The Most Popular Candy the Year You Were Born (2024)

There's something about eating a candy bar that takes you straight back to childhood. Whether it was at the movie theater with some popcorn or shared with friends from a vending machine after school, candy made everything better. And while plenty of nostalgic candies are still available, not all of them have stood the test of time.

Whether or not your favorite childhood candy is still on store shelves, it's fun to look back at what used to be popular. Here are some of the most popular candies from the 1970s onward—get ready for some major nostalgia. Plus, take a look at15 Discontinued McDonald's Items You'll Wish Still Existed.

1970s Candies

Peppermint patties were invented in 1940, but they've enjoyed popularity ever since then.

RELATED: Sign up for our newsletter to get daily recipes and food news in your inbox!

Twizzlers were a common movie candy in the 1970s, and you can still pick up a pack of the red licorice at the theater today.

RELATED: Your ultimate restaurant and supermarket survival guide is here!

We're not sure what was so appealing about eating a candy bottle cap, but the draw was there with these candies.

This chocolate and caramel candy isn't around anymore, but it was all the rage in 1973. The candy promised to last "a good long time," thanks to its chewiness.

Like the Marathon bar, Blow Pops were invented in 1973. They enjoyed a prominent place on candy aisles for the rest of the decade, and the gum-filled candy is still popular today.

RELATED:Does Chewing Gum Help You Lose Weight?

Pop Rocks came onto the scene in 1975. And while they've dwindled in popularity since then, they're still available today.

Another '70s invention, Fun Dips took the concept of a lollipop and made it way more fun, with dippable packets of sugar. The only downside was when the powder inevitably spilled in the backseat of the car.

RELATED:15 Beloved Foods From Your Childhood That Are Terrible for You

Wrapples were invented to make caramel apples, but '70s kids ate the sheets like candy.

Whatchamacallit hit store shelves in 1978, and it's been twisting tongues ever since.

When this bubble gum came out in 1979, it was an instant hit. Who wouldn't recognize that iconic pink container?

1980s Candies

Ring Pops were invented in the late '70s, and they've been popular ever since.

Candy lovers have been tasting the rainbow for almost 40 years now.

Reese's Pieces were invented in the '70s, but they really took off in 1982, when E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was released. You can still channel the film's magic with a box of Reese's Pieces today!

Invented in 1983, this candy made being a nerd a good thing. Bonus points if you poured the box straight into your mouth.

Laffy Taffy was invented in the '70s and enjoyed continued popularity in the decades to come. Does anyone else remember the jokes that were printed on the wrappers?

Sour Patch Kids hit the U.S. market in 1985, and their sour-but-sweet nature has been thrilling fans ever since.

You won't find this candy bar on store shelves anymore, but fans remember this chocolate and peanut candy bar with fondness.

Invented in the '80s, Airheads have been inspiring kids to shake the wrapper in the hopes of puffing up their candy for decades now.

Hubba Bubba was around before the 1980s, but 1988 is when Bubble Tape hit the scene. We're not sure why the tape-measure shape was so appealing, but it was.

Push Pops were another lollipop-style candy that debuted in the '80s. At least they were less annoying than Whistle Pops!

1990s Candy

Dr Pepper gum was invented in the '80s, but it was on its way out by the '90s. If you got to chew this weird concoction, consider yourself lucky. (Or not?)

If you're a peanut butter fan, you probably have strong opinions about whether peanut butter M&Ms are better than peanut M&Ms. Either way, 1991 brought fans the power to choose between the two.

These ball-shaped candies were way more fun than regular Butterfingers bars. But the chocolate always ended up melting on your fingers.

Capitalizing on the sour-then-sweet phenomenon that Sour Patch Kids made popular, Warheads took candy eaters on a flavor journey. And, yes, they really were that sour.

We're sure someone out there liked this white chocolate treat. But for anyone expecting the flavor of a Hershey's bar, this candy was a letdown.

Before Wonder Balls, there were Nestlé Magic Balls, which had plastic toys inside them. If you're thinking that sounds like a choking hazard, you're right, which is why the later Wonder Balls contained mini candies instead.

It's hard to imagine a candy aisle without Starburst, but they only hit the scene in the '90s. And thank goodness they did.

After the invention of Nerds, the gummy Nerds Rope was the next big thing. It combined the crunchy, sugary taste of Nerds with the satisfying bite of gummy candy.

Lick it, dip it, and shake it! Our parents weren't thrilled that kids were acting like babies, and we have to admit, this product was pretty weird. But we still loved it, even if it was just a Fun Dip ripoff.

The '90s and 2000s have had no shortage of new M&M flavors. 1999 brought crispy M&Ms, which were then discontinued and later brought back.

Read more:

• The #1 Worst Treat You Can Give Out On Halloween
• I Tasted All the New Halloween Candy for 2021 & This Is the Best
• The Best & Worst Halloween Candy—Ranked!