On This Day During the 80s
Travel back through the 1980s and discover what happened on this day in music, movies, television, pop culture and more.
450 On This Day Articles
On This Day March 31 1989 – Heathers Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 31 1989 the dark teen comedy Heathers premiered in theaters. Directed by Michael Lehmann the film starred Winona Ryder as Veronica and Christian Slater as J D a dangerous outsider who shakes up the high school social order with deadly consequences.
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On This Day March 29 1989 – Rain Man Won Best Picture at the 61st Academy Awards
On this day March 29 1989 Rain Man took home the Oscar for Best Picture at the 61st Academy Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles California. The ceremony had no official host and was broadcast live on ABC. Rain Man was the
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On This Day March 28 1989 – Alannah Myles Released Her Debut Album
On this day March 28 1989 Canadian singer Alannah Myles released her self titled debut album. Blending bluesy rock vocals with polished production the album introduced a powerful new voice to the music world and quickly climbed the charts. The album reached number 5 on
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On This Day March 27 1989 – If You Don’t Know Me by Now by Simply Red Was Released
On this day March 27 1989 Simply Red released their soulful cover of If You Don’t Know Me by Now. Originally recorded by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes in 1972 the song was reimagined by the British band with a smooth 80s production style
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On This Day March 27 1989 – Generations Premiered on NBC
On this day March 27 1989 the groundbreaking daytime soap opera Generations premiered on NBC. The series ran for 2 seasons with a total of 470 episodes and made television history as the first soap opera to center around an African American family from the
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On This Day March 27 1989 – Larger than Life by Jody Watley Was Released
On this day March 27 1989 Jody Watley released her second studio album Larger than Life. Building on the success of her debut the album blended pop R&B and dance with a confident sound and sleek production that captured the energy of late 80s radio.
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On This Day March 26 1989 – Quantum Leap Premiered on NBC
On this day March 26 1989 Quantum Leap premiered on NBC. The science fiction drama starred Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett a physicist who becomes trapped in time after testing a government time travel experiment. Each episode saw Sam leap into a different person’s
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On This Day March 25 1989 – The Living Years by Mike and the Mechanics Hit Number 1 in America
On this day March 25 1989 The Living Years by Mike and the Mechanics became the number 1 song in America. The emotional ballad topped the Billboard Hot 100 from March 25 through March 31 and also hit number 1 in Ireland Australia and Japan.
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On This Day March 25 1989 – Men Premiered on ABC
On this day March 25 1989 the short lived drama series Men premiered on ABC. The show followed the lives of five male friends navigating careers relationships and personal struggles while living in Los Angeles. It aimed to provide a dramatic look at modern masculinity
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On This Day March 24 1989 – Troop Beverly Hills Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 24 1989 Troop Beverly Hills premiered in theaters. Directed by Jeff Kanew the comedy starred Shelley Long as Phyllis Nefler a glamorous Beverly Hills socialite who unexpectedly becomes the leader of her daughter’s Wilderness Girls troop. Craig T. Nelson played her
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On This Day March 24 1989 – Dead Bang Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 24 1989 Dead Bang premiered in theaters. Directed by John Frankenheimer the crime thriller starred Don Johnson as a tough and unorthodox LAPD detective on the trail of a dangerous white supremacist group. The film also featured Penelope Ann Miller William
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On This Day March 24 1989 – Final Episode of Super Password Aired
On this day March 24 1989 the final episode of Super Password aired on NBC. The game show ran for 6 seasons with a total of 1151 episodes and was hosted by Bert Convy. A revival of the classic Password format the show paired celebrities
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On This Day March 24 1989 – Peter Pan Aired on NBC for the First Time Since 1973
On this day March 24 1989 NBC aired Peter Pan on television for the first time since 1973. The broadcast featured the beloved stage production starring Mary Martin as Peter Pan a role that became iconic through its original televised performances in the 1950s and
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On This Day March 24 1989 – 976-Evil Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 24 1989 976-Evil premiered in theaters. The supernatural horror film marked the directorial debut of Robert Englund best known for playing Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street series. The movie starred Stephen Geoffreys Jim Metzler Maria Rubell Pat O’Bryan
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On This Day March 22 1989 – White Zombie Released Their Album Make Them Die Slowly
On this day March 22 1989 White Zombie released their second studio album Make Them Die Slowly. Some sources cite March 16 as the release date but March 22 is also widely referenced. The album marked a transition from their early noise rock style to
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On This Day March 21 1989 – Madonna Released Her Album Like a Prayer
On this day March 21 1989 Madonna released her fourth studio album Like a Prayer. The album became a massive global success hitting number one on the US Billboard 200 and topping the charts in the UK Canada France Germany Italy Spain Greece and many
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On This Day March 21 1989 – Bonnie Raitt Released Her Album Nick of Time
On this day March 21 1989 Bonnie Raitt released her tenth studio album Nick of Time. The album became a career-defining success for Raitt hitting number one on the US Billboard 200 and selling over 5 million copies in the US. It won the Grammy
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On This Day March 21 1989 – Phantasy Star II Was Released in Japan
On this day March 21 1989 Phantasy Star II was released for the Sega Genesis in Japan. As the highly anticipated sequel to the original Phantasy Star the game expanded the series with a deep sci-fi storyline turn based combat and an expansive world filled
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On This Day March 20 1989 – Donna Summer Released Her Album Another Place in Time
On this day March 20 1989 Donna Summer released her 14th studio album Another Place in Time. The album blended her signature disco sound with late-80s dance-pop production and reached number 53 on the Billboard 200 charts. Another Place in Time featured the hit single
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On This Day March 20 1989 – Live-In Premiered on CBS
On this day March 20 1989 the short lived sitcom Live-In premiered on CBS. The show followed an Australian nanny who moves in with an American family leading to comedic cultural clashes and family bonding moments. Despite its lighthearted premise Live-In struggled to find an
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On This Day March 18 1989 – The Final Episode of Murphy’s Law Aired
On this day March 18 1989 the final episode of Murphy’s Law aired after just one season and 13 episodes. The series followed private investigator Daedalus Patrick Murphy played by George Segal as he solved cases while navigating his own personal troubles. Despite its unique
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On This Day March 17 1989 – Leviathan Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 17 1989 the sci-fi horror film Leviathan premiered in theaters. Directed by George P. Cosmatos the film starred Peter Weller Richard Crenna Ernie Hudson and Daniel Stern in an underwater thriller that blended elements of Alien and The Thing. Set in
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On This Day March 17 1989 – Rooftops Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 17 1989 the urban drama Rooftops premiered in theaters. Directed by legendary filmmaker Robert Wise the film starred Jason Gedrick Troy Beyer Eddie Velez and Tisha Campbell in a gritty story about survival and street culture in New York City. The
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On This Day March 17 1989 – Fletch Lives Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 17 1989 the comedy sequel Fletch Lives premiered in theaters. Directed by Michael Ritchie the film starred Chevy Chase reprising his role as the fast-talking investigative journalist Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher alongside Hal Holbrook and Julianne Phillips. A follow up to the
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