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 July 21 1989 – UHF Premiered in Theaters
On this day July 21 1989, UHF premiered in theaters and gave Weird Al Yankovic his first and only leading role in a feature film. The offbeat comedy followed George Newman, a daydreaming underachiever who suddenly finds himself running a struggling UHF television station. What
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On This Day July 21 1989 – Do the Right Thing Premiered in Theaters
On this day July 21 1989, Do the Right Thing premiered in theaters and immediately sparked powerful conversations about race, identity, and justice in America. Written, directed, and produced by Spike Lee, the film was set during the hottest day of the year in a
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On This Day July 18, 1989 – UHF Soundtrack by Weird Al Yankovic Was Released
On this day July 18, 1989, the UHF soundtrack by Weird Al Yankovic was released and delivered a chaotic mix of parody songs, comedy sketches, and pop culture spoofs that matched the offbeat tone of the film. Although the movie UHF had a short theatrical
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On This Day June 26 1989 – Bad English Debut Album Released
On this day June 26 1989, Bad English released their self titled debut album bringing together members of Journey and The Babys for a powerful rock project that merged arena rock with melodic hooks. The lineup included Jonathan Cain Neal Schon John Waite Ricky Phillips
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On This Day April 4 1989 – The Breathtaking Blue by Alphaville Was Released
On this day April 4 1989 Alphaville released their third studio album The Breathtaking Blue. Known for their synthpop sound and dramatic lyrics the band pushed their creative boundaries with this release blending electronic music with orchestral elements and a more experimental tone. The album
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On This Day April 3 1989 – Top Card Premiered on TNN
On this day April 3 1989 the game show Top Card premiered on The Nashville Network also known as TNN. The show mixed trivia questions with a blackjack style card game as contestants competed to build the best hand and win prizes. Top Card ran
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On This Day April 1 1989 – Eternal Flame by The Bangles Became the Number 1 Song in America
On this day April 1 1989 Eternal Flame by The Bangles hit number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 where it stayed through April 7. The emotional ballad also soared to number 1 in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal, Norway, Netherlands and Australia. Written
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On This Day April 1 1989 – Final Episode of She’s the Sheriff Aired
On this day April 1 1989 the final episode of the sitcom She’s the Sheriff aired. The show starred Suzanne Somers as Hildy Granger a widow who unexpectedly becomes sheriff of a small Nevada town after her husband passes away. Running for 2 seasons with
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On This Day April 1 1989 – City Streets by Carole King Was Released
On this day April 1 1989 Carole King released her fifteenth studio album City Streets. The album marked a return to her rock roots with a more electric sound and featured collaborations that gave the record a modern edge for the late 80s. City Streets
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On This Day April 1 1989 – Stuck in Wonderamaland by Dramarama Was Released
On this day April 1 1989 Dramarama released their third studio album Stuck in Wonderamaland. Known for their alternative rock and power pop sound the band delivered a gritty emotional and guitar driven record that continued to build on their underground following. The album featured
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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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