Top 100 Animated Series Nominees – 1980s: “Saturday Morning Reigns Supreme”

The ’80s didn’t just create cartoons — it created rituals. Saturday mornings were sacred. The cereal was sugary, the pajamas were mismatched, and the television was basically an altar to imagination.

When we recorded the 1980s Nominee Episode, it felt like revisiting an entire generation’s comfort zone. Transformers. DuckTales. He-Man. Thundercats. GI Joe. These weren’t just shows — they were soundtracks to growing up.

And speaking of soundtracks, I’ll be honest — the ’80s had some of the best cartoon theme songs ever recorded. Catchy, bold, and unapologetically over the top. They’re still on my phone today. I’ll be in the car, scrolling playlists, and suddenly “DuckTales! Woo-oo!” hits like a time machine. You can’t not smile.

We joked during the episode that you could smell the plastic from the toy aisles when those intros kicked in. But even through the marketing, the creativity shone through. The writing wasn’t always deep, but the worlds were vibrant, and the heroes felt larger than life.

The ’80s was the first time animation went mainstream. It was commercial, sure, but it was also magic. The kind of magic you still hum to decades later.

📺 Step back into the golden age of Saturday mornings:

👉 Top 100 Animated Series Nominees – 1980s!