love that band. I wish I found them when I still had the chance to see them.

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jawnbaejaeger@reddit

They are so good. I've loved that band since mid-90s and I still listen to them regularly.

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cmgww@reddit

I just saw LA Confidential for the first time a few months ago when “The Rewatchables” did it for their podcast. Excellent film that would have swept the Oscars or at least won some big awards had it not been released in 1997 (Titanic won everything that year)….loved the noir update, Spacey even though we know what happened since, pre-Gladiator Russell Crowe, just a banger of a film

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akobie@reddit

I was in grad school hell during the early 2000s so i missed out on all the scene kid music. Im an alternative girl at heart. Would love to check some of that music out but dont even know where to start. Any recs would be great

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pleasebequiet@reddit

Watched Unforgiven for the first time last year, man what a film.

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FethB@reddit

This is from quite early in our era, but for me, 2026 has so far been the year of a-ha, that Norwegian band who went viral in 1985 for “Take On Me”. I heard that song on the radio one January day and despite knowing it from 41 years ago, it just hit me right and changed my life. I friggin’ LOVE them. I actually prefer their music from between 2000 and 2009 and proudly own all of their albums from that era on CD. All three of those guys are/were so talented and accomplished! I’ve listened to and enjoyed some of their individual side projects, too, and highly recommend both the band and their solo music.

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bluemitersaw@reddit

Electric 6.

I literally just found out about them 3 days ago. They are legit and I don't know how I missed them all these years.... Decades really....

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illinoishokie@reddit

I've never seen Emperor's New Groove

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Sudden_Associate7566@reddit

Only saw it myself in the last five years and was surprised at how much I still liked it without the nostalgia haze

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queenofcaffeine76@reddit

Oh you need to fix that lol I love you that movie

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Many_Supermarket9286@reddit

Harry Potter technically came out when I was in college, but many of my friends were “wait in line at the bookstore on release day” into them. I read them for the first time with my kids and thoroughly enjoyed them.

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thelaineybelle@reddit

Motorhead & Judas Priest are truly spirit animals in perimenopause 🤘😂 relisten when you cannot contain the rage.

And if you haven't seen it, check out the original NSFW video for Frankie Goes to Hollywood "Relax". MTV wouldn't air it and a second video was shot & put into rotation.

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OldManWickett@reddit

Last year I randomly put on Primus' first album Frizzle Fry because I had never really listened to any of their stuff and I wanted something different.

I quickly became obsessed. I've been listening to them fairly constantly since then.

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Infamous_Tie5605@reddit

Los Lobos?

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Jr5309@reddit

I was never a rap person aside from mainstream stuff, but my son got into 90’s rap and I love going deep into it now.

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SlowGoat79@reddit

I missed all the music that wasn’t 90’s country. I’ve made up for it this past year by binging Sirius XM’s Alt2k channel. I have discovered that I like Linkin Park and Red Hot Chili Peppers (and a boatload of others). 😊

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elkniodaphs@reddit

Scritti Politti. I know the '90s is big on this sub, but my best time was in the '80s, during my peak childhood. Since then, I've never stopped listening to music from the era, but somehow I missed Scritti Politti. I'm making up for lost time though, I'm playing them in the car all the time, and I have two vinyl albums, recently purchased.

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NathanTheSnake@reddit

Over the last few months I’ve been loving In an Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel. Album was critically acclaimed in 1998 but nowhere on my teenage Top 40 radar.

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Latter-Commission564@reddit

Check out Dax Riggs' cover of that song

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illinoishokie@reddit

I discovered NMH around 2016 and was like how the HELL did I miss this the first time around?

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AnteaterCritical9168@reddit

Same!!

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blamberr@reddit

Where’s your favorite place to smash your boo?

At the Neutral Milk Hotel

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Bradtothebone79@reddit

Second on not seen titanic. Ruined because i know how it ends.

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TelevisionKooky3041@reddit

I was mostly a rock/metal and electronic music guy, and overlooked a lot of good Hip-hop from back in the day, especially Biggie and Tupac. I appreciate their lyrics a lot more now that I'm older.

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Most_Beyond9318@reddit

I only saw Silence of the Lambs and The Big Lebowski a couple of years ago. Didn't care much for Lebowski, but I can see what makes it such a quotable/memeable movie.

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ghoulthebraineater@reddit

Yeah? Well you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.

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JamesMattDillon@reddit

The Mighty Mighty Boss Tones, Reel Big Fish, Hollywood Undead.

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Marshall_BraveStar@reddit

Footloose

Seen it a few weeks ago, had a good laugh

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ConnectKale@reddit

Dont laugh, The “Evil Bong” movies totally passed me by until I was 40.
My son and I discovered them whole searched through Amazon Prime. We found Gingerdead VS Evil Bong first.

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Chuckles_McNut@reddit (OP)

okay- I just realized I'm going to learn a lot more from this thread than I had anticipated lol

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