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 3 1986 – Master of Puppets by Metallica Was Released
On this day March 3 1986 Metallica released their third studio album Master of Puppets. Widely regarded as one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time the album showcased the band's aggressive sound complex compositions and intense lyrical themes. Master of Puppets reached
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On This Day March 3 1986 – Balance of Power by Electric Light Orchestra Released
On this day, March 3, 1986, Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) released their 11th studio album, Balance of Power . The album marked a significant moment in ELO’s history as it was their final studio release before disbanding for over a decade. It reached #49 on
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On This Day March 1 1986 – Kyrie by Mr. Mister Became the Number One Song in America
On this day March 1 1986 Kyrie by Mr. Mister reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, holding the top spot from March 1 to March 14. The song also hit number one in Canada and Norway, becoming one of the band’s biggest international
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On This Day March 1 1986 – Valerie Premiered on NBC
On this day March 1 1986 Valerie premiered on NBC. The family sitcom starred Valerie Harper as Valerie Hogan, a working mother balancing her career and raising three sons while her husband was often away for work. The show mixed comedy with heartfelt moments, making
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On This Day March 26 1986 – The Money Pit Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 26 1986 the comedy film The Money Pit premiered in theaters. Starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long the movie followed a young couple who think they’ve found their dream home only to discover it’s falling apart piece by piece. Directed by
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On This Day March 7 1986 – Divers from the USS Preserver Located the Crew Cabin of the Space Shuttle Challenger
On this day March 7 1986 divers from the USS Preserver discovered the crew cabin of the Space Shuttle Challenger on the ocean floor. This grim discovery came more than a month after the shuttle tragically exploded 73 seconds after liftoff on January 28 1986
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On This Day March 31 1985 – The First WrestleMania Took Place at Madison Square Garden
On this day March 31 1985 the very first WrestleMania was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The event was a huge gamble for the WWF but it paid off big and became the launchpad for professional wrestling’s explosion into pop culture.
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On This Day March 29 1985 – Desperately Seeking Susan Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 29 1985 Desperately Seeking Susan premiered in theaters. Directed by Susan Seidelman the offbeat comedy starred Rosanna Arquette and pop icon Madonna in her first major film role. The story followed a bored New Jersey housewife who becomes obsessed with the
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On This Day March 29 1985 – King David Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 29 1985 the biblical epic King David premiered in theaters. Directed by Bruce Beresford and starring Richard Gere the film aimed to bring the story of the legendary king of Israel to the big screen with sweeping visuals and dramatic storytelling.
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On This Day March 29 1985 – Police Academy 2 Their First Assignment Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 29 1985 Police Academy 2 Their First Assignment hit theaters as the second entry in the popular comedy franchise. Directed by Jerry Paris the film brought back much of the original cast including Steve Guttenberg Bubba Smith Michael Winslow and George
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On This Day March 29 1985 – The Slugger’s Wife Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 29 1985 the romantic sports comedy The Slugger’s Wife premiered in theaters. Directed by Hal Ashby and written by Neil Simon the film starred Michael O'Keefe as a baseball star who falls for a rising rock singer played by Rebecca De
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On This Day March 29 1985 – Rogues Gallery by Slade Was Released
On this day March 29 1985 British rock band Slade released their twelfth studio album Rogues Gallery. Known for their glam rock roots and anthemic choruses the band leaned into a more polished and radio friendly sound on this record to match the mid 80s
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On This Day March 27 1985 – 7800° Fahrenheit by Bon Jovi Was Released
On this day March 27 1985 Bon Jovi released their second studio album 7800° Fahrenheit. Coming off their self titled debut the band pushed for a heavier and more polished sound with this release while continuing to build their identity in the mid 80s rock
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On This Day March 27 1985 – Tao by Rick Springfield Was Released
On this day March 27 1985 Rick Springfield released his tenth studio album Tao. Known for his polished rock sound and emotionally driven lyrics this album marked a shift in Springfield’s style with a darker more experimental tone and heavier use of synthesizers. Tao reached
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On This Day March 25 1985 – The Power Station Released Their Debut Album
On this day March 25 1985 The Power Station released their self titled debut album. Formed as a supergroup featuring Robert Palmer John Taylor and Andy Taylor of Duran Duran and Tony Thompson of Chic the band delivered a bold mix of rock funk and
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On This Day March 25 1985 – The Secret of Association by Paul Young Was Released
On this day March 25 1985 Paul Young released his second studio album The Secret of Association. Blending soulful vocals with polished 80s pop production the album showcased his signature style and continued to build on the success of his debut. The album included the
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On This Day March 24 1985 – Half Nelson Premiered on NBC
On this day March 24 1985 Half Nelson premiered on NBC. The short lived comedy drama starred Joe Pesci as Rocky Nelson a former New York cop who moved to Hollywood to work as a private investigator while trying to break into acting. The show
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On This Day March 23 1985 – Julian Lennon Performed His First Concert in San Antonio Texas
On this day March 23 1985 Julian Lennon performed his first ever concert in San Antonio Texas. The son of John Lennon had recently emerged as a rising star with his debut album Valotte which showcased his own musical identity while drawing inevitable comparisons to
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On This Day March 22 1985 – Porky’s Revenge Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 22 1985 the raunchy comedy sequel Porky’s Revenge premiered in theaters. Directed by James Komack the third and final installment in the Porky’s franchise starred Dan Monahan Wyatt Knight Tony Ganios Mark Herrier Kaki Hunter Scott Colomby Nancy Parsons and Chuck
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On This Day March 22 1985 – Baby Secret of the Lost Legend Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 22 1985 the family adventure film Baby Secret of the Lost Legend premiered in theaters. Directed by Bill L. Norton the movie starred William Katt Sean Young and Patrick McGoohan in a story about a young couple who discover a living
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On This Day March 22 1985 – He-Man and She-Ra The Secret of the Sword Premiered in Theaters
On this day March 22 1985 He-Man and She-Ra The Secret of the Sword premiered in theaters. Directed by Ed Friedman Lou Kachivas Marsh Lamore Bill Reed and Gwen Wetzler the animated film starred the voice talents of John Erwin Melendy Britt Alan Oppenheimer Linda
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On This Day March 22 1985 – The Final Episode of V Aired
On this day March 22 1985 the final episode of the sci-fi series V aired. The show was based on the popular V miniseries and followed humanity’s ongoing battle against an alien race known as the Visitors who had secretly invaded Earth. Despite strong initial
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On This Day March 22 1985 – John Paul Jones Released the Scream for Help Soundtrack
On this day March 22 1985 Led Zeppelin bassist and multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones released the soundtrack album for the thriller film Scream for Help. The album showcased Jones' ability to blend rock orchestration and atmospheric compositions into a cinematic experience. Featuring contributions from legendary
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On This Day March 22 1985 – Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears Was Released
On this day March 22 1985 Tears for Fears released the single Everybody Wants to Rule the World. The song became one of their biggest hits topping the US Billboard Hot 100 from June 8 to June 21. It also reached number one in Canada
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