Here's a NYT article about the 80's "revival":

http://www.nytimes.com/20...oref=login

And here's a particularily interesting assessment about our two favorite 80's kids:

According to Ann Fishman, president of Generational Targeted Marketing, the problem's not with the music, it's with the memories. The fans from Generation X, she says, "are not particularly grounded in their youth."

"Would you be grounded in something where you had divorced parents, poor schooling?" she asks. "We presume nostalgia is a great selling tool. It is to the baby boomers. It's not to Gen X. The history of their youth has forced them to grow up more quickly. Nostalgia is not necessarily something that's going to move them ahead. They enjoy the music of their youth, but it's not a need."

The theory might help to explain why Madonna and Prince had a very good year. They both made it big in the 80's, but (with the exception of a brief hiatus on Prince's part), they both kept performing, kept evolving, kept updating their image. Their recent albums weren't hastily convened revivals, they were simply the latest chapter in a long and varied career.

Deep theory.

I agree on the kids growing up faster bit.....

Saw that article last week. It was very good.