MID-'70S
CB RADIO
Drivers delight at inventing "handles" and chatting with their "good buddies" on the road.
1974
RUBIK'S CUBE
Invented by a Hungarian architect, the brain-twisting toy has since sold more than 300 million units worldwide.
1975
PET ROCK
These low-maintenance "pets" land in Newsweek and on Johnny Carson.
2002
CROCS
Millions of Americans—including Mario Batali and Michelle Obama—go crazy for the Canadian spa shoe.
1982
JANE FONDA'S WORKOUT
Legions of housewives "feel the burn" at home. Leg warmers not included.
2004
LIVESTRONG
Lance Armstrong makes fighting cancer cool—and ubiquitous. There are now an estimated 70 million yellow wristbands in circulation.
2008
SNUGGIE
With a reported 4 million sold (that's nearly $80 million worth of warmth), the blanket with sleeves spawned more than 500 Facebook groups and hundreds of YouTube parodies.
1998
BELLY SHIRTS
Thanks to her abs-baring top in the "Baby One More Time" video, Britney Spears liberates belly buttons the world over.
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