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.
3,607 On This Day Articles
On This Day March 15 1980 – Sanford Premiered on NBC
On this day March 15 1980 the sitcom Sanford premiered on NBC. Starring Redd Foxx the show served as a sequel to the classic series Sanford and Son continuing the story of Fred Sanford and his junk business. Unlike its predecessor Sanford did not feature
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On This Day March 14 1980 – Defiance Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 14 1980 the action drama Defiance premiered in theaters. Directed by John Flynn the film starred Jan-Michael Vincent as a drifter who finds himself standing up against a violent street gang in a tough New York neighborhood. The cast also included
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On This Day March 14 1980 – Quincy Jones Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
On this day March 14 1980 legendary producer composer and musician Quincy Jones was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. By this time Jones had already built a remarkable career spanning jazz R&B film scoring and pop music production. Jones was
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On This Day March 14 1980 – LOT Flight 7 Crashed Near Warsaw Poland
On this day March 14 1980 LOT Flight 7 tragically crashed during its final approach near Warsaw Poland killing all 87 people on board. Among the victims was a 14 man American boxing team who were traveling to Poland for an international tournament. The crash
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On This Day March 14 1980 – Def Leppard Released Their Debut Album On Through the Night
On this day March 14 1980 Def Leppard released their debut studio album On Through the Night marking the beginning of their rise as one of the biggest rock bands of the 80s. The album featured a raw and energetic sound heavily influenced by the
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On This Day March 12 1980 – Glass Houses by Billy Joel Was Released
On this day March 12 1980 Billy Joel released his seventh studio album Glass Houses marking a shift toward a more rock oriented sound. The album became a massive success topping the Billboard 200 and also reaching number one in Canada and Iceland. Glass Houses
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On This Day March 11 1980 – United States Premiered on NBC
On this day March 11 1980 the short-lived drama series United States premiered on NBC. Starring Beau Bridges the series took a unique approach to storytelling focusing on the everyday struggles of a middle-class married couple in America. Created by Larry Gelbart best known for
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On This Day March 10 1980 – Willard Scott Made His Debut as the Weatherman for The Today Show
On this day March 10 1980 Willard Scott made his first appearance as the weatherman for NBC’s The Today Show. Known for his warm personality and larger-than-life presence Scott quickly became a beloved figure in morning television. Scott was famous for his enthusiastic delivery and
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On This Day March 8 1980 – The 100th Episode of Saturday Night Live Aired on NBC
On this day March 8 1980 Saturday Night Live reached a major milestone as its 100th episode aired on NBC. The episode was hosted by legendary comedian Rodney Dangerfield who brought his signature self-deprecating humor to the iconic late-night show. By its 100th episode SNL
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On This Day March 8 1980 – The Tbilisi Rock Festival Began
On this day March 8 1980 the Tbilisi Rock Festival became the first state-sanctioned rock music festival in the Soviet Union. Held in Tbilisi Georgia the festival was a groundbreaking moment for rock music behind the Iron Curtain where Western-influenced genres were often censored or
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On This Day March 7 1980 – The Psychedelic Furs Released Their Debut Album
On this day March 7 1980 The Psychedelic Furs released their self-titled debut album introducing their post-punk and new wave sound to the world. The album featured a mix of raw energy and atmospheric melodies with Richard Butler’s distinct vocals giving the band a unique
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On This Day March 7 1980 – The Coal Miners Daughter Soundtrack Was Released
On this day March 7 1980 the soundtrack for The Coal Miners Daughter was released featuring music from the biographical film about country legend Loretta Lynn. The album included performances by Sissy Spacek who portrayed Lynn in the movie as well as classic country songs
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On This Day March 7 1980 – Nobodys Hero by Stiff Little Fingers Was Released
On this day March 7 1980 Stiff Little Fingers released their second album Nobodys Hero further cementing their place in the punk rock scene. The album built on the raw energy of their debut while incorporating more melodic elements and socially charged lyrics. Nobodys Hero
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On This Day March 7 1980 – Coal Miner’s Daughter Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 7 1980 the biographical drama Coal Miner's Daughter premiered in theaters bringing the life story of country music legend Loretta Lynn to the big screen. Starring Sissy Spacek as Lynn the film followed her rise from humble beginnings in rural Kentucky
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On This Day March 5 1980 – Beyond Westworld Premiered on CBS
On this day March 5 1980, Beyond Westworld premiered on CBS. The show was based on the 1973 film Westworld and followed the story of a futuristic theme park where artificial intelligence systems malfunction and begin to cause chaos. The series only lasted for one
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On This Day March 3 1980 – Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway Was Released
On this day March 3 1980 Roberta Flack released her ninth studio album Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway. The album was a tribute to her longtime collaborator Donny Hathaway who had passed away the year before. Their previous duets had earned widespread acclaim making this
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On This Day March 3 1980 – That’s Incredible Premiered on ABC
On this day March 3 1980 That’s Incredible premiered on ABC. The show is often considered one of the first reality TV programs bringing audiences real life stories of extraordinary human feats bizarre talents and unbelievable events. Hosted by John Davidson Cathy Lee Crosby and
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On This Day February 25 1980 – Against the Wind by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band Was Released
On this day February 25 1980 Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band released Against the Wind their eleventh studio album and one of the most successful records of Seger’s career. The album quickly rose to the top of the US Billboard 200 where it
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On This Day February 25 1980 – Warm Thoughts by Smokey Robinson Was Released
On this day February 25 1980 Smokey Robinson released his tenth solo album Warm Thoughts. While some sources such as Music Charts Archive list this as the official release date others like Discogs suggest the album was released in April 1980. Regardless of the exact
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On This Day February 22 1980 – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Released Their Debut Album
On this day February 22 1980 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark released their self titled Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dar k debut album introducing the world to their signature blend of synthpop, new wave, and electronic experimentation. The album featured a mix of melancholic melodies,
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On This Day February 22 1980 – The US Hockey Team Beat the Heavily Favored Soviet Union
On this day February 22 1980 the United States men’s hockey team pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports history by defeating the heavily favored Soviet Union in the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid. The game became known as the Miracle on Ice
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On This Day February 19 1980 – AC/DC’s Lead Singer Bon Scott Passed Away
On this day, February 19, 1980, rock and roll lost one of its most legendary voices as AC/DC’s lead singer Bon Scott passed away in London at the age of 33 due to alcohol poisoning. His death marked the end of an era for the
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On This Day February 17 1980 – Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy Became the First to Climb Mount Everest in Winter
On this day, February 17, 1980, Polish climbers Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy made history by becoming the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest during winter. Their groundbreaking ascent was part of a Polish expedition led by Andrzej Zawada, marking one of
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On This Day February 17 1980 – Tommy Tutone Released Their Debut Album
On this day, February 17, 1980, Tommy Tutone released their self titled debut album, introducing their blend of power pop and rock to the world. The album reached #68 on the Billboard charts and set the stage for the band’s rise in the early 80s.
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