Topics covered by year
1980
The Love Boat was an American comedy/drama television series set on luxury passenger cruise ship S.S. Pacific Princess, which aired on the ABC television network from May 5, 1977 until May 24, 1986; plus, four three-hour long specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series revolves around the ship's captain Merrill Stubing and a handful of its crew, with several passengers—played by various guest star actors for each episode—having romantic and humorous adventures. It was part of ABC's popular Saturday-night lineup of the time, which also included Fantasy Island until that series ended two years earlier in 1984.
Caddyshack is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis, and Douglas Kenney, and starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe and Bill Murray. Doyle-Murray also has a supporting role.
The Vapors are an English new wave and power pop band that initially existed between 1978 and 1981. They had a top ten hit with the song "Turning Japanese" in 1980, which reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart, and No. 36 in the US Billboard Hot 100.
Makeout Songs of 1980: Air Supply's "Every Woman in the World", Dan Fogelberg's "Longer", and Captain & Tennille's "Do That to Me One More Time"
Air Supply are a soft rock duo, consisting of English singer-songwriter and guitarist Graham Russell and Australian lead vocalist Russell Hitchcock. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s. They formed in Australia in 1975 and have included various accompanying musicians and singers. The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) inducted Air Supply into their Hall of Fame on 1 December 2013 at the annual ARIA Awards.
"Every Woman in the World" is a 1980 song recorded by the Australian soft rock group Air Supply. The song was written by Dominic Bugatti and Frank Musker. It was the third release from their fifth studio album.
Daniel Grayling Fogelberg was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his 1980s songs, including "Longer" (1979), "Leader of the Band" (1981), and "Same Old Lang Syne" (1981).
Babes of 1980: Princess Leia, Bo Derek, Charlene Tilton, Victoria Principal and Suzanne Somers
Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed in films by Carrie Fisher. Introduced in the original Star Wars film in 1977, Leia is princess of the planet Alderaan, a member of the Imperial Senate and an agent of the Rebel Alliance. She thwarts the sinister Sith Lord Darth Vader and helps bring about the destruction of the Empire's cataclysmic superweapon, the Death Star. In The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Leia commands a Rebel base and evades Vader as she falls in love with the smuggler, Han Solo. In Return of the Jedi (1983), Leia leads the operation to rescue Han from the crime lord Jabba the Hutt, and is revealed to be Vader's daughter and the twin sister of Luke Skywalker. The prequel film Revenge of the Sith (2005) establishes that the twins' mother is Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo, who dies after childbirth. Leia is adopted by Senator Bail and Queen Breha Organa of Alderaan. In The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017), Leia is the founder and General of the Resistance against the First Order. She and Han have a son named Ben, who adopted the name Kylo Ren after turning to the dark side of the Force.
Bo Derek is an American film and television actress, film producer, and model perhaps best known for her breakthrough film role in the sex comedy 10 (1979). She was directed by husband John Derek in Tarzan, the Ape Man (1981), Bolero (1984) and Ghosts Can't Do It (1989), all of which received negative reviews. A widow since 1998, she lives with actor John Corbett. Now in semi-retirement, she makes occasional film, television, and documentary appearances.
Charlene L. Tilton is an American actress and singer. She is best known for playing Lucy Ewing, the saucy niece of John "J.R." Ewing Jr., on the television series Dallas.
Hunks of 1980: Richard Gere, Jim Palmer, John Travolta, Erik Estrada and Greg Evigan
Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and a starring role in Days of Heaven (1978). He came to prominence with his role in the film American Gigolo (1980), which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol. He went on to star in many well-received films, including An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), The Cotton Club (1984), Pretty Woman (1990), Sommersby (1993), Primal Fear (1996), Runaway Bride (1999), I'm Not There (2007), Arbitrage (2012) and Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer (2016). For portraying Billy Flynn in the Academy Award-winning musical Chicago (2002), he won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the cast.
James Alvin Palmer is a retired American right-handed pitcher who played all of his 19 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Baltimore Orioles and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990. Palmer was the winning pitcher in 186 games in the 1970s, the most wins in that decade by any MLB pitcher. He also won at least 20 games in each of eight seasons and received three Cy Young Awards and four Gold Gloves during the decade. His 268 career victories are currently an Orioles record. A six-time American League (AL) All-Star, he was also one of the rare pitchers who never allowed a grand slam in any major league contest.
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, film producer, dancer, and singer. Travolta rose to fame during the 1970s, appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1978). His acting career declined through the 1980s, but enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s with his role in Pulp Fiction (1994), and he has since starred in films such as Get Shorty, Broken Arrow, Face/Off, Swordfish, Be Cool, Wild Hogs, Hairspray, and The Taking of Pelham 123.
PSA of 1980: Give a Kid a Book PSA
Then and Now 1980: Sony Walkman with Cassette (Then: $169.00 / Now: $19.95), Ross Harris (Then: Movie star of Airplane! / Now: Video star of Hootie and the Blowfish's "Sad Caper"), and The Big Gulp (Then: 32 oz. / Now: 64 oz.)
Mr. & Ms. 1980: Ronald Reagan and Daisy Duke
Born in 1980: Christina Aguilera, Post-it notes, ethnic Barbie dolls and Macaulay Culkin
End Credit Video is Devo's "Whip It"
1981
Makeout Songs of 1981: REO Speedwagon's "Keep on Loving You", Foreigner's "Waiting For a Girl Like You", and Lionel Richie & Diana Ross' "Endless Love"
Babes of 1981: Olivia Newton-John, Donna Dixon, Valerie Bertinelli, Kathleen Turner and Sandra Day O'Connor
Hunks of 1981: Patrick Duffy, Burt Reynolds, Harrison Ford, Mick Jagger and Richard Simmons
PSA of 1981: Girl Scouts in Gymnastics
Then and Now 1981: Tom Cruise (Then: Endless Love - $33 Million / Now: Endless Cash - $25 Million), Movie Tickets (Then: $3.00 / Now: $10.00), and Suntan Lotion (Then: Tanning oil / Now: Hawaiian Tropic Ozone SPF 70)
Mr. & Ms. 1981: Tom Selleck and Sheena Easton
Born in 1981: Alicia Keys, Beyoncé Knowles, the laptop computer, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, the thong, Serena Williams and Metallica
End Credit Video is The Police's "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"
1982
Makeout Songs of 1982: Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes' "Up Where We Belong" and Lionel Richie's "Truly"
Babes of 1982: Kim Wilde, Rae Dawn Chong, Kirstie Alley, Pia Zadora, and Tootsie
Hunks of 1982: John Stamos, David Lee Roth, Sting, Bruce Springsteen and the Soloflex Guy
PSA of 1982: Time for Timer "Sunshine on a Stick" PSA
Then and Now 1982: Cats (Then: On Broadway now and forever / Now: Gone), Scott Schwartz (Then: Child star of The Toy / Now: Porn star), and Concert Tickets for The Who (Then: Farewell tour - $25.00 / Now: Reunion tour - $250.00)
Mr. & Ms. 1982: Eddie Murphy and Heather Locklear
Born in 1982: Kirsten Dunst, Prince William, Diet Coke, Public Enemy and liposuction
End Credit Video is The Human League's "Don't You Want Me"
1983
Makeout Songs of 1983: The Police's "Every Breath You Take", Spandau Ballet's "True" and Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing"
Babes of 1983: Maud Adams, Vanity, Joan Collins, Christie Brinkley and Rebecca De Mornay
Hunks of 1983: Lee Horsley, Rob Lowe, Marvin Gaye, Bruce Boxleitner and Chewbacca
PSA of 1983: Smokey Bear - Mask of Joanna Cassidy
Then and Now 1983: Talent Shows (Then: Star Search / Now: American Idol ), Cellular Phones (Then: $3,000 / Now: Given Away), and Home Video Cameras (Then: Sony Betamovie - 6.5 lbs. / Now: Sony Micro MB Handycam - 12 oz.)
Mr. & Ms. 1983: Tom Cruise and Ms. Pac-Man
Born in 1983: Michelle Branch, Bon Jovi, the Nintendo Entertainment System, Taylor Hanson and the Red Hot Chili Peppers
End Credit Video is Madness' "Our House"
1984
Makeout Songs of 1984: Mike Reno & Ann Wilson's "Almost Paradise", Phil Collins' "Against All Odds", and John Waite's "Missing You"
Babes of 1984: Paulina Porizkova, Daryl Hannah, Tina Turner, Heather Thomas and Geraldine Ferraro
Hunks of 1984: Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, C. Thomas Howell, Duran Duran and Tom Hulce
PSA of 1984: "Don't let your lungs go to pot." - Cast of Fame
Then and Now 1984: Recreational Family Vehicles (Then: Chrysler Caravan - $8,669 / Now: Ford Explorer - $24,620), Super Bowl Tickets (Then: $60.00 / Now: $325.00), and The Mac (Then: 131,000 bytes of memory / Now: 500,000,000 bytes of memory)
Mr. & Ms. 1984: Boy George and Boy George
Born in 1984: Mandy Moore, Freddy Krueger, Kelly Osbourne, hair mousse and Punky Brewster
End Credit Video is Nena's "99 Red Balloons"
1985
Makeout Songs of 1985: Wham!'s "Careless Whisper", Sade's "Smooth Operator", and Madonna's "Crazy for You"
Babes of 1985: Kelly LeBrock, Kelly McGillis, Rosanna Arquette, Grace Slick and Tipper Gore
Hunks of 1985: Sylvester Stallone, William "The Refrigerator" Perry, Robert Redford, Jim McMahon and Pee-Wee Herman
PSA of 1985: Contract For Life
Then and Now 1985: Hit Soft Drinks (Then: New Coke / Now: Vanilla Coke), and Pro Wrestling (Then: Hulk Hogan / Now: The Rock)
Mr. & Ms. 1985: Dolph Lundgren and Brigitte Nielsen
Born in 1985: Zac Hanson, Air Jordans, Frankie Muniz, Lee Press-On Nails and VH1
End Credit Video is Tears for Fears' "Shout"
1986
Makeout Songs of 1986: Berlin's "Take My Breath Away", Peter Cetera & Amy Grant's "The Next Time I Fall", and Atlantic Starr's "Secret Lovers"
Babes of 1986: Susanna Hoffs, Kim Basinger, Stevie Nicks, Bette Midler and the Statue of Liberty
Hunks of 1986: Tom Cruise, Walter Payton, Paul Hogan, Keith Hernandez and Howard the Duck
PSA of 1986: "Vote With A Friend. Make It Count More" with Quincy Jones and James Ingram
Then and Now 1986: Highest Baseball Salary (Then: Gary Carter - $2 Million / Now: Alex Rodriguez - $22 Million), David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar (Then: Rivals / Now: Together), and Ted Danson and Kelsey Grammer (Then: Ted Danson - $45,000 an episode on Cheers / Now: Kelsey Grammer - $1,600,000 an episode on Frasier )
Mr. & Ms. 1986: Mike Tyson and Oprah Winfrey
Born in 1986: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen, the Goo Goo Dolls, Jolt Cola, the Pixies and the disposable camera
End Credit Video is Mr. Mister's "Kyrie"
1987
Makeout Songs of 1987: Billy Vera & The Beaters' "At This Moment", Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over", and LL Cool J's "I Need Love"
Babes of 1987: Lisa Bonet, Sheena Easton, Jody Watley, Tawny Kitaen and the Church Lady
Hunks of 1987: LL Cool J, RoboCop, Dennis Quaid, Harry Hamlin and Harry from Harry and the Hendersons
PSA of 1987: Anti-Drug (Marijuana) "I learned it by watching you!"
Then and Now 1987: Richest Person in America (Then: Sam Walton - $4,500,000,000 / Now: Bill Gates - $43,000,000,000) / Baby Jessica (Then: Stuck in a well / Now: Well adjusted), and Axl Rose (Then: New face of rock 'n' roll / Now: New face)
Mr. & Ms. 1987: Bruce Willis and Cher
Born in 1987: Lil' Bow Wow, Aaron Carter, Nirvana and condom commercials
End Credit Video is Wang Chung's "Everybody Have Fun Tonight"
1988
Makeout Songs of 1988: Patrick Swayze's "She's Like the Wind", Richard Marx's "Hold On to the Nights", and Cheap Trick's "The Flame"
Babes of 1988: Jessica Rabbit, Kari Wuhrer, Samantha Fox, Julia Roberts, and Divine
Hunks of 1988: John F. Kennedy, Jr., Donald Trump, Kevin Costner, Joe Montana, and Dan Quayle
PSA of 1988: Buckle Up (Car Crash Test Dummies)
Then and Now 1988: A Year of Tuition at Harvard (Then: $12,000 / Now: $35,000), Ricki Lake (Then: 250 lbs. / Now: 120 lbs.), and 100-Meter Sprint (Then: Ben Johnson - 9.79 seconds / Now: Tim Montgomery - 9.78 seconds)
Mr. and Ms. 1988: ALF and Debbie Gibson
Born in 1988: Haley Joel Osment, Teddy Grahams, Miami Heat, En Vogue, and Prozac
End Credit Video is INXS' "Mediate"
1989
Makeout Songs of 1989: Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting", Simply Red's "If You Don't Know Me by Now", and The Cure's "Lovesong"
Babes of 1989: Winona Ryder, Paula Abdul, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Claudia Schiffer, and Barbara Bush
Hunks of 1989: Batman, The Joker, Johnny Depp, Mel Gibson, and Leonardo
PSA of 1989: AIDS Prevention
Then and Now 1989: Bushes (Then: George H. W. Bush / Now: George W. Bush), Justin Timberlake (Then: Mouseketeer / Now: Michael Jackson), and World Wide Web (Then: Dialing up / Now: Off the hook)
Mr. and Ms. 1989: Fab Morvan and Meg Ryan
Born in 1989: Daniel Radcliffe, Hole, Hootie & the Blowfish, Lil' Romeo, and American Gladiators
End Credit Video is Madonna's "Express Yourself"
I Love the '80s Strikes Back is a miniseries on VH1 in which various music and TV personalities reminisce about 1980s popular culture in a mostly humorous manner. The series premiered on October 20, 2003, and is a sequel to I Love the '80s.
Elizabeth Ann Guttman, credited as E. G. Daily and sometimes Elizabeth Daily, is an American actress, voice artist, comedian and singer, best known for voicing Tommy Pickles in the Nicktoons Rugrats and All Grown Up! and Buttercup in Cartoon Network's The Powerpuff Girls. She also voiced the title-character from the live-action film Babe: Pig in the City replacing Christine Cavanaugh.
Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna, released on March 21, 1989 by Sire Records. Madonna worked with Stephen Bray, Patrick Leonard, and Prince on the album while co-writing and co-producing all the songs. Her most introspective release at the time, Like a Prayer has been described as a confessional record. Madonna described the album as a collection of songs "about my mother, my father, and bonds with my family." The album was dedicated to Madonna's mother, who died when she was young.
"Papa Don't Preach" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album True Blue (1986). The song was written by Brian Elliot with additional lyrics by Madonna, who produced it with Stephen Bray. The song also appears remixed on the 1990 compilation album The Immaculate Collection and in its original form on the 2009 compilation album Celebration. The song's musical style combines pop and classical styling, and its lyrics deal with teenage pregnancy and abortion. It was based on teen gossip Elliot heard outside his recording studio.
Patrick Ray Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist, film composer, and music producer, best known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna. His work with Madonna includes her albums True Blue (1986), Who's That Girl (1987), Like a Prayer (1989), I'm Breathless (1990) and Ray of Light (1998). He scored her 2008 documentary I Am Because We Are, played keyboards with her at Live Aid (1985), and was musical director and keyboardist on The Virgin Tour (1985) and the Who's That Girl World Tour (1987).
Shep Pettibone is an American record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s.
"Material Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her second studio album Like a Virgin (1984). It was released on January 23, 1985, by the Sire label as the second single from Like a Virgin. It also appears slightly remixed on the 1990 greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, and in its original form on the 2009 greatest hits compilation, Celebration. The song was written by Peter Brown and Robert Rans, while Nile Rodgers produced the track. Madonna explained that the concept of the song was indicative of her life at that time, and she liked it because she felt it was provocative.
Big Thing is the fifth studio album by English new wave band Duran Duran. It was released on 18 October 1988 by EMI. The album reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart and number 24 on the US Billboard 200.
"Is There Something I Should Know?" is the eighth single by British pop band Duran Duran, released on 19 March 1983.
Taylor Dayne, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to fame in 1987 after her debut single "Tell It to My Heart" reached number one across several international music charts. Dayne achieved three additional number one singles, including "Love Will Lead You Back", "Prove Your Love", and "I'll Always Love You".
Mark Rezyka is best known as a top director of heavy metal videos in the 1980s and 1990s. With partners Marcelo Epstein and Dominic Orlando, he founded Pendulum Productions in 1982, and directed over 300 music videos over the next 15 years. Artists included Quiet Riot, Kiss, Ratt, Cinderella, Whitesnake, Survivor, Foreigner, Cheap Trick, and Joan Jett, among others.
"Higher Love" is a 1986 song by English singer Steve Winwood. It was the first single released from his fourth solo LP, Back in the High Life. It was written by Winwood and Will Jennings, and produced by Russ Titelman and Winwood. The female vocals on the song were performed by Chaka Khan, who also appeared in the promotional music video.
"Take a Bow" is a song by American singer Madonna from her sixth studio album Bedtime Stories (1994). It was released as the album's second single on December 6, 1994, by Maverick Records. It is a midtempo pop ballad written and produced by Madonna and Babyface. The song also appears on her compilation albums Something to Remember (1995), GHV2 (2001) and Celebration (2009). Following the sexually explicit persona portrayed by Madonna on her previous album, Erotica, the singer wanted to tone down her image for Bedtime Stories. She started collaborating with Babyface, whose work with other musicians had impressed her. "Take a Bow" was developed from this collaboration, after Madonna listened to the beat and the chords of the demo structure of the song.
I Love the '80s 3-D is the follow-up to VH1's 1980s nostalgia show I Love the '80s and its sequel I Love the '80s Strikes Back. It premiered October 24, 2005. Like its predecessors, it premiered in one-hour installments, each describing the events and trends of a year between 1980 and 1989, two shows per night until Friday, October 28, 2005.
"Express Yourself" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna, from her fourth studio album Like a Prayer (1989). It was released as the second single from the album on May 9, 1989 by Sire Records. The song was included on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection (1990), and Celebration (2009). "Express Yourself" was the first song that Madonna and producer Stephen Bray collaborated on for Like a Prayer. Written and produced by them, the song was a tribute to American funk and soul band Sly and the Family Stone. The main inspiration behind the song is female empowerment, urging women never to go for second-best and to always express their inner feelings.
"I Got You Babe" is a song written by Sonny Bono. It was the first single taken from the debut studio album Look at Us, of the American pop music duo Sonny & Cher. In August 1965, their single spent three weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States where it sold more than 1 million copies and was certified Gold. It also reached number 1 in the United Kingdom and Canada.
"Addicted to Love" is a song by English rock singer Robert Palmer released in 1986. It became his signature song, thanks in part to a popular video featuring high fashion models. Other artists have since released versions of it.
"Burning The Ground" is the 20th single by Duran Duran, released in December 1989. It was created as a stand-alone single to promote the compilation album Decade: Greatest Hits. However, its music video was included on the band's audiovisual compilation Greatest, released in 1999 (VHS) and 2003 (DVD). The song is essentially a megamix of Duran Duran's history, featuring tidbits of all of the band's hits of the previous ten years.
Babe, stylized "BaBe", was a Japanese pop duo, composed of Tomoko Kondo and Yukari Nikaido. They debuted in February 1987 with "Give Me Up", a cover of Michael Fortunati's original song. From February 1987 to February 1990 they had several hits including "I Don't Know", "Somebody Loves You", and "Get a Chance!".
