Candy Nostalgia: The Top 5 Candies of the 1970s and 80s

What kid doesn't love candy? I grew up in the 1970s and 80s and candy was one of my favorite things as a kid. I loved chocolate but candy did not have to be chocolate to get my attention. When I think of the 1970s and 80s I get nostalgic for all the things of yesteryear; the music, the TV shows, playing outside with my friends and using my allowance money to buy my favorite candies. If I had to pick 5 candies from my childhood that I really liked and would still buy for today's kids, the 5 I list below would be my top choices.

1) Pop Rocks-Pop Rocks were first sold in 1975. They were one of the most fun candies around in the 70s due to the wonderful popping they did when you poured them into your mouth. They came in different flavors and were tasty and cheap. Original Cherry was always my favorite flavor. At some point an urban legend began that convinced some people that eating Pop Rocks and drinking a cola could cause your stomach to explode. It was a completely false rumor. Pop Rocks are a pop culture icon and kids today still love this candy!

2) Blow Pop- This is a nostalgic candy for those of us who belong to Generation X, but children today still enjoy Blow Pops. Blow Pops started being sold in the 1970s and quickly became a favorite candy of kids everywhere. The Blow Pop combines a hard candied shell with a yummy piece of bubble gum in the middle of the sucker. This is the candy I most often give out to my nieces and nephews and on Halloween night. It is a perfect combination of candy and gum. Each time I have this candy I remember my love for the Blow Pop and am glad that today's kids still have access to them!

3) Candy Necklace- This was the one candy every little girl loved to own, wear and then eat! The Candy Necklace was tasty and crunchy and we use to make a game out of how long we could wear it as a real necklace before caving in and eating it. They still sell the Candy Necklace and my young nieces still enjoy wearing them and gobbling them up. This nostalgic candy is a reminder of my youthful innocence.

4) Ring Pop- What's a Candy Necklace without a Ring Pop to go with it? These fancy, large, diamond shaped candy rings served as jewelry when I was a kid. My favorite color was the red Ring Pop. We used these candy rings in the 70s for fake marriage proposals and treasure hunts, but mostly we just ate them! I think today's kids still enjoy this nostalgic candy and I can't blame them.

5) Twix- Now lets talk chocolate! The Twix candy bar made by Mars, Inc. made its way to the United States in 1979 and quickly became my favorite chocolate bar. Caramel, chocolate and something called a biscuit finger combined to make a melt in your mouth delicious candy. The Twix bar is still one of my favorite candies and it makes me nostalgic for 1979.

So what were your favorite candies as a kid? Would you still want your kids to eat those candies? Please feel free to share in the comment box below.

Source: Author's memories, twix.com, pop-rocks.com, smarties.com