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.
389 On This Day Articles
On This Day August 25 1987 – Door to Door by The Cars Was Released
On this day August 25 1987, Door to Door by The Cars was released. This marked the sixth studio album from the iconic new wave group and would ultimately become their last release before a long hiatus. After years of defining the sleek and synth
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On This Day August 24 1987 – The Lonesome Jubilee by John Cougar Mellencamp Released
On this day August 24 1987, The Lonesome Jubilee by John Cougar Mellencamp was released. It was his ninth studio album and marked a bold shift in sound by blending heartland rock with folk and traditional American instrumentation. Songs like Paper in Fire and Cherry
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On This Day August 22 1986 – Final Episode of Riptide Aired
On this day August 22 1986, the final episode of Riptide aired on NBC, closing out one of the more unique detective series of the 1980s. The show followed Vietnam War buddies Cody Allen and Nick Ryder who launched their own private investigation business along
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On This Day August 22 1986 – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 Premiered in Theaters
On this day August 22 1986, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 premiered in theaters and took the horror sequel into explosive new territory. Labeled a black comedy horror the film was a wild ride into over-the-top violence, twisted humor and outrageous practical effects. Directed by
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On This Day August 22 1986 – Extremities Premiered in Theaters
On this day August 22 1986, Extremities premiered in theaters, delivering a tense and harrowing drama that took audiences into the raw psychology of trauma and empowerment. Based on the stage play by William Mastrosimone the film followed a woman attacked in her own home
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On This Day August 20 1986 – Fore Huey Lewis and the News 4th Album
On this day August 20 1986, Huey Lewis and the News released their fourth studio album Fore . The record delivered four Billboard Hot 100 top ten singles, including the chart topping hit Stuck with You. With its upbeat sound and polished production, the album
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On This Day August 20 1986 – Patrick Sherrill Opened Fire at an Oklahoma Post Office
On this day August 20 1986, a tragic event unfolded in Edmond, Oklahoma when postal worker Patrick Sherrill killed 14 of his co-workers and injured 6 others before taking his own life. The shocking massacre became one of the deadliest workplace shootings in American history
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On This Day August 18 1986 – Bon Jovi Released Slippery When Wet
On this day August 18 1986, Slippery When Wet was released, becoming the third album by Bon Jovi and their most successful yet. It transformed the band from rising rockers into stadium headliners with a powerful blend of big choruses, slick production, and anthemic rock
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On This Day August 18 1986 – ABBA Live Album Released
On this day August 18 1986, ABBA released their first live album simply titled ABBA Live. Capturing performances from their 1977 and 1979 tours, the record offered fans a chance to hear the Swedish supergroup’s hits in an energetic concert setting. It featured classics such
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On This Day August 18 1986 – Kicking Against the Pricks by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Released
On this day August 18 1986, Kicking Against the Pricks was released, marking the third album from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. This collection stood out as the band’s first covers album, reinterpreting songs from a wide range of artists including Johnny Cash, Lou
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On This Day August 18 1986 – Silk and Steel by Five Star Released
On this day August 18 1986, Silk and Steel was released, marking the second studio album by British pop group Five Star. The record solidified their position as one of the UK’s leading pop and R&B acts of the decade, blending smooth harmonies with polished
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On This Day August 18 1986 – True as Steel by Warlock Released
On this day August 18 1986, True as Steel was released, marking the third studio album from German heavy metal band Warlock. Fronted by powerhouse vocalist Doro Pesch, the album brought the band greater international attention with its mix of melodic hooks and driving metal
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On This Day August 16 1986 – Papa Dont Preach by Madonna Hit Number One in America
On this day August 16 1986, Madonna’s hit single Papa Dont Preach reached number one on the US Billboard charts, where it stayed for two weeks until August 29. The song, from her massively successful album True Blue , also topped the charts in the
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On This Day August 15 1986 – The Fly Premiered in Theaters
On this day August 15 1986, The Fly premiered in theaters. Directed by David Cronenberg, this intense science fiction horror film told the disturbing story of scientist Seth Brundle, whose teleportation experiment goes horribly wrong, merging his DNA with that of a common housefly. The
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On This Day August 13 1986 – MC Hammer Released His Debut Album Feel My Power
On this day August 13 1986, MC Hammer released his debut album Feel My Power. Independently produced and distributed through his own label, the album introduced a high energy style that would later help bring hip hop into the pop mainstream. Feel My Power was
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On This Day August 11 1986 – Now Thats What I Call Music 7 Released in the UK
On this day August 11 1986, Now Thats What I Call Music 7 was released in the United Kingdom. The seventh volume in the popular compilation series brought together a wide mix of chart hits that defined the sound of the summer. With tracks from
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On This Day August 9 1986 – Final Episode of The Paper Chase Aired
On this day August 9 1986, the final episode of The Paper Chase aired, closing the book on one of television’s most intellectual and thought provoking dramas. Adapted from the 1973 film and the bestselling novel, the series followed the intense academic journey of law
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On This Day August 9 1986 – Ratt Released Their Album Dancing Undercover
On this day August 9 1986, Dancing Undercover was released by Ratt, marking their third studio album and another step forward in defining the sound of 80s hard rock. Riding high from the success of their previous releases, the band leaned deeper into their gritty
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On This Day August 9 1986 – Motörhead Released Their Album Orgasmatron
On this day August 9 1986, Orgasmatron was released by Motörhead, marking the band’s eleventh studio album and a thunderous return after a period of lineup changes and legal battles. It was their first release in three years and the only album to feature the
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On This Day August 8 1986 – Stand By Me Premiered In Limited Theaters
On this day August 8 1986, Stand By Me premiered in limited theaters, bringing one of the most emotional coming of age stories of the decade to the big screen. Directed by Rob Reiner and based on the novella The Body by Stephen King, the
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On This Day August 8 1986 – One Crazy Summer Premiered In Theaters
On this day August 8 1986, One Crazy Summer premiered in theaters, delivering a quirky romantic comedy that embraced the offbeat charm of mid 80s teen cinema. Directed by Savage Steve Holland, the film starred John Cusack as Hoops McCann, an aspiring cartoonist who spends
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On This Day August 8 1986 – The Transformers The Movie Premiered In Theaters
On this day August 8 1986, The Transformers The Movie premiered in theaters and took fans of the animated series on a bold and dramatic journey far beyond the TV screen. Produced by Hasbro and Sunbow Productions, the film served as a bridge between the
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On This Day August 8 1986 – Shes Gotta Have It Premiered In Theaters
On this day August 8 1986, Shes Gotta Have It premiered in theaters, marking the debut of director Spike Lee and introducing a bold new voice in American independent cinema. Made on a shoestring budget and filmed in just twelve days, the movie broke ground
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On This Day August 6 1986 – Timothy Dalton Was Announced As The Fourth Actor To Play James Bond
On this day August 6 1986, Timothy Dalton was officially announced as the fourth actor to portray James Bond, taking over the iconic role after Roger Moore’s long tenure ended with A View To A Kill. The casting signaled a new direction for the franchise,
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