'80s icons like Hulk Hogan are dying. Why it's affecting us so much

It was supposed to be the decade that never ended.

But with the back-to-back-to-back deaths of 1980s icons Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Ozzy Osbourne and Hulk Hogan, it feels like Generation X is bidding a final farewell to the Decade of Decadence.

The losses are feeling particularly heavy for many people because these icons were products of “the pop culture decade … a decade unlike any other,” said Chris Clews, keynote speaker, author and '80s pop culture expert.

The decade was marked by experimentation, innovation and an openness that made it possible for legendary artists to create entertainment that continues to influence pop culture today, he said. The decade was a “glitter bomb” of “awesome insanity” and “larger-than-life characters.”

“They were able to flourish in that decade because there was just this incredible creativity that was happening and people were being who they really wanted to be almost for the first time,” said Clews, who wrote “Raised on the ‘80s: 30+ Unexpected Life Lessons from the Movies and Music That Defined Pop Culture’s Most Excellent Decade).”