Composer and professor Craig Brandwein nearly fell out of his chair when he discovered that “But Not Alone,” a song he co-wrote with his ’80s band Coda, had made its way onto the soundtrack of the Dennis Quaid film Sovereign. “It was just so crazy to see that the producers, who had been searching for authentic ’80s rock music, were engaged enough to put it in a pivotal scene,” he says. Though Coda never quite broke through despite recording ten songs at NYC’s A&R Recording Studios, the band’s fun, Heart-like track has found new life decades later—proof that the ’80s really are back.

Maybe this week, as we mourn the loss of people we never actually met but somehow always knew, we can take a moment to pass something on—a story, a song, a game, a movie, a TV show—because as more and more of our generation’s icons leave us, we’re the ones left holding the stories. Let’s not let them fade.

Welcome to the TC ’80s Retro Room! Come in and celebrate the music, toys, and joy from our childhood!