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.
152 On This Day Articles
On This Day July 24 1985 – The Black Cauldron Premiered in Theaters
On this day July 24 1985, The Black Cauldron premiered in theaters. This dark fantasy adventure from Walt Disney Productions marked a major departure from the studio’s traditional animated formula. Based on Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain novels, the film followed a young pig keeper
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On This Day July 22, 1985 – Standing on the Edge by Cheap Trick Was Released
On this day July 22 1985, Standing on the Edge by Cheap Trick was released, marking the band’s eighth studio album and a return to a more guitar driven sound after experimenting with synth heavy production on earlier 80s releases. The album showed that the
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On This Day July 22 1985 – Luxury of Life by Five Star Was Released
On this day July 22 1985, Luxury of Life marked the debut album release from Five Star, a British pop and R&B group made up of five siblings from the Pearson family. With their polished sound, slick choreography, and eye catching fashion, Five Star quickly
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On This Day July 20, 1985 – How Could It Be by Eddie Murphy Was Released
On this day July 20, 1985, How Could It Be by Eddie Murphy was released, marking the comedy star’s debut as a recording artist. Known for his explosive success on Saturday Night Live and in blockbuster films like Beverly Hills Cop and Trading Places, Murphy
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On This Day July 19, 1985 – The Legend of Billie Jean Premiered in Theaters
On this day July 19, 1985, The Legend of Billie Jean premiered in theaters and brought a fierce story of teen justice and empowerment to the big screen. Directed by Matthew Robbins, the film starred Helen Slater as Billie Jean Davy, a young woman who
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On This Day July 19, 1985 – The Man with One Red Shoe Premiered in Theaters
On this day July 19, 1985, The Man with One Red Shoe premiered in theaters, bringing a mix of mistaken identity, espionage, and offbeat humor to the big screen. Directed by Stan Dragoti, the film starred Tom Hanks as an unsuspecting concert violinist who becomes
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On This Day July 19, 1985 – Final Episode of Matt Houston Aired on ABC
On this day July 19, 1985, the final episode of Matt Houston aired on ABC, wrapping up a three season run that blended private eye storytelling with oil money flash and cowboy charm. Starring Lee Horsley in the title role, the series followed a wealthy
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On This Day July 30 1984 – Santa Barbara Premiered on NBC
On this day July 30 1984, Santa Barbara premiered on NBC and brought a bold new flavor to daytime television. Set in the fictional coastal town of Santa Barbara California, the soap opera centered around the wealthy Capwell family and their long running feud with
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On This Day July 30 1984 – Stephen Stills Released His Third Solo Album Right By You
On this day July 30 1984, Stephen Stills released his third solo album, Right By You , marking his return to solo work after nearly six years. Known best for his influential work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby Stills and Nash, this album found Stills
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On This Day July 28 1984 – ABC Began Their Coverage Of The Summer Olympic Games From Los Angeles
On this day July 28 1984, ABC began its official broadcast coverage of the Summer Olympic Games from Los Angeles bringing one of the most memorable Olympic events of the decade into homes across America. With more than 180 nations participating and the games hosted
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On This Day July 27 1984 – Purple Rain Premiered In Theaters
On this day July 27 1984, Purple Rain premiered in theaters showcasing Prince as a passionate musician navigating the Minneapolis music scene. The film blends electrifying concert sequences with a coming of age drama centered on The Kid as he contends with family tensions, love,
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On This Day July 27 1984 – Madonna Released Her Debut Album Madonna
On this day July 27 1984, Madonna released her self titled debut album which introduced the world to her bold pop persona and infectious dance rhythms. The album featured early hits such as Holiday, Borderline, Lucky Star, and Burning Up which quickly climbed the charts
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On This Day July 27 1984 – Metallica Released Their Second Album Ride The Lightning
On this day July 27 1984, Ride The Lightning by Metallica was released marking a leap forward in the band’s sound and ambition. The album expanded on their debut with complex song structures, varied tempos, and introspective lyrics. Tracks like Fade To Black, Creeping Death,
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On This Day July 25 1984 – Soviet Cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya Became the First Woman to Walk in Space
On this day July 25 1984, Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya made history as the first woman to perform a spacewalk. While aboard the Salyut 7 space station, she spent over three hours outside the spacecraft conducting welding experiments in orbit. Savitskaya had already become the
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On This Day July 23 1984 – MTV Aired The Live WWF Event The Brawl to End It All
On this day July 23 1984, The Brawl to End It All aired live on MTV, marking a groundbreaking moment where professional wrestling collided with pop culture television. The event featured a heavily promoted match between Wendi Richter and The Fabulous Moolah for the WWF
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On This Day July 23 1984 – Hard to Hold by Rick Springfield Was Released
On this day July 23 1984, Hard to Hold was released, marking the seventh studio album from Rick Springfield and serving as the soundtrack to his feature film of the same name. The album combined Springfield’s polished rock sound with songs that reflected the themes
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On This Day July 21 1984 – Stryper Released The Yellow and Black Attack EP
On this day July 21 1984, Stryper released their debut EP, The Yellow and Black Attack . With its bold imagery, high pitched vocals, and faith based message, the release introduced a new force to the 80s metal scene. It was one of the earliest
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On This Day July 20, 1984 – Revenge of the Nerds Premiered in Theaters
On this day July 20, 1984, Revenge of the Nerds premiered in theaters and turned the spotlight on the underdogs in one of the most memorable comedies of the decade. Directed by Jeff Kanew, the film followed a group of smart but awkward college freshmen
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On This Day July 20, 1984 – The NeverEnding Story Premiered in Theaters
On this day July 20, 1984, The NeverEnding Story premiered in theaters and brought audiences into a world filled with imagination, emotion, and adventure. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen and based on the novel by Michael Ende, the film followed Bastian, a quiet boy who discovers
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On This Day July 20, 1984 – Best Defense Premiered in Theaters
On this day July 20, 1984, Best Defense premiered in theaters with high expectations thanks to its big name cast, but the movie quickly fell short. Directed by Willard Huyck, the film starred Dudley Moore as a nervous engineer caught in a military project and
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On This Day July 20, 1984 – Electric Dreams Premiered in Theaters
On this day July 20, 1984, Electric Dreams premiered in theaters and gave audiences a strange and charming story that blended romance, comedy, and early computer culture. Directed by Steve Barron in his feature film debut, the movie explored what happens when a man, a
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On This Day July 29 1983 – National Lampoons Vacation Premiered In Theaters
On this day July 29 1983, National Lampoons Vacation premiered in theaters and introduced audiences to one of the most iconic family road trips of the decade. Directed by Harold Ramis and written by John Hughes, the film followed the Griswold family as they set
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On This Day July 29 1983 – National Lampoon’s Vacation Premiered in Theaters
On this day July 29 1983, National Lampoon’s Vacation premiered in theaters and kicked off one of the most beloved comedy franchises of the decade. The film follows the hilarious misadventures of the Griswold family as they embark on a cross country trip to the
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On This Day July 29 1983 – Private School Premiered in Theaters
On this day July 29 1983, Private School premiered in theaters offering a cheeky take on teenage romance and high school antics. Starring Phoebe Cates and Matthew Modine, the film delivered a familiar mix of mischievous pranks, coming of age tension, and steamy situations set
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